Model 70 Varmint on GB Questions|Winchester Rifles|Forum|Winchester Collector

Hi MarkGK-

That is a 220 Swift Standard (not Varmint) rifle.  Standard contour, not Medium Heavy, barrel.  Hence the forearm screw is factory. The 220 Swift was added to the Varmint rifle in 1959, but it was available in the Standard rifle throughout this time.

The SG swivels are probably added aftermarket…  There are ways of determining this, but they require seeing the barrel channel with the action removed and/or the butt stock swivel base be removed…

Best,

Lou

Hi Mark-

The factory would fit Super Grade style detachable sling swivel bases on special order.  When they did, they installed the front swivel base like they did on a Super Grade, meaning that two knurled nuts were set into the barrel channel for the base machine screws, and there is no center hole and inletting for the standard sling swivel.  It’s easy to see if you can pull the barreled action out of the stock.

The SG butt stock swivel base was positioned such that the eye of the swivel base sat in the same place as the fixed loop of the standard swivel.  Most people adding SG bases to an existing standard stock would use the existing hole as either the front or back hole for the two SG base screws.  The result is that the SG base is either too far forward or too far back, which is obvious.  If they positioned the swivel base correctly, drilling two new holes, there is a vacant hole in the center that shouldn’t be there if it was a factory job.  You’d have to remove the swivel base and look.

It is possible to find M70 standard grade rifles or Featherweights with factory SG swivel bases.  It’s just that most were installed aftermarket. 

Lou