Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Hunting Rifles Winchester Model 70

As someone who admittedly knows very little about the model 70, I am looking to buy one but need some help. I am mostly seeking info on post 64 models. How are the push feeds? Do the push feeds have Mauser type claw extractors? Are all classics CRF? Any specific models or years to avoid? What about current models? I would prefer a CRF model in a standard caliber but would be ok with a push feed if they are ok. Looking to learn all I can...

early post 64's are push feed. I have no experience with them. Winchester reintroduced CRF 15 or more years ago. The fact that they brought it back says a lot

I have a few of both, no problems with any of them.

OK, heres lesson #1. The Mauser type claw extractor is what makes a CRF a CRF....hence you wont find one on a push feed.

Lesson#2. Most of the push feed Win.70s are surprisingly good, especially as they got into the "XTR" phase...

Lol! Gotcha. I may have said that wrong. What I meant was didn't they make a kind of controlled round push feed cross? Or something like that?

They made a few CRPFs (control round push feeds) just before Winchester shut down the NH facility The one I have functions perfectly.

I've had a number of push feed model 70's and 670's and they've all been great! Accuracy has been excellent. The pf model 70's are my favorites.

The Classics were introduced in 1992,along with the CRF feature which had been out of production since 1964. Far as I know,all Classics are CRF.

Some Classics are great and some are less than wonderful. They say the early 5 digit models are better than later yes but Ive seen good and bad throughout the number range.

The new ones (since 2006?) are really good but don't retain the old style trigger. This matters to some people but not at all to many folks.

I have 3 of the current FN 70s and one early 90s crf and they are all excellent. I had to replace the trigger on the early 90s gun...it was over 8 lbs and gritty. The new guns were all between 3.5 and 4lb with the new trigger and crisp so they were left alone fwiw

About a half-hour work with two small wrenches and a stone and you could have had a primo trigger at about 3#.. [quote]

As to the OP, the info above is correct.. Do not be afraid of the NH M70s, whether PF or CRF...

About a half-hour work with two small wrenches and a stone and you could have had a primo trigger at about 3#..

The old M70 trigger is a cake walk for a good smith who knows his stuff.

That "old M70 trigger", tweaked a bit, is still the best trigger around when a person considers simplicity, ease of maintenance, durability etc., etc.

JMHO, of course...

I've owned a lot of different brands of bolt action rifles and I have a thing for Husqvarna. But the best looking, best handling rifles I've owned have been Winchester 70's. And I've owned a bunch of 700 Rems too but they don't compare.

The model 70's made in the 1960's and 70's were of lower quality, and those made after 1963 were all pushfeed. The rifles made during the 1980's and 1990's were of much better quality. While most, including myself, prefer the controlled round feeding action those pushfeeds are very nice rifles. They can often be bought at bargain prices since they are not CRF.

They brought back the CRF action in the early 90's as the model 70 Classic. But continued to make many PF rifles in their budget line right up until the New Haven factory closed in 2006. Starting around 2000 quality started being spotty again. Most are just fine, but you see a lot more lemons the closer you get to a 2006 made rifle.

FN reintroduced the model 70 in 2008. It has a redesigned trigger, but otherwise is very similar to the Classics made from 1992-2006. I still prefer the older trigger, but those are very nice rifles for the most part.

I had a 70's push feed in .270 and it was awesome.

I have several push feed M70's that are good shooters. One was made in the 64-67 era and shoots great. I have a couple CRF M70's that are good shooters.

I had a CRPF that shot well, but the push feed style extractor did not hold fired cases well enough to work with the CRF style ejector.

I have one push feed ftw. .308, one controlled feed classic fwt. in 6.5x55 and a super grade crf in .300 win mag. I like the push feed .308 purchased in the late 80s but the barrel was not free floated and it didn't shoot well until I free floated and bedded it. The Super Grade is just fine but I don't use it much. The 6.5 Swede is free-floated and shoots great but - - - has an issue with the magazine. The second round in the mag. box is not under tension and moves readily in the mag box. An audible click can be heard from this free-moving round hitting the front and back of the mag box when the rifle is moved. I think this is a problem unique to the 6.5X55 round. It's annoying though. I've replaced the follower and the springs (twice) to try to correct this problem. (This cost me a deer once.) I would not hesitate to recommend the push feed M70s. They work well.

What years had the hot glue bedding?

I've seen hot glue bedding on models from 1980 to early 2,000's. Redneck probably has a better idea on this...

I have to agree with you on the "old" M70 trigger....