My local store has an old stock Model 70 223 brown laminated stock, with a blue reciever and a heavy stainless barrel that I am considering.

Does anyone know the rate of twist and the accuracy reputation for this model? Were the late New Haven production guns as bad quality as many claim?

Thanks!

I'd snag it..

twist was probably a one in 12.. the paperwork on the side of the box should verify that...

That would be the M70 Coyote. 1:10 twist.

I've seen several M70 Coyotes in the wssm chamberings and they all shot very well.

quote:

Were the late New Haven production guns as bad quality as many claim?

I have a safe full of them and have bought a bunch more for my three sons. Have never had any problems whatsoever, including the reported off-center scope mount holes. I like them as well as I like my Pre-64 Mod 70's. My first bolt action was a new Featherweight 270 my Dad bought for me on my 14th birthday in 1958. That rifle had to be returned to the factory twice for feeding problems; haven't had any feeding problems with my current Classics. One minor problem I have found is that the last of the production run in New Haven had lousy checkering, with broken off diamonds and a lot of wood fiber fuzz in the patterns; guess they couldn't afford sharp checkering tools at the end!

I have a Win Westerner in .223 they were made about 1980-1982 and for years the Blue Book didn't list them. They did not have hinged floorplate and the stock was not walnut. Anyways mine is the most accurate jacketed bullet gun I have but it will not shoot cast bullets????

Rammag,

The early M70 223's had 1 in 12 barrels. The twist was changed to 1 in 9 around 1994 or so for the heavier bullets.

Headache

If it's a .223 WSSM I would not buy it at any price.

Winchester commissioned some guns to Schneider to barrel with stainless barrels in various chamberings as varmint rifles.

Someone at Schneider got overzealous and chamfered the start of the chamber heavily allowing (in some cases) a ruptured case just ahead of the web.

This can blow up an action!

Remove the bolt and look carefully with a penlight at the rear of the barrel for this large chamfer.

Winchester recalled the rifles and repaired them but some may have never been returned.

Again another rumor and you know how rumors are.........but I heard that this is Hotsh$t's back up combo for whitetails and mulies when loaded with some phenomenal Blue Dot loads and some Nosler BT's. I could be wrong just repeating what I heard!!!