Pre-64 model 70 barrel swap

P

Patrick Gidlet

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Thunder Bay
I picked up a really cool pre-64 model 70 in .270. Not a collector gun, but some real character and I kinda fell in love with it. Anyways, the barrel is probably the roughest part overall. The bore is decent, some slight pitting, but the bluing is really worn and beat up. That rifle has seen some hunts!

My original plan was to leave it as is and hunt with it, but looking around the web, I'm seeing some nice condition barrels for very reasonable prices. If I picked up a matching sporter barrel in .270, what are the odds that it will be a direct fit, without having to be set back or anything? I'm seeing conflicting info on line. Some folks saying these were production line guns like the model 700, and the barrels will commonly index. Others claim not so.

Thanks for the advice.

PG
 
If your replacement barrel is from a pre-64, it will probably index (within a couple degrees) and headspace will be within specs. By the way, 700's almost never index but headspace is usually fine.
 
Wow, from the Model 70 Man himself - its an honour to have you in my thread.

That advice is good to hear, as I just got off the phone with a local gunsmith who told me the opposite "if the sights line up, buy a lottery ticket".

Bill, have you got any nice take-off's in the shop? The one I'm looking at is in the US, so a bit more hassle bringing it across than if I can find one in Canada. I suppose the wise thing to do would be to see how this rough looking barrel shoots with some different loads.
 
Most pre 64 model 70 barrels swap with no machining or chambering, all the ones I have encountered have... I don't understand the manufacturing process that allow that... but it kind of neat. I don't think it would apply to an action that has been trued though ...
 
Pretty amazing that they were able to do that. I wonder if it had to do with the machined-in sight ramps on the early models. And then when it was no longer necessary on the later ones with the soldered sights, there was no point in changing the machining process.

Any tips on making the swap? Is it worth investing in an action wrench (right tool for the right job) or is there a way to do it without marring up anything?

Once the old barrel is off, I'd thread the replacement in, get things finger-tight, then use the action wrench or other tool to snug up the barrel to the point that sights are centered, maybe a grease pencil line for assistance. Check with a headspace gauge and Bob is my uncle. I could enlist the help of my local smith, but I'm fearful of the level of snark if I have to prove him wrong.
 
It requires a barrel vice and an action wrench, a level and a go gauge. When the sights and the action are as level as you can make them, the headspace should check out... Close on the go, and not close on the go with masking tape on the back of the gauge.

Sometimes it requires a lot of torque to get it indexed...
 
As I may have mentioned before, not only do all pre-64 Model 70 barrels index but barrels from Model 54 Winchesters will also interchange with Model 70's and will index as well. I do not have any take-offs for sale at this time.
 
Ok I'm going to give it a shot! I'll round up a good barrel and the required tools. I figure buying the tools to do it myself will cost about the same as taking it to a gunsmith, and I'd prefer to learn to do it myself anyhow.
 
The sights on the pre 64 aren't the big problem when indexing........the coned breech and extractor cut are more critical, but if one aligns then so does the other...........good luck.
 
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