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I'm looking at buying a current manufacture Stainless Featherweight in .30-06. Are all the new M-70s marked BACO? If not, how are the new South Carolina (FN) rifles stamped? The new M-70 seems to be developing an excellent reputation for accuracy, so I'd like one from SC. Any reason not to purchase a BACO rifle? (Aside from the fact that it wasn't made in New Haven?  )
“Factio democratica delenda est"
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Yes, the BACO-marked rifles are from SC. The only potential drawback is the new trigger, which has the zero-overtravel feel of the 3-lever Browning triggers. I have one SC M70 and the pull was too heavy with the factory spring, even with the adjusting screw removed (the housing limits the minimum spring tension). If you get one that's too heavy for your taste, you might consider an aftermarket spring from Ernie the Gunsmith http://www.erniethegunsmith.com/catalog/i170.html (get two!), and maybe a dab of moly-disulfide at the sear. With those mods, I got a consistent 3 lbs break +/1 an ounce or two, and I'm very happy with the rifle. Mine has a slick action and is a great shooter, especially for such a light barrel. It developed a slight warp in the barrel channel when the wood dried out to New Mexico conditions, and I had to add a little clearance because it was touching intermittently and throwing fliers. With that minor fix, it has been great. The only think I might do differently is pay the extra $$ for the stainless version, cost versus convenience.
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Campfire 'Bwana
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Yes, the BACO-marked rifles are from SC. The only potential drawback is the new trigger, which has the zero-overtravel feel of the 3-lever Browning triggers. I have one SC M70 and the pull was too heavy with the factory spring, even with the adjusting screw removed (the housing limits the minimum spring tension). If you get one that's too heavy for your taste, you might consider an aftermarket spring from Ernie the Gunsmith http://www.erniethegunsmith.com/catalog/i170.html (get two!), and maybe a dab of moly-disulfide at the sear. With those mods, I got a consistent 3 lbs break +/1 an ounce or two, and I'm very happy with the rifle. Mine has a slick action and is a great shooter, especially for such a light barrel. It developed a slight warp in the barrel channel when the wood dried out to New Mexico conditions, and I had to add a little clearance because it was touching intermittently and throwing fliers. With that minor fix, it has been great. The only think I might do differently is pay the extra $$ for the stainless version, cost versus convenience. +1 except for the last part. I would very much like to have a fwt in stainless. I've only got 2, but they are both great: 1 is an Extreme Weather and the other a 308 fwt (blued/wood stock). Both shoot great. One thing about the fwt though the stock seems a little bulky but that isn't a big deal....
I try to stick with the basics, they do so well. Nothing fancy mind you, just plain jane will get it done with style. You want to see an animal drop right now? Shoot him in the ear hole. BSA MAGA
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The rifle I'm looking at is stamped Morgan Utah. The SC rifles are so marked?
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Campfire 'Bwana
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"Made in USA-BACO INC. Morgan Utah". Ring any bells...
I try to stick with the basics, they do so well. Nothing fancy mind you, just plain jane will get it done with style. You want to see an animal drop right now? Shoot him in the ear hole. BSA MAGA
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Browning Arms, naturally......
Was this rifle produced prior to the SC plant beginning operation?
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Campfire 'Bwana
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No. This is a new model 70 fwt. These rifles don't say SC on them anywhere. Morgan Utah is where their main office is I guess....My extreme weather is the same way...
I try to stick with the basics, they do so well. Nothing fancy mind you, just plain jane will get it done with style. You want to see an animal drop right now? Shoot him in the ear hole. BSA MAGA
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Thanks much!
Happy Thanksgiving all!
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No. This is a new model 70 fwt. These rifles don't say SC on them anywhere. Morgan Utah is where their main office is I guess....My extreme weather is the same way... My Extreme Weather is marked the exact same way.
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Makes you wonder what the purpose in putting BACO on a model 70 is? Do they really need to put that crap on a model 70? I am glad the model 70 survived, but being associated with Browning is like putting the name Hyundai on a Cadillac.
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Campfire 'Bwana
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ny: I've owned 4 of them and shot a 5th....they all shot great,functioned well,and were free of some of the blips that afflicts some of the NH Classics. I never touched a trigger (except to squeeze it and shot them as they came outta the box.One of the 270's and one of the 300 WSM's rivaled any custom rifle I have had built for accuracy.
The 280 Remington is overbore.
The 7 Rem Mag is over bore.
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ny: I've owned 4 of them and shot a 5th....they all shot great,functioned well,and were free of some of the blips that afflicts some of the NH Classics. I never touched a trigger (except to squeeze it and shot them as they came outta the box.One of the 270's and one of the 300 WSM's rivaled any custom rifle I have had built for accuracy. That's quite a ringing endorsement. I just picked up a 308 featherweight, I have to say that it is made way better then any classic I have owned..
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Campfire 'Bwana
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Oldelk they are damn nice guns. 
The 280 Remington is overbore.
The 7 Rem Mag is over bore.
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ny: I've owned 4 of them and shot a 5th....they all shot great,functioned well,and were free of some of the blips that afflicts some of the NH Classics. I never touched a trigger (except to squeeze it and shot them as they came outta the box.One of the 270's and one of the 300 WSM's rivaled any custom rifle I have had built for accuracy. Endorsements like this one seem to be commonplace. I don't own a FN M-70, am going to pick one up to wring out over the winter and next spring. If it shoots (and I suspect it will from all the reviews I've read) it will find its way into my battery. Has anyone owned a BACO that wouldn't shoot?
