Glad you are liking it! Why they stopped making the Alaskan in stainless is beyond me however - I’d be surprised if 20% of new rifles sold in AK are blued/wood.
The stainless steel and dark maple featherweights are still on my radar.
Glad you are liking it! Why they stopped making the Alaskan in stainless is beyond me however - I’d be surprised if 20% of new rifles sold in AK are blued/wood.
The stainless steel and dark maple featherweights are still on my radar.
Mine too.
Would also LOVE a Supergrade stainless but alas, no money tree yet And dig my pre 64 too much to sell it.
But I'm a broken man on a Halifax pier, The last of Barrett's Privateers
Got a question I hope ya'll can answer...couple years ago I traded into a M 70 Fwt in 7x57. The dealer is an old friend from back in the days when I was a Wholesaler's rep. I needed to trade out of a stiff kicker 'cause I was still nursing a wrecked shoulder and could not tolerate the recoil of a 270 or bigger that was all I owned at the time and into a "soft kicker". My old friend laid this M70 Fwt 7x57 on the counter and agreed to the swap deal and I went home happy. With my health issues not improving back then I put the rifle way in the closet and never shot it. Today I'm going to hunt it weather allowing. The shoulder issues are not the problem it was thanks to the local VA doc's insight on addressing my problem with out any more reconstruction surgeries.
The wholesaler I had worked for had been started in the late 1870's and sold everything from sporting goods - gun's & train car loads of ammo, farm implements, lawn care stuff to TV's and furniture, and had sold out to a "Bain Capital" kinda holding company in Chicago. Same company did the same thing with Ellett Brothers in South Carolina, Bern's Wholesale in Denver and an outfit in Seattle with 3 warehouse's as I recall. They had also bought the Milwaukee Braves and sold the team to the guy in Atlanta.
Long story short...we got 5 cases of 5 rifles per case in 5 calibers of the New Featherweight rifles from Winchester after they got back in production....so I knew what my old friend had just offered me...but with no history on this particular rifle except to say it had been "slicked up by the original owner" ..ie ..the safety is super smooth, the bolt is the same way, even the folding leaf rear sight works easily ...all things that I felt should have been done in the factory on the 257 Roberts I scored, 'cause nobody else wanted that caliber out of that original delivery and I had to "wear it in" to get close to where the 7x57 I now have, has already been done.. the 7x57's bore is crisp, the muzzle is clean and not worn, and the safety is very smooth. No dent's, dings or scratch's. Only flaw is a small blueing loss on the barrel near the rear sight.
My question is, what is the year of production it was built in?? and current approx value?, without the scope it is wearing now. The SR # is G 1570xxx . Any other info or insight on this rifle would be appreciated. Weather allowing I'll use this rifle 1st on a TP&W Axis Hunt in February that's taken 25 years to win a Permit again. Ron
I have two of the newer "Portugal" M-70's, both are Super Grades. The first is a .270 Winchester, blued with maple stock. My handloads with 140 gr. Sierra TGK's shoot a ragged hole, Barnes 130 gr. TSX, 3/4 inch, it has a 2.5-8x36 Leupold on it. The other is a stainless with walnut in .30-06, also extremely accurate with my handloads, half inch at 100 yards no problem with 165 gr. Sierra GMK's, 180 grain Hornady Interlock, flat base spire points, and 180 grain Norma Onyx, and Alaska projectiles. Scope on that one is a Trijicon Accupoint, 3-9x40. Preferred powders in the 06 is 4350 and Ramshot Hunter, the .270 works best with H4831 and IMR4831 . I am at work so can't post pictures, but both rifles have been flawless thus far. I did have an issue with the .30-06 once while testing loads with 220 gr. Hornady round nose bullets. The action screws loosened slightly from the recoil, a little blue loctite took care of that. I have been eyeballing a new "Alaskan" in .338 Win. Mag, we shall see. I have been very pleased and impressed with these two rifles, and a Featherweight a friend of mine purchased recently. At least with my handloads, getting them to shoot well has not been a problem. In fact the .30-06 shoots very well with various ammunition, even some old 1962, M-72 Lake city Match ammo. Fit and finish, ease of operation and smoothness has been excellent. The only thing I would suggest, besides loctite on the action screws for anything with recoil at say, heavy 06 loads and above. Is to make sure you take apart the bolt when you get it home and clean the firing pin assembly and sleeve, and the inside of the bolt. From the factory they come with a heavy lubricant/preservative in them that gets very gummy in cold climates. Excellent Rifles.
Put in an order for an Extreme Weather MB. Have no idea when i will get it. Wish they didn’t discontinue the non-braked model.
You can still find the non-braked model on Gunbroker. I just got another EW in .270 for my daughter to use. I saw .270’s and also some 325 WSMs without the brake.
Anybody ever have the model 70 box trigger collect moisture and dirt?
Gus's was full of rust and grime. Sobering to see the malfunction so severe, that the firing pin falls when he slightly lifts the bolt.
Gus is out of koyuk, so typically harsh conditions. Rain, winds, dust, tundra brush, extreme temp changes, below zero winter hunts, seal and whale hunting out in the salt..
I've owned 2 BACO made 70's, one a stainless EW in 270 Win and the other a Super Grade in 300 Win Mag.
I changed to B&C factory stocked EW to a McMillan and put a trigger spring in it. That rifle would consistently shoot sub 1/2" groups with several handloads using different bullet weights and powders. I downsized my gun collection due to moved out of state and sold it to a buddy. Offered to buy it back after the move but alas he wouldn't part with it. BIG REGRET on my part.
The Super Grade 300 Mag while stunning to look at was a POS when it came to accuracy. Don't regret letting that one go.
Glad you are liking it! Why they stopped making the Alaskan in stainless is beyond me however - I’d be surprised if 20% of new rifles sold in AK are blued/wood.
Agree. The Alaskans should be stainless and laminate like the SHOT show specials. Make the barrels 23" with iron sights in .30-06, .338 Win Mag and .375 H&H please!
I don't own a Portuguese M70, but the ones I've handled were every bit as nice as the South Carolina ones. Many of them are fancier too. The short action French walnut and maple Super Grades with the 22" barrels are compelling!
IMO the M70 has been fantastic since 2008. Worth every penny.
And dig my pre 64 too much to sell it.
