I recently aquired a 1953 Winchester Model 70. My dad gave it to my brother in law in the late 1970's. My brother in law gave it to me last weekend. Obligatory picture:



It hadn't been cleaned in decades so I cleaned the bore, took the barreled action out of the stock, cleaned 56 years of accumulated crud out of the stock, cleaned up the trigger mechanism, and put it back in the stock.

The bareled action mounts with 4 screws - one goes into the barrel boss where the rear iron sight mounts, and of course 3 go into the receiver. I torqued the front and rear receiver screw to 40 in-lbs, the center one to about 10 in-lbs, but I haven't a clue what torque to use on the screw that holds the barrel.

Anybody know what torque I should use for the screw that holds the barrel?

Thanks
Fitch

Whatever tension shoots the most accurately as tested on the target. Could be anywhere from none to a lot, depending upon group size. Many folks simply remove the front barrel screw altogether.
Regards, Joe

I have owned and still own some pre 64 Win 70's and I haven't seen a standard (your's is a standard or a Super Grade with standard weight barrel) that didn't like this procedure.

First off install all of the screws partially.
1. Tighten the floorplate screw as tight as you can get it with a proper fitting screwdriver.

2. Tighten the rear trigger guard screw as tight or nearly as tight as the first screw.

3. Tighten the front triggerguard screw just moderately tight. Try to close the floorplate; you may need to loosen the floorplate screw, close the floorplate and then retighten that floorplate screw as tight as you can.

4. Tighten the forend screw tight then loosen and then turn it in until it stops (very little torque).

That is a winning combination for a pre 64 Standard. Coat the hidden metal with RIG once a year if you hunt with it.

quote:

Coat the hidden metal with RIG once a year if you hunt with it.

Do you worry about the grease soaking into the wood, or do you just coat the parts that do not contact the stock?

I lightly coat the metal with a RIG rag. What little weeps into the wood doesn't bother me. If you don't like RIG use paste wax on the buried metal instead. I know they leave that wood unfinished to wick away moisture but it doesn't work miracles. There are tons of old guns out there that have never been out of the stock, even after hunting in the rain/snow. I have seen some pristine looking pre 64 Win 70's that looked worse under the wood than under a car looks!

ETA: That looks like it is a Super Grade, is it? The forend checkering looks like it is wrapping around? Nice gun either way!

Thanks. I've used RIG, just do not want to soften the wood. The metal looks pretty good but I will use something on it.

Sorry for the hijack.

quote:

Originally posted by airgun1:
I have owned and still own some pre 64 Win 70's and I haven't seen a standard (your's is a standard or a Super Grade with standard weight barrel) that didn't like this procedure.

First off install all of the screws partially.
1. Tighten the floorplate screw as tight as you can get it with a proper fitting screwdriver.

2. Tighten the rear trigger guard screw as tight or nearly as tight as the first screw.

3. Tighten the front triggerguard screw just moderately tight. Try to close the floorplate; you may need to loosen the floorplate screw, close the floorplate and then retighten that floorplate screw as tight as you can.

4. Tighten the forend screw tight then loosen and then turn it in until it stops (very little torque).

That is a winning combination for a pre 64 Standard. Coat the hidden metal with RIG once a year if you hunt with it.

Thank you very much for that information.

I just tightened them as you suggest. My next act after posting this will be to head for the range at Shippensburg to shoot it for the first time.

I think the rifle is a bit of a mongrel - I took it to Brian at Schuman's gunshop in Newville (he has a rack full of pre64 Winchesters for sale, they are a specialty of his), he says near as he can tell it's a standard grade barrel and action in a supergrade stock. The floor plate says "Super Grade", but there is no "Super Grade" stamped on the bottom of the barrel near the date ('53) where I'm told it is supposed to be. It also doesn't have the proper dot on the front sight to be a Super Grade front sight.

None of that matters to me. The action is smooth, the barrel fits the barrel channel, it has a near perfect hunting trigger, the stock looks and feels good. If it will shoot minute of deer, it will become my deer rifle replacing the Savage .243 for my hunt October 22nd, 23rd, and 24th (senior doe season) as well as the regular rifle season. If it doesn't, I'll rebarrel it with a suitable blued barrel, install pillars and bed the action, develope a load, and "then" it will become my deer rifle. I already like it, I just have to have it shoot minute of deer. One way or the other, it will.

It just plain "looks" like a deer rifle.

Bottom line, I have a new deer rifle!

Fitch

quote:

Originally posted by Fitch:

If it doesn't, I'll rebarrel it with a suitable blued barrel, install pillars and bed the action, develope a load, and "then" it will become my deer rifle.

Fitch

It's your rifle and you can do as you please, but an unmolested supergrade stock is a valuable thing. Bedding changes will reduce that value a bunch.

A 1950-1953 Supergrade is not much different from a 1953 standard. The only three different would be the stock, floorplate, and a gold front sight bead. They were just as likely to be unmarked under the barrel and recoil lug as they were to be marked.

1954 Supergrades are much different than standards as are 1936-1949. Those SuperGrades had rust blued barrels and the 1954 on had jewelling standard.

That Super Grade stock is worth $500 at the minimum. I know Randy Shuman very well and visted the shop often when he owned.

quote:

Originally posted by M Pursell:

quote:

Originally posted by Fitch:

If it doesn't, I'll rebarrel it with a suitable blued barrel, install pillars and bed the action, develope a load, and "then" it will become my deer rifle.

Fitch

It's your rifle and you can do as you please, but an unmolested supergrade stock is a valuable thing. Bedding changes will reduce that value a bunch.

M Pursell,

No worries. I won't have to do anything to it. Not too surprisingly it is fine hunting rifle just as it is.

I tightened the screws per Airgun1's post and after being sighted in it shoots the Hornady flat base 150g SP (#3031) pushed by 59.9g of IMR4350 into just over an inch (1.038" averaged over 10 rounds to be precise) with my very first try handload.

It didn't like the Winchester factory ammo much at all shooting that into 2.29" averaged over 10 rounds. No problem. I'll just reload the brass with the handload that works, take it to the woods next week and see if I can put some meat in the freezer.

Fitch

quote:

Originally posted by airgun1:
A 1950-1953 Supergrade is not much different from a 1953 standard. The only three different would be the stock, floorplate, and a gold front sight bead. They were just as likely to be unmarked under the barrel and recoil lug as they were to be marked.

1954 Supergrades are much different than standards as are 1936-1949. Those SuperGrades had rust blued barrels and the 1954 on had jewelling standard.

That Super Grade stock is worth $500 at the minimum. I know Randy Shuman very well and visted the shop often when he owned.

Thanks for the information. I've never met Randy. Brian already owned it the first time I was there. It's my favorite hunting rifle shop. I feel like a one eyed dog in a meat market when I'm in there.

Fitch

My model 70 loads are:

165 gn Nosler Ballistic Tips over 48.5 gn of IMR 4064 (Deer)

180 gn Nosler Partitions over 55.0 gn of IMR 4350 (Bear)

.010"-.015" off of the lands, CCI-200, Win cases