Guys,
I've got a Winchester M70 Featherweight (push feed) whose bolt has a strange feature. Just behind the lugs the bolt's diameter slims down a little before opening up again. So running your fingers from the back of the bolt to the front, diameter is consistent until your just short of the lugs where it tapers and narrows and then tapers back to full diameter at the lugs. Why did Winchester design/machine them like this? Secondly, any way to quieten the safety, its very loud when moived from position to position?
Thanks...
Con

How much does it vary?



Improving the safety on a M70 is not all that easy. I do them but I have a lot of experiance. There are schematics on the net and Brownells site is one such place.



The easy way to get around it is to let the safety off with both the thumb and forefinger.

Savage99,
The bolt diameter is 0.693" for its entire length, just behind the lugs it's "concaved" to a minimum of about 0.668", for the entire bolt circumference. Looking at it I've no idea why this was done, unless it's to give clearance from the feed ramp as the bolt rotates closed?
Even with thumb and forefinger, the safety is a noisy little beast, especially from safety on-bolt locked to safety on bolt unlocked.
Thanks...
Con

The reduction in bolt diameter just behind the lugs serves no purpose but is simply the result of the machining technique used at the time. It was, in all likelyhood, unintentional and also does no real harm. I have seen this on a number of Winchester bolts and consider it to be a manufacturing flaw but one which does no harm from a safety standpoint.
I can't begin to explain how to properly set up a M70 safety. At least not well enough that it could be easily understood. Regards, Bill.

Bill,
Thanks for the info. This is my first Winchester M70 so I'm trying to understand its little peculiarities. Other than the bolt, I'm left wondering what the "black circular dot" is for on the right side of the stock. It looks like a cover for a cross-bolt or pin set up to reinforce the stock between the trigger and magazine, oddly its exactly where the crack I found is located.
Thanks...
Con

Con, I'm no expert and don't have the full story, but I believe there is a technical reason for it. I was showing my M70 to a very knowledgeable friend of mine when he commented on the very same thing and called it something that I can't remember for the life of me. It has something to do with removing play in the action just as you slide the bolt forward and get ready to close it. I know I'm not offering much, but I think if you're really interested in it you should look further. If I see my friend again soon, I'll ask him for more detail.