The Winchester Model 70

In 1936, the Model 70 is regarded as the highest-quality refinement of Mauser’s control-feed design. The bolt-action dominated the market over the course of 27 years before a redesign in 1964 designed to reduce costs shook the Model 70 off of its pedestal.

Hunters, collectors, and even hunters prize the pre-’64 Model 70s. Post-’64 firearms have their own space, but.

History

Winchester Model 70, one of the most renowned bolt-action firearms. The Model 70 from Winchester was created to serve as a hunter weapon, but it quickly became popular among competition and hunter shooters. Model 70s are renowned for their precision, ease in use, and long-lasting. The model’s high-end reputation has helped keep it as the top-selling bolt action firearm for a number of decades. In the meantime, as manufacturing technologies increased and the Model 70 became more efficient, Model 70’s Model 70 lost market share in favor of cheaper rifles sporting similar features. The year 1964 was when Winchester was able to introduce some changes to make its Model 70 competitive. These modifications were targeted to make the gun more affordable to produce, while keeping the same characteristics that had created this Model 70 so desirable.

Most notable was the addition of the introduction of “push feed” system. This system removed the ejector out of the face of the bolt replacing it with a small extractor, which was positioned over the groove of extraction on the cartridge. It could be placed in the magazine, and afterwards ejected using the bolt without the need for a Mauser type extractor. The flat breech also introduced a brand new handle for bolts that made it easier to hold while cycling the action.

In an attempt to reduce costs, several other modifications in order to cut costs were implemented. To reduce labor costs as well, the original nickel steel bolt with receiver was changed with a new forged chrome-molybdenum design. The barrels that were hand-checkered were changed to checked barrels which were pressed. Bolt lugs were also changed from screw-in design to guide lugs which ran along tracks within the receiver.

These cost-saving initiatives were met by a mixed reaction. Some people favored the models prior to WWI 70 and thought the rifles manufactured after 1964 were less reliable. There were some improvements made for the Model 70 in an attempt to reverse this perception and include the more secure “anti-bind” option that was placed on the left locking lug. The bolt was now smoother as a result of this upgrade, which makes a significant difference in rifle’s reputation for sloppy action.

The look

The Winchester Model 70 bolt-action is the model that earned the nickname “The Rifleman’s Rifle.” While many other centrefire rifles are also branded with this designation, its standing as an athletic rifle is unique. The hunters have put this Model 70 at the top of the list when it comes to forests across North buywinchester.com America, as well large game zones like Alaska as well as Africa.

Model 70 was a huge hit due to its superior trigger mechanism. It also had an advantage due to its Mauser-inspired two-lug extractor bolt with full control of the cartridge from the moment it left the magazine until it was fully removed from the chamber. The breech’s flat design, and its integrated support for cartridges, offered an easier fitting with the barrel’s rim as well as a more smoother operation than competitors’ designs.

In the years following World War II as other manufacturer of guns reduced the cost for production with the help of new manufacturing techniques. In order to reduce material costs and labour The company took number of steps. The famous Model 70 was redesigned in 1964. Some elements of its design were eliminated. In 1964, the cone-shaped breech on the Model 70 replaced into a flat design with a cartridge support built in. A hook extractor has been changed to a plunger ejector. Bolt and receiver forged were substituted by a milled aluminum alloy.

Not everyone was happy with the new design. Many hunters were unhappy by the fact that the updated Model 70 no longer featured one-way push feed that could be controlled. And although some were happy with the flat bolt face, which did not require any kind of machining on the barrel’s breech, some prefer a steel ring around the barrel head to avoid erratic ignition.

To address the concerns from some of their customers, Winchester reintroduced the controlled-round pushing action in the year 1992. Additionally, the company started using synthetic wood that are made by McMillan Bell and Carlson that are cheaper to produce as compared to wood and longer-lasting.

Development

Winchester’s designers set to work to revamp the Model 54 into a lighter and slimmer bolt-action centerfire rifle. The Model 70 was an instant bestseller and took over the market for a long time. It even earned the nickname “The Rifleman’s Rifle” and is one of the top-selling American bolt-action rifle ever made.

In the years following World War II, though the Model 70 started to fall back in the race of modern design and manufacturing techniques. The Model 70 became more expensive to manufacture it, and Winchester became in a bind when it came to the Model 70 as it struggled to compete with new rifles on the market.

The engineers at Winchester began to improve the trigger in their Model 70, as it was an issue for their customers. They took the override trigger from their rimfire Model 52 and fitted it on the Model 70, improving its performance by better segregating the sear of the trigger buywinchester.com. The newly designed trigger adjustable for pulling weight as well as overtravel.

The other important improvement they implemented was the transformation of the controlled round-feeding mechanism into the push feed. It allowed them to decrease the amount of machine work that was required on the barrel’s breech face and made the Model 70 cheaper and easier to build.

The handle and the forend were modified as well to make them better suited to the use of scopes as it was at the time was a significant aspect. The first was to flatten the shape of the bolt’s handle to help it stay clear of the scope’s ocular lens housing when cycling the trigger. They also redesigned the forend in order to be more spacious and smoother to the bottom of it so that it is able to be positioned across the shooter’s support hand while shooting.

Winchester continued to add new variations and chambering adaptations for models like the Model 70 throughout the decades along with make improvements and refinements to existing models. In the 60s, it was clear to Winchester that customers were unhappy with the new model, and wanted more original characteristics and styles. They listened to their customers, and started to incorporate features from the original Model 70 throughout the next several years.

The Production

The first few years of its existence, Model 70 swept the sport world. It was a popular choice for hunters across the United States and beyond, and several rifles achieved world records in shoot-offs. While the performance of the firearm was good, it wasn’t free of flaws. Some examples are a absence of walnut that was select grade and pressed checkering in lieu of hand-checkering, and a barrel channel that let a large accumulation of twigs and grass after firing. Despite these problems however, the gun was well-loved as well, with certain year-to-year manufacturing figures exceeding the 12-year total that was the case with Winchester’s previous Model 54.

The year 1964 saw the introduction of a new model, responding to increased competition from sporting rifles like those of the Remington Model 700 and rising prices for labor, Winchester introduced a new version in the Model 70 with a re-designed bolt and several other adjustments. The cone-shaped breech used in the previous design was substituted with a flat breech, and the older milled nickel-steel receiver/bolt model was replaced by a forged chrome-molybdenum steel unit. As a substitute for the fully-length extractor, the receiver-mounted ejector was dropped. Smaller plunger and claw extractor were fitted to the bolt face (similar similar to the Weatherby Mark V).

Even though these modifications did not pose many major problems to the operation of the gun However, they weren’t well-liked by the majority of gun owners. Additionally, it was common for model 70 after the year 1964 to Model 70 to bind during the loading process or not be able to release completely.

It was this that led to the introduction of a more compact Model 70 Classic action that has become the basis of the modern Model 70 line. It was in 1992 that Winchester had a second time revised their Model 70 action, returning to a fully-length extractor and a rear-mounted ejector and the controlled feed feature of the older Model 70.

The present production of Winchester Model 70 continues at the FN/Browning manufacturing facility in Columbia, South Carolina. Model 70’s are produced according in accordance with ISO 9001 quality standards, with the classic control-feed action staying the same. They are available in a variety of styles to suit the needs of competitors, hunters, and shooters who target, like standard grade, super grade light barrels, sightless, and more.