Winchester M70 Safari Express

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ALDA BERGR

ALDA BERGR

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Do any of you have experience with the Portugal produced M70?
Looking to buy one but there no dealer that have one so i might have to order one unseen..

Pros and cons? I will be getting one in 375 H&H.
Hows the wood quality?
 
The Portuguese ones are fine.

I do not like the design of the Safari Express, especially in .375. The barrel diameter is large, and with the .375 being the smallest of the offered bores there's a lot of extra metal and it is very heavy and front-heavy. I am also not fan of barrel mount sling studs, especially on a rifle that is designed primarily for optics. I also am not a fan of overly complicated cartridge triggers in a dangerous game rifle.

In the Winchester line I would recommend the Alaskan. I would also consider the MRC DGR aka "The African" although it also suffers from an overly heavy barrel. But it has the superior pre-64 trigger and if I remember right the stock is factory pillar bedded although I can't find anything on the website. The CZ550 American Safari Magnum with AHR's first level of modifications (which replace the overly complicated trigger and installs a 3-position wing safety) is a good option too.

The wood on the Safari Express is Winchester "grade 1" is serviceable and not normally figured.
 
The new model 70’s are exquisite rifles. I have the Alaskan .375, which has nice wood, but I also ordered a high grade maple 30-06 sight unseen. I was a little worried it would show up with an ugly stock, but it has nicer wood than the pictures on their website. Both mine are assembled in Portugal and shoot very well, I wouldn’t hesitate to buy another.
 
Well..this sounds good. Maybe i order one tomorrow..

Also, did any of you remove the origninal varnish to give the stock a traditional boiled linseed finish instead?
 
I have a couple of the M70 rifles assembled in Portugal, and also the FN models assembled in the US. I really can not see any real difference. They are fine hunting rifles just as they are. The barrel on the Safari Express rifles are a tiny bit heavy on the .375 but that makes it a good and comfortable shooter. I would not change the finish on the rifle.
 
Thats why a free market is a beautiful thing; choices. If your not a fan of the Safari model, they make the Alaskan model. Would be hard to go wrong with either. The one thing I noticed on my Portugal model 70s is that my alaskan (purchased in 2014)has a noticeable amount less free float on the barrel than my featherweight. The newer featherweight (purchased in 2019) has much more clearance, which I think is a good thing. I can fit 3 dollar bills easily in the new one, and only one in the Alaskan. I know some people see this as a “sloppy fit job”, but id rather not worry about it affecting accuracy in the field. Not sure if this is model specific, or if it’s something they changed on all model 70’s at some point?
 
I own a Portugal M70 EW in .308, obviously no wood however the fit, finish, accuracy (with hand loads) is superb. It is a very nice rifle!
 
I don't have a Portugal gun but I do have a South Carolina Safari Express in 375 H&H. If you plan on keeping the wood stock save yourself some heartburn and just have it bedded. The factory bedding is trash. Mine patterned like a shotgun until I had it bedded and the crown cleaned up. No I couldn't be happier. I took a white tail with mine this year with very little meat damage.

It may be a tad on the heavy side but it's not terrible. They are really good rifles. Mine is well balanced and carries just fine even on long days in the field or mountains.
 
This sounds good.
Have any of you shot your 375 or bigger caliber alot? No problem with cracked stocks?
 
Well..i orderd one in 375 H&H today. Unfortunately, it probably wont be here until april though. But hopefully this one wont give any problems like so many of my other rifles have..
 
ALDA BERGR said:
No mcmillan at the moment. I do think it comes glass beddied from factory.
Click to expand...
My SE was not glass bedded, it had some silly putty like substance down in recoil lug reliefs but it never hardened and was letting the action wander around. I had the action properly glass bedded and it shoots like a dream.
 
Ah.. i see. It looks glass bedded on winchesterguns.com but i guess we will see. No biggie though, easy fix.

Im more worried the stock will warp and crack. I come from a long line of rifles that did not do great..But, since Browning has it name stamped on it, im pretty sure it will do just fine.
 
It is not like a full bedding job but it fits the lug and beats what you normally find in a factory rifle. I have heard a couple of guys say the material was a little soft in their rifles. The unknown bedding substance in the recoil lug mortise of my recent M70 rifles is not soft at all.
 
Thanks for all the answers! Really nice forum..

Have anybody actually have the new moa trigger freeze or get filld with dirt so doesnt work? Seems like a lot of concern with this reading the forums..

But to me it doesnt make sence, same people have no problem with a timney on a mauser 98, which is very similar construction wise.
 
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