Is there any reason not to buy the Stainless Model 70 other than not liking stainless barrels and black stocks? The price is good and I'm sure it's very durable but all my other rifles are blued with wood stocks.

I've been considering picking up one of these for awhile. So this thread is of interest to me as well. Good topic

When the stainless came out I bought 2 in 375. One I sent as a gift to a PH friend in Zimbabwe. He is still using it regularly. The other I restocked in a laminated blank turned by Curt Crum to use as my own (I HATE plastic stocks). This gun is absolutely the most accurate bigbore I own. It put 20 rds in .7. This was a continuous string with no cooling. From bench,scope Leupold Vari-XIII 1.5x5, the load was 260gr Nosler Partition in front of 75grs of IMR4350. I find absolutely nothing to dislike about these guns except the plastic stock.

quote:

Originally posted by Wanderer:
Is there any reason not to buy the Stainless Model 70 other than not liking stainless barrels and black stocks?...

No, there is no other reason NOT to buy it.

One positive reason to buy it is that it does not have a barrel mounted recoil lug. That lug can be dealt with on a blued rifle, but with the stainless it isn't even an issue.

Theoretically a chrome-moly action can be made slicker, but it would take a real sensitive hand to feel the difference. I have a stainless .375 and .30-06 Model 70 and a slick blued M70 .30-06, and the stainless ones are just as slick operating.

When blue wears it turns "white", when the matte stainless wears it just turns bright.

I agree that blue and walnut IS far, far, far better looking. However, if you wanted to restock it a brown wooden laminate looks pretty neat with a stainless barrel and action, at least to me.

The M70 classic SS .375 needs quite a bit of cleanup by a gunsmith in order to be reliable for a safari. For example, there are lots of sharp metal edges on which ammo can hang up while feeding. The barrel needs to be pulled and all those edges need to be radiused. And on some new M70's, the bolts are too tight in the receiver and some clearance needs to be created, otherwise the bolt will not work with a little bit of sand on it.

Rave reviews, and I agree.

The only problem I had with several of them was that the scope base holes can be cock-eyed.

This comes from an imperfect rear receiver contour on some of the rifles.

I fixed this on several by shimming the rear base with JB Weld epoxy and drilling and tapping all around for 8x40. The front receiver rings were true and needed no attention other than 8x40 screws all around.

This very rifle was then outstandingly accurate, and was rechambered to .375 Wby using a Dave Manson reamer with the 2001 Wby specs. When the barrel was pulled for this, the rough edges of the extractor cut and chamber entrance were smoothed and beveled as mentioned by 500grains.

Despite the factory plastic stock, it is outstanding in accuracy, even with the hot glue bedding, which I haven't changed yet.

It will be hard to improve on.

I like the look and feel. If it ain't broke I won't fix it. When you have as many rifles as I do, "beautiful" and "ugly" by Ray's standards, it is refreshing to have a Super-Beater like this.

Name another stock that can take the abuse with impunity like a "milk jug" stock. Would you beat a McMillan with a rock and laugh about it?

This very rifle shot the loads on the .375 Weatherby Page of Saeed's Reloading Section.

I like it. Get at least one of them for sure.

I endorse the comments that it needs quite a bit of smoothing up and checking over - the barrel of mine was not indexed properly and the sights were crooked, also the WORST out of the box trigger - all issues that have been rectified and i would never part with it - been twice to africa with me. If you really want a well-balanced handy rifle do what i did and take two inches off the barrel - it transforms the balance and handling. Charlie.

Are the winchester stainless M70 .375's more or less prone to galling tha other stainless rifles ?? Especially since one poster mentioned they have a very tight bolt ??

I know this topic has been covered but am only interested in this model & make.

PC.

Anybody like the stainless, wood stocked ones?

PC,
"Galling" is a non-issue with Winchester stainless bolt action rifles. Put a little Break Free CLP on the bolt and raceways when it is brand new (or YOUR favorite lubricant, but not Astroglide or KY Jelly) and go to town. Forget about it.

Thanks RIP !!

