pre-64 Model 70 action screws torque

[royta]

I've got a pre-64 Model 70 30-06. I'm curious what the recommended action screw torque and tightening order is. The stock is not a factory stock, has been glass bedded and pillars installed.

Thanks.

Roy

 

[alinwa]

The function of the action screws is to give the gun a handle. If the screws need to be "torqued" to any sort of spec or if changing torque markedly changes poi, the bedding is screwed up.

Put the screws in with your fingers, thump the butt on the floor to make sure the recoil lug is seated and tighten it down so it doesn't come apart. "Screwdriver tight" is plenty. I tighten the action ring screw first, just seems logical, can't say it's "better."

al

 

[VarmintGuy]

Royta: I have several customized Winchester pre-64 Model 70's in calibers like 243 Winchester, 240 Weatherby, 280 Remington etc.
I torque them to a "mildish" 45 inch/pounds with my Snap-On inch/pounds torque wrench.
This setting seems to work well for me.
That is "my", not "THE", suggested torque recommendation.
Best of luck to you with your Model 70 30/06.
Hold into the wind
VarmintGuy

 

[Jkob]

Watch out when you "thump the butt on the ground". I have seen more than a few buttstocks chipped or cracked doing that.

 

[vicvanb]

I've got a pre-64 Model 70 30-06. I'm curious what the recommended action screw torque and tightening order is. The stock is not a factory stock, has been glass bedded and pillars installed.

Thanks.

Roy

If it's pillar bedded the screws should be very resistant to tightening beyond "screw driver tight." No need to worry about some specific recommended torque.

The standard tightening order for Pre-64 M70s in factory wood stocks is to tighten the front screw first, the rear screw second, and the middle screw last. Then, back the middle screw out about 1/2 turn. The action at the middle screw is poorly supported and a tight screw often affects accuracy.

 

[Boyd Allen]

I have been told that military armorers accuracy test each match prepared bolt rifle in 5 inch pound increments, loosening and retightening for each new trial. The usual maximum quoted for pillar bedded Remingtons is 65 in. lb. I am not sure about model 70s. I would probably do such a test starting at 45 and run to the max., allowing a few shots to settle the rifle in its bedding at each stage. While single shot custom actions that have an abundance of bedding area may not be torque critical, I have personal experience with a Remington (with a magazine cut) that showed a difference on paper if the tang screw was not properly tightened. One of the issues is how much friction is available to keep an action from shifting minutely during firing. Factory actions, with magazines, are a mite shy on bedding area. Increasing unit loading in the bedded areas, without distorting the bedding is one of the advantages of pillar bedding. Another mistake that can happen with any bedding, is that even good looking bedding can be incorrect and allow the action to be stressed (bent) as the screws are tightened. One good way to test this involves using a magnetic base and dial indicator to measure relative motion between barrel and stock forend tip as the action screws are alternately tightened and loosened, with the rifle in a vertical position. Obviously this only works with the barrel floated. IMO this test in not often done by many who bed rifles, and it should be a standard procedure. There is a lot more to a good bedding job than meets the eye. Doing a bedding job is not that hard, doing it perfectly is another matter.

 

[John S]

The Center Screw

Just tight enough so it does not all out!

It will not fall out if the floor plate is closed=

If the bedding is done correctly you most likely don't need the center screw for anything and it can and will cause accuracy problems if too tight.

The other two, somewhere between 35 and 45 INCH POUNDS.

 

[frwillia]

This thread is timely. A 1953 Winchester Medel 70 in .30-06 arrived at my house to stay. It hadn't been shot or cleaned in at least 20 years and was apparently not cleaned after the last time it was fired. I just finished cleaning it up which included taking the barreled receiver out of the stock to clean up the crunk and clean up the trigger assy.

I have the same torque question but notice that none of the replies address the fact that there are 4 screws. At least mine has 4. There are the 3 action screws and one that mounts the barrel which screws into the boss where the rear iron sight is mounted.

