M70 Pre-64 Unbelievable Story - 09/12/23
I realized I never shared this story on 24hr…
Back in 2018, I bought a 1960 M70 30-06 FWT on gun broker from a guy in Pennsylvania. It arrived in good shape, and it sat in the gun safe for over a year before I shot it.
The accuracy was pretty good with factory ammo, but I’m a reloader - so shortly afterward I got around to prepping the once fired factory brass. Much to my surprise the shoulder was blown out almost 0.015” over the factory ammo.
I shortly came to realize that the serial number of the bolt did not match the gun, which resulted in excess headspace. Apparently in the later years of pre-64 Winchesters the machining tolerances were not as controlled in order to control costs. The final assembly was done where the factory worker had a bunch of bolts to chose from based on how the chamber was reamed - and would match things up to work.
I contacted the original seller, and he claimed to have no idea about the bolt. It was the only M70 he ever owned. He bought it in 2015, and then sold it to me 3 years later. I was hoping he just inadvertently swapped out bolts when he sold it. I know some guys that keep their bolts out of their guns locked away. So no luck there.
I bought the gun for less than $800, and didn’t want to spend $400+ remedying the situation - Only to have a red-headed step child. My only realistic option was to use 280 Rem cases (with a longer shoulder datum) and resize to 30-06 in order to stay away from shoulder separation issues. So it went back in the safe while I pondered what I wanted to do.
Here’s where things got crazy…
By total random chance I happened to be on eBay in 2020 and searched for a M70 pre-64 bolt. One popped up that just been posted 15 minutes before. I scrolled through the 5 pictures posted and when I got to the last one, it had a picture with the serial number of my gun engraved on it. I almost fell out of my chair. No f-ing way.
I immediately hit purchase now, even though he was asking $425. It was fate, and these had to be re-united!
I then sent the seller a PM, explaining that the bolt he was selling was to “my” gun. He responded and was amazed. I asked him why he was selling, and he said he was parting out his M70 because he couldn’t close the bolt on factory ammo. Yep, it was because his headspace was too short. He figured he’d sell the bolt first, then the stock, and then the barreled action.
He then asked me what the S/N on the bolt I had was. You guessed it. I had his bolt.
He bought his M70 at a gun show in 2015, in Pennsylvania approx 50 miles from where the original guy that sold me my gun lived. I can only speculate that someone owned both guns, the bolts got swapped unknowingly, and both guns got sold.
To sort things out, I suggested to the eBay seller that after I received my bolt from him, I would then sent his bolt back in the same box and ask for an eBay refund - because the “product didn’t fit”. Each would essentially be responsible for one another’s shipping. I would get an eBay refund and he wouldn’t have to pay the listing commission. We’d both have 100% correct guns for less than $30 each for shipping.
You just can’t make this stuff up. What are the odds? Certainly a happy ending.
The gun now wears a 2.5-8X Balvar scope in B&L external adjustable mounts. It shoots 150gr Sierra bullets with 52gr IMR-4064 into sub 3/4” MOA groups all day long. A classic in every sense.
Back in 2018, I bought a 1960 M70 30-06 FWT on gun broker from a guy in Pennsylvania. It arrived in good shape, and it sat in the gun safe for over a year before I shot it.
The accuracy was pretty good with factory ammo, but I’m a reloader - so shortly afterward I got around to prepping the once fired factory brass. Much to my surprise the shoulder was blown out almost 0.015” over the factory ammo.
I shortly came to realize that the serial number of the bolt did not match the gun, which resulted in excess headspace. Apparently in the later years of pre-64 Winchesters the machining tolerances were not as controlled in order to control costs. The final assembly was done where the factory worker had a bunch of bolts to chose from based on how the chamber was reamed - and would match things up to work.
I contacted the original seller, and he claimed to have no idea about the bolt. It was the only M70 he ever owned. He bought it in 2015, and then sold it to me 3 years later. I was hoping he just inadvertently swapped out bolts when he sold it. I know some guys that keep their bolts out of their guns locked away. So no luck there.
I bought the gun for less than $800, and didn’t want to spend $400+ remedying the situation - Only to have a red-headed step child. My only realistic option was to use 280 Rem cases (with a longer shoulder datum) and resize to 30-06 in order to stay away from shoulder separation issues. So it went back in the safe while I pondered what I wanted to do.
Here’s where things got crazy…
By total random chance I happened to be on eBay in 2020 and searched for a M70 pre-64 bolt. One popped up that just been posted 15 minutes before. I scrolled through the 5 pictures posted and when I got to the last one, it had a picture with the serial number of my gun engraved on it. I almost fell out of my chair. No f-ing way.
I immediately hit purchase now, even though he was asking $425. It was fate, and these had to be re-united!
I then sent the seller a PM, explaining that the bolt he was selling was to “my” gun. He responded and was amazed. I asked him why he was selling, and he said he was parting out his M70 because he couldn’t close the bolt on factory ammo. Yep, it was because his headspace was too short. He figured he’d sell the bolt first, then the stock, and then the barreled action.
He then asked me what the S/N on the bolt I had was. You guessed it. I had his bolt.
He bought his M70 at a gun show in 2015, in Pennsylvania approx 50 miles from where the original guy that sold me my gun lived. I can only speculate that someone owned both guns, the bolts got swapped unknowingly, and both guns got sold.
To sort things out, I suggested to the eBay seller that after I received my bolt from him, I would then sent his bolt back in the same box and ask for an eBay refund - because the “product didn’t fit”. Each would essentially be responsible for one another’s shipping. I would get an eBay refund and he wouldn’t have to pay the listing commission. We’d both have 100% correct guns for less than $30 each for shipping.
You just can’t make this stuff up. What are the odds? Certainly a happy ending.
The gun now wears a 2.5-8X Balvar scope in B&L external adjustable mounts. It shoots 150gr Sierra bullets with 52gr IMR-4064 into sub 3/4” MOA groups all day long. A classic in every sense.
