New barrel on my Pre 64 Winchester Model 70

[epoletna]

If there's not a law against putting a new barrel on a pre-64 Model 70, there should be. You can get an original replacement pre-64 barrel from <pre64win.com> . Or you can go ahead with the sacrilege you're suggesting and get arrested by the pre-64 police. Just remember, they're not making any more pre-64's!

 

[Greyfox]

If you pre-64 is original condition, I'd go with the direct replacement mentioned in n the previous post by Epoletna. You seemed quite satisfied with your prior results. If you rifle has been formerly modified beyond stock, or you plan to do so, you'll have the opportunity to optimize your ballistics with a faster twist(8 or 7 1/2)
barrel.

 

[pgothro]

If there's not a law against putting a new barrel on a pre-64 Model 70, there should be. You can get an original replacement pre-64 barrel from <pre64win.com> . Or you can go ahead with the sacrilege you're suggesting and get arrested by the pre-64 police. Just remember, they're not making any more pre-64's!

Stock was chipped many years ago and replaced with a custom Myrtle Wood stock. While it has been in the family its whole life 1962 and mine 1958 I don't feel that it would be sacrilege. While the trigger is excellent and before the barrel went away (bore scope shows very little rifling in the 1st 8") it was a tack driver and a sure killer. My new 2011 model 70 Safari Express in .375 H&H (made by new Winchester) is even better- wood, fit, finish and deadly accurate (sub MOA) only complaint is the trigger. I think I can't really go backwards. I'm looking at the same profile so no stock change. Just no front sight or rear. It has worn a scope since day 1. But I am torn.

 

[Lenny Foffa]

What an excellent project!! A Classic Rifle shooting a Classic LR caliber!!! WOW !! I don't know if there is a down side getting a barrel with a faster twist. It seems you can shoot 120s/ 140s and 160s with 'great results." Thats perfect for Mulies and Antelopes and Whitetails, and perhaps Elk too. So, it seems there is no downside to just reproducing what you already have (which you know is nearly perfect) and use the other rifle for larger game like Moose/ Elk. and Brown Bear!!! I am really interested in learning what you finally decide to do!!

 

[Whiskey_Tango]

If there's not a law against putting a new barrel on a pre-64 Model 70, there should be. You can get an original replacement pre-64 barrel from <pre64win.com> . Or you can go ahead with the sacrilege you're suggesting and get arrested by the pre-64 police. Just remember, they're not making any more pre-64's!

They rebarreled my '49 model 70 in 270WCF with a barrel from the same year. Was very pleased with it.

 

[epoletna]

Ok, bowing to popular demand (I'm sure there will be some popular demand eventually, so I'll just anticipate it), I'll tell my first pre-64 story.

I was assigned to the American embassy in Dar es Salaam in 1970. (That's in Tanzania.). I made friends there with Jon Speed, an American who was working on anti-poaching, and went on to be the world's authority on Mausers. He stopped by my office one day as he was on his way back to the game preserve where he was working, and told me the local gun store had a pre-64 in .375 H&H. I went around to look at it and discovered it was selling at a ridiculous price (my memory is it was around $300 and came with several boxes of ammo). The difficult part was getting a gun license from the local government.

I applied, and was surprised that it came through in several weeks. I went to pay for the rifle and pick it up, and discovered it came with two full and one partial box of winchester ammo. At local prices, the ammo alone was worth more than I paid for the rifle.

That rifle went on many hunts with me in the interior of Tanzania, several of them with Jon, who knew the country very well. It took several Cape buffalo, wart hogs, zebra, and other plains game. On one memorable occasion I was running through a scrub forest with the rifle, chasing after a herd of cape buffalo. I tripped on a root and fell, breaking the stock at the wrist. I drove into Arusha and bought a package of epoxy and electrical tape, and around the campfire that evening I glued the stock back together and wrapped it with tape to hold it while it cured. Two days later I shot a very nice oryx, and have a photo of myself with the oryx and the rifle with electrical tape around the stock.

On home leave that year I bought a semi-insetted maple stock, took it back to Dar and fitted and finished it. Other than the wood, it is stock and shoots very well. Regrettably, my shoulder no longer takes the recoil of a .375 H&H, but I have the memories.

Since then, I have picked up four other pre-64 model 70's -- .243, .257 Roberts, .270 winchester, and .30-06. But I never got as good a deal on one. I am still interested in finding one in 7X57. ~epoletna

 

[epoletna]

One additional part of the story: later that year Jon told me there was a double rifle for sale at the gun store in Tanga, a coastal town 100 miles north of Dar. I belonged to the local flying club, so I rented one of their planes and flew north to Tanga to look at it. It was an Army & Navy double rifle in .450 Nitro express. Jon carried one just like it in his daily job, and when we looked at the one for sale in Tanga, we discovered it had the next serial number from Jon's -- they were a consecutive pair!. Again, I applied, skeptical that the government would issue another license.

Alas, the license came through, and I flew north a second time and bought the double. Right around $400, and I eventually used it on Cape buffalo and elephant, with Jon carrying his .450 NE right next to me in case things did not go as planned.

Good times.

 

[ARlife4me]

Straight from Winchester's site

 

[ARlife4me]

Are wanting to change cartridges or keep it the same? Nothing wrong with the 264wm! With the internal mag you need to check what coal will be. If you're at or a hair over 3.340" you might want to stay with an 8 twist? Going 7.5 won help much as those long 140's and 150+'s can suffer. Check your possible speed against twist to make sure rpm is low enough NOT to destroy the jackets. Adjust barrel length according!

 

[bultinkle]

8

 

[pgothro]

Are wanting to change cartridges or keep it the same? Nothing wrong with the 264wm! With the internal mag you need to check what coal will be. If you're at or a hair over 3.340" you might want to stay with an 8 twist? Going 7.5 won help much as those long 140's and 150+'s can suffer. Check your possible speed against twist to make sure rpm is low enough NOT to destroy the jackets. Adjust barrel length according!

Thanks it will stay .264 magnum for sure, I have never had length issues but I will measure

 

[ARlife4me]

I don't remember what max remember is, but it might be 340k? or 430k? Also forget the formula?

 

[hesse]

Pac nor barrels will do exact copy for an extra 50 l do believe

Stock was chipped many years ago and replaced with a custom Myrtle Wood stock. While it has been in the family its whole life 1962 and mine 1958 I don't feel that it would be sacrilege. While the trigger is excellent and before the barrel went away (bore scope shows very little rifling in the 1st 8") it was a tack driver and a sure killer. My new 2011 model 70 Safari Express in .375 H&H (made by new Winchester) is even better- wood, fit, finish and deadly accurate (sub MOA) only complaint is the trigger. I think I can't really go backwards. I'm looking at the same profile so no stock change. Just no front sight or rear. It has worn a scope since day 1. But I am torn. P

 

[pgothro]

Pac nor barrels will do exact copy for an extra 50 l do believe

Yep I talked to them last week I just wanted to make sure that I thought out the twist, before I send it to them.