Stalker:
I've got a boat load of rifles but, I plan on being buried with that M-70.
It popped up on GB maybe 6-7 years ago. It was a "new build" by the original gunsmith - Buchanan Precision. It was a custom order for a client on a Pre-64 action. They blueprinted and squared the action and deep, deep gloss blued the steal bits and fitted a half octigon-half round 21" stainless barrel with a stainless front swivel band. No fixed sights. He put it in a blonde laminate full bedded stock, no checkering and rear hidden cross bolt. In the photos it looked a little bit like the client may have been a pimp - LOL.
Client supplied the action and paid for most of the work up front. Smith took a little over a year to build it. When he tried to contact the client but phone, email, regular mail he go no responses - kept trying for three years to track down the client. Then kept it in his safe for five more years thinking that someday the client or family member would contact him someday - crickets. So he posted it on GB and basically priced it for what he still had in it. I saw it two days before the listing ended and slept on it over night. Next morning I logged on to buy it and it was gone! KICKED MY SELF FOR A WEEK!!!! Month later it pops up again and I didn't hesitate and hit BUY. Shows up at my FFL a week later. In the flesh and handling it in the shop it really turned out to be a great piece of workmanship.
Working up loads at the range, it is an absolute sub-MOA rifle if I do my part. Topped with a Leopold 1.5-5 VX III and 350gr Hornady flat nose at 2350 for practice and 350gr TSX at 2400 or the 325gr CEB FN solid it is boringly accurate. Over on AR the CEB was tested and went dead straight through 60+ inches of wet newspaper loaded at 2250 fps. "Field Testing" on several gemsbok and several zebra they pass through end to end. ME is over 4000 ft/lbs and DG legal. With those last two loads, I've gotten rid of my 458 Win Mag.
Only two deficiencies with the 45/70's is when you load (at least mine) you have to make 100% sure the rim of the next round you put down in the magazine is in front of the round under it. If not, they will jam trying to feed. Second, is the required opening of the bolt face for the 45/70 making the rim of the bolt face a bit thin.
As smooooothh as the Win in 450 is and the Ruger 77 too, I firmly believe that IF the 450 Marlin cartridge had been developed in time for all those SM actions coming back and being sold on the cheap the 450 Marlin would have a whole new life.
Side note - If Bugger turns up not interested, I'll make the same offer to someone else who might be. I'll either try to get the bolt face rim micro welded/repaired or sell it "as is" with photos of the gun and bolt face. It feeds and extracts just fine and is a MOA shooter too. Just without that lip/rim on the left side of the bolt face to "grip" the cartridge rim sometimes the case ejects just fine and sometimes not.
I don't post photos of any kind on the "Interweb" but will send via email to someone interested and not just a "tire kicker".
M3
