quote:

Originally posted by Dieseltrucker:
All,

I am left handed. I have acquired a magnum length LH Winchester 70.

What year was it made? Classic from Connecticut or later?
What is the current chambering?

I plan to convert to .458 Lott by my hometown gunsmith. The donor gun has one crossbolt in the stock.

Add a second crossbolt in the little web between trigger well and magazine well.
Use steel allthread hidden in epoxy, or plugged or visible oversize head, whatever to match the current one to your liking.
Get a secondary recoil lug on the barrel for a walnut or laminate stock. All thread there too, for a third crossbolt.
And get pillars with glass bedding from the barrel lug back.

I need suggestions on barrel length,

23" minimum or 25" maximum is to my liking.
If you cut it to 21" barrel, your 3.6"-COL .458 Lott will equal a 24"-barreled, 3.4"-COL .458 WinMag at same pressure.

overall weight( I am thinking 10 pounds),

9 to 9.5 lbs dry weight of rifle is more usual.
You will add 1 to 2 pounds to that when you get it field ready, depending on how you ready it.
A 10-pound-dry-weight .458 Lott is going to turn into 11 to 12 pounds in the field
if you scope it and load it.
It will be 10.5 pounds with 4 rounds and iron sights.
The last generation of Ruger RSM .458 Lott: About 9.25 lbs with 23" barrel was about perfect.
A 25"-barreled, Pre-'64 Winchester M70 African .458 WinMag weighed 9.0 lbs.
Don't re-chamber or re-barrel one of those to .458 Lott.
They only made 1226 of them, and they are worth considerably more as .458 WinMags.

and any other pertinent information relating to a re-barrel of such a heavy recoiling rifle. Thanks!

Oops. Forgot the uber reinforcement for a .458 or larger caliber DGR: Use about 5"-length of 3/8"-diameter steel allthread, hidden in epoxy, through the long axis of the grip of the stock.
Deep drill from just behind the grip cap toward the middle of the rear action screw/pillar.
Do this if you have a walnut or laminate stock.
Plug the entrance hole cosmetically,
unless you are able to get it hidden under the grip cap.

Oops again: Get a barrel-mounted front sling stud, or a forend tip stud. Brockman style is primo, or mount the Uncle Mike's type of stud on the foremost tip of the stock, with a nut hidden in epoxy.
You'll figure it out.

quote:

Originally posted by Dieseltrucker:
RIP,

I am not sure on the year made. I assume (although one hates to) is a New Haven gun from what little I have gathered. (perhaps some of the other south paws could chime in as to where one ascertains the year produced from our Winchesters??)


I guess it is a Classic from Connecticut.
Some fear sabotage for 2005-2006 last year of production.
Something like Monday morning and Friday afternoon production in most things.
You can call BACO and ask them to give you the year from your serial number: 800-333-3288
Or give us a serial number with XX for the last two digits and sumbuddy who know might chime in.

The donor originally was going to be a custom shop .340 Weatherby. However, it is stainless and a rather nice rifle, so I opted to cannibalize a 7STW chromemoly instead.

After some candid conversations with the hometown smith, we both agreed that this OUGHT to be sent out for someone in the dangerous game smithing. I then queried the infinite knowledge base in the custom guns section for suggested builder. One of the suggested was none other than our very own, toomanytools. I late afternoon phone call and bang, a deal was struck.

I am thinking 23 inches for barrel, but John is pushing for 25. Perhaps we meet in the middle?

Yep, 23 to 25 inches. I can't decide either.

As for weight, I have always appreciated heft in my higher recoiling rifles. You bring up an excellent distinction. I was thinking the whole package out the door would be around 10-11 neighborhood.

Then you need a 9 to 9.5-pound bare-naked-empty rifle to load up to 10 to 11 lbs.

I want iron sites and well as a barrel band. Suggestions?????

Wisner's copy of the M70 African rear sight,
or just start scrolling around at NECG for what suits your fancy.

Nice turkish walnut for the stock. Dense and straight grained.

Keep it beautiful, do all the stock reinforcement mentioned above.

What bottom metal to get the most rounds??

What else am I missing?

I'll start adding some bottom metal stuff below.

quote:

Originally posted by Quickstrike:
Is the reinforcement at the front of the mag box a must? Will the rounds eventually dent the sheet metal under recoil?