Winchester Model 70 Safari Express - American vs Portugal assembles rifle quality
- Thread starter Loosehead
- Start date
Leavenworth
CGN frequent flyer
- Location
- Lowermainland B.C.
I was thinking of buying a Portuguese Model 70 a few years back and had a thread on it . I will try and find it .
One thing that came up was a discussion on a gap between the claw and bolt .
Leavenworth
One thing that came up was a discussion on a gap between the claw and bolt .
Leavenworth
Either 2008-2013 South Carolina or the newer ones assembled in Portugal are good. The Portuguese ones seem a bit more fancy? I don’t own one so I don’t know. No French walnut SC ones, but there were SHOT show specials, Jack O’Connor and 75th anniversary models that were pretty nice.
Given the same specs, I think a Safari Express from either place wouldn’t be much different.
Given the same specs, I think a Safari Express from either place wouldn’t be much different.
Loving my Portugal made CRF .243 Compact Featherweight… I’ve owned and customized (heavy bull barrels) many push feeds over the decades. Loved every single one of them. Not a single Winnie Model 70 I did not get along with!
View attachment 628030
Now it’s just a matter of…. Can I hold it steady enough for that coyote?? Ha ha ha ha
Peace Be The Journey!
Barney!!
What make is the stock on your compact feather weight?
Yes, my aftermarket stock on my Compact Featherweight .243 is a Bell & Carlson . I bought that stock right from Clay over at Board Sponsor Prophet River in AB. Great guy, super people over there. Happy to give them my after tax earnings for said Winnie Model 70 and upgraded B&C stock. Happy that they made it available to me.
Now this rig shoots better than I can ever hold it. Inside a MOA as long as I do my part (right now: 75 Gr. VMax booolits exiting at 2975 fps)
Life is Good!!
Cheers,
Barney
Now this rig shoots better than I can ever hold it. Inside a MOA as long as I do my part (right now: 75 Gr. VMax booolits exiting at 2975 fps)
Life is Good!!
Cheers,
Barney
Leavenworth
CGN frequent flyer
- Location
- Lowermainland B.C.
As far as the new Model 70 goes what profile would the featherweight barrel be ? Is that where the the featherweight model looses the weight ?
Thanks
Leavenworth
Thanks
Leavenworth
Featherweight has a thinner barrel, and a lighter style stock. I've held some of the new production ones, and the featherweight is significantly lighter then say a Safari Express, or Alaskan model 70.
sharp shooter
CGN frequent flyer
- Location
- Essex county (Ontario)
I’ve owned two, a 2008 SG and a 2012 Alaskan. They were awesome but I’m a Browning Safari grade guy and had to sell them to buy some Brownings. If I was to buy a rifle off the shelf right now it would be an M70
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Ardent
CGN Ultra frequent flyer
Have had many over the years, and carried a New Haven .375 SS one at work for awhile. The “best” model 70 is a pre-war, and the only one I currently own. Second would be a post war pre-64 (and of course mean actual by date pre-64s, not the controlled round feed design alone). Which generally became more utilitarian the closer you get to 1964, but all still very well made.
I’ve never owned a push feed one though I did use a borrowed .30-06 push feed in Africa and it was just fine, certainly didn’t detract from my enjoyment of the hunting one bit. Though I didn’t feel the need to go buy one cheap after, I’d still choose it over similarly priced competition, but certainly not over a Ruger Mark II.
It’s academic as I’ve never heard of one falling off, but the major difference is the bolt handle with CRF Model 70s, on the pre-64s the bolt is a one piece forging. I learned from Dogleg years ago that the modern CRF Winchesters use a splined on bolt handle as a production cost savings. Again, minutia, as I’ve never heard of one failing though I’m sure it’s happened in an isolated incident somewhere on the web.
In closing, I liked the New Haven era of CRFs, the FN Portugals, the true Pre-64s, and the Pre-wars. From bottom to top in preference and build quality. I think the latest ones could be the best post-64 M70s, they remind me of Miroku quality. But I’d personally still take a New Haven over one, might be just a personal bias.
New Haven .375 out working, and Pre-war .257 cloverleaf tang (with stripper clip guide, neat feature).
I’ve never owned a push feed one though I did use a borrowed .30-06 push feed in Africa and it was just fine, certainly didn’t detract from my enjoyment of the hunting one bit. Though I didn’t feel the need to go buy one cheap after, I’d still choose it over similarly priced competition, but certainly not over a Ruger Mark II.
It’s academic as I’ve never heard of one falling off, but the major difference is the bolt handle with CRF Model 70s, on the pre-64s the bolt is a one piece forging. I learned from Dogleg years ago that the modern CRF Winchesters use a splined on bolt handle as a production cost savings. Again, minutia, as I’ve never heard of one failing though I’m sure it’s happened in an isolated incident somewhere on the web.
In closing, I liked the New Haven era of CRFs, the FN Portugals, the true Pre-64s, and the Pre-wars. From bottom to top in preference and build quality. I think the latest ones could be the best post-64 M70s, they remind me of Miroku quality. But I’d personally still take a New Haven over one, might be just a personal bias.
New Haven .375 out working, and Pre-war .257 cloverleaf tang (with stripper clip guide, neat feature).
