Well after tons of hassles, this project has finally come together. It was almost like it was cursed from the start, however that also presents some learning opportunities...

I decided to try the low cost route and ordered a barrel from ER Shaw, last September. I was told it was going to be available in early December... well I finally got it around the end of January or beginning of February. The order was misplaced by ER Shaw several times... but once it was done, it turned out to be done in Chrome Moly, when I had ordered Stainless.

However, it finally got here, and was sent overnight by Chris at ER Shaw.

Next was the stock from Boyd's.. It was a thumbhole I had ordered back in like 2002, for another project for this rifle that never happened. So I finally got around to pulling it out, sanding it down, and refinishing it. Before refinishing the outside, I was working on fitting the action. All other Boyd's stocks I have had, have been little to no hassle at all.... NOT this ONE!!!!...

It was so bad, that I called Boyd's and their tech dept, looked up my order history and claimed that I had never ordered a thumbhole stock for a Model 70 short action, but I had ordered two for a Ruger 77 Mark 2. Based on how much surgery I was having to do to get this action to fit, they tried to convince me that I was trying to fit a Model 70 Winchester into a Ruger 77 MK2 Stock....

Well after multiple phone calls we go back to the fact, I was calling them to let them know that they bombed out on this one, and I was wanting to order a replacement. This was after half a dozen or so phone calls back and forth.
Then they tell me that the availability will be in 6 to 9 months, as they won't be making any more runs for short action Model 70s until then...With varmint season starting now, I fished out my MINING tools and hollowed out the stock until the action fit...which was tons of time...

A friend helped recrown the barrel, along with tightening the chamber, as I had ordered the barrel long chambered....

The scope was the never ending story of replacement attempt on the defective Simmons 4.5x 14 scope I sent into them May of last year and they were going to replace it with their new Side Focus Master series... Well, BS upon BS, and finally, I got real pushy with their new owners at Meade and they sent me a Weaver V 16 with a Fine Target Dot and a V 24 with the same reticle...

So I put the V 16 on this rifle, since it is chambered in a 223, with a 1 in 12 twist....

The action was originally chambered in 243 but I am borrowing a 223 bolt out of a featherweight I also have... so the bolt out of it, will serve my varmint rifle here and also a walking varminter, when the larger barrel is cooling...

Since the barrel was chrome moly, I called up my usual gunsmith, and to have the barrel Parkerized like I had planned, I was told it would be available in about JULY! ( what else can go wrong???)

So I decided it, after consulting a lot of forum members here on the gunsmithing forum, to spray paint it...

At first I tried to do a dark grey primer finish copying the looks of a Ruger VT barrel and action.... However, that did not fit the stocks finish well at all, even tho I thought it would...

So then I tried some Green Camo paint I got at Wally World.... It has a grey tone to it that I wasn't expecting, and it actually turned out better than I was expecting....

So finally!!!! It is done for the time being. The stock will be replaced with another from Boyd's whenever it gets here in the fall evidently.

However, he we go if you want to see the finished project...

http://www.imagestation.com/album/review.html?id=2094168289

specs:
Winchester Model 70 Push Feed..late 1980s production
Stock: Boyd's thumbhole, grey laminate, semi gloss finish
Barrel: ER Shaw, 26 inch, 1 in 12 twist, heavy magnum contour... Chrome Moly, finished in Gray Camo Spray Paint from Walmart
Chambering: 223 Remington
Scope: Weaver V 16, Fine Target Dot reticle
Bases and Rings: Leupold...

For accuracy it has potential, but after 200 shots thru it, it isn't where I want it yet...
The first 100 rounds were just break in with low velocity 55 grain FMJs...

The next 100 rounds have been trying 20 shots each of 5 different loads and bullets...

This barrel will be a high miler in a short period, so I am planning its ONLY powder thru it to be Blue Dot, to see how long of a barrel life, that Blue Dot will actually yield....

Trigger is adjusted to have about a 2 lb pull...

Now the last thing on the list is to get it over to Klamath or Lakeview and find some unsuspecting sage rats, waiting to find that big field of alfalfa in the sky....


cheers
seafire

Good looking rifle, Seafire. I think the trouble was worth it.

Jim

quote:

Originally posted by seafire/B17G:
Well after tons of hassles, this project has finally come together. It was almost like it was cursed from the start, however that also presents some learning opportunities...

After our trip to the range last week, my M70 and I are seeking counseling. I had hoped a new barrel and stock would make a difference, but we have issues with money and group size... and yes, I have been shooting another rifle.