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Was the “Pachmayr” rubber recoil pad an after market product in replacement of the steel butt plate installed originally by Winchester?
How much would this devalue the above rifle w/o the correct steel butt plate?
Definitely aftermarket and would shave 50% off collector value for my purposes. The early featherweights with the aluminum are my favorites in my room….
Gregory, thank-you! Does it really devalue by 50%? Seems like quite a substantial amount?
That’s just my two cents. I doubt it would be that much for some, who are looking for shooters.
As a collector first and shooter second, the pad would be that much of a distraction in value….
Was just Reading the Madis Winchester Book. On the bottom of page 446, he states “recoil pads for this model (Model 64), may be marked either “PACHMAYR” or “WINCHESTER”.
Why would it not be possible to assume the same Pachmayr recoil pads were not also available for the pre-64 model 70 featherweight and not solely the aluminum butt plates?
Richard,
I put very little credence in the information you read on page 446 of The Winchester Book. Specifically, Winchester did not begin using Pachmayr recoil pads any sooner than October 1960, and the Model 64 was discontinued in 1958. Further, all of the early production Model 70 Featherweights would have had the aluminum butt plate, or a Winchester recoil pad.
You might find this to be an interesting read – https://law.justia.com/cases/federal/appellate-courts/F2/502/802/370197/
Bert
WACA Historian & Board of Director Member #6571L
Bert, thanks as always. Sounded good from the read on Madis. Hard to decipher how much is valid or not from that reference!
As a follow-up, what would you think the devaluation on a rifle would be with that incorrect recoil pad?
Richard,
If the stock was cut to install the recoil pad (and I suspect it was), it significantly reduces the value. As no two collectors will view it exactly the same, the devaluation could be as little as 25%, or as much as 75%. For me, I would not want it at any price, so you could say it is a 100% devaluation.
Bert
WACA Historian & Board of Director Member #6571L
What a lessons learned? Have such a rifle purchased over 20 years ago in excellent condition I was hoping would increase in collectability! Will need to rethink about what comes next. Thank-you Bert and Gary.
Hi Y’all
FWIW… My understanding is that the ventilated (not solid red rubber) recoil pads that Winchester started using on selected products around 1960 (Standard Grade rifles in 300 WIN MAGNUM, 338 WIN MAGNUM, and 375 H&H MAGNUM; SG 458 WIN MAGNUM Africans; and 264 WIN MAGNUM Featherweights), were MADE by Pachmayr on contract but marked Winchester on the outside. If you pull one of them off the stock they are marked Pachmayr on the inside against the wood where it does not show…
So IMHO any M70 rifle (from any production period) that has a Pachmayr pad marked as such where you can see it either has a replaced pad or a stock that was cut off for a non-factory pad. It would be extremely difficult to prove otherwise.
Even the plastic butt plate stocks that did not have the “widows peak” cut in the butt for a steel/aluminum pad had a slight curve in the wood butt that would have to be faced off square (even if not shortened) to install a pad, e.g. for a shooter with long arms who wanted an extra 1″ LOP.
As far as effect on value… Pretty much any non-factory pad eliminates collector value (much like D&T holes in the bridge eliminates collector value in a pre-war M70). So collector value = $0.00. What we’re talking about is value as a functional working rifle. These old guns are pretty nice to take into the field since the quality beats the heck out of any “off the rack” hunting rifle you can get these days (unless of course the “rack” you’re shopping is at Dakota Arms headquarters). As a shooter, the current value of a M70 FWT or type III standard grade rifle with a non-factory pad is $650-$850 depending on condition (and chambering for the standard grades since something like a 257 ROBERTS will appeal more than an ’06). Plenty of folks will ask more, but…
Just my humble opinion… 
Lou
WACA 9519; Studying Pre-64 Model 70 Winchesters
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