Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Winchester Collectors MOD 70 Carbine Short Action info

Good evening everyone.
I was hoping to get some info on a rifle I have. From my research its a 83-84. M70 20" Carbine Short action in .243. It has the smaller stock with red pad and is actually marked carbine, guess this was dropped on later models. It is drilled for iron sights as well as a receiver peep. Condition is pretty good. Metal is in good shape and bluing is good. Stock has a couple of dents but no scratches through the finish.

My question is, I picked this up as a rifle for my kids to use when they get old enough. I think it would do nicely for that role and it shoots around an inch with a couple of loads. Problem is that I have several other rifles that can fulfill that role. This is my only .243 that I own and am considering moving her to cut the cartridge from my inventory. Is there any additional value added to the rifle because of it being a carbine model vs a FW? And if so what would you guys value it on the market these day? I tried looking for comps but haven't found any other ones like this. Any help/ info would be appreciated.

If I recall correctly gunbroker had a few that went from 800-1000 a month or two ago. Mostly the lower side of that range. I always thought that would be a great rifle for teen or the wife. Glws

No special value and probably less than a comparable 70 FWT. The few chambered in 250 Savage are worth significantly more. Closed GB auctions show several in .308 going in the $8-900 range. As always, value is in the eye of the buyer and yours might sell for more or less.

I saw a Winchester M70 SA in 243 WIN a couple of days ago, but it wasnt a carbine. First one I had seen in awhile, I believe it was priced $715?

Thank you everyone for your input. Pretty much confirms what I was thinking. Definitely still on the fence about it. Problem is that if I keep it Ill probably want to start rolling my own rounds for it and it will only snowball from there.

Do you need the money? If so, sell it. If not, then there’s no real harm in keeping it. It won’t go down in value. Maybe search out a set of replacement sights for it. They look cool on these carbines.

Sounds like you are on the fence. That is not an '83 though, as the first short actions came out in '84. They marked that on the barrel, as yours is. Yours was actually made in '85. Nice rifles, but most guys prefer the fwt to be honest. Even though the carbine is more rare, I don't see it as any more "valuable" than a comparable fwt. The fwt model is nicer looking. If it were me, I'd probably look for a fwt stock to throw that action into, but that is just me. As you should know, that would make a damn good rifle for a new shooter or someone that is recoil sensitive. The 243 is an excellent cartridge. You can do a lot with that rifle if you select the proper bullets. They are flat shooting, and generally very accurate. As for "value", I'd place that at or around $900.00. If you are serious about selling it, I'd start it out at that price on gunbroker and see how much it sells for. Good luck with it, whichever route you take.

It really depends on where you look too. Locally I can buy that rifle for $500.00. Here's a much more desirable model, that I bought a few months ago. Just for refernce:



One reason I always suggest listing it on gunbroker, or checking completed sales there, when assessing value..

Not being a "winchester " guy even though I love the action, have a love affair with the Kimber 84s and Ruger 77s. I have a question regarding 1 piece vs 2 piece bottom metal. Are the stocks the same/different? If I find a newer FW stock would i also have to source a 1 piece bottom set?

They sell a plastic spacer that will convert a 1 piece stock to use 2 piece bottom metal.

I’d give my left nut for one of those in 308

Very interesting rifle. I haven't see "Short Action" fully spelled out like that, I'm used to a "SA" abbreviation

I feel ya, if she were a .308 it wouldn't even be a question. Shot her again this weekend, she's a shooter for sure. Just on the fence if I want another cartridge to have to juggle.

Just aquired a 308. [img]https://i.postimg.cc/zvDm8vgP/IMG-Z32-scaled.webp[/img] [img]https://i.postimg.cc/j5MQVfj3/IMG-Z21-scaled.webp[/img]

It was common for the first year and second year short actions. I have a 22-250 fwt made in '84 that is the same way.

https://www.gunbroker.com/item/1034857826

223 from same era; see even fewer in this chambering.

... well I'm really trying to thin things out, but I now have a pretty irrational urge for one of these ...

Have one in 250 also.

I was in high school. Friend of mines Mom worked at Kmart. Of all places they had one like this in 250. I was hunting with a Savage 99 in 250 and wanted it bad, but high school kid and no money.

Went back to look at the 243 WIN that I mentioned and they marked it up to $850

I bought two of these new not long after they came out; a .223 and a .250 Savage. Neither carbine shot well. Wood was very plain. One of the stocks cracked, I believe in the rear receiver area, but I fixed that myself. Neither gun was missed after selling at a gunshow. Maybe I just got a couple of mediocre carbines.

I have a 308 Short Action, push feed marked "Ranger" on the bolt side of the barrel. It is wearing a Boyd'd laminated stock but I would suspect this is an early 80's vintage rifle.

If it’s true SA it’s 83/84 at the earliest.

Photobucket is being an ass but S# 20918xx and marked 308 SA.

1993

Hell, I had got a fair amount of ass by then.

😂

The short barreled Ranger, is probably damn near the same rifle as the Model 70 carbine in the OP. Maybe a different stock (birch vs. walnut), and what's stamped on the barrel, but that's about it. Same/same..

I went back and looked at the rifle again today. It is stamped MODEL 70 CARBINE SHORT ACTION

Late in 2020 I passed on one of these in 308 for $500 that was marked, "Winchester Model 70 Carbine Short Action 308 Win". Very nice wood on it. But it was known by the owner to be a 1.5-1.75" rifle with fliers making it more like 3". I had it here and took it apart and it was the tightest factory stock I've ever ran across....almost couldn't get it apart. So I suspect that was much of the issue and with some stock relieving and bedding it could've been made to shoot but I had too much going on at the time and passed on it. Maybe shouldn't have, but it isn't the first rifle I wouldn't of minded having that I didn't get.

Son of mine has a lightweight 243 marked SA

I’ve got a lightweight also in 243 with the oem laminate stock. Picked up a “Ranger Youth” with sights in 243 for the kid recently for $400. Only difference I can tell is the length of pull.

They tend to be good shooters, with the proper work done to them. One thing I did not like about the Ranger I bought for my wife, was it kicked like a freaking mule!!! That could be part of the reason that guy was not shooting good groups with that carbine as well.

I generally don't pay too much attention to what guys say a rifle shoots like, especially if I have a chance to examine the bore and look it over real well. If the rifling is good and sharp, with little wear, I can generally make most rifles shoot sub moa for 5 shots. Just depends on how much work and time you wan to put into them..