willtim
Well-Known Member
Any years of manufacture more desirable? Any years to avoid? This does not include pre-64. Thanks
Winchester Model 70 Classic action
- Thread starter willtim
- Start date
Help Support Long Range Hunting Forum
I have no experience with the ones made in Portugal now ( i think). I have a South Carolina one, it is made well, shoots well, but they changed the trigger to the "MOA" trigger. The New Haven have the older style trigger, personally I prefer the older style.
LRNut
Well-Known Member
I agree; I bought an Edge on a M70 Classic - guy said it shot great, but I would never select that action to build a LR rifle. But I have to say, this one is one of the most accurate rifles I have. Nothing fancy - Benchmark bbl, laminated "Coyote" stock, standard trigger.
My .416 Rem is a Mod 70 Classic as well.
c_bass16
Well-Known Member
I have a pair of early 90s I turned into custom rifles. Both are single hole shooters. 10 years ago it was a perfectly acceptable option but you're right...I probably wouldn't use them for a custom rifle anymore...unless I already had it on the shelf and needed to make it more better.
First was a push feed that started as a long action .243 Win I turned into a 6x284 to shoot 115 Dtacs and the other is a CRF magnum I bought as a bare action and turned into a 7mm Rem mag for purely long range steel and hunting.
Tex_Hunter
Well-Known Member
- Joined
- Feb 26, 2011
- Messages
- 313
I recently had a late model "Portugal/Baco" M70 rebarreled, I didn't have it fully blueprinted and keeping the MOA trigger for now, but one big thing I noticed though when the smith pulled the old barrel off was that the tenon/threading is updated on the late model actions, wider and longer than what you'll see on the "classic" actions. I note this only because one of the biggest things you see done on M70s when fully blueprinted by a quality shop (like an LRI tier1 for example), they open up the receiver threading to 1 1/16"x18 to add as much meat/support as possible at the barrel/action interface as the older actions have a very short/ small circumference tenon. The tenon on the barrel taken off of my M70 was closer in diameter/depth to a Rem 700 or comparable. Not really important if you were going to have it blueprinted to begin with I guess, but worth noting.
I have a strong emotional attachment to the M70 platform, but honestly by the time you've found an acceptable donor and had the work put into to it for trueing/blueprinting, you probably would be better off doing something like a Defiance Rebel with CRF/Claw extractor and 3 position safety upgrades (will run you ~$1750 out the door last I checked, which includes a TT trigger that's been matched to the action). Better action with a better trigger and broader aftermarket support for stocks etc.
Edit to add pics of the finished rifle:
I have a strong emotional attachment to the M70 platform, but honestly by the time you've found an acceptable donor and had the work put into to it for trueing/blueprinting, you probably would be better off doing something like a Defiance Rebel with CRF/Claw extractor and 3 position safety upgrades (will run you ~$1750 out the door last I checked, which includes a TT trigger that's been matched to the action). Better action with a better trigger and broader aftermarket support for stocks etc.
Edit to add pics of the finished rifle:
Last edited:
The best classics were serial number G with either 5 numbers or 6 numbers after it. G with 7 numbers as when they started to close up their shop in New Haven, and move to South Carolina which only lasted a short time before it moved over to Portugal.
Interesting to know. Mine, all but one are 5 or 6 digits. I have one 7, in 375H&H. Shoots great. And one from NC, I ordered and waited a year to get, discontinued by the time I received it. All are shooters.
One thing to note: On the Classic models, they put some type of a clear rubberized blastic on the recoil lug. It deteriorated on my 300WM, so I bedded the action. Solid now.
VALKYRIETP
Well-Known Member
As of JULY 2022 LRI is not set up to blue print the"Portugal/Baco" model 70's
I had mine there for BP,ing and Eric the manager told me that.
Things may have changed since then.
T.P.
I had mine there for BP,ing and Eric the manager told me that.
Things may have changed since then.
T.P.
How can I determine where and when My Mod 70 Classic was made?
Well... I, and one of my younger brothers each bought Win Mod 70s in late 1965 it was the model that had the radical free-floating barrel and the plastic wedge insert for storage after the season so the stock wouldn't warp, they were in .270 Win cartridge... terrible rifles, both of them, bad accuracy and the comb of stock just killed my cheek, with that said; it seemed all my Model 70 Winchesters after that were fine.
Good luck, Cheers
Good luck, Cheers
ramsdude47
Well-Known Member
Tag I just bought a 270 because it was cheap, not sure which version it is. Might be rebarreled to 25-06AI or 280AI.
willtim
Well-Known Member
Mine has the "tupperware" stock. I pulled it off and thought the recoil lug had been bedded. I didn't realize it came from the factory that way. Good to know. Thanks
