I voted for the pre 64. They are both good and different in some ways but as far as pride of ownership goes along with a fine fit this regular old 308 Featherweight would challange many so called customs and I mean it shoots too!

I agree with savage99,the pre64 rifles are classic!

The classic is a fine action and much less costly for a project....and IMO that's it's only advantage.....for the difference in cost I can afford to do a lot of work to the classic and so far haven't had to.

I also have a hard time tearing down one of the pre-64s....some things just deserve being left alone.

Mine is a resounding vote for the "classic". It makes a better lefty rifle. By far!

Chuck

pre-64 all the way. The classic has a flawed design in the three-position safety. See the African forum and read all about it. Nearly cost a hunter her life...

My choice - M 70 Pre 64

Winchesters M 70 Pre 64 - I considered it the utmost refinement of the Mauser action, and the first choice of many wanting custom rifles.

Roland

I prefer the pre 64 Winchester and I can pick up a good beater for $400 to $450 or an action for $400, if I want a custom rifle...I have a pre 64 in a 300 H&H and I love that old gun..but I have made my boys a couple of 300s on the new CF Win. and they are nice guns for sure.

But for a DGR I always go with a Mauser, I don't see the Win as a refinement of the Mauser. They left some real good stuff off the Winchester that Mauser has, albiet its more costly to make a custom rifle out of a Mauser action like a 1935 Chilean for instance, than from a winchester.....

We can add a lot of stuff to a Mauser but the truth is every change we make is a trade off, its perfect as a battle rifle...best safty, fail proof trigger and yes it can be worked over to near perfection, slop is there and needed, that little hump behind the lug to keep material from clogging up extraction and ejection, best safty known to man,big stong extracor and ejector, gas sheild, nothing on a Mauser that doesn't have a reason to be there, its an amazment when you study the Mauser or have someone real knowledgable explain it to you..Jack Belk educated me on a Mauser, I just wish I had paid more attention.

I have a 39 M70 a 48 transition M70 and a Classic stainless M70 and to be perfectly honest I can't see one is superior to the other. The 39 is a custom in 30-06 and shoots under 1" all day the transition is an original 270 and will shoot 1" consistantly. The Classic is 375H&H and I have a 20 shot group that went under .750. I hunt with all three and don't feel deprived.