Colleagues-

I’m curious if anyone has additional information about the pre-64 M70 “Gopher Special” sightless FWTs.

About a year ago I posted a photo of a sightless FWT SN 422990x (the ‘x’ denoting a duplicate serial number) of mine that appears to have a genuine factory sightless FWT barrel:  https://winchestercollector.org/forum/winchester-rifles/something-special/   Since 422990 is a late ’57 PR date, presumably the rifle would have been assembled in early ’58, which would make it too early to be a true “Gopher Special”. 

What’s prompting this query is that recently a fellow WACA member contacted me about another sightless FWT in .270 WIN with SN 423086.  Also a late ’57 SN FWT with an aluminum butt.  From what I’ve observed by compiling SNs of uncommon M70 variations, e.g. VO Snipers, ramped straight taper barrel 375 MAGNUMs, etc. the factory tended to make up rifles in “production runs”, resulting in a group of identical rifles with closely grouped serial numbers punctuated by long intervals where none appear.  Since 422990 and 423086 are so close, I’m wondering if by any chance the factory made a “batch” of sightless FWTs in ’58???

If anyone is willing to share information, I would like to track the SN, chambering, stock style and butt plate (aluminum versus composite) of any genuine sightless FWTs out there to just to see how the SNs fall.  Especially SNs (if any) below 440000.  Doing this by searching old auction catalogs (one of my usual approaches) is dicey b/c so many “sightless” pre-64 M70s around these days are non-factory modifications or intentional fakes.

The photo below is scanned from the April 1960 issue of Guns magazine that ran the “Gopher Special” ad.  The text of the ad says “after waiting over a year we are pleased to announce we have them is stock…”  But how long before April 1960 was the Gopher order placed?  Does anyone know…?  Certainly earlier than April 1959 (a year before the Guns Magazine ad).

The conventional wisdom is that the “real” Gophers were assembled in 1959.  In the Red Book, Bert indicates that the Gophers fall between serial numbers 440793-465040, but that is just the full serial number range from Jan 1 – Dec 31 of 1959 (quoted from Rule’s book) consistent with their assembly from receivers made in ‘59.   Another part of the conventional wisdom is that all “real” Gophers have composition butt plates.  The transition from aluminum to composition butt plates happened in early 1959, circa SN 445220 according to Rule.  That also supports the “made in 1959” theory. I don’t question any of this, but now seem to have uncovered two possibly genuine sightless FWTs with close SNs from early ’58.

Hence my curiosity about the SNs of Gopher Specials and/or sightless FWTs in general.  I have no provenance on my sightless FWT beyond saying that with close inspection I believe it to be an authentic Winchester barrel and not modified, i.e. it appears to me to be a genuine “sightless” FWT with a late 1957 SN (probably assembled in early 1958).  Thus, not a true “Gopher Special”.  Were very many such rifles assembled prior to the Gopher Shooter’s Supply order?  Is it remotely possible that the factory had the idea before the Gopher order?  Winchester never regularly catalogued “sightless” pre-64 M70s (meaning with assigned “catalog symbol numbers”).  They first catalogued “sightless” barrels as a special order option in 1960 (which was after the Gopher order had been filled). 

Any help appreciated…

Best,

Lou