Win M70 , Action bolt screws torque

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renovatio

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Hi,

I'm the noob from here:

https://www.canadiangunnutz.com/forum/showthread.php/2082102-Tips-for-buying-Browning-BAR-MK1

I bought a freakin nice Winchester 70 from 1978.

There was some rust and gunk on the barrel, so as a good willing noob, I took the barrel out and cleaned it, re-blued the rust pits, oiled it and put it back on the wood. Then I had to screw the 3 action screws. And I did the noob thing, I screwed them as far as I could with a handheld screwdriver.

THEN (noob move again, reading after doing it) I started reading that there was some specific lb/in torque for those screws.

Now my question: Since I screwed those screws as far as I could with my big hands, (I'm a 6'1'' fatish dude), did I do some compression damage to the wood?

I have bought a torque wrench to measure the torque, should I unscrew the thing and wait until I get the wrench? If a did some compression damage to the wood, should I repair it?

You guys just rock BTW. Always nice and knowledgeable, I appreciate your input a lot.
 
I doubt you damaged anything but you'll likely have induced some flexy bendy stresses into the action. I'd imagine that the first thing you'd break on a 2 piece M70 floor plate is the middle screw ear on the trigger guard. Back them off and get them snug until you get your clicky wrench.
 
Good and snug with a medium handled screwdriver is all you need...

Front screw first, rear screw next and not quite as tight with the middle screw...

correctly bedding the action stress free is more important...
 
Tightening action bolts on Winchester Model 70' s goes like this : front bolt snugged down hard, middle bolt snugged down just past where it tightens up, rear bolt snugged down hard. This will stop the action from binding up.
 
Chances are good, if you used a Canadian Tire or Home Hardware type screw driver, with tapered faces, that you might have messed up the screw slots. Those slots have parallel sides - you want to use a screwdriver with a tip that has parallel faces that fit snuggly into that screw slot - ideally even slightly "hollow ground" so that the turning force is being applied to the bottom edges of the slot. The taper sided screwdrivers almost always apply the force to the top edges of the screw slot and bend / deform them. As you work on various rifles, you will build up a considerable collection of screw drivers that have been ground to fit a particular length and width of screw slot - I think one needs 6 or 7 different sizes to dismantle a Win 94, for example. For some of us, those munged up screw slots are a good sign that someone has been into that firearm - does not bode well for any work done inside to be of quality, if the screws could not be removed and replaced without damage...
I had read or seen somewhere on Internet that old time H&H rifles and others, were sold in fitted cases, with the bullet mould used to set the regulation load, and the set of "turn screws" that were made and used to build that rifle in the first place.
 
Potashminer said:
Chances are good, if you used a Canadian Tire or Home Hardware type screw driver, with tapered faces, that you might have messed up the screw slots.
Click to expand...

That's what I did. I guess I could find replacement screws?

Those slots have parallel sides - you want to use a screwdriver with a tip that has parallel faces that fit snuggly into that screw slot - ideally even slightly "hollow ground" so that the turning force is being applied to the bottom edges of the slot. The taper sided screwdrivers almost always apply the force to the top edges of the screw slot and bend / deform them. As you work on various rifles, you will build up a considerable collection of screw drivers that have been ground to fit a particular length and width of screw slot - I think one needs 6 or 7 different sizes to dismantle a Win 94, for example. For some of us, those munged up screw slots are a good sign that someone has been into that firearm - does not bode well for any work done inside to be of quality, if the screws could not be removed and replaced without damage...
Click to expand...

So you're saying that I should grind a screwdriver myself to fit snugly in the slot. I can and will do that.
 
guntech said:
Good and snug with a medium handled screwdriver is all you need...

Front screw first, rear screw next and not quite as tight with the middle screw...

correctly bedding the action stress free is more important...
Click to expand...

How do I know if the bedding is stress free?
 
renovatio said:
That's what I did. I guess I could find replacement screws? ....
Click to expand...

Probably can find replacements for "modern" production rifles - likely will even fit properly - I think Brownells lists many. It might be an "old time" thing - some of the early 1900's guns had extensive engraving - the screws were "timed" so that, when tight, their slots pointed North and South on the rifle - often that slot was worked into the engraving. For those, it is not unreasonable to spend $300 to $500 to have a single screw replacement made, timed and re-engraved. Makes a properly fitting "turn screw" really cheap, by comparison. As much of a "good practice" as anything. Some gun owners do not care or notice; some do care and notice. Biggest offender that I commonly see are mounting screws on scope rings / scope bases. A lot of "kitchen table" installations and removals, I think?
 
renovatio said:
How do I know if the bedding is stress free?
Click to expand...


"Real" gunsmiths will likely have better ways to check than this - set up a dial indicator on your rear bridge - now snug up your rear screw - if the dial indicator showed movement, you were "bending" the action into it's seating within the stock. That is opposite of "stress free". Out in the air, your barrelled action is pretty much "stress free" - that is how you want it to be when it is snugged up into your stock - should just sit in there - solidly sitting on its bedding support points - tightening the screws should just keep it there - should not be "pulling it down" into contact - should be no movement as the screws are torqued up - if you want it to be "stress free"...
 
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guntech said:
Good and snug with a medium handled screwdriver is all you need...

Front screw first, rear screw next and not quite as tight with the middle screw...

correctly bedding the action stress free is more important...
Click to expand...


Precisely correct. I owned and used a mid 1970's M-70 for decades. The front screw at the recoil lug she be good and snug, but not overly as it may protrude a bit into the action and interfere with the bolt operating feely. Rear screw next, just nice and snug, middle screw just tight enough so it doesn't fall out, loose snug.

Save your money on the torque wrench, not needed. You need a good handled slot screw driver who's head fits the screw slots properly.
 
mrgoat said:
Precisely correct. I owned and used a mid 1970's M-70 for decades. The front screw at the recoil lug she be good and snug, but not overly as it may protrude a bit into the action and interfere with the bolt operating feely. Rear screw next, just nice and snug, middle screw just tight enough so it doesn't fall out, loose snug.

Save your money on the torque wrench, not needed. You need a good handled slot screw driver who's head fits the screw slots properly.
Click to expand...

Thank you. Solid advice from someone who owned one.
 
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