Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Winchester Collectors Transition M70

A got a lead on a transition M70 (ser# 61,xxx) in 30 govt 06. The stock is decent, but pad is been replaced. There is some pitting on the barrel as well.

The bolt and claw have been jeweled (assuming not standard).

The action itself looks great and the price is $750. Wondering if there is anything special about a transition action, the rifle certainly isn't a collector, but I never see transition period around here and wondering if it is a fair buy to build off.

I consider the transition as the best era on M70s. IMO it has all the quality and workmanship of the pre-wars with the ability to mount a scope on it like a post-war.

The Transitions are great actions, but I would pass on the action you describe because of the jeweled both and extractor. Transitions aren't so scarce that you have to settle for one that has been messed with, particularly if you want to use the action for a build.

Jryoung: I very much enjoy the Transition Era pre-64 Model 70 Rifles.
I have a few of them and even had one made into a custom 280 Remington Sporting Rifle.
One additional attribute of the Transition Model 70's is that the safety will NOT be accidentally taken off!
The small safety lever on these, I am virtually certain, can't be un-intentionally moved to the forward Fire position from the Safe position.
The same can NOT be said for several other American brand Rifles safeties.
I always prefer investing in the 95%+ Rifles - as they increase in value more and quicker and they are easier to re-sell if the need be.
From your description and for your usage I would keep looking for a somewhat "better" Rifle to "build on".
If you are just looking for the "Transition action" then a better Rifle (with original stock, better barrel etc) would allow you to recoup more of the cost when you disassemble and sell the leftovers.
By the way my 280 Remington Custom Rifle was originally manufactured by Winchester during the same month I was born (July 1947).
Best of luck to you on your build.
Hold into the wind
VarmintGuy

They are pretty popular for the reasons reelman described. When someone asks about transitions, I always think where's reelman? He likes them more than most here. I sold one for a buddy of mine a couple years ago. It was a beauty. I would have bought it if I didn't already have 5 good 06's. Here's what his looked like and it was not a collector either. It had a polished out bolt handle, recoil pad, the metal and stock had been professionally refinished. I sold it to a great guy on gunbroker for a mere $800.00:



Talk about a beautiful rifle. This was a good shooter....

That's a nice one, BSA! And a heck of a good price!!

I love transition pre-64s. The fit and finish are just superb. I have a '47 .270 that is the crown jewel of my small collection. It's also a good shooter!

Eric

The reason I like the Transitions is that my father started me on collecting and when he got out of the Army in '47 he ordered a M70, they were so hard to get that he didn't get one until '49 so he ordered a PreWar and got a post war. He had a very nice display of M70s that explained the differences of the PreWar, transition, and post war actions that he actually won the George Madis Educational Award at the Winchester Arms Collectors Associasion in Cody WY. My father passed away 5 years ago now but I have his collection along with some that I've added to it. I also have the liscence plate off of his Suburban that's WIN M70.

The thing with transitions is they can be just about anything possible, I have one that was made in 1950 that does not have the front bridge drilled and tapped in 270WCF.

The little safety that people think about when they think Transition is not on all of them. Many of them have the later style safety and a lot are found with the Tilden safety added on.

I have a transition in 250-3000 at about 95% condition. They are great, great rifles.

+1 on just about every thing said. I used to buy just about anything pre 64, and fankly I still do however the keepers and my builders have been transitions or pre wars who have been tapped. I am just finishing up a custom build by Jim Kobe on a transition long action with a barrel I got for Darcy Echolas in 404-375. Built on transition long action, I got it for a song at 400. Biggest stike against it was it had been tapped for a G&H scope mount and then filled. Since I planned on using it as a custom I didn't much care about the extra holes, 750 is a little steep for an 06.l you want to build on. If it were me I'd try to go for more like 500-600 depending on condition. Remember the stock has the dolls head tang and that means no easy way to restock. Going to need a special order custom synthetic or have a stock copied. Those stocks with that pattern of I letting at getting really hard to find. That's why I have started hoarding them, if I can define having an extra 2-3 as hoarding any way sounds like a fun time. Good luck