Before I am excoriated for posting this here, I state that I wasn't sure where would be best. Can a
gunsmith convert the pre 64 Mod 70 safety to a tang safety in cal 458Win and 375 H&H. Seems that I saw one on a Westley Richards(?) years ago, and it always seemed a good idea for DG

I would post this in 'Gunsmithing' also, if I were you.

George

first off.....the M-70 don't have much of a tang.

It's financially a very bad thing to do to a pre -64 M-70 as well.....but you didbn't ask that did you?

There is no "kit" or aftermarket thing to do this with but I assure you that someone will do it for you.....and I'd guess a very expensive venture.

You will in all likely hood loose the positive lock of the firing pin as tang safetys usually block the trigger only. You will also likely loose the three position feature.

I'd heartily recommend against it but will guarantee that someone (for a price) will do it for you.......

As Vapodog says, it is possible to convert a bolt saftey to a tang safety. A side safety is much simpler to move to a tang safety.

yes you can make a tang safety on just about nay bolt actiion rifle. The snag is are you willing to pay what it costs.

Here is a link to Dave's web page where he did a tang safety on a M700. I remember when he made this rifle back in about 1998.

David's tang safety pics

There is nothing wrong with a tang safety if you like them, but it would most likely be atrigger safety and not the more positive striker safety. Just something to consider.

I have had a coupld of people ask me how much I would charge to convert to a tang safety, and the "back of the envelope calculations" (luckily!) scared them away.

The tang safety requires some extra wood-removal inside the wrist for the linkage that runs from the button to the trigger assembly, plus for the extended tang. You would need to make sure you have a stout piece of wood for those calibers to compensate for the loss of cross-sectional area.

take a look at www.lonpaulcustomguns for a tang safety fittend to a CZ 550 that blocks the firing pin. It was a custom job and cost a pretty penny but the African PH who ordered it felt it was worth it.

I tried the link to long paul custom guns, however, my machine could not find it.

Just got to www.lonpaulcustomguns.com and click on the 458 Lott picture, and it will take you to it.

Garrett

By the way, I am having a tang safety put on my 500 Jeffery, as we speak.

It's only a trigger-blocking safety, and I'm aware that it's not as secure as a firing pin blocking system, but it is so fast to bring into action.

I guess for me it is from all the wing shooting I did as a kid (back when quail were plentiful in Florida) with a side-by-side .410, and then (when I was a big boy), a 20 gauge.
Nothing is as instinctive to me as a tang safety.

My dad got me that .410 when I was about 9, so the tang safety was the first safety I ever used.
The rifle I shot (a Marlin model 36), had no safety.

I don't know how I managed to survive those dangerous guns!

Garrett

P.S. The last think my grandfather said to me before he passed was: "Careful Garrett, the safety's off"