Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Hunting Rifles Portuguese Model 70's

If they would have simply kept the old-style trigger, they'd be at the top of a lot of people's wish lists now. As it was, they took the one feature that stood out from the crowd of other available rifles, and threw it under the bus. Very dumb marketing move, as the world is flooded with "good" rifles these days.

Perhaps it was.

One M.O.A. Trigger review......lot of other good reviews out there.

Winchester M.O.A. Trigger System

Based on the same triple pivoted lever design principles as the Browning Feather Trigger System and engineered by the same design team, the Winchester M.O.A. trigger is essentially a Feather Trigger adapted to the Model 70 rifle. From its introduction in the 1930's, the Model 70 had an excellent, user adjustable trigger. The old Model 70 trigger, however, required careful manufacturing, fitting and adjustment for top performance. These were sometimes lacking in recent years.

The new M.O.A. trigger mechanism boasts a 2:1 mechanical advantage and the new Model 70 rifle is supplied with a wide trigger blade that minimizes the subjective pull force required to fire the rifle. The examples that we tried at the 2008 SHOT Show were excellent and no doubt easier to manufacture and tune than the old trigger mechanism. The factory set pull weight is specified as 3.75 pounds and the adjustment range as three to five pounds. There are adjustment screws for overtravel and pull weight. If it lives up to its initial promise, the M.O.A. may be the best Model 70 trigger yet, joining the Savage AccuTrigger, Marlin MOA and Browning Feather Trigger at the top of the new crop of trigger mechanisms.

Conclusion

Some of these new triggers represent the solution to a vexing problem, the lawyer inspired triggers of the last 20 years. The benchmark Savage AccuTrigger is at the forefront here. Others, as you have read above, are more advertising sizzle than substance.

The Browning Feather and Winchester M.O.A. triggers are interesting because the A-Bolt and Model 70 triggers that they are replacing were already far better than average. These appear to be honest attempts to make a good product even better. Given the importance of a proper trigger to a good hunting rifle, it is worth pondering the validity of the claims for these new triggers before purchasing your next rifle.

Preach it brother preach it! Why were they stopped being built in new haven again???

Winchester didn't know how to run a business. FN herstal convinced them to shut down in 2006. After they (Browning arms company/BACO/FN (Fabrique Nationale) Herstal) opened back up in Columbia, SC in 2008, things went good for a few years and then:.....
Because of whiney azzed punk azzed union workers that wanted more money. They cried and made demands and when they didn't get them, quality suffered. Winchester then said FU guys and moved production to Portugal. Sound about right bro??

Winchester didn't know how to run a business, but the successful business model that still produces the goods gets run down all the time for not passing the nastolgia sniff test. If frogs had wings, they'd likely not bump their asses as much.

Uh no their is no Union in South Carolina it's right to work state. FN bought USRACo back in 88-89 when USRACo went bankrupt. Fn went to the union in new haven asking the workers to take a pay cut because fn was losing money. The union said hell no but we want more money. But I'm pretty sure your post above was your attempt at good humor

I only have a couple of pre-64s, a S.C. FWT, and a '79 pushfeed so while I can't address the Portuguese guns directly, I do know my shorts get a little tight every time Gitem posts that SG.
John

I suppose since no Winchester 70's were ever made in New Hampshire, those that were undoubtedly had QC issues...

Exactly.....


I think I may need to seek safe "Haven".....

Kudos to you for catching the Spelling Nazi.....

I didn't realize you were a spelunking Nazi... I'm more of a reading Nazi... I just hate lazy reading.

Agreeing with ingwe...?? Wow!

But, he's right. The new Model 70's are really nice rifles. I like my NH triggers but have to admit the new trigger feels pretty good. Is it as robust as the NH trigger? Don't know. I'd feel better with the old style trigger on a DG gun.

DF

Just like the post-64 lacking CRF was not a Model 70, so too a model 70 lacking the original trigger is not an M70.

Not sure what it is, but it's not an M70, though it could be argued the CRF is more important to the overall design integrity.

I'll pass on the Lisboa version...

So a Supergrade - Cabela's edition would most likely be a Portugal gun?

Sorta eyeing one on-line to have shuttled over to my local for purchase and thus - can't see how it's stamped.

And yes ingwe - it's a 7mm Mauser, with ideas of a fixed 6 on top for my Michigan deer hunting.

I personally think the BACO guns are more nicely put together than the Classics,,except for the F'in trigger. I like the old style better.

Other than the stamp on the barrel, one would never know they were assembled in Portugal. The new trigger will have to prove itself. To me the new guns are as slick as pre-64's and that's saying a lot. And they seem to shoot really well.

What's not to like.

DF

They're made in Portugal, not in Connecticut USA, they don't have a genuine M70 trigger... etc.

While the M70's are treasured rifles they have been replaced by the lighter Kimbers.

A Kimber 84M in say 308 is a landmark rifle. The safety even works smoother than the old 70's.