Now KY is it a rust preventetitve as well

I have had one for a long time. Great rifle. Replaced the cheap factory front sight with an NEC banded one. Some people have issues with the plastic stock/ bedding, claiming that it flexes and causes poor accuracy.Lose the poor,hard factory recoil pad for a much softer shooting rig, I believe Brownell's sells pre-fit Pachmayr recoil pads that will fit it. The factory barrel/bedding shot sub MOA. Good bear rifle for Alaska for a float trip but a little heavy to lug long distances.It does not gall, the more I use it the slicker it has become. After I got back fron Zim I had it re-barreled with a lighter profile barrel. Much easier to carry, shoots sub MOA with any resonable handload.Try one, you'll like it!

I reckon with speer 235 gr type bullets it would recoil near the same as the light Boat Paddle stocked Ruger 30/06 with full throttle 180 gr loads do you reckon that would be the case folks ??

After a trip to kodiak this spring I decided I needed to get me a big bore. I have a Marlin guide gun in 45/70 but thought that something with a little more reach would be nice. I decided on the venerable 375 H&H, touted as some as the most versatile big bore. It also helps that it is pretty popular here in alaska, especially in the coastal areas. I decided to get rid of the 338 that had been giving me fits and traded it in on a Win 70 classic stainless.

I am very impressed with this rifle. Classic CRF action, decent open sights, and good handling qualities. About the only thing I'm probably going to change is the synthetic stock, its a little too flimsy for my taste. A good HS precision or McMillan stock will probably do wonders for it.

I topped it with a leupold 2-7x33 30mm Euro scope. These are comparable to the VxII quality level but when compared to the 2-7x33 1" model it is brighter and gathers a lot more light. This is probably my new favorite scope, replacing the 1" version, as the most practical hunting scope.

I took it to the range with a box of 270gr Remington Soft point ammo and was pleasantly pleased with 1 1/2-2" groups at much less recoil than I was expecting. I think that with a better stock and handloads that this will be a real shooter.

Does anyone know who makes the best synthetic stock for the Stainless Win 70. I have looked at HS Precision but having found one to fit this yet.

I'm surprised there are so many fans. I am one also. I borrowed my son's to shoot a lion, winding up falling with it one day. A big gouge on the plastic stock, but who cares?!!

In the process of changing a basically good rifle: I had Douglas re-barrel to a lighter contour, getting NECG sights, a Williams trigger guard/floor plate, and a McMillan stock. It was a shooter the way it was, though.

Been thinking about one of these myself. The one thing that concerns me is the light weight of the plastic stock. I have the same model in 300 win mag, and was worried about how much worse the 375 recoil would be.

I don't think the recoil is all that bad on these. The barrel is fairly heavy which I think compensates for the flexible stock to some extent. They do benefit from a better pad though.

I have decided that 14.5" is my LOP.
A slip on Pachmayr rubber pad gets me pretty close to that.

It also sustains the cheapskate Super Beater motif nicely.

How does the barrel contour on the stainless compare to the safari grade M-70 ? Maybe about the same ?

quote:

Originally posted by sdgunslinger:
How does the barrel contour on the stainless compare to the safari grade M-70 ? Maybe about the same ?

They both have a muzzle diameter of 0.720" on the two I just measured, one blue and one stainless.

The Custom Shop Big Five M70 in .416RM (yes I have some pretty ones too) also has a 0.720" diameter muzzle at 24".

All of these are No.5 sporter contour though there may be difference in the shank portion transition to taper of the barrels on various M70's in .375 to .416.

wanderer, i have 4 of these stainless 375's as they are my favorite rifle, i just recently picked up 2 take off barrels to build 2 more. I have never had any problem with any of them, and the actions feel fine to me and have never had any failures. the only thing i have done to one of them is cut the barrel to 20.5 inches ( i live in a pretty brushy area) and put a hs precision stock on it and it shoots well under an inch. Sure there are better open sight you could put on it, but just thank god it comes with open sights. I think they are a great value and one helluva rifle. im sure some will disagree but this is my opionion..

