Winchester Model 70 History:

1936 - The Winchester Model 70 centerfire bolt action rifle was introduced, and it is the first centerfire bolt action designed by Winchester specifically for sporting use. These rifles were built in New Haven, Connecticut by skilled craftsman and women.
Pre-64 Winchester Model 70 General Specifications:
Rifle Type - Turnbolt Repeater.
Receiver - One piece machined steel forging. Slotted bridge.
Bolt - One piece machined steel with dual opposed forward locking lugs. Handle acts as safety lug.
Ignition - One piece firing pin with integral cocking cam head. Powered by coil mainspring. Cocks on opening.
Magazine - Non detachable, staggered column, box type with quick release hinged floorplate. Five shot capacity in standard chamberings, Four shot capacity for Magnum.
Trigger - Single stage, adjustable for weight of pull, and over-travel.
Safety - Three position rotary type located in the bolt sleeve; locks firing pin and bolt when swung back, locks firing pin when in intermediate position and is in fire postion when swung fully forward.
Extractor - One piece long mauser type; attached to bolt by a collar that sits in a recess, that is cut into the bolt body.
Bolt Stop - Pivoting type positioned in a groove at bottom rear of receiver. Stops bolt by contact of left locking lug.
Ejector - Pivoting type positioned in a groove at bottom of the receiver.

1963 - Original Winchester Model 70 discontinued. Rifles before this date became known as Pre-'64 Model 70s. Of all the Winchesters, no rifle design has been revered more among hunters, collectors, target shooters and outdoor writers than the Model 70 with the Pre-'64 type action.

1964 - New Winchester Model 70 introduced.
Post-64 Winchester Model 70 General Specifications:
Rifle Type - Turnbolt Repeater.
Receiver - Die-forged and machined. Tapped for scope mounts and receiver sights. Non-slotted bridge.
Bolt - Three piece brazed with dual opposed forward locking lugs. Handle acts as safety lug.
Ignition - One piece firing pin with integral cocking cam head. Powered by coil mainspring. Cocks on opening.
Magazine - Non detachable, staggered column, box type with quick release hinged floorplate. Five shot capacity in standard chamberings, Four shot capacity for Magnum.
Trigger - Single stage, adjustable for weight of pull, and over-travel.
Safety - Three position rotary type located in the bolt sleeve; locks firing pin and bolt when swung back, locks firing pin when in intermediate position and is in fire postion when swung fully forward.
Extractor - Sliding type mounted in the right locking lug.
Bolt Stop - Pivoting type positioned in a groove at bottom rear of receiver. Stops bolt by contact of left locking lug.
Ejector - Plunger type mounted in the bolt head.

1968 - Redesign of post-64 Winchester Model 70. Starting with the serial number 866,000 Winchester Model 70 rifle actions featured a new bolt anti-bind design.
 This was achieved by adding metal to the right side locking lug, then milling a narrow groove through it down to the bolt face perimeter. A rail was positioned along the right side of the receiver, starting from the receiver bridge and continuing forward to the locking shoulder edge.

 This new Winchester Model 70 feature prevented the bolt from binding and made the action much smoother.

1994 - Return of the Pre-'64 Winchester Model 70 type action design with claw extraction, controlled round feed, fixed-type ejection and many other features that made the original the most loved and prized bolt action rifle in history.

2004 - Controlled Round Push Feed models emphasized in the Winchester Model 70s, Super Shadow Blued, Coyote Stainless and Stealth II.

 The Winchester model 70 "controlled round push feed" action variation uses the extractor of the push feed rifle in a modified bolt face and uses the fixed ejector of the Classic model. This change was on the border line of genius as this one thing alone adds to the accuracy potential of the rifle.

2006 - On January 17 of 2006 it was announced that U.S. Repeating Arms Company (the company that makes Winchester brand Model 94s, Model 70s and the Model 1300 Speed Pump Shotgun) would be shutting down the factory located in New Haven, Connecticut. Production of Winchester Model 70 and Winchester Model 94 rifles, along with Winchester Model 1300 shotguns ends.

 2008 - The Winchester Model 70 returns. Today's Winchester Model 70s are made at one of the most advanced firearms facilities in the world: the Winchester Repeating Arms wing of FN Manufacturing in Columbia, South Carolina,
United States of America. Offering a 1 inch MOA accuracy standard with the also new innovative M.O.A. Trigger System that comes standard with each new Winchester Model 70 rifle.

 Winchester Model 70 Variations:
 To commemorate the reintroduction of this timeless model, every Model 70 rifle manufactured in 2008 will have a custom one-piece floorplate.

2009 The Winchester Model 70 is offered in a Super Grade,

2010 - A new Safari Express

Winchester Model 70 Actions:
 Like the original Pre-’64 model 70 rifle actions, the receivers are forged from a solid piece of steel, then using state of the art CNC (Computer Numerical Control) machines they are cut to correct dimensions for internal fits of the chamber, bolt, safety components, etc.

Winchester Model 70 Barrels and Accuracy:
 To create the initial barrels the blanks are:
 Drilled to the proper diameter, depending on caliber.
 Honed to a high polish smoothness along the entire length.
 Then rifled using the hammer forging process which uses a mandrel and huge pressures generated by “hammers” in the machine, which creates absolute precise, and accurate rifling.
 They are then taken to a station consisting of three CNC (Computer Numerical Control) machines overseen by one expert operator.
 At the first station the barrel blank is turned to the correct profile (taper).
 The turned barrel is moved to the next machine which precisely cuts the target crown into the muzzle.
 The third station carefully rough cuts the chamber in a multi-stage operation. The chamber end of the barrel is then threaded.
 In a hands-on procedure, the operator completes the process by hand polishing/honing the interior of the chamber to a smooth surface. The Model 70s well-known “cone” that prevents bullet nose damage is also cut into the breach at this time.
 Then the barrels are mated with receivers and are screwed on and properly torqued.
 The barrel and receivers are indexed with a mark and then taken apart again. From this time on the same barrel and receiver stay associated with each other. After being taking apart, the barrels go to a special barrel polishing machine for their final polish.

Winchester Model 70 Triggers:
  The Winchester Model 70 has a new M.O.A. Trigger System and improved three-position safety. The Winchester Model 70’s new M.O.A. Trigger System is the most precise three-lever trigger system in the world. Operating on a simple pivoting lever principle, the trigger mechanism has been completely redesigned to exhibit zero take up, zero creep and zero overtravel.
 The pull weight ranges from 3 to 5 pounds and is factory-set at 3 3/4 pounds. Because of the wide smooth triggerpiece and 2:1 mechanical advantage created by the unique design geometry, it actually feels like half that weight.

Winchester Model 70 Overall Accuracy:
 The new Winchester Model 70 rifle is more precisely made than its pre-64 predecessor, there is no doubt to the precision to which these rifles are made consistantly, as most of any human error factor that may have arisen prior is now gone.

 While Winchesters legendary status of the riflemans rifle was somewhat tarnished in past years, all will soon be forgotten as the 21st century Winchester Model 70 begin to show up on rifle ranges and perform to target rifle performance as they can do consistantly in all chamberings and calibers.

 For best possible accuracy performance just remember to properly break in the barrel first, which is, now recommended by Winchester as well.