I’ve looked up and down the forum topic sections and don’t know where this post belongs. So here it is with my apologies if this post is in the wrong place.

I’ve acquired a NIB, unfired, Winchester Model 70 Super Grade, 300 Win Mag. Speculating recent production.

In the upright and locked position, the floor plate shows a visible “gap” of approximately 1/16”+. One can easily see a LOT of daylight when looking thru the gap. Pushing up on the floor plate reveals a lot of anxious “play.” I spoke to the Tech at Winchester who said this is now spec, to accommodate a catastrophic event. ??? He said I could return the rifle to Service for evaluation, so I have. In my 60 year, experienced opinion, this gap is too large to be acceptable. I have consulted with other SG owners and only 1 said it had a gap and it was almost imperceptible. That I believe the gap is much too large and a quality control defect, is not my sole opinion.

Does anyone here have – or have you seen – a floor plate gap of this size, your rifle or others. Any Model 70? I gues what I'm really askig is,........how much is too much? Zero would be my answer, but I'd like to hear yours.

I should be hearing from Service early this week. Whether I do or don’t accept their reply will largely depend on what I hear from you folks.

Thank you very much.

Any visible gap would bug me!

BACO changed from Williams to PTG (I think) and quality of the bottom metal took a hit.

I recently got a trigger guard from PTG that had a significant bow in the floorplate. I eventually got it straightened, but it is annoying that you can't just be a driver but a mechanic too!

Good luck convincing Customer Service that this is a problem and not a feature!

My one-year-old SG 7x57 shows just a glimmer of daylight if you hold it just right. Likewise a Remington M-700 in .308 in the rack next to it. A Sako AI in 6x45 is bank vault tight. If I drug out other examples I'd expect to find either nothing or just a whisper of daylight peeking through.

If, as the Winchester "tech" (and I use the term generously) suggests, this is now "spec", I'm sure he'd be happy to provide you with a copy of said specification, right? Especially as this is to address a "catastrophic event".

All joking aside, and to answer your question: Next-to-nothing or nothing is how much gap I'd expect.

Your mileage (of course) may vary.

Mark

Thank you gentlemen. Informative and helpful.

No,.....our mileage is the same.

You just got B.S.'d by the rep. I've owned a couple super grades, made for Cabelas. They had no such issues.

quote:

Originally posted by ColoradoMatt:
You just got B.S.'d by the rep. I've owned a couple super grades, made for Cabelas. They had no such issues.

I believe Colorado Matt is correct.
I just looked at 5 Super Grades only one can you see even a glimmer of daylight if you hold it right.
Any dealings I've had with Winchester have been fantastic. I'd suggest you talk to someone else at their facility.

I have the same thing on my BACO Safari Express. While it doesn't effect anything it does bother me a bit. But I've never done anything about it.

I'd be interested in how this turns out for you.

Actually it doesn't affect anything, just a tiny detail that bothers some folks.

Supergrade 338 Win ( new FN owned Winnie)
A sliver of light if held at a certain angle I would say a hair breath at most to small to catch by photograph

Pending the final outcome and Winchester’s position on this, I’ve advised my dealer that I no longer want the rifle if it’s returned in its present condition. He’s agreed to return it which is the right and honorable thing to do. Nevertheless, the situation has created unwanted tension all around. Hopefully, this will all be remedied by a positive reply from Winchester. I d*** sure hope so because a) this is not what I paid for and b) my relationship with the dealer – a genuinely good soul – is worth a lot more than $1,300. I will post an update later this week. Thanks for the replies.

I would return it for repair/replacement. That condition should not occur on a SG.

Collecting several pics of "normal" examples and sending them to Winchester with yours asking "which one(s) are out of spec?" might open their eyes a bit

I've got a SG 300 built in ether 2010 or 2011. I don't remember noticing much of a gap in it, but I'll check when I get home this evening.

Its a factory gun and the stocks are turned out on machines to fit the average production gun, and costs of hand inletting is too expensive to have every gun hand inletted..

The problem with your gun is the stock as in that particular area has a tad of too much wood removed, leaving a gap..you can monkey with the metal to close the gap, but you can't put that wood back..However the bottom metal, trigger guard etc can probably be deepened to make it fit, but that has to be done by a gunsmith by hand, and may require such things as shortening the screws or whatever....

Perhaps Win could find a finished stock in their inventory that would work, I suspect they will do that...

All good thoughts Ray. I believe they will respond in the next few days. Thanks.

Mine does have a slight gap, but nothing close to what you described with yours.

For those who posted here....

I just got off the phone with Winchester service. The rifle is already in the service pipeline. Return date unknown – 6 to 8 weeks possible. I'm relieved and OK with that. Rep said service sheet states parts have been ordered. Rep also speculated a) too much wood was removed on the current stock near the floor plate, and b) has no doubt floor plate adjustment will be completed. I think it’s safe to assume Winchester – to their credit – is attending to the problem (possibly with another stock) and will not be sending the rifle back “as is.”

Thought you would like to know. Will update when I hear from Winchester or rifle is returned.

Thanks everyone.

Please let us know what the rifle status is when you get it back.

Will do Ray.

It shouldn't take long as all they need to do is take a stock out of stock that fits.I doubt that the floor plate needs work or replacement. Its simply an inletting flaw...

On a super grade I find that despicable! but poop happens..

BTW any gap at all is not allowed, the floorplate needs to be snug, snug, no gap.If a bad rounds goes off and gas comes pouring down the pipe to the floor plate you don't want it spewing out the sides to your arm, it should knock the floorplate open and get rid of the gas in one gush downward...

Agree on all counts Ray. Thanks.

I spoke to Winchester service yesterday. Said they were waiting on stock replacement. Since I have to wait, guess now's a good time.

If I hear anything, I'll post.

Since I'm waiting patiently (sort of) on this rifle's return, I had a few hours of down time yesterday and decided to write a polite but firm letter to Winchester. Did. Sent. I've requested a better answer than "return date unknown." Tomorrow will be the 1 month anniversary of its entering the service dept. Considering mail delivery time, I should be hearing something late next week.

This is just an FYI update... Other rifles / handloading / checking in here are filling my time.

Have a good day.

They have tons of stocks in stock (no pun intended)so maybe they are having a stock maker doing his magic to get it right..

One of the reasons win.moved some business to protugal was because the US boys were slamming guns together and the ports guys use more care installing stocks...Good for them, the metal is done in the USA now...I always prefer my stuff be made in America by Americans, but if they can't do it right then tough cookies send it to some country that takes pride in their work..

I made some (polite) noise about my rifle and explained that "the stock is still on backorder," was no longer an acceptable reply.

Last Thursday I finally connected with someone higher up in the service dept...Joe. After all the various emails and phone calls, Joe said they'd decided not to wait on another stock and would be replacing the rifle. Could be another month wait though, hopefully sooner as in asap.

Today, Joe notified me all the paperwork is approved and the new rifle is being shipped...should be here late this week, early next.

While all of this was unfortunate, it's not a perfect world and...after many years of owning some outstanding rifles...it was my turn to receive a defect. While waiting wasn't my idea of fun, kudos to Winchester for taking accountability and making this right. I'm confident the new rifle will arrive in stellar condition.

Have a good day everyone and thanks for your input.

Glad they got it all sorted out for you finally. Hopefully they are sending you one with at least as good of wood as the one you returned. Wood grades seem to be all over the place with the Super Grades. I lucked into one with stellar wood on it a few years ago and haven't seen any others that compare to it.