Is the guard screw spacing the same for intermediate-length actions (243, 308) as standard-length actions (30-06) ? Thanks !

If you're taking about just the two rear screws for the trigger guard, yes they are the same.

No, what I'm really trying to determine is if the 2 action lengths are actually the same, just different loading port & magazine sizes, like the Montana intermediates & standards. Thanks!

At one time, all the M70's were the same. Don't have the date for the first true short action, but they're actually shorter. I believe a half inch shorter, or therebouts. Then the super short action was another half inch shorter than that. So yes there are three possible action lengths. BUT if you have a post 64 push feed in 308 (for instance) depending on the year of manufacture it could be a long action with a magazine block or it could be a true short action. I'm on the road and don't have any references to look up the first year of short action manufacture. Late manufacture actions of all types were made in both PF and CRF as well as CRPF.

I'm curious if the hole spacing, action length on this 243 for sale by Brad in the Classified Forum is the same as a 30-06:

AFAIK, the classic stainless in 243 was never built on a long action. So, no, the action length and hole spacing should not be the same.

The first reference I can find on Winchesters web site to a short action M70 is 1985. Classic actions were 1994.

quote:

Originally posted by James C Scott:
The first reference I can find on Winchesters web site to a short action M70 is 1985. Classic actions were 1994.

The short-action date is spot on, but the classics were being built in 1991. However, the long-action was the first to come out in the classic design, with the short-action coming in afterwards.....I don't think it was 3 years before they had the short-action classics out, but I may be wrong...

By the way, as mentioned earlier, the screw spacings for the rear guard screw and middle screw are identical on every action Winchester built on the M70 line, including the pre-64. The difference between the long-action and short-action post-64 is .550".