Making a Standard Long Action Model 70 Into a Magnum Action

[APolizzi11916]

I am just trying to see what is required to take a pre 64 model 70 in a standard long action (30-06/270win) and convert it into a magnum length action able to fit h&h length ammo.

Any help is appreciated
-Andrew

 

[NTX]

They are all the same length, but this article shows the differences in magazine box and side rails. The H&H had a little bit of the rear bridge cut out to lengthen the ejection port, but it’s mostly for ease of loading.

Making sense of the pre-64 model 70 receiver

Nearly every day my inbox contains inquiries from people looking for the right model 70 receiver on which to build their next rifle. Most people are aware of the 3 generations of pre-64 model 70 receiver, as shown in the photo below; in Winchester parlance, these are the "Type-I", "Type-II and...

pre64win.com

 

[Ontario Hunter]

They are all the same length, but this article shows the differences in magazine box and side rails. The H&H had a little bit of the rear bridge cut out to lengthen the ejection port, but it’s mostly for ease of loading.

Making sense of the pre-64 model 70 receiver

Nearly every day my inbox contains inquiries from people looking for the right model 70 receiver on which to build their next rifle. Most people are aware of the 3 generations of pre-64 model 70 receiver, as shown in the photo below; in Winchester parlance, these are the "Type-I", "Type-II and...

pre64win.com

Interesting. The folks at Winchester were very crafty back then.

 

[APolizzi11916]

They are all the same length, but this article shows the differences in magazine box and side rails. The H&H had a little bit of the rear bridge cut out to lengthen the ejection port, but it’s mostly for ease of loading.

Making sense of the pre-64 model 70 receiver

Nearly every day my inbox contains inquiries from people looking for the right model 70 receiver on which to build their next rifle. Most people are aware of the 3 generations of pre-64 model 70 receiver, as shown in the photo below; in Winchester parlance, these are the "Type-I", "Type-II and...

pre64win.com

Thanks for info

 

[gibbs30c]

True all Model 70 actions were the same length and the H&H length was achieved by removing metal.

Same was done with many of the '98 Mauser actions. The MarkX, Whitworth, Santa Barbers and most of the English and German small shop builds, and even some of the larger firms used "Standard" length Mauser actions simply opened up to accept the longer length.

Metal is always removed, but if done correctly safety will not be compromised, but of course the action is a bit weaker.

Some look at the bottom lug of the Mark X in the H&H length and it's almost knife like top edge of the lower lug and shudder....but as far as I know they have never failed as a result of the modification.

The Savage 110 is another example of a standard length actions being opened up to accept H&H lengths, although that metal was only removed from the rear of the action just ahead of the bolt. I believe after the mid '90's all of the Savage 110's so called standard length actions were long enough to handle the longer cartridge. I believe that mostly came about when they started chambering the RUM and STW cartridges, for production cost reasons. If you look at a 110 pre mid '90's you will see about 3/8" of metal just ahead of the bolt when it is at the rear of it's travel, in later models that metal is gone, hence the longer length.

 

[Ontario Hunter]

Yes, the changes to Winchester receivers to handle magnum length were not unlike what Jeffery and others did to standard 98 Mauser actions. I am intrigued by Wichester changes to extractor. Seems they did more than just reshape the claw.

 

[mark-hunter]

This is from old gun digest, if this can at least partially help:

 

[Clodo Ferreira]

Hi AP,

D'arcy Echols, one of the best if not THE BEST gunmaker in the USA, used to prefer to start from a standard Pre 64 30-06 lenght to make a H&H one. That because this way the action can be opened more to the rear than only to the front. Anyway, I have a factory Pre 64 (1954) 375 H&H that works flawlessly to say the least. Feeds and extract as if there were no cartridges at all...

Good luck!

CF

 

[Proneshooter]

Chad Dixon at Long Rifles Inc just finished the conversion your asking about for me. Feed and function are spot on. You will need a different mag box, follower, and extractor. The extractor is the hard part, I have a spare H&H mag box that is excess to my needs as I'm using Sunny Hill bottom metal if you need one. D'arcy Echols has an excellent lesson on how he does this conversion, you can find it on his blog.

