Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Ask The Gunwriters JB Sports Afield Article - M70

John:

Just a quick note to say how much I enjoyed your article on the 80th birthday of the Model 70. But I must say, you're going to stir a hornet's nest here on the 'Fire by insinuating that the current iteration is (perhaps) the best one yet.

RM

I've been saying that for years. He got it from me.....

What issue? The current SA site doesn't show anything.

A friend of mine just gave me a copy of Sports Afield. I hadn't seen a copy in a long time. They have certainly done a nice job with the publication and although I may never go to Africa, I might subscribe just because I didn't see a single Glock or AR platform in the whole magazine...

July/August, page 18.

Yeah, but he also said he likes the MOA trigger, so that's gonna leave a mark.

Which is exactly why I'm letting a few subscriptions expire.

You know, I didn't think the MOA trigger sucked. The glue on the adjustments screws was a bitch to get off, but once it was gone....a little tweaking....and the trigger didn't suck.

Yeah, I had to pick that stuff out with a hot, tiny crochet needle. What a pain. But once it was out I put an Ernie spring in, backed the screw out, used clear nail polish to hold it in place, and it now breaks at just under 3 pounds. I can live with that.

As noted in the article, the latest M70 instructions that come with every rifle actually describe how to adjust the triggers--but I haven''t adjusted mine, because they came from the factory with very clean 3-1/2 pound pulls, just as advertised.

I also believe that current Model 70s are as good as any made in the past. I have a new 7mm-08 and a 308 that shoot less than moa,feed and function perfectly,and had 3.5 pound triggers right from the factory.

If there is anything wrong with either of them,I don't know what it is.

I prefer the design of the old trigger,but the new one is a good trigger as far as I can tell. If somebody made an old style trigger to fit the new action,I know they would sell,but I don't think I'd spend the time or the money to change mine.

Yeah, it would be nice for some purposes to be able to drop in an old-style trigger. I was kind of hoping Alaska Arms would introduce something similar to their M70-style trigger for 98 Mausers, but also doubt I'd change the triggers on my pair of new M70's.

M.D. what are your new M70 chambered in? And how do they shoot?

I've owned 4 of the new ones and played with a 5th. None of the triggers needed to be touched and I found the rifles all to be accurate and require less fiddling than the NH models in general.

One 300 WSM EW has to have been among the most accurate out of the box rifles I have ever owned.

But I don't own any of them anymore likely because I didn't need any of them and deep in my heart a M70 has to have a M70 trigger.

But I'm a curmudgeon and still like 4X scopes,too.

super T,

One is a Jack O'Connor Commemorative in, of course, .270 Winchester, and the other is a .300 WSM.

Ah, the Model 70 is just a passing fad that will never catch on. I'm waiting for them to come to their senses and revive the Model 54.

Bob,

I have the two new M70s from Belgium and have three of the South Carolina guns. Had no problems with the South Carolina guns either.

I do agree with you that many of the latter New Haven guns were a project in a box. They all needed trigger work. Many needed to have work with bedding or other accuracy issues.

The pre64 guns featured great metal work but the stocks are nothing special,they were set up for iron sights mostly.

The new ones are as good as any IMHO.

gnoahhh,

Yeah, I really miss the trigger and, especially, floorplate on the 54!

Do you have Fixed 4 power scopes on both? !

I have a coupe of the new ones (classic) and a few pre - 64's. In 1964 a cousin brought a brand new model 94 over. She couldn't sight it in. It shot a little over a pie plate size group at 100 yards. We (brother came out when I expressed my frustration) centered the pattern the best we could. I thought that the only Winchester I would own would be the older ones. The term pre-64 was a term I hadn't heard but it meant what I was thinking. The only good Winchesters were already made.

Now, I think the new 70's are better than many of the early 60's models and in fact are as good as any produced. But I won't be selling my early ones either. I still like my Remingtons, but don't care much for the other major manufacturer's made in the USA rifles.