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Hi, I’m new to the group and this is my first post. I just have a few Winchesters in my collection, I’m more of an eclectic collector . I have this model 70 in 257 Roberts. It’s probably a 95% gun. It’s very nice, clean. It has the original barrel in 257 Roberts but it has been re-chambered to 257 Weatherby mag. My question is how does that affect the value. I’m not looking to sell it I was just curious. Dale
Hello Dale,
While I am certainly not an expert as it applies to the Model 70, I am somewhat knowledgeable about the market values of collectable Winchester firearms in general. What I can tell you, is that any post-factory alterations that are made to a collectable Winchester are detrimental to the value. I would expect an approximate 50% reduction to the value of your rifle. If it is an early production rifle that has been drilled & tapped to mount a scope, that also is a value deduction.
Bert
WACA Historian & Board of Director Member #6571L
November 5, 2014
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Hi ab-buff-
First, Welcome to WACA!!!
Regarding your question… Unfortunately, conversion of a M70 standard action to short magnum involves not only re-chambering the barrel, but also modifications to the bolt face, action rails and feed ramp. In other words, the barrel, receiver and bolt have all been altered, and the magazine box/follower/spring have probably been changed as well, since the original magazine box provided with 257 ROBERTS was annoyingly short…
Assuming it’s accurate, the rifle’s principal value is as a hunting rifle. I suspect that it would have no “collector appeal” and the alteration of major components drastically limits its “parts value”… 
I’d say it’s worth less than $1000 (maybe $700-800) unless a prospective buyer really wants a 257 Weatherby to hunt with.
Sorry…
Lou
WACA 9519; Studying Pre-64 Model 70 Winchesters
Thank you for the response, I thought it would be around 50% or less. It sure is a nice rifle. Great shooter. Not sure when it was done but they did it an extremely nice job.
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ab-buff said
Thank you for the response, I thought it would be around 50% or less. It sure is a nice rifle. Great shooter. Not sure when it was done but they did it an extremely nice job.
Does look like a nice job, but you would hope a conscientious gunsmith advised the owner of the heavy blow the work would inflict on this scarce model’s desirability to others; maybe he did & the owner said “to hell with them.”
clarence said
ab-buff said
Thank you for the response, I thought it would be around 50% or less. It sure is a nice rifle. Great shooter. Not sure when it was done but they did it an extremely nice job.
Does look like a nice job, but you would hope a conscientious gunsmith advised the owner of the heavy blow the work would inflict on this scarce model’s desirability to others; maybe he did & the owner said “to hell with them.”
My guess it was probably done in the 60s maybe early 70s. I don’t think people cared about rarity on a model 70 at that point.
I thought I’d put a couple of more pictures up of it. I know it’s not a collectible for the purist. It kind of reminds me of back in 1964 when the new Corvette came out a lot of the owners that bought 63s, remove the centerpiece out of the rear window to make it look like a 64. It was just a car back then nobody in the right mind would do it today. Same thing goes with this model 70. It was just a gun back then.
November 5, 2014
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Hi ab-buff-
It is a nice looking rifle in great condition!!! 
IMHO the 257 Weatherby would be just the ticket for Pronghorn…
Would you care to share the full serial number, either here or in a PM, so that I may add it to the M70 survey? Information provided by WACA members is recorded only as “WACA” in the notes column of the survey spreadsheet.
Lou
WACA 9519; Studying Pre-64 Model 70 Winchesters
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