Model 70 magazine limitations

[asd9055]

New Heaven. Parts however from S. Carolina would fit.
Mag box limits me to 3.4" COAL. To get near the lands I would need a magazine box with 3.7". I was trying to at least find a 3.6" box and follower (7mm STW, 300WBY, 375 H&H, 416, any of those would do.) Winchester does not stock any, not even for S. Carolina or Portuguese

 

[ducky]

Sounds to me like a barrel problem and not a magazine length issue. It might be cheaper to have a Smith cut back your barrel and rechamber. Sure it'll be a little shorter but barrels IMO are consumables like bullets, if you shoot it enough you're going to have to replace it eventually anyway. You might even want to replace the barrel now instead of later.

 

[RevJim]

I feel your pain brother...I got frustrated with Mod 70s way back in the 90's. If I want a rifle that I can seat out bullets for accuracy w/heavy bullets, I go Mod 700 or a clone. My current 175 LRX has a COAL of 3.5" and I'm .050" off the lands. BUT, Mod 70s are a wonderful rifle, and obviously you love them, "not that there's anything wrong with that", lol. Good luck to you pard!

 

[asd9055]

I feel your pain brother...I got frustrated with Mod 70s way back in the 90's. If I want a rifle that I can seat out bullets for accuracy w/heavy bullets, I go Mod 700 or a clone. My current 175 LRX has a COAL of 3.5" and I'm .050" off the lands. BUT, Mod 70s are a wonderful rifle, and obviously you love them, "not that there's anything wrong with that", lol. Good luck to you pard!

I have a few, and only the 300 WM has this issue.

 

[KS2506]

Do what Rhett said. Drill out the spot welds and remove the spacer. Find some one with a full length M70 like an STW or 375 H&H and use the ejector and bolt stop for a guide and grind or file yours back. No need for new parts, you can simply squeeze the mag box together to install it. You do not need to spot weld it, but that is nice if you can find someone to do it. Have done it many times converting 7mm Mags and 264's to STW's. You might have to shorten the feed ramp slightly if using long bullets.

 

[asd9055]

Do what Rhett said. Drill out the spot welds and remove the spacer. Find some one with a full length M70 like an STW or 375 H&H and use the ejector and bolt stop for a guide and grind or file yours back. No need for new parts you can simply squeeze the mag box together to install it. You do not need to spot weld it, but that is nice if you can find someone to do it. Have done it many times converting 7mm Mags and 264's to STW's.

I found all parts except follower. I responded to this because the OP was having similar problems and wanted to tell him what I was doing, or needed to be done.

 

[David Emerson]

I have a south carolina in 30/06 I rebarreled to a 308 norma. If you take the box and hold it just right in the light you can see the spot welds. Drill them out and get rid of the spacer. You will have to grind the ejector back some but the bolt stop is ok as is. Only problem was I had to mill the rear bridge back the same as a 375 length for the case to eject properly. If yours is a new haven gun the only thing you need to do is get the spacer out of the magazine box. The box you have is 3.6 once you get the spacer out.

 

[7070yshot]

So I've been trying to get a 200gr partition load worked out with my 300 win mag in a model 70 westerner. To the lands I am .1715 longer than my magazine will allow, which really sucks for tuning. I am already at a compressed load with 200gr portions at magazine length. I am considering changing bullets to a 190gr accubonds but they are longer yet and not sure I have enough case capacity to make this work. Anyway I can change the magazine to get a longer OAL?

First question is why? Then why not get a custom made rifle that will shoot the bullets you want to shoot? A lot less headaches.

 

[asd9055]

First question is why? Then why not get a custom made rifle that will shoot the bullets you want to shoot? A lot less headaches.

First, its part of a collection. Second, I have others that shoot and I hunt with. So why not make this shoot better?

 

[asd9055]

I have a south carolina in 30/06 I rebarreled to a 308 norma. If you take the box and hold it just right in the light you can see the spot welds. Drill them out and get rid of the spacer. You will have to grind the ejector back some but the bolt stop is ok as is. Only problem was I had to mill the rear bridge back the same as a 375 length for the case to eject properly. If yours is a new haven gun the only thing you need to do is get the spacer out of the magazine box. The box you have is 3.6 once you get the spacer out.

Yes, that is a simple option, discussed a few times. Then you need, follower (sometimes existing one works), ejector and bolt stop

 

[David Emerson]

Yes, that is a simple option, discussed a few times. Then you need, follower (sometimes existing one works), ejector and bolt stop

Shorten the ejector. Magazine follower works just fine as is. Bolt stop doesn,t need changing

 

[Smithy62]

So I've been trying to get a 200gr partition load worked out with my 300 win mag in a model 70 westerner. To the lands I am .1715 longer than my magazine will allow, which really sucks for tuning. I am already at a compressed load with 200gr portions at magazine length. I am considering changing bullets to a 190gr accubonds but they are longer yet and not sure I have enough case capacity to make this work. Anyway I can change the magazine to get a longer OAL?

No additional parts needed: its basic gunsmithing work for those that are familiar with M98's, Springfields. Win70 conversions ect...and any gunsmith worth his salt, as long as none of the parts are plastic, should be able to extend your mag, the actions bottoms front & rear, the feed-rails, shorten & rework the feed-cone/bolt-stop/ejector-blade, ect..!

 

[asd9055]

No additional parts needed: its basic work for those that know Mausers and any gunsmith worth his salt, as long as none of the parts are plastic, should be able to extend your mag, the actions bottoms front & rear, the feed-rails, shorten & rework the feed-cone ect..!

This is good for the OP. I have the right bolt stop and ejector.

 

[Swiftkill]

So I've been trying to get a 200gr partition load worked out with my 300 win mag in a model 70 westerner. To the lands I am .1715 longer than my magazine will allow, which really sucks for tuning. I am already at a compressed load with 200gr portions at magazine length. I am considering changing bullets to a 190gr accubonds but they are longer yet and not sure I have enough case capacity to make this work. Anyway I can change the magazine to get a longer OAL?

I have an old model 70 from the 70s in 243 with a long action. You could get a 375 H&H magnum action. But by the time you did all that you could buy a defiant action.