Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Hunting Rifles Portuguese Model 70's

So, are the "Assembled in Portugal" Model 70's all junk like some say?...or are they on par with the various Brownings that have been assembled at the FN plant in Portugal for over 40 years?

Just curious as the local Cabela's has lots of "Pre Portugal" Model 70's on the rack and maybe a guy should just buy them all up and wait for the rush..:-)....

First Pre'64, now Pre Portugal....doesn't sounds as nice as Pre'64...

The, ones I've seen have been very nicely done, very smooth and decent shooters. I even like the trigger.

DF

The new ones look real nice but I was able to buy 1959 vintage gun for same price as standard sc sporter. I prefer ruggedness simplicity of old guns.

Had two extreme weathers side by side today that belong to a good friend, a 300wsm SC and a .243 Portugese rifle. Portugese rifle was just as nice in all regards, and shot 70gn Sierra blitzkings like nobody's business.

I was just as apprehensive as the next guy, but it seems they're still a great rifle.

I don't think anyone ever said the Portugal guns weren't as nice as the SC FN's. To be honest, the SC plant was having some QC issues: Fit and finish and quality of stocks. They decided to move production to Portugal to remedy some of the issues they had here in the states. I still don't plan on buying any Portugal made rifles as they are not real Winchesters as far as I'm concerned. The last ones were made in a place they call New Haven, Connecticut...

I just compared 2 Featherweights and 2 EW's side by side at a local gunshop. Other than the "assembled in Portugal" marking on the barrel I didn't see any noticable difference in quality.

If anything the floorplates on the Portugal guns may have been a little tighter with less side to side play.

Rembo, man you are behind the curve, the "assembled" in Portugal model 70s are pass�. The most current 70s have a "made" in Portugal address.

Jesting aside, I have an assembled in Portugal 70 Compact, which I have shot 317 rounds through. My Portuguese 70 functions and shoots as well as any one of my 3 FN 70s, but the machining work and the stock are not on a par with the FN rifles. If my Portuguese specimen is representative of the new off-shore production, I would judge it as an adequate rifle for the money, but certainly nothing special. CP.

That would describe about every M70 made since 1964. Good choice of words.

Browning has had certain models assembled in Portugal for years, no misgivings or complaints about any of them...

I ain't squawking myself.

I know Bob, it was addressed to the gallery....


For you, I know this is heresy, but I think the new Model 70s are as good as any they have ever put out....


On the Hunters Campfire there is a thread if you feel like being mean.

Hint...

I had an NH classic that had a butchered feed ramp from the factory and jammed every round on the left side of the magazine. I bought this gun (and was screwed by) another member here, and since it was a second hand problem I had my doubts as to what the Winchester Service Center would do on my behalf and was certain a black coud was casting a shadow in my general location. Much less to say they had replaced this rifle, with no questions asked, with a "made in in USA; assembled in Portugal" rifle. A real credit to their customer service and my respect to go with it.

For what it is worth, this specific rifle, has the best machine work I've ever seen from a factory gun including Sakos, Kimbers, any Winny or Remmy I've ever owned. The tolerances are extremely tight and the bolt rides on owl schitt. My only guess is they must have retooled before the one I received but it is impressive work, even if by a CNC machine, none the less!!!

Good input. I know this will bristle a few up here but the New Hampshire guns had the most QC problems of any era....I was in the gun biz at the time, and they were dreadful.

FN fixed that.

It has been my experience as well that the FN guns I've owned had better QC. I really believe if FN had kept the original trigger, as they should have, the NH Classics would currently be selling poorly on the used market. I apologize for bringing up the trigger differences as this may quickly turn into a MOA trigger (which I think is a really good enclosed trigger with a spring change) bashing thread, but I did so to make a point about the rest of the rifle platform.

I would like to defend "Made in America" products, but unless it's a small company or custom job, with any mass-produced, inexpensive manufactured item you buy will be made from anywhere but here in the states, even if the idea was originally conceived here. Until we as Americans realize it is our choices that have put us in this situation and are willing to rectify it with a vote and purchasing power nothing is going to change.

Portuguese Supergrade.

I read this with interest because I own both a NH Featherweight Classic 6.5x55 bought NIB before the plant close down and a Super Grade .300 purchased new about a 3 weeks ago. The NH is a good shooter, fun to carry and with the large mag length and medium length cartridges easy to load with gloves on. A while back I function tested this rifle thoroughly and couldn't get it to fail. This rifle has been shot extensively with hand loads and always works.The down side is the attention to detail. The bolt face has a very small defect near the firing pin hole that does not effect function but leaves a small crease on the primer after firing. The rifle appears to have a pretty generous throat both in width and length. The back of the receiver is very poorly finished with machine marks visible, otherwise overall blue and wood finish is good. I still have the original box and price tag and for the $539 I paid for it wish I had purchased more. The Super Grade as to be expected has a very good finish on both wood and metal. All the small details are well done from the sling swivels,grip cap, wood finish and metal polish. A noteworthy item is that the bolt operates very smoothly. I only have approximately 40 rounds through the new gun but so far I am very happy with it.

Although I don't have a Portugal Model 70, I do have 2 FN JOC's, 7 FN Supergrades, and 1 FN 2008 Ltd. Featherweight, all but one with wood one them that I would describe as absolutely stunning. Fit and finish is very good on all, and as desbribed above......."the bolt rides on owl schitt".

I completely agree with Ingwe.

I saw a Portugal super grade at a shop, and it was buffed to hell. It looked like a poor reblue. All the lettering was dished out.

I completely agree. I fought the "Classic-battle" with six New Haven rifles and now have only one remaining in my safe. It is a good one, but it took McMillan, Pac-Nor, Dennis Olsen and my check book to make it into a keeper.

In general, I am very pleased with my FN 70s. However in my view, FN's decision to use an enclosed trigger group was really a step in the wrong direction for the M-70 platform. In addition to the Portuguese M-70 I own, I have looked at a number of other Shadows, Compacts and Featherweights. If there is suppose to be a fit and finish trade-up with these new off-shore M-70 rifles, I have not seen it. CP.

A big AMEN from me on that statement. Some of the NH rifles turned out toward the end of that era weren't even close to being quality when compared to earlier rifles coming from the same facility.

Maybe in retrospect they should have closed the factory the same day they told the unions that the factory was going to close. Some of what followed was dreadfully inadequate in terms of quality, and I'm not saying that everything made before that time in NH was pristine in quality either.