Model 70 Safety

[Zeke/PA]

The safety on one of my Pre -War Mod. 70's has become difficult to get "ON SAFE".
I am able to remove the firing pin assembley from the bolt body but I'm lost after that .
Any thoughts on this plus further disassembly hints?
Respectfully, Zeke

 

[Jim K]

When a Model 70 is hard to put on safe, it usually means that either the sear or the cocking piece is worn or has been messed with in an attempt to "improve" the trigger pull. Either way, one or both parts will probably need to be replaced.

Disassembly of the bolt is similar to that of the Model 1903 Springfield, from which the Model 70 was derived. Cock the bolt, put the safety in the middle position, remove the bolt, press in the bolt sleeve lock, and unscrew the bolt sleeve from the bolt body.

For further disassembly, move the safety to the "fire" position, keeping the firing pin under control, then (depending on the age of the rifle) either pull back the firing pin sleeve and turn it 1/4 turn or pull back the spring and slide out the thick "U" washer.

Jim

 

[rcmodel]

Pre-War, or Pre-64?

The pre-war had a flat safety similar to the 98 Mauser/03 Springfield military safety.

After the war, it was changed to the 3-position side safety.

If that's what it is:
If you have the striker assembly out of the bolt, release the safety and let the pressure off the firing pin spring.

Now pull back on the sleeve and turn it a 1/4 turn either way while keeping the spring from getting away from you.

Now, the safety lever is held in place by a Pin inside the bolt sleeve. drive it out with a proper sized punch.

Now compress the spring loaded plunger with a small flat-blade screw-driver and lift the safety out of the housing.

Not sure what you are going to find but generally, if one of these safety's won't operate, it is not able to clear the cocking piece and cam the firing pin back off the sear.

Might be a burr or wear, or dried grease in the plunger hole.
Or it might be a botched trigger job where someone has cut the sear or trigger too short and isn't holding the firing pin assemble back far enough to clear the safety cam.

Edit: Cross post with Jim Keenan. Looks like I was typing while he was posting!


rcmodel

 

[Jim K]

Hi, rcmodel,

You may be thinking of the Model 54, which had a safety like the Mauser, but reversed. The pre-war Model 70 had a safety that swung in a horizontal arc like the later one, except that the thumbpiece swung over the top of the bolt sleeve; the safety spindle was in the same position. The safety was supposed to be usable with a scope, but in fact it was under the scope and hard to reach, so Winchester moved the thumbpiece to the side and there it remains. Phil Sharpe, writing in 1938, says it is the one feature of the Model 70 he doesn't like.

(I goofed in mentioning the "U" washer firing pin retainer - those were used Post-64 and Zeke clearly says "pre-war.")

Jim

 

[rcmodel]

Oops! You are correct.
I shouda dug a book out and checked my memory!


rcmodel

 

[Zeke/PA]

Thanks for the info guys.
I 'll give it a try tomorrrow.
My gut feeling is that my problem is due to a buildup of hardened crud as the rifle has been in the family for years and no one has attenpted a trigger job.
Respectfully, Zeke

 

[Zeke/PA]

Disassembeled the bolt today and it appears that the "stiffness" is being caused by the spring loaded plunger and the detents on the safety lever.
I did some minor de-burring and the safety, while still stiff, is much better.
Thanks again,
Zeke