I made a total guess, torqued the front and rear action screws to 40 in-lb, the center one to 10 in-lbs, and the barrel screw is 20 in-lbs. The rifle hasn't been bedded, has no pillars, etc.

Anybody "know" what the 4 screws should be torqued to as a starting point?

Thanks
Fitch

 

[vicvanb]

Of course, you are right about the 4th screw--but it's not an action screw.

I've found after many years of fooling around with old Model 70s that the best way to deal with the forend screw is through trial and error. Try it loose, tight and somewhere in between and see how the rifle performs. There is a lot of variation among rifles as to how loose or tight they like this screw.

I have also found that it sometimes pays to remove the lug (escutcheon??) that the screw fits into and file down the part that enters the barrel dovetail until the lug is not a tight fit in the barrel. Then, it can center itself when the screw is tightened. Most of these lugs came from the factory with a very tight fit. If they are a tad off center, when the screw is tightened it may cause the barrel to bear unevenly against the forend wood.

It sounds like your M70 is in the factory wood stock. I would not worry about tightening the action screws to any specific torque. I'd tighten the front and rear screws screwdriver tight and experiment with the forend screw before I tried anything else.

If you pillar bed or otherwise bed the action and float the barrel you can get rid of that pesky forend screw which can be trouble in some M70s left in the factory wood stock.

 

[John S]

The front barrel screw

First free float the barrel and pillar bed the action.

Cut off the front barrel screw threads and glue the remaining in place.

As you may note.........I am not a collector=

I did this to a Pre-War 30 Government Model, Super Grade. It shot very well.

BTW before someone goes off at this idea, this rifle had been hunted hard for 40 years before I had the pleasure. It also had a 2.5 power 7/8" Leupold scope and G&H side mount and a notch in the stock for a #48 Receiver Sight.

 

[frwillia]

It sounds like your M70 is in the factory wood stock.

Yup. This is what it looks like:

I would not worry about tightening the action screws to any specific torque. I'd tighten the front and rear screws screwdriver tight and experiment with the forend screw before I tried anything else.

I'll do as you suggest. It will be a bit warmer tomorrow so I'll get it to the range and get the scope sighted in.

If you pillar bed or otherwise bed the action and float the barrel you can get rid of that pesky forend screw which can be trouble in some M70s left in the factory wood stock.

I may end up bedding it. If I do I'll do as John S suggests and glue the screw in place so it looks factory.

BTW: This rifle. for whatever reason, has a very nice hunting trigger. Almost zero creep, breaks like glass at what I'd estimate as 3 to 4 lbs, almost no over travel.

I hope I can get this thing tuned up to shoot minute of whitetail before the start of PA Senior doe Season the 22nd of this month. I'm getting fond of this rifle just handling it and making friends with it.

Fitch

 

[vicvanb]

By golly, it looks like you not only have a Pre-64 M70 but it's a Super Grade to boot! Can't see if it has a cheekpiece but it does have the forend tip that was on the Super Grades. Is the floorplate stamped Super Grade?

Super Grades had the cheekpiece, forend tip, stamped floorplate, detachable sling swivels and checkering that went up over the wrist and under the forend. The later ones (1955-1959) had jeweled bolts, extracters and followers, and rust blued barrels.

Only about 15% of the old M70s were Super Grades. In collectible condition Super Grades sell for about twice the price of Standards of the same caliber these days. Rare caliber Super Grades in excellent condition are priced so high it's scary.

The Super Grades I've shot performed about the same as Standards. They had better fit and finish than Standards but the things that affect accuracy were pretty much the same.

Enjoy owning and shooting yours. They are arguably the best factory production rifles to ever come out of the USA.

 

[vicvanb]

Forgot one thing--if it shoots well enough to hit a white-tail without bedding it, leave it as is! No sense in altering it from original condition just to shrink groups a bit. One inch groups at 100 yards really don't kill deer any deader than 1.5 or 2 inch groups. And sometimes pillar bedding and floating the barrel doesn't significantly affect group size.

