Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Ask The Gunwriters The Original M70 Trigger

Other than lawyers, is there a reason the original M70 trigger is not in a production or custom rifle build?

Is there an existing patent on the trigger, and Winchester chooses to no longer allow its manufacture?

Given all the love there seems to be for this trigger, I would think it would be available as an after-market purchase, if nothing else.

And, what current trigger can replace it? What trigger rules them all, annointed by the gods and the ghost of Jack O'Connor to be the new Caesar?

I'm not a gunwriter, but I think Mule Deer once mentioned an aftermarket trigger just like the original Model 70 trigger. Perhaps he will chime in here. It might have been in Gun Gak II.

Not gun writer either...Alaska Arms markets a M70 style trigger for Mauser 98 actions but don't see anything on their site about making a trigger for M70.

Jewell and Timney make replacements. No thank you. Why did they discontinue it? Good Question .

Why don't you call Browning and ask them why...

Not sure lawyers had anything to do with the change of the m70 trigger - m700 yes - but I think the m70 decision was just FN management...

Because after owning a Model 70 extreme weather with that trigger I lost all interest.

Too simple for a modern rifle... Not a gun writer.

Since Browning owns them they wanted something that would be designed similar to what was used in the Bolt.

My guess is there's no existing patent on the original Model 70 trigger, because other firms have made them--including more than one custom trigger for 98 Mauser actions, which were pretty pricey.

This indicates to me that making the original style trigger is probably trickier than the design appears, even with CNC machining.

The Classic trigger was made from cheap MIM parts that required hand polishing of the contact points. Winchester never did a good job of this. As a result the triggers felt pretty bad from the factory. Even after a good smith works over a classic trigger they were not in the same league as a Jewell.
I am not sure they were anymore reliable than the MOA trigger on the BACO guns. Enclosed triggers get a bad rap due to the rep of the model 700 trigger. The problem with it beyond the safety issues is the fact that the saftey slot in the right side of the action funnels crap into the trigger mechanism. With a Winchester or a Kimber enclosed trigger this is not an issue.

And I I wouldn't count on the after market stepping up and making a classic style trigger for the BACO guns. Small number of guys who would want them and it seems BACO has very little interest in selling Winchester branded guns.

This has all been my experience as well. In fact, aside from the bad-weather reliability I've found pre-'64 triggers over-rated, especially in adjustability.

When I want a really reliable bad-weather hunting trigger I tend to put a military 98 Mauser trigger in a 98 action--which I also like more than the Model 70 action. It isn't that much harder to get a decent 3-pound, single-stage pull out of a modified military 98 trigger, and the 98 triggers are a lot cheaper, and even simpler.

It's a given that any patent has long since expired. There are other ways of protecting intellectual property including appearance and trademark or trade dress - Ruger protected some aspects of its original rifle appearance including the dog leg bolt handle if I recall correctly.

I don't doubt that anybody today is free to make a classic Winchester Model 70 style trigger. The classic style is obviously not metal injection molding to start with and might be done with extrusions chopped to length or other methods for economy. Polishing MIM is not easy: as we all know S&W custom shop went to some lengths with plating triggers on otherwise stainless revolvers and such to keep traditional methods. I doubt a safety on the bolt sleeve Winchester or current Ruger style is much of an opening to the interior trigger. More an issue with water getting in followed by ice or with enclosed triggers if not water then WD40 and other gunk.

Seems to me the classic Model 70 like the two stage Mauser worked to single stage is close to a Platonic ideal for a rough use hunting rifle to be used at risk for ice or frozen sludge or what have you. But few today want a rough use hunting rifle. Light yes, iced up no. For bench use or high volume varmints it's not the trigger I want so nobody is going to get rich selling it to me.

If enclosed triggers were really so unreliable in rough conditions, military snipers would be in trouble. M24, M40, AI rifles, Sako TRG, the Russian SV-98, and so on, all enclosed triggers.

The classic trigger is indeed MIM'ed. You are correct on polishing MIM parts. Which is why the classic trigger never had a good feel. Even after worked over.
My main hunting gun is a model 70 300 Ultra that I bought back when it was first introduced in Winchester rifles. 2002 seems to ring a bell. I quickly replaced the factory trigger with a Jewell and have hunted the crap out of it ever since. Montana, Upper MI, NW Ontario in lot's of [bleep] weather. It's never missed a beat. I have cleaned it a few times with Ronsonol lighter fluid, because I felt bad, not because it goofed up. On one hunt out of boats on Lake of the Woods my father in laws Model 700 froze up, but my model 70 with a Jewell was just fine.
The other thing is most guys ruminating about rough use rifles is just fantasy land. Most any modern rifle works fine if you take a little care.

Exactly.

I must admit that the primary reason I've used Mauser military triggers in 98 actioned rifles is that they can be replaced easily, with minimal tools, if anything goes wrong. Same deal with the rest of the essential parts of a 98 action, such as the bolt stop/ejector, extractor, mainspring, etc.

This can come in handy during a hunt a long way from any gunsmith, which is why my primary travel rifle for many years was my old .338 Winchester Magnum, built on a commercial FN action. A sandwich-sized Ziploc bag held all those back-up parts.

But must also admit that in all the years I hunted with it on three continents, in everything from extremely dusty to wet to cold weather, I never needed any of those extra parts.

Also admit to using push-feed actions with enclosed triggers on dangerous game. Once had to make three quick shots--and the damn rifle worked perfectly.

Also recall, due to an article Phil Shoemaker did on his Old Ugly.458 for RIFLE LOONY NEWS almost a decade ago, that it has the original, standard Mark X enclosed trigger, with side-safety.

I really like the Model 70's, especially the pre-64's, and I like the triggers but I don't think they were the best trigger ever. I'm going to mention the one possible flaw which might have induced BACO to want to change the trigger; not knowing whether or not this was the case. The design of the original trigger had the trigger lever pivoting at the top of the lever. This meant the mass of the trigger hung below the pivot and it was this which caused the Model 70, if set too light, to fire if the butt was banged on the floor or even if you slapped your hand against the butt. Now, I never saw this as a major problem, don't look down the barrel of a loaded rifle while banging the butt on the ground and you should be OK. Anyway, the MOA trigger design absolutely fixes this issue. On top of that, it's a pretty good trigger as it comes; even with no adjustments. The original trigger ALWAYS needed adjustment and, usually needed some skilled honing of mating surfaces. Since this job was often messed up, it could create a dangerous situation. Properly tuned, they are a very good trigger as far as feel is concerned but not as reliable as the simpler Mauser trigger. Another aspect of the MOA trigger is the vertical contact surface between the sear and striker. The advantage of this is that it does not deflect the rear of the bolt upward when the rifle is cocked.
I have always advocated the two-stage military trigger for a serious, rough use, field rifle. I do not like single stage conversions of this trigger but a two -stage tuned to give a crisp 3 pound let off, is virtually foolproof and indestructible. GD

Would like to hear your specific objections to converting a 2-stage Mauser 98 trigger to 1-stage,