Is there any reason why an equal quality barrel in 270 or 30-06 caliber would demand a higher price? What would be a reasonable representative price for the 270 in excellent condition? '06?

If you're referring to the "Gopher Special" barrels the only one making anything like it is Douglas and I'm not too sure that Douglas didn't make the originals.....guessing here....

Anyway I've used many of the Douglas "featherweight" barrels and they run about $160 and in My opinion they're worth every nickel of it.

The only problem is that they're not stamped as the original Winchester barrels and I wouldn't touch one of the originals unless it was totally unsalvagable. I'm not sure this answers the question.....

Hey Butchloc.....tell us why they was called "Gopher Specials".....you better know this!!!!

Gophers invaded the shop during that year of production??



No sights.

Muygrande , are you refering to The pre 64 barrel someone has been trying to sell on gunbroker and the price he is asking?

quote:

---

Originally posted by GSP7:
Gophers invaded the shop during that year of production??

---

quote:

---

No sights.

---

.......now for the rest of the story?????

Vapodog. Whats the complete story . I think I heard it before but cant remember. Something about the name Gopher .

Is it, they were special order (No sights)made by some hardware(?) store/gunshop somewhere . The name of the Store was Gophers Hardware..?

Something like that?

Gentleman by the name of Butchloc posts here often and he's from Faribault Minnesota...or so he says.....anyway many moons ago there was a big wholesaler in Faribault Minnesota (owned by a guy named Purdy IIRC) and his company (Gopher shooters supply) bought and sold so many M-70 rifles that they actually could tell winchester how they wanted them and started ordering them in featherweight models WITHOUT sights..... These were the ONLY pre 64 M-70 ever sold with no sights on the barrel and all of them were of the featherweight design. Special ordered by Gopher shooters supply and hanse the name "Gopher Special". I had one in .270 and like a dumb ass traded it in .....yup you guessed it.....1964 for a .225 barreled action.

I just wondered if Butchloc knew that about his home town.....

Yes in fact I am as the price seems very high. I do recall hearing however that few of the 270 fwt rifles were made. Any ideas?

quote:

---

Originally posted by GSP7:
Gophers invaded the shop during that year of production??



No sights.

Muygrande , are you refering to The pre 64 barrel someone has been trying to sell on gunbroker and the price he is asking?

---

[QUOTE]Originally posted by muygrande:
Yes in fact I am as the price seems very high. I do recall hearing however that few of the 270 fwt rifles were made. Any ideas?[QUOTE]
Have you considered sending the rifle back to winchester to be rebarreled?

The Gopher rifles are now a collectable item and I sure wouldn't mess with one, least you ruin the value..They go up in price every year in value and are becoming more scarce..If I had one I would either sell for a premium or hang on to it....

How can you tell if a rifle is a real gopher?

Front site can be removed , rear site dovetail would be the problem if you wanted to make a fake one.

anyone kow the serial number range?

I saw what a guy claimed was a gopher a couple years ago at a gun show It was a 270 feather wieght with no sights. Price wasnt bad as I remember $650 or so.

A true Gopher Special has no drill and tap for the front sight and has no dovetail for the rear sight. There was no swell in the barrel for the GSs and absolutely no machining of any kind to allow for sights. It was a featherweight barrel like the one Douglas makes today and the one installed on todays featherweight rifle chambered in .270,.243,.22-250 etc.....not the ones in the WSMs.

I have one of these "gopher specials". The previous owner had the 243 chamber "improved" to 240 page super pooper (244 improved). A small tear forms every time I think about it. I was under the impression the owner had bought it in Canada (where I got it) and had heard Winchester did sight-free barrels on special order. Serial number is 4575xx, 1959 I believe.