Converting a Pre- 64 Mod-70 action from 30-06 to 300 H&H Part 1

In the late eighties as I began to set up or build more 375 H&H's for hunters and finding suitable actions/rifles to do so could be a chall...

echolsrifles.blogspot.com

 

[Ontario Hunter]

Extractor issue can be a problem if cutting back the bridge (back ring). Cut too much and extractor slips out of its retainer groove when bolt is being cycled. This can be fixed if one can find a longer stemmed magnum length extractor but seems there are no aftermarket sources these days, not even for Mausers. Duane Weibe's method is to remove just enough metal inside the bridge/ring to allow the longer thicker cartridge to be ejected. Just enough removed to keep the end of extractor locked in its channel. Fortunately, 404J can clear the standard Mauser locking ring without cutting it back but just barely so I didn't have to modify that. Curious if it would be necessary to trim Model 70 ring for 404?

 

[Mtn_Infantry]

I am just trying to see what is required to take a pre 64 model 70 in a standard long action (30-06/270win) and convert it into a magnum length action able to fit h&h length ammo.

Any help is appreciated
-Andrew

Your smith will need to do some cutting.

Depending on where you’re located or willing to send the gun, we might be able to throw a few names your way.

 

[Westerner1939]

Chad Dixon at Long Rifles Inc just finished the conversion your asking about for me. Feed and function are spot on. You will need a different mag box, follower, and extractor. The extractor is the hard part, I have a spare H&H mag box that is excess to my needs as I'm using Sunny Hill bottom metal if you need one. D'arcy Echols has an excellent lesson on how he does this conversion, you can find it on his blog.

Converting a Pre- 64 Mod-70 action from 30-06 to 300 H&H Part 1

In the late eighties as I began to set up or build more 375 H&H's for hunters and finding suitable actions/rifles to do so could be a chall...

echolsrifles.blogspot.com

Do you mind me asking roughly what that cost to have LRI open up the action? I have a left handed M70 I’m considering opening up for 416 Remington. Factory magnum lefty’s are rare as hens teeth and expensive when you find them

 

[thirdbite]

Alot of skilled metal work if done correctly. Here's a link to Darcy Echols addressing the subject.

Converting a Pre- 64 Mod-70 action from 30-06 to 300 H&H Part 1

In the late eighties as I began to set up or build more 375 H&H's for hunters and finding suitable actions/rifles to do so could be a chall...

echolsrifles.blogspot.com

 

[Bob Nelson 35Whelen]

Interesting. The folks at Winchester were very crafty back then.

@Ontario Hunter
Especially with the feed of the 22 Hornet with that little drop down but in the bolt to catch the rim of the little Hornet case.
Bob

 

[Bob Nelson 35Whelen]

True all Model 70 actions were the same length and the H&H length was achieved by removing metal.

Same was done with many of the '98 Mauser actions. The MarkX, Whitworth, Santa Barbers and most of the English and German small shop builds, and even some of the larger firms used "Standard" length Mauser actions simply opened up to accept the longer length.

Metal is always removed, but if done correctly safety will not be compromised, but of course the action is a bit weaker.

Some look at the bottom lug of the Mark X in the H&H length and it's almost knife like top edge of the lower lug and shudder....but as far as I know they have never failed as a result of the modification.

The Savage 110 is another example of a standard length actions being opened up to accept H&H lengths, although that metal was only removed from the rear of the action just ahead of the bolt. I believe after the mid '90's all of the Savage 110's so called standard length actions were long enough to handle the longer cartridge. I believe that mostly came about when they started chambering the RUM and STW cartridges, for production cost reasons. If you look at a 110 pre mid '90's you will see about 3/8" of metal just ahead of the bolt when it is at the rear of it's travel, in later models that metal is gone, hence the longer length.

@gibbs30c
Removing metal from the rear of the action in no way affects it's strength. You can have a full length action, cut the bolt in half and load a round and it would still be safe to discharge the cartridge. The receiver and the locking lugs take the strain. The rear of the action where the bolt locks into it or the 3rd safety lug only come into play in the event of a catastrophic failure.
I didn't know that about the Savage 110 and wondered why the mag on my 270 ( before it became a 35 Whelen) was just over 3.6" long. Seemed a bit strange but thanks for the info.
Bob

 

[Proneshooter]

Do you mind me asking roughly what that cost to have LRI open up the action? I have a left handed M70 I’m considering opening up for 416 Remington. Factory magnum lefty’s are rare as hens teeth and expensive when you find them

$300.00, truing the action was additional and prices for that can be found on his website. Chad has done a lot of work for me over the years and it is always top notch. I will say, his backlog on full rifle builds is getting long, but the run of the mill work like action truing and small miscellaneous work seems to move out the door at a pretty good pace. I just sent LRI a Rem 700 out for truing today.