Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Gunsmithing Model 70 Win-diculousness

The flat area of the receiver behind the recoil lug is really a mess on this one. Besides the 90 degree raised ridges, which dressing with the diamond file took care of, the flat area is tipped in both planes. And the back of the recoil lug isn't square....it's rearward at the bottom. Not good.

A little work on the mill will address both issues.

I've got another one setting up in the Pro Bed now. When that's done, this one will get into the Pro Bed.

Darn good thing it isn't a 700!😉

If it was a 700, it wouldn't be anywhere near as hard to get things right.

Someone must be stickin' pins in my doll because these old dinosaurs keep finding their way here. I like a little dinousaur huntin' but this is getting out of hand.

You're going to bring down the Model 70 locusts saying stuff like that.

I appreciate them as a great part of American shooting history, for sure. I do enjoy working with one....when given a free hand to do what it takes to bring one around.






“It is not enough that we do our best; sometimes we must do what is required.” Winston Churchill

A home whittled jig for the Model 70 receivers.

How do you fixture a M70 receiver in that?

Many years ago, I did quite a bit of Model 70 accuracy work. The Model 70 was favored by many high power shooters. One of the steps I took was to true the flat bottom surfaces and the recoil lug. On those model 70's made from 1964 to 1974 or so, the bottom, apart from the flat right behind the lug, were as forged; with no machining done. There was plenty of potential there for remedial work. The later receivers were machined, though not perfectly so. I cannot honestly say the truing of the bedding surface made any significant improvement in performance, but I figure, it didn't hurt. I have built and shot some very good model 70's, but a 700 is a lot easier. GD

A few pics of how I do a pillar to replace the center action screw on these Model 70's for anyone that wants to go this way.

A piece of alum. round stock is drilled and tapped 10-32. Then, a hole is drilled through the side and a piece of .074 brass rod is inserted. A set screw locks the rod into the pillar:



A 10-32 flat headed Allen screw holds the pillar into the trigger guard:




A hole is drilled into the stock where the pin will go. The center screw relief is enlarged to hold a good amount of epoxy. The back side of the pillar, the pin and the hole get coated with Pro Bed and gets assembled. This shot is during the fitting and before the epoxy for a better idea:

Although I can't honestly claim it does any good, I like to utilize the center screw as part of the bedding system; using either glass or aluminum for the pillar. In order to maximize the effective surface, the tang on the trigger sear can be shortened a little.
When I say I can't honestly claim it does any good, I do have some evidence that it probably doesn't. I have one short action, push feed, Model 70, for which I have three stocks (and several barrels). One stock is a laminated Marksman-style, another is a Hunter class BR stock (walnut), the third is a fiberglass silhouette stock. The first two are bedded with all three screws with glass pillars in the prone stock and aluminum in the BR stock. The glass stock is bedded at the front and tang only. I have shot the silhouette barrel (a 6.5 CM) in both the silhouette stock and the prone stock and it shoots about the same. Anyone who has shot much serious BR knows that stock design affects how a rifle does off the bags and I suspect this accounts for any difference in performance rather than the advantage of one bedding technique over another. I still like the third screw though.
Al, I like your mods. They are well thought out and well executed. GD

Thanks, sir...much appreciated.

All Model 70's make you work for it to get them the best they can be. And this one was certainly no exception. The factory front action screw threading resulted in the front action screw being tipped rearward 5 degrees. That was an interesting fix.

Initially having .026-.040 of barrel movement when loosening the front action screw, it now runs .0025-.003....which is about the best these Model 70's will give you.

Tight:



Loose:



Ready to go:


Good shootin' -Al