This might be heresy around here but I am with you in preferring the M-70. I have used them for many years, both push-feed and controlled round feeding.
Fact is that both Rem and Win are good actions, and they can both be improved a bunch by a good gunsmith. Here are a some of my opinions on the M-70's, usually vs Remington since they seem to be compared so much.
I find that the M-70 is easier to insert rounds into the mag - might be I am inherently clumsy but the Win action cutout is bigger and makes it easier to get rounds into the mag well. Some Rem. actions require that the round fit back inside the opening to sit back on the lifter.
M-70 trigger assemblies are quite easy to adjust and they stay set. There is no inter-relationship to the safety although you can overdo it so that the sear doesn't engage. Anyone can adjust a M-70 trigger but unlike the Rem. it requires removing metal so you must be very careful. There is a factory designed trick that ensures perfect stoning of the sear hook that makes the job easy. I use a Lansky knife sharpening stone, works great.
Many smiths seem to tout the installation of a "Sako-style" extractor into the Rem. bolt face to improve extraction, whereas you just don't have to do that with Win. pushfeeds.
The M-70 bolt disassembles in seconds, no tools or coins or whatever so it is easy to clean and lube inside.
The M-70 is supposed to be stronger, more resistent to bending or torquing. I have never bent an action and never will but the M-70 seems to have more steel in it, makes it heavier than a Rem. I prefer the integral recoil lug over the washer-type used by Rem. for some reason, just seems better.
You either love or hate the three-way safety, I prefer it to any other.
From a gunsmith's view point the controlled round feeding actions are a pain in the butt, require a fairly precise cutout for the big long extractor into the face of the barrel, use a cone shaped area (breach) instead of flat, much more complex to bed than a circular Rem action since it is flat-bottomed - but when bedded correctly they are superbly stable and strong.
I have been told that some M-70's were very hard actions, steel was hardened to a different degree than Rems and they can be tough to drill. Also the M-70 has some polishing that must be done on the upper flat surface and this is not done uniformly so one-piece bases don't always sit flush. Like the Rem they also sometimes suffer from miss-alignment of the scope mounting holes. I have also found that the three stock bolts should be switched to B-Squares so you don't have to use a flat blade screwdriver (allens instead).
Most new M-70 actions are improved if a competent smith polishes the safety parts, no grinding or hanging up.
Although the push-feeds got a terrible (and well deserved for a while) reputation for sloppy workmanship, they can be the basis for incredibly accurate rifles. Better than Remingtons, not sure about that since I have some Rems that are very good, particularly the 40X singleshot actions.
Why so many Remingtons, one reason is that the action is inherently easier to work on.
Hope that this is of interest. Other guys might have other opinions, hope you enjoy your M-70 like I do mine.
Thanks for any input.
