Vettepartz said
I am looking at a purchase of a 69A from about 1954 with serial 263XX. I believe it has the grooves for a scope mount, although not sure because they are very shallow. I will try to post a picture here if I can.  If this is grooved, would its value be more than one without grooves?  The rest of the rifle is in very nice shape. If I can’t post pictures, I would be glad to email them to someone who can post them here.  

Grooved 69As are generally preferred over non-grooved ones – all other things being equal.

Where is the “263XX” on the rifle; is it roll-marked into the barrel on the left side or is it on the receiver?

Is this a barrel-mounted open-sight version or is it set up for a receiver-mounted peep sight? Does it have two plugged holes on the left rear portion of the receiver just above edge of the stock?

Eagle said
Something not right here as 69-69A’s were NOT serialized. You need to throw up a picture…  

There have been a handful of barrel-stamped 69As noted and discussed on RFC that seem to be from the same source – having five-digit numbers ranging from 218XX to 288XX. They have all been mid-1950s production or later. 

My questions to the original poster were to see if his 26XXX rifle fit in with the ones previously reported:

Where is the “263XX” on the rifle; is it roll-marked into the barrel on the left side or is it on the receiver?

Is this a barrel-mounted open-sight version or is it set up for a receiver-mounted peep sight? Does it have two plugged holes on the left rear portion of the receiver just above edge of the stock?

This is an example of one such barrel-stamped 69A (#27210) that sold recently on GunBroker; see picture #5:

Barrel-Stamped 69A on GB

3Dub said

There have been a handful of barrel-stamped 69As noted and discussed on RFC that seem to be from the same source – having five-digit numbers ranging from 218XX to 288XX. They have all been mid-1950s production or later. 

My questions to the original poster were to see if his 26XXX rifle fit in with the ones previously reported:

 

Where is the “263XX” on the rifle; is it roll-marked into the barrel on the left side or is it on the receiver?

Is this a barrel-mounted open-sight version or is it set up for a receiver-mounted peep sight? Does it have two plugged holes on the left rear portion of the receiver just above edge of the stock?

 

This is an example of one such barrel-stamped 69A (#27210) that sold recently on GunBroker; see picture #5:

Barrel-Stamped 69A on GB  

I have a Model 37 youth stamped just like that with number 150599 I assumed it was a large retailer documenting the guns they sold.