M70 smith

[62flint]

Recommendation for a pre64 smith to look over a rifle and take care of anything that may be needed.

 

[mauserhunter]

To add to the op's question, anyone know a place that tunes up a pre-64 safety for a readable price. My one isn't snapping into position on the first safe postion.

 

[mdwest]

McClelland gun shop in Dallas does good tweak and tune type work. Turn around time is good and pricing is reasonable….

Gunsmithing services and new & used firearms from your local gun shop in Dallas, TX!

Dallas' one stop shop gun shop for hunting, sporting & self-protection firearms. We have a full-service gunsmithing shop for repair, restoration, cleaning, and everything else!

www.mcclellandgun.com

They have worked on a couple of nicer bolt guns for me in the past and a couple of my better shotguns… when I need a smith in the DFW area that’s where I go…

 

[Ontario Hunter]

To add to the op's question, anyone know a place that tunes up a pre-64 safety for a readable price. My one isn't snapping into position on the first safe postion.

Is this something recent? If so, you probably have some debris filling the "safe" pall hole in the spindle attached to the lever. Before taking it to a smith, try removing the bolt shroud and soaking it for several hours in solvent. If the gun was like this when you acquired it, the pall hole may not be located in the correct location (possible but unlikely). The Parkwest Model 70 style safety I bought for my 98 Mauser would jump out of position #2 into fire when the bolt was closed hard. The hole for #2 was incorrectly located. They offered to replace it but the smith who put on the barrel had another lever handy and replaced it.

Possibly the locking pall is worn out but that seems unlikely if the safety lever locks in the other two positions (which presumably it does). I guess it's also possible that the edge of the pall hole for safe position has worn out from use and won't hold the pall. But that would require a LOT of use I would think. Only fix would be replace the lever.

I can tell you how to remove the lever and stretch the hole if it is misaligned but it's a bit complicated. Hopefully soaking the shroud/safety will fix the problem. After you've tried soaking, be sure to lubricate the safety mechanism liberally. The spring inside the bolt shroud that activates the locking pall is in a pocket that can trap moisture and crud. If the spring rusts apart, surgery is required to remove it and replace. Your spring should be okay if the safety is working at all.

I suppose it could also be a problem with the striker being misaligned with the safety. Does your rifle have an aftermarket trigger (e.g. Timney)? Possibly it was installed incorrectly.

To determine if it's a problem with safety locking or misaligned striker, remove the bolt shroud and then remove the striker. Work the lever on safety through the three positions. If it does not lock in safe position, the issue is hole in lever spindle. If it does lock in all positions, the problem must be safety not mating properly with striker.