 

[frwillia]

By golly, it looks like you not only have a Pre-64 M70 but it's a Super Grade to boot! Can't see if it has a cheekpiece but it does have the forend tip that was on the Super Grades. Is the floorplate stamped Super Grade?

Yes. Hadn't seen that, but I wasn't looking for it either.

Super Grades had the cheekpiece, forend tip, stamped floorplate, detachable sling swivels and checkering that went up over the wrist and under the forend. The later ones (1955-1959) had jeweled bolts, extracters and followers, and rust blued barrels.

It's a 1953 so doesn't have the '55-'59 features.

Only about 15% of the old M70s were Super Grades. In collectible condition Super Grades sell for about twice the price of Standards of the same caliber these days. Rare caliber Super Grades in excellent condition are priced so high it's scary.

This one is a shooter. It's been carried and spent some time in the woods. It went through about 4 to 10 rounds a year when it was being hunted. 1 to 3 sight in shots, the rest at game.

The Super Grades I've shot performed about the same as Standards. They had better fit and finish than Standards but the things that affect accuracy were pretty much the same.

Enjoy owning and shooting yours. They are arguably the best factory production rifles to ever come out of the USA.

Thanks for the post. No wonder I was starting to like this thing. It feels good when I hold it. Action is very smooth compared to my Savages and CZs, very nice hunting trigger, comes to the shoulder with my eye right behind the scope where it should be. It's heavy enough that recoil shouldn't be an issue as long as I don't shoot it a lot at one time.

I just loaded up some 150g flat base Hornady Soft Point bullets to take to the range tomorrow.

Fitch

 

[frwillia]

Forgot one thing--if it shoots well enough to hit a white-tail without bedding it, leave it as is!

Yes, definitely. We are on the same page. If it shoots minute of deer, that's what it will get to do.

Fitch

 

[frwillia]

I took my new (to me) M70 to the range. I'm happy to announce that it shot 1.038" averaged over 10 rounds with the first handload I tried in it. That load was the Hornady manual max load of IMR4350 under a Hornady 150g SP (#3031) seated 0.020" off the lands, Winchester brass, Wolf Primer.

It did not like the factory Winchester 150g SP ammunition and shot that into 2.29" averaged over 10 rounds.

The action screws were torqued in sequence as follows:

Front receiver screw (holds the floorplate) to 40 in-lbs.
Rear receiver screw (back of trigger guard) to 40 in-lbs.
Center receiver screw (front of trigger guard) to 10 in-lbs.
Barrel screw was tightened, loosened, then torqued to 10 in-lbs.

Now I just need to find some sling swivels to put on it and I'll be ready to go hunting.

Fitch

 

[vicvanb]

Great--I'm glad it's shooting well for you. Most of the old M70s I've shot in their original factory stocks with unmodified bedding were 1-2 MOA rifles.

Original Super Grade sling swivels are hard to find and costly if you do find them. Within the last couple of weeks I've seen 2 sets sell on Internet auction sites in the $100-130 range.

There are replicas available for 1/3 the price but they are scarce too.

 

[frwillia]

Great--I'm glad it's shooting well for you. Most of the old M70s I've shot in their original factory stocks with unmodified bedding were 1-2 MOA rifles.

Original Super Grade sling swivels are hard to find and costly if you do find them. Within the last couple of weeks I've seen 2 sets sell on Internet auction sites in the $100-130 range.

There are replicas available for 1/3 the price but they are scarce too.

You are sure right about the sling swivels. My favorite local rifle store also specializes in Pre-64 Winchesters (he must have 50 of them for sale) has them for $128.00. He knows where to get some of the replicas and has them on order for me. He said he should have them by late next week.

He's a good guy - I needed an extended front Lupold mount for the scope I'm going to hunt with (not the one in the picture). He reached in a drawer, pulled one out, and said, "here take this one, no charge".

Fitch