Winchester Model 70 possible crack issue?

[Shako Badhan]

Today I took delivery of a great looking New Haven built Safari Express in 416 Remington that I had been eyeing for over a year. As part of my normal routine with a new rifle I took it apart for a cleaning and inspection and noticed this.

It is what appears to be a very faint hairline crack in the stock under the bottom metal between the trigger and the magazine. The question is this something to be concerned about or am I just being something of a hypochondriac?

 

[RR 314]

I don’t think it is much of a concern. If it would make you feel better, you may want to get some tightbond lll and brush a light coat on the area.

 

[mdwest]

hard to tell from the pic if thats a hairline crack or maybe just ta scratch on the wood...

a little bit of quality wood glue like titebond certainly wouldnt hurt anything though just in case..

that area should be directly beneath where winchester runs the rear cross bolt on the safari express.. it might be worth pulling the action from the stock and taking a look at it from the top just to see if there is something going on though..

 

[Shako Badhan]

Sadly I think it will be going back to the dealer. I can’t get the action out of the stock to save my life. An issue I’ve never had before and makes me think glue is somehow involved.

Luckily the dealer is reputable and local and I sure will take it back.

 

[BnC 04]

I'm sure you have already tried this but I've had a few that took a pretty good wrap from your palm under the barrel right in front of the stock to get it seperated. Hope it works out either way.

 

[Shako Badhan]

Yea I gave that a shot and no dice, even a little rubber mallet and punch fail the test. I’m concerned that I might break something, especially if there is a hidden repair of some kind.

 

[Ontario Hunter]

See if the dealer is willing to give it to you half price "as is". Then maybe go at it with more assertion to knock it apart. Heating the action might help.

 

[fourfive8]

Maybe common. That is a thin web of wood there. Probably a drying crack. I had one just like it with a crack in the same place. It too was a late New Haven 416 Rem Mag. Either drill a hole cross ways through the crack and insert a piece of all thread then glue back together and clamp using glass bedding compound. If the hole to cross the crack has to be drilled through an exterior surface, you can gouge a deep keyway across the crack and add the all thread into the keyway and epoxy. Use a Dremel rotary with small bit to make the keyway. Once set up. Relieve the wood in key areas and glass bed the action. I like the Miles Gilbert Bedrock bedding kits but there are several that will work. Once bedded, the stock will be much stronger than original. Many sources on the internet/youtube show how to properly bed an action.

I learned to do it by trial and error a long time ago. I do all my own. I also learned to do pillar bedding which provides the ultimate in strength and consistency of the action bedding for accuracy.

 

[mauserhunter]

Happens with most wood stocks.

 

[Shako Badhan]

Thanks all for the input, some good suggestions. It’s probably a simple fix but then again maybe not. I will see what happens I bring it in. The dealer just bought a collection of custom DG rifles, might end up finding something I can’t pass up.

 

[RR 314]

Thanks all for the input, some good suggestions. It’s probably a simple fix but then again maybe not. I will see what happens I bring it in. The dealer just bought a collection of custom DG rifles, might end up finding something I can’t pass up.

And where did you say this shop is?.

 

[Shako Badhan]

It’s local to me in NC. No website or anything but the owner buys big collections so if you stop in on the right day you can find a real prize.

 

[fourfive8]

If this New Haven M70 in 416 has a good bore and is priced correctly I would not pass it up! Try cycling that action. It should be as smooth and flawless as any ever made. That crack is common and is easily fixed. Use a rotary tool with small bit to form a keyway across the crack. Maybe take a small sharp screwdriver and open the crack a little when applying the epoxy. Epoxy the all thread pin into the keyway and clamp side to side. Most bedding kits have dye for matching color of wood. After set up, use same rotary tool to clean up contour around keyway.

Those late New Haven M70s are maybe the best Winchester 70s ever made.

Pic showing where I would gouge keyway- just pick a place that looks like it would work best. Make sure it is deep enough to completely cover the all thread with compound. After set up, re contour that area with the rotary tool. Should barely be visible. You can cut a piece of machine screw shank for the all thread. About 1/8" diameter and no larger than 1/4" should do. Those guns already have two cross bolts in the stock. No worries for strength. Doubly so if the action is then glass bedded.

 

[Wyatt Smith]

To get the barreled action out place a folded towel on a stiff table. The grab the stock and whack the barrel down on the towel. It should pop right out.
I’ve had to do that after glass bedding frequently.

 

[358 Norma]

You could try putting the rifle in the freezer for a while and try removing the stock, I've had to do it before with old rifles to get them out of their stocks! Sometimes the wood swells and by freezing you get it to shrink back up a little bit!

 

[Ontario Hunter]

Here's how I added a second Weatherby style interior crossbolt to Mauser 98. Presumably your M70 has both external crossbolts so this will not be where you would reinforce your stock. The keyway location posted above is the best placement I think. Use a threaded carriage bolt and cut the head off. This job would require a much thinner bolt than what I used. JB Weld to seal it in.

Another thing to check. If this rifle has two external crossbolts, and I'm fairly certain it does, it's possible the rear one has come loose. The wood may have shrank significantly, i.e. why the action is stuck in the bedding. You will need a special wrench to tighten the bolt. Easily ordered or any gunsmith will have one.

 

[fourfive8]

Any update on removing barreled action from stock?

If it's a factory stock it will have two factory cross bolts. Also, if it is an all factory rifle it will have two recoil lugs. One in front of primary action pad and one on barrel. It would be rare that a factory wood stock that probably dates between early 90s and 2006 would swell to bind action. If anything, the older the stock, the looser it gets as wood has a tendency to shrink as it ages. The only exception is if it lived most of its life in dry climate then recently moved to a very humid environment where it could temporarily swell and bind. The advice about putting in the freezer is a good one and is a trick used by those who occasionally do glass bedding jobs that get hard to separate. I if do these jobs in the winter time, it is plenty cold outside for the purpose.

The other thought I had was the possibility a previous owner tried to glass bed the thing and got it stuck?? Then for certain freeze it then, with some judicious kinetic force, try to remove the stock. Try placing top edge of butt on bench with barreled action above a pad... like a few layers of blanket. Hold the rifle upside down while holding the forehead of the stock. Whack the barrel with a wood block like a 2x4. If it comes out you want the barreled action to land on the pad. If it "pops" just a little loose... that starts the process. Keep see-sawing it back and forth to complete the removal.

If you glass bed it, do the action side first. When satisfied with that, then bed the bottom metal side.
Without inspecting the hairline crack, hard to tell if it would even be worth doing anything with it. By glass bedding both sides of that internal stock web, top and bottom, in addition to the cross bolts already in front of and behind that web, may not be required at all. Good luck!

 

[Shako Badhan]

No update as yet. I ended up having to go on a work trip that has taken me half way round the world for a few weeks so it’s a project that will have to wait unfortunately. I really do like the rifle. It was not cheap but well priced and came with some nice glass as you can see.

I will probably end up either sending it off to have a smith do a number of things to it including getting the stock work (glass bedding and whatever else) done or I will return it. Not really decided yet.

 

[Tokoloshe Safaris]

I like your last post.

 

[Shako Badhan]

So I did some thinking and come what may I’ll hang onto it. I talked with the dealer and he begrudgingly said he would take it back but thinking I’ll keep it.

Since I’ll probably be sending it out for more than just the stock work does anyone have any recommendations for a smith, preferably in the south to do the work?