.264 Win Mag Rifle - 1960

This is a very nice .264 Winchester Magnum "Westerner" rifle, produced in 1960.  When Winchester introduced the .264 Win Mag cartridge in 1960, they named the new rifle the "Westerner".  It had a 26" stainless barrel with a new "smoky blue" kind of finish process used to give it color, and was relatively low cost compared to other model 70 magnum rifles. Unfortunately for Winchester, they made the mistake of focusing .264 Win Mag production on the 22" Featherweight version which lacked the great performance of the 26" Westerner, but which Winchester was able to charge slightly more for. The rest is history.  The Westerner became a more scarce and collectible rifle, the .264 WM Featherweight became a  bit of a joke with compromised muzzle velocities and terrible barrel life, and the Remington 700 chambered in 7mm Magnum became the winner in this segment of the market.  Now, 60 years later, the Westerner has become a special collectible with a unique story behind it. This rifle is lightl