The Winchester Model 70

In 1936, the Model 70 is regarded as the final refinement in Mauser’s controlled-feed action design. It reigned supreme in the market for bolt action for 27 years before it was slashed in cost by a redesign that took it off the best-of-the-best pedestal.

The hunters and the collectors alike enjoy older models like the Model 70s. But post-’64 rifles serve their purpose as well.

History

Winchester Model 70, one of the world’s most famous bolt-action guns. The Model 70 from Winchester was created to serve as a hunter rifle, but was quickly extremely popular with hunter and competition shooters. The Model 70s are well-known for their reliability, efficiency to use and their durability. The reputation of its high-quality made it remain the top-selling bolt-action firearm for many years. With the advancement of technology in manufacturing, however, the market share of the Model 70 was lost to rifles which were less expensive and with similar styles. Winchester made a number of modifications with respect to the BuyWinchester Model 70 in 1964 to ensure its continued competitiveness. These adjustments were intended to make the gun more accessible to make, yet remaining able to offer the finest characteristics that had brought such BuyWinchester a popular Model 70 so desirable.

One of the most important changes was the introduction of a push feed system. The ejector rod was removed from the bolt and replaced with smaller extractors which moved in the top of the cartridge extraction groove. It could be placed in the magazine, afterwards ejected using the bolt, without the requirement to use an Mauser kind of extraction. This breech is flat and has the handle of the bolt, making it more comfortable to hold when you are cycling the action.

In an attempt to reduce expenses, a number of other changes in order to cut costs were implemented. To reduce labor costs as well, the original nickel steel bolt as well as the receiver’s design was replaced with a chrome-molybdenum forged bolt. The hand-checkered barrels were changed to checkered barrels which are pressurized. The bolt lugs were modified from screw-ins of the previous design in lugs to guide ones which could be positioned on the track within the receiver.

These cost-cutting measures were met with mixed reviews. A lot of people preferred the pre-WWII model 70, and believed that rifles produced after 1964 were inferior. Some improvements were made to Model 70 Model 70 in an attempt to alter this view, such as an improved “anti-bind” feature that was added to the right locking the lug. The bolt was now smoother and the improvement made a an enormous difference in the rifle’s reputation for sloppy action.

The Design

The Winchester Model 70 bolt-action is the weapon that’s earned the title “The Rifleman’s rifle.” Though a number of other centerfire rifles also have this name, its status as an sporting weapon is unmatched. The hunters have put the Model 70 at the top of the list in forests across North America, as well large game zones like Alaska and Africa.

The Model 70’s success stemmed in large part from its top-of-the-line adjustment of the trigger. It also benefitted from its Mauser inspired two-lug extractor design which allowed it to exert all control of the gun once it left the magazine as well as until it had completely left the chamber. A breech flat with built-in cartridge supports offered a more secure fit to the barrel’s rim, as well as it was more comfortable to use than the designs of competitors.

In the years as of World War II as other firearm manufacturers cut their cost in production through new methods of manufacturing. In order to cut back on materials as well as labor costs it took number of steps. The well-known Model 70 was redesigned in 1964 and many of its original features were eliminated. In 1964, the cone-shaped breech of the Model 70 was replaced into a flat design with an integrated cartridge support. Its hook extraction is replaced with a plunger ejector. The forged receiver and bolt were substituted by a milled aluminum alloy.

Not everyone was happy with the new design. A lot of hunters, for instance, were upset that they couldn’t use the Model 70 did not feature an adjustable round push feed. While some users were pleased by the bolt’s flat face, that didn’t require any machining of the barrel’s breech, some prefer a steel ring around the barrel head to prevent erratic ignition.

In order to address the issues from some of their customers, Winchester reintroduced the controlled-round push feed in the year 1992. Additionally, they introduced synthetic materials including those of McMillan, Bell and Carlson as they were much cheaper to produce than wood, and were more stable over the course of.

Development

The Winchester designers began work to revamp their Model 54 into a lighter and sleeker centrefire bolt action. It proved to be a success and for years afterward, it was the Model 70 dominated the market. The Model 70 even gained the name “The Rifleman’s Rifle” and is the top-selling American bolt-action firearm ever produced.

Following WWII, however in the years following World War II, though, Model 70 started to fall out of step with modernization in manufacturing and design techniques. Winchester was struggling with the Model 70 because it was increasing in cost to make.

The Winchester engineers started by improving the trigger on Model 70. The engineers at Winchester began by improving the trigger on Model 70, as it was an issue to customers. Override functionality of the Model 52 rimfire was adapted to the Model 70. This improved its function since it is now more separated from the trigger assembly. They also made their newly designed trigger adjustable for draw weight and the overtravel.

A second important modification they implemented was the transformation of its controlled-round-feeding action into an actual push feed. It allowed them to decrease the amount of machining work that had to be done on the barrel’s breech surface, making the new Model 70 cheaper and easier to manufacture.

Small changes were also introduced to the stock as well as forend to make the rifle much more suited to scopes. This was an issue that afflicted most hunters back then. They flattened, for example, the profile of bolt handles so that they did not interfere with lens’s oculars while cycling action. They also changed the shape of the forend in order to be more spacious and smoother to the bottom of it so that it could be laid across shooting hand’s support when shooting.

Winchester continued to add more chambering variations and new variants for its Model 70 throughout the decades in addition to improving and upgrading existing models. The 1960s were the time when it became apparent to Winchester that consumers did not like the new model, and wanted to see more unique characteristics and styles. They listened to their customers, and started to incorporate aspects of the initial Model 70 throughout the next few years.

It is A Production

The early days of in its early years, the Model 70 took the sporting world to the forefront. The Model 70 was popular among many hunters throughout the United States, as well as beyond. Many rifles broke the record world records in shooting competition. Despite the high quality however, this rifle was not without imperfections. The most notable of these are the shortage of walnuts that were selected the use of pressed checkering as opposed to hand-checkering, and a barrel channel that permitted a lot of twigs as well as grass during firing. Even with these flaws, the rifle sold well, with some individual-year production figures exceeding the 12-year total of the previous Model 54.

Winchester came out with a new model of the Model 70 in 1964. The reason for this was the rising number of sports rifles such as Remington Model 700. Remington Model 700, and the rising cost labor. The old cone-breech style of the Model 70 was replaced into a flat-breech version. The earlier nickel-steel bolt and receiver model also gave way to a the new molybdenum-forged chrome style. To replace the large extractor, the receiver-mounted the ejector was removed. Smaller plunger as well as a claw extractor were fitted to the bolt face (similar to the Weatherby Mark V).

Even though these changes didn’t bring about major issues in operating the rifle Many shooters were not happy about them. It was also not uncommon for the post-1964 Model 70 to bind during firing or failing to exit completely.

The result was what was created, the Model 70 Classic, a improved action that is the base of today’s Model 70. Winchester updated its Model 70 action in 1992. It was back to the full-length extractor and an ejector mounted to the receiver of the original model in addition to the regulated feeding option.

The production of the Winchester Model 70 continues at the FN/Browning factory facility located in Columbia, South Carolina. Model 70 is manufactured according to ISO 9001 standards. Its iconic control-feed design is still in use. Model 70’s are offered in different styles to suit the needs of competitors, hunters, and shooters. They include the standard and super-grade lighter barrels, blind, and other.