Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Gunsmithing Model 70 trigger

I have a 1950 model 70 in .270. Rifle shoots extremely well but has an awful 7.5 pound trigger pull. Is there a way a non-gunsmith, me, could adjust the trigger or does it have to have the surfaces honed etc? The rifle is shooter grade and was my dads so I won't sell it, not worried about hurting value, I just want a a good hunting rifle.

If it can be done and anyone can type up some kind of step by step I would really appreciate it. Plan on using it for mule deer this Oct.

I have a 1957 model 70 in .270 that i had Art Lawson do a trigger job on several years ago. I think he specialized in winchesters but i dont know how to adjust the trigger, but it can be done without any problems by the right person! Have taken mule deer ,elk and whitetail since! Highly recommend a good trigger pull!

A quick net search found this:

found the following description of the way a gunsmith would adjust a Winchester M70 trigger and have a couple of questions:Adjusting the Model 70 Trigger
by Frank Kleinburg (fkleinbutivoli.tivoli.com)
(Original article posted at www.recguns.com)
Let me discuss how the trigger on the Model 70 works. Knowing how it works will allow you to know how a gunsmith would adjust it.
The trigger mechanism on the Winchester Model 70 is remarkably simple. Remove the barreled action of a Model 70 from its stock and you can see just how simple it is. You will see a trigger that pivots on a pin. Look at the rear portion of the trigger (normally hidden by the stock) and you will see a square head screw (the trigger stop screw), three nuts, and a spring (we'll call it
the trigger return spring).
The purpose of the trigger stop screw is to limit the amount of over travel of the trigger. It is possible to screw the trigger stop screw in far enough that you will not be able to pull the trigger enough to release the sear. Ideally the trigger stop screw should be screwed in as far as it can and still have enough trigger movement to reliably release the sear. This will allow for the greatest amount of adjustment of the trigger spring tension.
Tension on the trigger return spring determines a majority of the trigger pull weight (the rest of the trigger pull weight comes from the friction between the trigger and the sear). The spring surrounds the trigger stop screw, both can be seen just behind the trigger. The trigger stop screw is held in place by a pair of captive nuts, one on each side of the part of the trigger the stop screw passes through. A third nut sets the tension on the trigger spring. Tightening this third nut (turning it clockwise) against the trigger spring will increase the trigger pull. And turning it counter clockwise will decrease the trigger pull weight.
After making any adjustments, be absolutely sure to test for an excessively light trigger. To do this, screw the barreled action back in the stock. With the bolt cocked, in the closed position on an empty chamber, and the safety off, butt down the rifle. That is hold the rifle barrel pointing upward, let the butt bounce on the ground. It should take a considerable bump to cause the firing pin to drop (on the empty chamber).
On a friend's pre-64 Model 70 trigger, the spring had to be changed because enough of the trigger spring pretension could not be removed to get an acceptable trigger pull weight. Yet on another (on one of those new classic actions), it was possible to remove ALL of the trigger spring pretension. This is a dangerous situation because only the trigger to sear tension keeps the cocked rifle from firing.
Well I hope you now have a better understanding of how a Model 70 trigger works. Of course for all trigger pull weight adjustments you should take your rifle to a reputable gunsmith.
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You could do a search yourself.

You can adjust it somewhat yourself by reducing the spring tension and overtravel adjustment, a quick look with it out of the stock will tell you what needs to be done.

For it to be done right, however, you need a gunsmith to stone the sear engagement surfaces. Not every gunsmith understands M70 triggers and can do them correctly. I don't believe its a very difficult job or that it takes very long, but someone that doesn't know what he's doing can goon it up in a hurry. The first thing I do with my M70's is send them off for a trigger job, trust me that it's money well spent. Redneck here on the campfire is great with M70 triggers and will turn it around really quickly if you send it to him. His prices are very reasonable also.

The small amount of money that it'll cost to have a competent gunsmith work it over will be money well spent.

I don't agree that all of, or for that matter any of, my pre-64 type trigger sears need to be stoned at all unless of course that particular one is damaged.

If the adjustment as described does not lighten the pull enough I change the spring to a lighter one..

Good for you, but you'll still have alot of creep without changing the geometry of trigger/sear engagement surfaces.

Sounds like a gunsmith is the way to go. Are the older 70's known for heavy triggers? The gun will shoot game kings into 5/8 inch but man do I have to focus on trigger pull.

I will talk to redneck

Then you've never experienced a truly good M70 trigger.

Exactly the wrong thing to do.. And you've done nothing to address creep.

I get in a few every year where the owner's replaced it with a lighter and incorrect spring.. First thing I do is replace it with the stock spring.. Once the trigger's engagement surfaces are correctly done and put back together - the owner will experience what a GOOD M70 trigger feels like at a decent weight...

Here I don't agree with you at all on the trigger spring. The stock (pre-64) springs are too heavy, in my experiance, to get a light enough pull for target shooting. Some try to cut a little off of the stock spring but it becomes unsafe quickly as it will not return.

Of course if a trigger has creep then stoning might be an answer. However the lighter spring seems to satisfy me.

What is the trigger pull weight of what you do as a minimum? How light can you get them with the stock spring?

I measured the trigger pull weight on the 1957 Winchester M70 243 Varmint rifle that I bought new.

I had changed the spring to a lighter one and adjusted the pull but not stoned the sear.

The pull weight is a consistant 2.25 lbs. There is minimal backlash and no creep or take up.

I won't go into details. Suffice it to say I can have a stock spring and get the weight easily down to 2# (or less) and be absolutely safe with no discernible creep..

You're correct on those who try to take a coil off the original and find there's not enough push for a safe return.. That's why other methods are used to obtain a crisp, safe yet light, pull..

Send it down.

I vote for carefully following web instructions, without any stoning. After all, we are talking a hunting trigger here. I think 3 lbs or so will do just fine. That's what I do, works for me.