Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Winchester Collectors First Pre-64 M70 On the Way

It's a 60 model and has a lot of finish flaking off in patches but is in good shape otherwise.

Can these flakers be made to look ok or at least improved a lot with a few thin applications of Lin-Speed rubbed in slowly?

It's not strictly a real collectible since it has a Pachmayer pad on it, so I'm not concerned about keeping it exactly original.

I just don't want to get involved with the whole complex process of refinishing the whole thing.

Also.....will this rifle fit the current Leupold bases sold for Model 70 Winchesters?

That's a good start. You figure to make us ask what caliber, etc?

Oh, it's a .270.......dunno about etc.

DWG, Welcome, and yes, if the receiver hasn't been altered or redrilled for any reason it will have the .860 hole spacing (front and rear) and that is the same as what is on current Winchesters. For example, in the Dual Dovetail bases, it takes the Leu. #50046 which is the same base an FN S. Carolina model 70 takes.
John

Welcome to the club. You have embarked on a slippery slope my friend, these things are addictive
In my experience trying to do a patch job on a stock finish just doesn't work. In the long run IMHO your better off to just redo the whole thing.

As much as I love pre-64 Model 70s, Winchester did not put a durable finish on the stocks. I once hunted in a sudden 12" wet snow storm and all of the finish came off my Featherweight. It it were mine, I would refinish the stock and never look back.

No short cuts, huh?

Well, I haven't seen it yet, but I'm hoping and wishing for a simple fix. It appears that the finish is the only real problem. Maybe my standards are low enough that the Lin-Speed treatment will suffice. I can always do the full refinish later.

Thanks, John, for the scope base info. I knew that some older Model 70s were tapped differently and was hoping a 1960 model would be fine.

I already ordered a Leupold base, so I'm glad to hear it will fit. I have some Leupold rings around somewhere and a good old Leupold 3X9 scope, so I think I'm good for the time being.

It's been a long slope for me. I wanted one as a kid, even before 1964 had become an issue. After all, it was what it was.

Never got one. Then, in 1965, in Yokosuka, Japan, I went to the Base Exchange and admired a wallfull of display Model 70s that were still the Pre-64 Model and priced at $109.

I never got over NOT buying one, but they quickly got out of my price range.......until now.

DWG, One thing to keep in mind when getting set up with rings and bases if you are using a standard Leupold scope (ie, not one of the compact or ultralight series with the smaller occular) is that while your objective bell may clear the barrel fine with the low rings, you're almost certain to run into problems clearing the bolt on the eyepiece. The bolt throw on these are a little higher than on current production guns and base/ring combinations that worked perfectly on my FN Mod. 70 and a 1980ish pushfeed would not let the bolt clear completely on any of my pre-64s. Had to go to the Med. Dual Dovetail rings. It wasn't that the bolt wouldn't function, but was dragging along the eyepiece scarring the scope finish and the bolt handle. Good luck, and again, welcome. While I'm fairly new to pre-64s (this time last year- didn't have any- now have 3) the Winchesters Collectors forum has been a true wealth of information about them. Guys like GSPfan, bsa1917, poconojack, winchesterpoor and quite a few others are very well versed in them and are more than willing to help out.
John

Thanks, John.

I think I have the medium rings.

I almost passed on the gun. They didn't tell me that it had been glass bedded. I didn't care for that omission of facts.

I left and then came back and decided to take a chance on it. We'll see.

Since the stock already has a pad added it's not original anyway, so this may not be a big deal. I like the gun.....who knows it may turn out to be great. Testing next week.

I ended up (after a lot of bickering and dickering).......paying about $925 for it. Maybe not such a good deal. It turned out to be a Featherweight, I didn't know that either. It looks good and I think I may be able to improve the finish quite a bit with the Lin-Speed.

We shall see.......that's the way it goes.....this is just more Dancing With Guns!!!

DWG there are no short cuts on the stock finishing. A patch job is a patch job plain and simple.

it doesn't sound bad for a FWT esp a 270 and I'm sure it will be a great hunting rifle.

Medium rings are a must for all the reasons John mentioned. IF your going to use some large objective scope like a 3x9x50 you might need high rings. I put a 6x42x44 on a varmint M70 in 220 Swift and needed the high ones.

DWG, All three of my pre-64s are fwts. While I like the standard rifles just fine, it's hard to beat the handling of the 22", slightly lighter fwts. They tend to raise and point as naturally as any rifle I've ever held. As far as price, I believe you did just fine. That's give or take a couple of bucks what I paid for two of mine and I definitely would not sell them for that. I'll be 60 yrs. old this Nov. and have owned lots of guns thru the years, but these things are in a class by themselves. Also, even if this is the only one you're going to own (unlikely:) I'd strongly suggest getting a copy of "The Rifleman's Rifle" by Roger Rule. Paperback copies are available at Amazon and elsewhere for $90-$100 and worth every penny of it. It's everything and more you'll ever want to know about the guns from a technical standpoint and the COMPLETE history of Mod. 70s. When you get the rifle post us some photos of it, if possible. We never tire of checking them out.
John

You did just fine on that gun!, I agree with the pad added just refinish the whole thing ans seal butt and any wood in barrel channel ,Im willing to bet its a good shooter! very best WinPoor

Damn sounds like a long wait!! I hope you all the best with your new pre 64 model 70. You deserve a good one...

Thanks, guys, for all the info.

I'll get to it next week. Have to hit some estate sales and auctions this weekend, but sometime next week I should have pics.

My scope is a nice 20 year old Leupold 3X9 so it's pretty big, but I do have the medium rings, so we should be in good shape on that.

I have new scopes that I could use, but I think this one will look more appropriate in style for that gun.

Thanks again!

All you need are some low Leupold DD's to go with that 20 year old 3-9x40. Will look awesome and work like a champ.. Mediums will be a little too high for my tastes.. Good luck with it..

Yep the lower the better! I like em so low that 2 hundred dollar bills will just go under the end of the scope and clear barrel. Im not sure I own a scope that is much larger than the 40MM on the obj. end. very best WinPoor

WP after all the guns you been buying you still have 2 $100 bills? :)Now theres the pot calling the kettle black

Winpoor and bsa, how are ya'll getting the DD lows to work with the Leupold standard scopes? I've tried three different standard eyepice Leupolds, a VXII 3-9X40, a 2-7X33, and a 2.5-8X36 on three different fwts. and the bolt handle drags down the eyepiece on all three. The bolt will still function but on the matte scopes especially, it rubs the bluing off in a line across the handle. I would much rather have mine in the lows also but definitely don't want to relieve the bolt handle.
John

I was wondering he same thing. medium is the lowest I have ben able to use.