Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Winchester Collectors Thoughts on turning a pre-64 30-06 Model 70 into a Carbine?

Assume I can find a pre-64 Model 70 30-06 with zero collectors value for under $600.

Anyone have any thoughts on turning it into a carbine by cutting and crowning the barrel to 20", shortening the already cut and padded stock to fit me perfectly, and shaping the grip to fit my relatively small hand?

If you want one, do it. Always nice to shoot what you like.
I have an extra Pre-64 stock you may want if you need it.
If you want to do your own stock, Richard's Microfit makes it real easy too.

Go for it, but good luck finding a M70 for under $600. What you o find for under $600 (if you can find anything) is going to be BEAT and in rough shape, not something that I would want to start with for a rifle. I've been looking for the same thing to build a 35 Whelen on for years and finally decided to just order a Kmiber M84L in 35 Whelen now that they are making them.

I would enjoy refinishing the stock.
As long as the metal had no rust, the barrel has no bulge or internal pits and the action was smooth it would be good for me.

Any thoughts on how it would shoot with a 20" barrel?

Provided that the barrel isn't shot out and the cut and crown job is done good I don't see why it shouldn't be plenty accurate, at least as acurate as it was before and quite possibly even more accurate than before. Of course you would loose some velocity with the shorter barrel but 20" will still give you more than enough out of a 30/06.I have several P64 M70 Carbines and accuracy is just fine with all of them and I've never even searched for different ammo or reloaded for the particualr rifles.

But again I will say good luck finding the donor rifle for $600.

If your just using the rifle to shoot paper and not hunting. I dont really see why taking a few inches off of the barrel is necessary.

Cut it all up if you want, it just makes mine more valuable. ...:)

Also my thoughts as well.
A target rifle build will be more rewarding if all you do is range work on paper.

Worth thinking about a target build, but I like shooting from various positions and the idea that it would be attractive to a hunter down the road.

My pre-'64 M70FW .30-06 was $700, as shown:



They're around.

Bushmaster,

Here is a lead on a rifle that I saw a week ago last monday at Cash America, in Murray, UT. I do't know if it is still there or if they would ship. They are an FFL holder. It was a pre-64 model 70, standard weight .30-06. The barrel had been shortened and recrowned. not sure of the length, but the front sight had been cut off. Could be close to your 20" mark. Rear sight had empty dovetail in barrel ring, had mounted Weaver K4, original stock with missing metal buttplate and poorly mounted recoil pad. Stock did not look cut as still had inlet for wrap over original buttplate in top of butt. Bolt had been polished silver, notch cut out on side of stock for a receiver sight, which was missing. Serial number, if I recollect correctly, was in high 200,000 range. Price was $499.99. I seldom stop there, but looked this rifle over and passed as it had been cut. Crown looked okay, but did not have any tools to check. Their phone number is :801-262-0900. I have no affiliation with this establishment.

There sure are alot of pre-64 M70 30-06 barrels on GB.