What an amazing resource this site is! I really appreciate the information. Looks like a Classic Stainless will be gracing my gun cabinet real soon.

Do the open sights on these guns work at all ?? I mean people seem to change them out straight away has anyone actually tried them or they changed out staright off as it's a "social requirement"

If it's to be used for non natsy stuff, for the odd time you use the irons over a scope wouldnt they get you by or are they that bad

PC,
In the Super Beater Motif, we leave the factory sights on there but have them soldered or JB Welded (epoxied) in addition to their screwing. I have had both solder and epoxy on different rifles.

You see, the scope is the primary, a Leupold 2.5-8X matte black, and the fold down rear sight works great with a rear peep.

The cheap hood on the front ramp can be epoxied, windowed, removed and discarded, whatever.

I paint the bead white with auto body touchup paint or fancy red or gold enamel, whatever my whim.

The sights work fine for me, and allow nice use of a ghost ring peep.

I love stainless steel guns!! but only after they have been blued, parkerized or teflon coated!!

I love plastic stocks but only when the are upgraded to my scrape pile!

But I will defend with my life your rithts to own them!

I've done a fair amount of testing of the factory sights on mine and I can get by with them in an emergency for sure. If I were serious about hunting with iron sights I would probably change them out though.

RIP,

no English Mauer Pinky style for your stainless .375 H&H that says you must immediatley remove the factory sites and add an island with 1 standing and 3 flip up express sites and banded front before fouling the barrel..................................I suppose if you want that kind of rig build it

PC,

The nice thing about those stainless M70 .375HHs is that they're inexpensive, solid, reliable, accurate, and pretty near indestructible. Throw away the rear sight and install an XS ghost ring aperture sight, spray the bright stainless with flat black paint, and you're all set for anything on four legs within 100 meters -- and if it's not within 100 meters it's too far away. It's one helluva bargain at the usual price of $700 or $800; worth twice the price in fact.

Clifton,

I want one for sure just because I need to off load a Ruger stainless in 30/06, one because I am bored with the 30/06, two it's an average gun, three I still need one stainess rifle in the kit for rain/mud etc.

Like it so much that I just bought a 300 RUM stainless to make a 470 capstick out of for a "proper" safari two gun set LOL

quote:

Originally posted by idahoelk101:
Like it so much that I just bought a 300 RUM stainless to make a 470 capstick out of for a "proper" safari two gun set LOL

Syou will have the .375 and the capstick ?? that would be a good pair and a little more interesting than the .375 and .458 lott combo

Just have to be different

I've never had the .375 stainless but I have a little 22-250 classic stainless with wood stock. I love the rifle, but I wouldn't go so far as to say that galling is a non-issue. I haven't seen any galling along the bolt lugs or race ways but the cocking cam has suffered some galling despite proper lube.

Somebody asked about an aftermarket stock for the .375, get the Legend stock from D'Arcy Echols.

Dang RIP. I was pretty proud of my classic stainless and he calls it a super beater. Now my old Mauser is real super beater. Well beaten for fifty years and still ready for duty.

Mike,
Super Beater is a title of honor.

I bought one about ten years ago and it has seen a lot of action in Alaska and BC under all conditions. I love it. The only problem I have ever had was the bolt stop spring broke and the bolt came out in my hand when I was shooting. No worries as it was at the range, but it could have been.

I had the barrel blackened by Olympic Arms and changed the follower spring. With a little bit of tweaking it now holds 5 down and one in the chamber.

I replaced the POS Winnie stock with one from MacMillan and with glass bedding it shoots into an inch.

If any one wants the original stock this classic beauty is available for $50.00 plus shipping.

Egad! That is an Ugly stock, Mickey. Frightful to game? You need to splatter that stock with some matte black to dull it down a bit!

Mickey1

What did you do to the magazine to get 5 in there? With mine I bought a magazine spring from Wisners as I read somewhere on this forum that I would be able to get 4 down with this spring but to no avail - still only 3.

MLG,
Good question.