Would this be a good action for a custom rifle? I can get one fairly inexpensively and I am thinking about making it into a 338-06. My dad has an early '70's model and it is the smoothest action I have ever seen. I know it is not CRF, but I dont hunt dangerous game with it.

Also, how much trouble is it to change the safety from the current one to a M70 style?

For your use it may be ok if the price is right. I got one cheap also for about $40 years ago and had a custom made up on it. That was before I was up on CRF and a decent safety.

Today I would not add one to my battery.

So I am stuck with it. The smith that made it was one of the good guys and it performs so I am keeping it.

I like mine. 300 WM, 26 inch Douglas barrel, McMillan stock (bedded), Canjar trigger, Leupold 3.5 x 10/50 AO in Conetrol mounts.
.5 MOA with 180 gr Barnes X's, even better with 180 Ballistic Tips. Shilen did the barrel work for me.
Sako

I think it depends on what you mean by custom rifle.

If it was to be a high end custom rifle I don't think I would pick Sako and lack of CRF is one reason. The fact that the Sako probably feeds more reliably than most CRFs is not the issue. But I think with a higher end custom rifle you like to think of resale and general approval of the rifle, all of which is human.

In some ways I think Sako is similar to Weatherby, Sauer or Blaser in that custom rifles should come from the factory.

But for a gunsmith made custom rifle I think it is Pre 64 Model 70, Mauser and the current Model 70.

Mike