Pre-64 Win. Mod. 70

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  • Last Post 04 September 2014
PETE posted this 22 August 2014

Recently bought  the above gun for a VERY good price since it has a couple of problems. The safety is stuck in the fire position and the trigger pull has to be at least 15 pds. or more. I've run into the stuck safety before and it took a replacement for the striker spring. Apparently someone takes the factory springs out and sticks in whatever looked like it would work. Trigger pull is an easy fix on these guns. The question is does anyone know what the original trigger pull wgt., or range of wgt.'s is on these pre-64 Mod. 70's from the factory. Pete

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Ken Campbell Iowa posted this 23 August 2014

i don't have a early m70 right now but shot several back then.  muscle memory says 2.5 to 3.5 lbs.   very nice for a field gun. ken

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PETE posted this 23 August 2014

Thanks Ken. 2 1/2 to 3 pds. seems a little lite for a field gun but will keep it in mind.Will do the whole operation when the spring gets here.

Considering how simple and effective the trigger is on the pre-64's the ones on the new 70's seems like over engineering. Wonder why they did that?

Pete

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delmarskid1 posted this 23 August 2014

The triggers are pretty easy to adjust. You could make it heavier if you wish.

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onondaga posted this 23 August 2014

Replace all parts that relate to the problem. Then do a trigger job if you are sure you have the skill level needed to do the the entire job well. See a smithy if you don't have the skill. A good one will figure it out correctly and get it right the first time.

Gary

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PETE posted this 23 August 2014

Delmar, I don't think I need a heavier trigger pull. (G)

Onondaga,

I've done this on one other pre-64. They'about the simplest trigger there is. Think of an 03 Springfield. The firing pin spring is an easy out & in, and the trigger is adjusted by loosening two lock nuts and moving them in or out, then tightening them back up. That's all there is to it unless there's a broken part. The big deal with the spring is it has to be the right length for the action and this is where people who don't know this put in the wrong one also the wgt.(?) of the spring should be 23 pds. Or the problem I have is more than likely where it's at.

Pete

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PETE posted this 25 August 2014

Got home from a rifle match Saturday and the new spring was in. Took less than 15 minutes to replace the spring. Actually the hard part was making the jig to assemble the firing pin assembly. That took about 10 minutes to make.

The spring was the problem. Whoever replaced it originally apparently just took a similar spring and cut it down to size plus there were two more turns more than the replacement. Neither end was ground flat leaving two sharp edges sticking up..

(Personal opinion here) Must have let the sharp ends dig in and every time the bolt was cycled put rotational pressure on the spring that probably caused things to bind up. 

Didn't have enuf wgt. to test the “before” trigger pull but after putting it back together 4 1/2 pds. wouldn't set it off, 5 pds. would.

Pete

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blixem posted this 26 August 2014

Sounds like all is well! I don't know what the original factory trigger pull was on the pre 64s (that trigger spanned a long time!) but that was a different era compared to today's obsession with pulls from a few ounces to 2-3 lbs. on a “field” gun. I wouldn't doubt the 4 1/2-5 lb pull was close to what the originals had.

The only thing tricky about original M70 triggers is finding thin enough 1/4” open end wrenches to turn the stacked nuts”¦. especially when you need them!. I finally solved it, after putting it off too long. Easy enough to take two cheap 1/4” OE wrenches and grind them thin enough- about a 10 minute job on a grinder.      

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PETE posted this 26 August 2014

blixem,

My idea exactly. I've got an OE wrench that'll work for the bottom nut. Just need another one to grind down.

I agree about trigger pulls now & in the old days. A guy gets to ramming around out in the hills you sure don't want to lite a trigger. Just like to get it close to what things were back in the old days. It's an easy enuf job to lighten it up if I get the urge.

Pete

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RicinYakima posted this 26 August 2014

In the olden days, we used the wrench for adjusting points in the distributers of our 308 flat head Hudson's ("H” gas class). FWIW, Ric

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PETE posted this 26 August 2014

Ric,

Guess I'll have to see if the auto parts stores have those thin wrenches. Somehow I don't think they do. :)

Pete

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blixem posted this 27 August 2014

:) I think here's one of those combination tools with two feeler gauges, one for the spark plug and the other for points gap. One OE is 1/4” and the other is 1/2". The blade thickness is .085". Has been in the misc tool drawer for years.    

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delmarskid1 posted this 27 August 2014

I kind of miss having points. Pun intended.

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RicinYakima posted this 27 August 2014

Oh No! I think those are for the arch enemy, the flat head Ford V-8's, Blixem.

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norm posted this 27 August 2014

Once used a matchbook cover to set point gap when I did not have feeler gauges available.

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John Alexander posted this 27 August 2014

1960 --  The '58 beetle died suddenly in the left lane of the LA freeway with 200 pounds of frozen moose meat on the cartop carrier on way from Hope Alaska to Phoenix.  Pulled up against the median barrier with all those Californians zooming by.  The only thing I could think of was to see if there was a spark.  Tiny piece of dirt had somehow lodged between the points.  I didn't die.

Now I wouldn't even open the hood.

John

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Pepe Ray posted this 02 September 2014

Sears, Craftsman, Ignition wrench set. ( 10 pieces +/-, box/open end ) Circa 1979. Pepe Ray

Only in His name.

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blixem posted this 03 September 2014

RicinYakima wrote: Oh No! I think those are for the arch enemy, the flat head Ford V-8's, Blixem.You know that's possibly the origin of that tool if it is for the flathead. It's probably been bouncing around in the bottom of one of my tool boxes since the late 50s. We had a flathead 8 on one of our irrigation pumps when I was a kid.:)

As for the question about the factory set trigger pull on the pre-64 M70s”¦. the only thing I've found is a re-print in Rule's book of an early Winchester fact sheet on the M70 stating the trigger was adjustable between 4 and 8 lbs. That leads me to believe the factory would have probably set the trigger towards the lower end of that”¦ maybe 4-5 lbs. They may not even have put it on a pull gauge and tinkered with it to an exact number but simply set the lock nuts at pre-determined positions corresponding to an approx. pull weight desired.      

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PETE posted this 03 September 2014

Blixen,

Thanks for the info on the mod 70 trigger pull.. Mine must be pretty close to what they set it the factory then at between 4 1/2 - 5 pds.

Pete

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delmarskid1 posted this 04 September 2014

Limey bikes have all kinds of sets of points. I hate to dwell on it though. Ever take a harmonic balancer apart on a flatty 8? Ever get one back together? Me either

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