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Makes you wonder what the purpose in putting BACO on a model 70 is? Do they really need to put that crap on a model 70? I am glad the model 70 survived, but being associated with Browning is like putting the name Hyundai on a Cadillac. I strongly disagree. I don't own too many Brownings at the moment but I have owned many over the years. Although my tastes have changed and are currently biased to Winchester, I think Browning is a top tier firearm manufacture. The BAR is by far the best quality, time tested and reliable hunting auto out there. I know a lot of people that absolutely love their A/X-Bolt guns. I'm not a fan but that is only because I prefer the CRF and bolt angle throw of an M70. A-Bolts are not cheap guns. The Buckmark is one of the most reliable & accurate semi-auto 22 pistols ever. The Hi-power has got to be the second most copied handgun design behind the 1911. A Browning made Hi-power is not inexpensive or cheaply made. The Citori doubles are renowned, quality doubles. The list continues. Browning is no Remington.
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Sounds like this is a debate about globalization. Browning is an international company; much of its manufacturing is in Japan. FN is Belgian. I prefer to buy products made in the US. I don't think we have much control any more over who owns the factory, it's all very fluid these days. It's very strange, isn't it, that the US, with its strong gun culture, ends up handing some of our greatest brands to companies based in places with tight limits on gun ownership, a thin market base, and ridiculous amounts of regulation. I fault management of the US companies. There's really no excuse for it, but here we are. Fortunately, some of the US supplier firms are doing great work and there are new US firms entering the market.
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Makes you wonder what the purpose in putting BACO on a model 70 is? Do they really need to put that crap on a model 70? I am glad the model 70 survived, but being associated with Browning is like putting the name Hyundai on a Cadillac. dude seriously are you crazy, there isn't anything more american in guns than the browning name. how many winchester designs made their way to our military. I can't actually think of one that was widely accepted. browning on the other hand, lets see, the 1911, BAR, various machine gun designs, some still used even today. sounds pretty american to me. IMO if not for browning winchester would not exist as we know it today because the guns that made them famous for the most part were BROWNING designs that were bought from browning himself. it wasn't until winchester refused to pay a royalty rather than a lump sum that browning took his designs to FN. putting browning on the new winchesters was just part of the way they freed themselves from the aweful union debacle in new haven. they had to go out of business for a few years and olin who owns the winchester name had to assign the name to another company. who knows all the legal issues. so instead of USRAC, FN just assigned the name to browning another company in their umbrella. to complain about BACO being on the guns is stupid, I take pride in knowing that union thugs aren't building the guns anymore. and better yet since the unions are not building the guns the money they are not collecting in union dues is not making it back to the democrats and obama.
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Yep. If comparing quality and money well-spent on a new factory firearm today, I would gladly have it say BACO on the side than Remington. bt/dt.
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So what happened with the unions in New Haven? I hadn't heard about that, would be interested in knowing the story. I just saw the results.
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So what happened with the unions in New Haven? I hadn't heard about that, would be interested in knowing the story. I just saw the results.
There are quite a few articles on it if you Google around a bit. The way I understood it at the time, Olin/FNH had to close down production for a certain amount of time before entering into a new licensing agreement with BACO. It was all orchestrated to kill off any labor contract and agreements with the unionized labor force at New Haven. To my knowledge, the South Carolina plant that produces the M70 is non-union. Olin ran into the same problem with union labor with its Ammunition plant in Illinois. Olin eventually sold that off as well in 2007. Cerberus/Remington/Marlin is doing the exact same thing as we speak, re: union labor contracts/plants. This quote is from the Wiki Page Labor costs continued to rise, and a prolonged and bitter strike in 1979�1980 convinced Olin that firearms could no longer be produced profitably in New Haven. Therefore in December 1980 the plant was sold to its employees, incorporated as the U.S. Repeating Arms Company, together with a license to make Winchester arms. Olin retained the Winchester ammunition business.
When U.S. Repeating Arms went bankrupt in 1989 it was acquired by a French holding company, then sold to an arms making cartel sponsored by the Belgian Herstal Group, which also owns gun makers Fabrique Nationale d'Herstal (FN) and Browning Arms Company.
On January 16, 2006 U.S. Repeating Arms announced it was closing the New Haven, Connecticut, plant where Winchester rifles and shotguns were produced for 140 years.[4] Along with the closing of the plant, the Model 94 rifle (the descendant of the original Winchester rifle), Model 70 rifle and Model 1300 shotgun would be discontinued.
[edit] Revival
On August 15, 2006, Olin Corporation, owner of the Winchester trademarks, announced that it had entered into a new license agreement with Browning[5] to make Winchester brand rifles and shotguns, though not at the closed Winchester plant in New Haven. The production of Model 1885 falling block action, Model 1892 and Model 1886 lever action rifles are produced under licensed agreement by Miroku Corp. of Japan and imported back to United States by Browning. [6]
In 2008 Fabrique Nationale announced that it would produce Model 70 rifles at its plant in Columbia, SC. In the summer of 2010 Fabrique Nationale d'Herstal (FN) resumed production of the Winchester model 1894 and the evolution of the Winchester 1300, now called the Winchester SXP
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