Didn't want to hijack richj's thread on the mystery 375 so I'm hoping I can get my question answered by a new one.

I'm wondering if anyone knows if the lower recess is milled out for the long H&H cartridges on a pre-64 M-70 as in a '98 mauser. I have De Haas's book and remember reading about this feature in Mausers but nothing about mod 70's.

I have a 70 in 300 H&H and one in .243. The 243 obviously has a shorter magazine, but it looks like the back edge of the recess is the same on both except for one thing. Because of the larger diameter of the H&H case the angle on the ramp extends back less, but otherwise they're close. The edge between the top of the ramp and the recess is sharp on the mag but has a flat on top on the 243 of about 50 thousands; other than that I can't see a difference that might affect the strength noticably. Anyone have opinions on this?

it looks to me that the tapped hole for the lug bolt in the bottom of the receiver, just forward of the bearing surface of the lug recess, would weaken it a bit and would be better off in the recoil lug, but I don't claim to know what I'm talking about there.

Comments would be appreciated. Thanks.

That lower lug on the long magnum actions is definitely cut a bit. You can witness this by comparing the mag box opening on the two.

That tapped hole, for the front guard screw has been a concern for some. I think its position almost guarantees a splin the stock. Ted Blackburn addressed this with his new bottom metal by moving that hole location about 1/4" forward of the original and re-tapping. Dave Talley made custom bottom metal with the front screw tapped into the recoil lug.

Jim

Thanks, Jim. Also, thanks for the good work you did on my '09 mod 98 you did a couple of months ago. Maybe everybody is right!

The pre 64 M70 has the mag well opened forward a bit, but not nearly as far as the Interarms Mark X in regards to 375 H&H.

I have recoil cross bolts in my pre 64 375 H&H. I think that is needed for a gun that is going to be used, collector value be darned. I am a hunter and a collector.

The action is plenty strong but M70's do crack stocks. I think most can be attributed to loose screws; I will yield that the bonafide experts may have a point with the location of the front screw being a contributor, BUT there is no way I can agree with tapping the lug as moving the front screw from the lug to the flat is what gave the M70 such an increase in accuracy over the M54; much moreso than the better trigger.

I also do not think that a pre 64 Win 70 in 375 H&H has a need for a recoil lug on the barrel. To be clear I am talking about an added on secondary recoil lug on the barrel, not the current Forend screw arrangement.

Thanks, Airgun. That's what I was looking for.

I'm making a new stock for the rifle (I've been making them for about 60 years; one every few years), and plan on crossbolts because I'm going to change it to a .375 for a buffalo hunt before I get too old. (or any more too old).

I understand your advice about a recoil lug on the barrel- thanks.

I basically agree with all that's said, however I have never split a pre 64 mod.70 stock, however I have glassed and cross bolted the 375,s and 458s in factory persuasion, in most cases, but not all...

quote:

Originally posted by jerrymontgomery:

I understand your advice about a recoil lug on the barrel- thanks.

I have owned over the years heaps of M70 375s and three M70 458s or though none of them were Pre 64s.

On everyone of them I have bedded and free floated and that includes the barrel lug being clear.

Don't know about M70s in recent years but in the past Winchester's attachment of the barrel lug partly fucked the barrel. They can be very load sensitive and will often shoot different loads to large differences in point of impact. I found the best all round method to deal with them was to have the barrel lug drilled and tapped and with a piece of steel inletted into the forearm and then bed the lug, both behind and bottom of the lug and the barrel free floated either side.

But the bottom line is no barrel lug is required and when I have had match grade barrels fitted they were perfect with full floating barrels and barrel lug.

An M98 might be different as the M98 has a much smaller amount of stock material behind their tiny recoil lug.

Wby has the best system as they attach the barrel lug on the knox form, about an inch from from the action. The Mark V in 378, 416 and 460 need the lug and apart from the recoil of those calibres the Mark V only has a small amount of stock material behind the recoil lug although the Mark V does have a big recoil lug (about M70 size) as opposed to the tiny lug on the M98.