Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Ask The Gunwriters JB - Advice on pre-64 M70 forend screw

JB,
Your picture of the pre-64 M70 Featherweight in .308 that you posted made me think about this. I know you've probably written about this somewhere previously, but thought I would ask you directly:

How do you deal with the forend screw on pre-64 M70 standard rifles? Do you tighten them down, leave them loose? Any advice?

Some background info: I've got a pre-64 M70 rifle in .264 Win Mag, all original, for which I'm trying to find an accurate load. I don't want to bed the rifle (to keep it original), but figured with a new scope, checking mounting screws, new bullets, and careful reloading, I should be able to do better than 1.5-2". I'd appreciate any insight you could provide on this.

I'm starting new with this rifle since my Dad gave it to me. He bought it new and I still have some of his reloads as well as some original yellow box Winchester factory loads. It has an obviously old, original Redfield 2-7x scope on it that is a little dim. I really didn't want to change things on it and keep it original, the way he had it, but I've been disappointed in the accuracy so far. I've shot his reloads as well as some of the factory ammo with similar results. I thought that perhaps the old bullets he had that he gave me might not be as well balanced as those available today, so that is why I wanted to try the new bullets.

Thanks!

Not JB, but I have a pre-64 that's only a year younger than me. After thorough barrel cleaning, and with its Bushnell 4x scope, it started laying JB's load with 165gr Hornadys into 3/4" three shot groups. Back to back to back. Would like to take a little creep out of the trigger, but I'm afraid to touch any of the screws for fear of not getting it back to where it is.

Not JB but I have had good results with the screw loose but I would shoot it and try both. A tight screw would provide a little more peace of mind. If for some reason neither works then try a business card just behind the screw and try it over both tight and loose. I have also heard of putting a nylon washer in the barrel recess and screwing just finger tight on it. See what JB or Redneck advise.

I leave the forend screw in my guns, but there are individuals who eliminate the screw entirely. For aesthetic purposes some shorten the screw and epoxy it in the hole in the stock, in effect a dummy screw.

I'm not JB either. But my experience with pre-64 forend screws is to take em out and store em somewhere. I bed the action and float the barrel....get tiny little groups. I also finger tighten the middle floorplate screw at the most.....I generally leave it loosey goosey if you know what I mean. Poconojack's idea is a good one as well. Seen folks do that plenty of times.

So that's why it was deleted in the pre war 30-06 I just got. I couldn't figure out why even the dovetail block was missing. I ordered the screw and the block off Ebay and installed them this week.

I've never seen a Model 70 in .264 mag. that was very accurate with the original ammo. The bullet manufactures in those days had no idea on how to make bullets that shot in those guns. In the early '60's, Ivar Henricksen of Missoula, MT. rebarreled several of them to the new 7mm Rem Mag. and every one out shot all of the 264's. Barrel twist, two diameter bullets, Wasp Waist bullets and bedding were the culprits for the most part. Besides, no one really knew the proper method of getting the barrel cleaned of copper and powder fouling. Winchester made Model 70's in two different configurations, Both 22" Featherweight and 26" Standard. I never really understood why they made the 22" barreled gun in that caliber. It defeated the whole purpose of the cartridge. My personal solution to the front screw on the M70 was to pull the screw and the base that it went into. Then put a business card on the flat of the stock behind the front action screw to free float the barrel. Check it for accuracy after that. If it was more accurate that way, I would make the job permanent and bedded it .In those days we used Anderson's Accureglass. I took the front screw and cut it off short and glued it into the stock escutcheon for looks. Make sure that the screw slot is oriented N-S. Canjar used to make a trigger that had an extra screw in the trigger that could adjust sear engagement. Those worked great. Then again a wee bit of stone work will take that creep out. Just be careful that you don't go too far. I have used pre-64 actions all of my life for my hunting rifles. Here in Alaska, Moose hunting is "armed camping in the rain"; so my Fall and Spring guns have stocks by McMillan. Just some thoughts from an old Geezer.

I traded for a pre-64 M70 several years ago and didn't notice the screw missing from the forend. I've shot the rifle and it shoots fine never worried about the screw missing.

test1328,

I have dealt with the forend screw in at least three ways. When I get a new-to-me pre-'64, I tighten the screw and shoot the rifle with some test ammo that has proven accurate in other rifles of the same chambering. Or if I've never fooled with the chambering, bullets I know to be accurate and 2-3 powders.

If that doesn't work, then I play with the tension in the forend screw. Sometimes they'll shoot better with the screw backed off some, and if so I use blue Loc-Tite to keep it in the same place.

If they still don't shoot well, I'll try temporarily free-floating the barrel as cdparker described, though I use thin plastic shims rather than a business card. The tab on a bread-bag works very well, since it already has a hole for the forend screw. Sometimes it takes two to properly float the barrel, which means you can't squeeze the forend tip to touch the barrel.

Have restocked one pre-'64 standard-weight, a 270, for a friend. In that instance I eliminated the screw, and through pressure experimentation found the rifle shot best full-contact epoxy bedding. He said it shot better than it ever had in the factory stock.

On the other hand, a pre-'64 .30-06 shoot extremely well with the forend screw tightened down hard, as in 3-shot groups around 1/2" with loads it favored, whether with factory or handloaded ammo.

Had a pre-'64 Westerner for a while around 18-20 years ago that shot 3/4" with handloads, and around an inch with Winchester factory 140's. That was with the forend screw tight.

In other words, I have yet to find a consistent pattern or solution.

A good scrubbing with JB turned my .270 into a really fine shooter. Most of these rifles, I suspect, have never had a proper scrubbing, just a swipe and a promise with Hoppes. I tightened my screw until it was just snug, about the same as the middle guard screw, not really tight at all.

You dont say...hmm

Sorry, but I have to ask, was it difficult pulling him through the barrel? What does he usually wear? Flannel?

If you want to float the barrel,
but don't like the looks of the empty hole,
and don't want to alter an original rifle by gluing a shortened screw into place,
there is a solution.

Justin, pre64win here on the 'Fire, and at pre64win.com, can sell you the parts to put a screw in place without having to epoxy it in place. I don't know if you need to use a shorter screw or not. Maybe Justin will jump in or anyone interested can contact him at his business. Great guy, BTW, and a font of Model 70 knowledge.

Thanks for everyone's responses. Greatly appreciated. I suppose the experimentation will have to start!

I would think those big feet would cause a problem???