Winchester Model 70 bolt closure.

[EchoM70]

When closing the bolt on a model 70 I recently acquired I have noticed there is a little notch where the bolt sits when pushing it down... There is a resistance then it smoothly locks the rest of the way down. This is my third model 70 and I went back to check the others as well, all have this "feature." Anybody know why the bolt was designed like this? My Ruger m77 doesn't feature this as it smoothly locks down... It's almost like a half-cock position or something.

Thoughts?

 

[USSR]

Are you talking about the notch on the cocking piece of the bolt? That is how the bolt is disassembled.

Don

 

[sage5907]

More than likely what you are noticing is what happens on a rifle with a safety that locks the bolt. When you push the bolt down with the safety off the firing pin spring is pushing against the bolt lugs. Work the bolt with the safety in the center position and you will see that the bolt works as freely as the Ruger. The Ruger probably has a trigger safety so the firing pin spring pressure rests on the trigger and the bolt works freely with the safety off.

As to the notch that you are referring I could only guess. If your serial number is over 866,000 Winchester at one time added a notch to the bolt lug by the extractor as an anti bind device. I doubt if this applies to your rifle.

 

[EchoM70]

It's a notch In the bolt housing... Like what the sear/cocking piece(?) rides against... When pushing the bolt back down you can feel the resistance where the sear/cocking peice rides against this grove in the bolt housing before locking all the way down.... Maybe I'm just bad at explaining things, I tried taking some pictures of it this morning, just couldn't get it to show up good enough.

 

[sage5907]

When you push the bolt forward on a Model 70 the cocking piece attached to the firing pin slides through a notch in the bottom of the receiver. This notch keeps the cocking piece in one position and keeps it from turning when the bolt cocks the rifle when the bolt is lifted after firing. As you push the cocking piece forward through the notch with the safety off the cocking piece comes into contact with the trigger sear. The trigger sear pushes back on the cocking piece against the firing pin spring. If you then push the bolt handle down you will feel pressure which is the result of the firing pin spring being compressed as the locking lugs on the bolt take on the pressure from the firing pin spring.