Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Winchester Collectors Last year Model 70 .220 Swift?

Just curious…

What was the last year Winchester made the Model 70 in .220 Swift?

I am getting an itch for a pre 64 but curious as to the last year they made them.

...The .220 Swift was one of the original nine calibers introduced in 1936 and produced until the end 1963

So the .220 Swift was never produced after 1963 in the newer Model 70s?

No it wasn’t dead in 63. Limited run of 220 Swift in 64 for the new model 70, killed off again in 65 for the 225 Winchester which was pretty much DOA but hung on till 71.

The 220 Swift Standard Rifle was discontinued in 1960, but the Swift remained available in the Varmint Rifle until the end of production in 1963.

According to Model 70 guru Roger Rule, Winchester brought the .220 Swift back in 1964 in the “new” Model 70 Varmint, but it was replaced by the .225 Winchester during the very next year.

The 220 swift was made post 1963, I am quite sure they made them in a Stainless Heavy Barrel Varmint Model.

The Swift was reintroduced in the Heavy Varmint series which was a push feed short action. They had an HS Precision stock and a 26" heavy stainless barrel. The Swift chambering was available from '93 to '99. In '98 and '99, a fluted barrel option was also offered.

Good shootin' -Al

Interesting. Recently I was going through a stack of old American Rifleman. One from early 1964 had a writeup about the new M70. Tested a sporter in 30-06. In the specs column a list of available calibers started with the 220 Swift. The 30-06 they tested averaged over 2moa with hunting and match ammo. They weren't greatly impressed. Years later they were trying some new ammo or bullets. They Said they used a 1964 vintage model 70. Said it was the most accurate 30-06 sporter they had ever seen. Shot way under 1moa. Was it the same gun?

Thanks for all the great comments.

What a venerable cartridge. Almost 90 years later it still ranks in the top as the fastest!

The only bummer for me is that you cannot use the cartridge for big game in Colorado. Love reading Frank Glaser’s opinion of the M70 .220 Swift performance on big game in Alaska.

He did do some incredible stuff with that old 70 of his!

Alaska's Wolf Man: The 1915-55 Wilderness Adventures of Frank Glaser