Winchester pre 64 question

[FLINTNFIRE]

Bought a pre 64 winchester model 70 some years ago and recently when I went to shoot it , I found that it had been a short caliber rifle that had been rebarrelled to a longer cartridge without the changing of all the parts , my question is besides the ejector what else is different ?

Is the bolt stop different ? I believe it is as the bolt looks like it needs to go back further as well as the ejector , the magazine seems to be fine .

From what little I find it seems that both the ejector and bolt stop need to be switched to make this function.

thank you for any help in this .

[John Taylor]

there are four different extractor rings, three with bolt stop extensions made onto them. You need the ring only without a bolt stop extension for the long cartridge. Also you need the correct ejector. Winchester model 70s were made in lots of different calibers, including the 22 Hornet. http://www.wisnersinc.com/web_layout/rifles/winchester/70pre.html will have the parts you need.

[FLINTNFIRE]

Thank you for the above post , I had tried to call wisners on friday last but they are only open mon.-thurs. , am now back at work but will call when able , the referenced rifle was rebarrelled to a 30-338 with a Shilen barrel , but the friend I purchased from had cancer , so am in the dark as to who or where the work was done , again thank you.

[fouronesix]

Yes, to go from shorter to longer requires at least 2 things and maybe 3 or 4 depending on the parent model and/or if other parts were substituted when the conversion was done. Without looking at it first hand impossible to tell exactly, but these are the things that should at least be looked at or checked and corrected if needed.

The bolt stop needs to be shorter. If using the existing one, it can be shortened.

The ejector needs to shorter. If using the existing one, it can be shortened but then needs to be re-contoured.

The magazine box may need to be modified if it has the spacer in the rear of the box. If so then the spacer needs to be cut out and the two halves silver soldered back together with a lap joint and strip of thin stainless.

The follower may need to be replaced with a longer one that fits the magazine box. If that is not done then the shorter follower will have too much play forward and reverse. Being too short can cause balky pick up and feed.

If all the above is done right, the conversion to a longer cartridge can be fine and the rifle will function as well as if it were made that way

[FLINTNFIRE]

It has the magazine and follower that appear to be fine , the ejector is to long , wisners has them in stock and so does someone on gunbroker , the extractor ring is for a shorter cartridge , and wisners does not have them in at the present time , however I am planning on making mine to the right length .

It would seem that when it was rebarrelled those things would have been done but they were not , it was in a assortment of firearms I bought from a friend when he was in the final stages of lung cancer , and I had not even fired it till a month or so back .

I remember he got it to go elk hunting , but then never did , and he was prone to only load and fire one cartridge at a time when target shooting, it is a nice looking rifle and when I am home from work I will go about fixing what it needs , thank you also for your answer .

[fouronesix]

Of course there would be a limit as to how much longer one could be converted or modified. But, if the mag well and basic action length are adequate, then with the right fitting of the correct parts, no reason it can't be made to function as it should. Just go slow on getting the ejector and bolt stop just right as they work in concert for best function. A dummy round really helps. Check often until the pick up and feed are trouble free.

I know that if the follower is not a good fit to the mag box (especially in the length) sooner or later will give intermittent trouble. At a glance almost too simple to have an effect, but it does.

Sounds like a good project- well worth the time to do it right and end up with a good rifle.