Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Winchester Collectors Pre 64 1 piece floorplate conversion?

Hello fellow Winchester nuts,
One of my pre 64 M70s is semi custom 264 win mag, started life as a $250 ugly westerner and I decided to rebuild it into a modern version of the same rifle. Had the action trued and spun on an 8 twist #3 brux, throated for 140 bergers. It now sits in a mcmillan mcwoody of the pre 64 pattern. I had to open up the featherweight channel but got it to fit. My issue is that the bottom metal doesn’t fit quite right. There’s a gap between the floorplate and the bottom of the stock like the detent button doesn’t hold it tight enough. I’m able to click it about a 1/16 of an inch without dropping the floorplate if that makes sense. I’d like to switch to a one piece floorplate to not only solve the sloppy floorplate but ditch the center action screw.
My question is this, will a newer production OEM one piece floorplate fit the pre64 stock and mag box components? If not, how can I tighten up the button so the floorplate sits tight to the stock and doesn’t rattle around?

Can't answer your interesting question. But suggest maybe a wider context of how such assembly might interface with magazine box, follower spring/follower assembly. My occasional experience with 'life happening', you modify one component and that cascading effect. Such into a far greater project than perhaps anticipated. Perhaps into feeding problems. Maybe just my personal interfacing with "Murphy's law", but then perhaps a consideration?
Just my take.
Good luck!
John

This part is easy - no. Post and pre are not interchangeable. There are one piece units that exist for pre 64’s (Williams, Blackburn/swift, sunny hill etc.) but good luck finding them - and hang on to your wallet when you do.

Second part sounds like an inlet issue. Is the McMillan inlet for factory pre 64 bottom metal? Is the area in front of the hinge flush or does it sit proud? How about the rear of the trigger guard?

AK, yeah sunny hill seems to be the most available that Williams is out of business. Got an email out to them now. The bottom metal seems flush, like it’s more of a latch button issue, I’m able to press the floorplate to the stock so it is tight but then there is a gap between the floorplate and latch button. I can back out the middle screw so the floor plate doesn’t rattle, then there’s a gap between the floorplate and stock.

Sounds like you need to start with a new floorplate. There is a small indention in the floorplate where the relase button slides back and forth, if too much metal is removed from this groove the floorplate can become "loose". Maybe over time this groove has become deeper allowing more movement, or maybe the floorplate is not original to the rifle.

I can tell you from experience, on several occasions I have purchased pre 64 bottom metal that doesn't necessarily fit another pre 64. Sometimes the floorplate is a little too long and you have to file away the floorplate to fit in the recess in front of the trigger guard and re fit the small indentation to fit the button. Easily done with a small round file.

FWIW, I have also fit a post 64 1 pc PT&G bottom metal by cutting off the magazine portion of the botttom metal and only using the trigger guard, floorplate, and hinge. It requires a lot more filing as the floorplate is a good bit longer - but it can be done

Considering sunny hill quotes me $524 for bottom metal in the white, I may try to convert PTG…