pre-64 Model 70 safety|Winchester Rifles|Forum|Winchester Collector

It may need to be cleaned.  My 1951 had the same issue. 

I rescued a transition 1949 M 70 in 270 WCF. The safety was very stiff with dried probably original oil. Would not move. I tried this-it worked:

Put some small rags around the safety to catch the folowing:

1. A bit of Kroil, penetrating oil  or Hoppes No 9 solvent placed in the safety area where the movement area is visible. Let it soak for hours or overnite.Reapply. Keep solvents AWAY FROM STOCK WOOD. Keep the bolt in the rifle as it gives the safety a secure rest while you work to free it up.

2. Get a rubber mallet with a piece of hardwood dowel. Gently tap the safety toward the rear. If it moves slightly, add more penetrating oil or solvent. Tap-tap and solvent. If it starts to release, tap in BOTH directions. Be patient. Put some penetrating oil in again and come back to the safety.

3. Alternatively, remove the bolt and place it in a jar of gasoline, safety down and jar sealed. Leave it for a few  days. Repeat steps 1 and 2. After all of this, and it still refuses to budge, try disassembly of the bolt and detailed cleaning. Still no joy, find a competent riflesmith.

Do as these guys say, clean it.  Mine would not move.  I got a lot of dried junk out of it. 

Hi Wolfbait-

There are a multitude of reasons why a pre-64 M70 safety will not move.  Dried gunk in the bolt sleeve preventing the safety detent plunger from depressing is one… So cleaning is the best/easiest first step…  Since it won’t move off “FIRE” you can’t put it into the middle position, which lets you turn the bolt sleeve/striker/spring assembly out of the bolt body easily.  That is annoying but not tragic…

If soaking it doesn’t help…  Possibilities…

The detent plunger may be “scored” from someone trying to force it to move when it didn’t want to.  What are supposed to be smooth polished angles now have “grooves” that catch edges…  It’s an easy fix IF you know how to get the bolt sleeve assembly apart from the rest of the bolt.  A little polishing of the plunger (or replacing it) and “Voila!!!”

IF the safety has been replaced, the engagement between the rotating barrel of the safety and the corresponding semi-circular notch in the firing pin/striker may not be aligned.  Rotating the safety is supposed to cause the vertical cylindrical part to rotate into a corresponding notch in the striker, pulling the striker back slightly, and taking all pressure off the trigger/sear.  It’s easier to “show” than to “explain”…  But for that to work, a sharp corner on the safety barrel has to pass another sharp corner of the striker.  Usually it’s a matter of a couple “swipes” with a polishing stone to make it work (that’s what the Assemblers did in the factory), but trying to “force” it might bend the safety lever (or even snap it off) if it doesn’t want to go…  So I wouldn’t “get Medieval” on it if soaking doesn’t work…  Take it apart or give it to someone who can…

I guess this is one reason why Winchester’s later Component Parts Catalogs required the gun to be sent back to the factory if you wanted work done on the safety…

Best,

Lou

Every year after Christmas/ New Years  I go through my firearms.  Wipe them down with oil, and then work the safeties.  I don’t have a problem when I do this.  Safeties, and bolt releases need to be worked, or they might not work when you need them.  I have seen this mostly on Model 12s.   The Model 12s that I have seen with stuck safeties most likely have not been worked in years.  I have used oil, and if it is really bad a wood dowl that I tap back, and forth  on the cross bolt safety until it engages properly.

Louis Luttrell said
Hi Wolfbait-
There are a multitude of reasons why a pre-64 M70 safety will not move.  Dried gunk in the bolt sleeve preventing the safety detent plunger from depressing is one… So cleaning is the best/easiest first step…  Since it won’t move off “FIRE” you can’t put it into the middle position, which lets you turn the bolt sleeve/striker/spring assembly out of the bolt body easily.  That is annoying but not tragic…
If soaking it doesn’t help…  Possibilities…
The detent plunger may be “scored” from someone trying to force it to move when it didn’t want to.  What are supposed to be smooth polished angles now have “grooves” that catch edges…  It’s an easy fix IF you know how to get the bolt sleeve assembly apart from the rest of the bolt.  A little polishing of the plunger (or replacing it) and “Voila!!!”
IF the safety has been replaced, the engagement between the rotating barrel of the safety and the corresponding semi-circular notch in the firing pin/striker may not be aligned.  Rotating the safety is supposed to cause the vertical cylindrical part to rotate into a corresponding notch in the striker, pulling the striker back slightly, and taking all pressure off the trigger/sear.  It’s easier to “show” than to “explain”…  But for that to work, a sharp corner on the safety barrel has to pass another sharp corner of the striker.  Usually it’s a matter of a couple “swipes” with a polishing stone to make it work (that’s what the Assemblers did in the factory), but trying to “force” it might bend the safety lever (or even snap it off) if it doesn’t want to go…  So I wouldn’t “get Medieval” on it if soaking doesn’t work…  Take it apart or give it to someone who can…
I guess this is one reason why Winchester’s later Component Parts Catalogs required the gun to be sent back to the factory if you wanted work done on the safety…
Best,
Lou
  

Louis, It is a continuing amazement to me you didn’t opt for a neurosurgical residency. (Although you do lack the arrogance seemingly required for that subspecialty.) If ever I had to suffer someone to root around in my brain, I would search for your obsessive neurosurgical clone. 

Shooting a Monte Carlo stock Model 70 Pre 64 Model 70 with open sites is very challenging.  Not  advised, but the only way that I can see the sites are if my cheek is next to the butt plate!  Low comb stocks are better suited for iron sites, and a Monte Carlo stock is preferred when using a scope on the Pre 64 Model 70.

Bo Rich said
Shooting a Monte Carlo stock Model 70 Pre 64 Model 70 with open sites is very challenging.  Not  advised, but the only way that I can see the sites are if my cheek is next to the butt plate!  Low comb stocks are better suited for iron sites, and a Monte Carlo stock is preferred when using a scope on the Pre 64 Model 70.
  

Good afternoon, Bo.  Agree the folding Lyman sight line is too low for the MC comb.  However, the Lyman 48 WJS bridge sets sufficiently higher over the receiver that a replacement, higher front sight is required. The resulting sight line is not much different than the optical center of a 1″ scope in low rings. I think It also depends on the shape of the shooter’s face –  how thin-cheeked or heavy joweled he is and how hard he cheeks the stock. 

Interestingly, for all its faults, that is one technical thing the 1964 Model 70 fixed. The stock was a high-combed Monte Carlo style for rapid scope picture acquisition. Both the front and rear iron sights were off-the-shelf Williams products featuring ramps that set high enough to meet the sight line required. They were screw-mounted, which was a good idea because big objective scopes required removal of the rear sight. I fitted my old 1966 243 with my son’s Bausch & Lomb 6.5 – 20X varmint scope before giving him the rifle.  Front and rear irons went into a Baggie for him, plug screws substituted. An easy task.