Wow! I never saw a plastic follower on a Classic. Every Classic I ever saw had metal. I would still call Winchester and specify what you want.
There are stout springs available from Numrich for pre64 Win 70's. I think they are more or less a generic part, but they are strong. I used to have an extra lying around, but don't know where it migrated.
I am wondering if someone swapped that follower and spring from a 1964-1967 scurge model 70?
PA Bear Hunter, NRA Benefactor
Posts: 1632 | Location: Potter County, Pennsylvania | Registered: 22 June 2005
Mike Greene at http://www.riflebuilders.com/ Has completed a mauser follower made from navy brass and has the win pre 64 modeled up in solid works and I just gave him the new plastic follower a few days ago and he should have that modeled up shortly, this will work with the classic or new models with the plastic follower using your existing spring drop in fit. once they are modeled Mike foster at http://francomachine.com/ is running the parts and will be available on his website soon, also through brownells and midway down the road if they can come up with an agreement, keep an eye out for multiple bronze followers from these guys.
Mike at rifle builders has a fn mauser with a bronze follower and the follower just looked good, I dont know where it came from but we always talked about making some bronze followers, Mike finally got them modeled up and took them to Mike Foster to machine them mike foster said to make them from silicon impregnated bronze so they machine to almost mirror finish then polish them to a mirror finish so they wont scratch up your brass cases and the silicon should provide a little more smoothness like it has oil on the follower but without. Iam no metalurgist so I dont know how much benefit it will be but I know they wont scratch the cases as much (feed rails, ramp should be polished mirror finish too) and they will look cool, different, and sure be a lot better then the plastic ones that winchester is installing.
Also these followers will have a radius in the bottom instead of the sharp angle military mausers have along with some factory followers. should grab the round on the follower alot better.