Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Winchester Collectors 2 pc to 1 pc conversion on Model 70?

I'm interested in converting my Model 70 Classic from a 2 pc bottom metal to an aluminum 1 pc from PTG. Are stock mods required? If so, what and how difficult are they?

Drano, You can do the reverse of what you're talking about-adapt a 1 pc. inletted stock to accept 2 pc. bottom metal by just using the delrin (nylon?) spacer made for that purpose. If you want to make a 2 pc. stock take 1 pc. BM, the stock will definitely have to be re-inletted to accept the thicker 1 pc. unit. It can be done but you will need to be extra handy with a dremel. You'll end up having to remove almost as much material as was taken out in the original inlet. Also, the wood to metal fit won't be exact, as the shape of the forward end of the two bottom metals are slightly different. Started to tackle this myself once but found it was more inletting than I wanted to attempt. All stocks pretty much since 2001 or 2002 have been produced 1 pc. so a reasonable replacement ought to be fairly easy to find. Try Numrich or CDDN.
John

Just FYI, I believe they didn't start using the one piece until after the model 70 manufacturing resumed in SC in 2008. I don't think New Haven models ever used a one piece.

Southwind, the Super Grades from New Haven used the one piece bottom metal. But all others where two as far as I know.

If you look at CDNN's stock selection for Winchester 70s, it will say "Fits 2002 and up guns with 1 pc. bottom metal". When I was trying to decide whether to modify mine or get another 1pc. stock, I called product service at BACO and was told that the 1 pc. BM was started in late '01-02. They said that for a while they produced both but transitioned over to just 1pc. fairly quickly. Certainly before production stopped in New Haven.
John

My supergrade is a 2002. All my other classics are pre 2000 and were two piece.

I have three from that time period an all are 2 piece.That's probably right the super grades had them but definitely 2 piece on all others until 2008.

Is there a good reference resource for the Classic serial number build dates?

Sorry, but you are incorrect. Listen to John. I have a number of later Classics with one-piece bottom metal, along with a number of other upgrades sometimes incorrectly credited to the FN70's. Have a great day!

Don't know of any such resource yet.

You may be right but I have never seen a one piece pre 2006 unless on a Super grade. I own a 2001 Classic stainless 300 win mag, 2002 Classic FWT 270 wsm, 2003 Classic Stainless 300 wsm all with 2 piece floor plates.

What models and what years did they make both one piece and two piece? What year and models did they offer one piece pre 2006 other than a Super Grade?

Thanks for the info. Not sure I will tackle that. The stock is a McMillan Hunter with edge fill and I don't want to screw it up. Rifle is a custom barreled classic stainless in 280AI. I also have a classic stainless in 243. When I order a stock for it, I want to be sure to get one for the one pc and use the PTG unit.

Drano, That definitely sounds like the way to go. You can always upgrade to the 1 pc. BM on rifles originally equipped with 2 pc., you just don't utilize the middle ( or front trigger guard) screw hole. Just FYI, as I found out the hard way, you can't always retofit the guns that come 1 pc. to a 2pc. BM stock as they don't come with that middle hole in the receiver. My S.C. fwt only has the 2 holes.
John

Damm! You are a hard man to please! If I knew all the answers to your questions, I might just as well write a book on Classics! Just an observation, since you own one example of a Classic built in 2003, you extrapolate to the notion that to 2006, Classics were never built with one-piece bottom metal?

To be brief, Ultimate Shadows, brought out in 2003 had one-piece bottom metal. The second issue of Classic Stainless Featherweights had one-piece bottom metal (2005). At one time, I mistakenly assumed that the Classic Stainless model never did get upgraded to the one-piece bottom metal, because I had never seen one! But, I was wrong, they were upgraded. In fact, there was one for sale on these boards recently.

Thank you I was wrong, I had never seen one.

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