Need a Model 70 Winchester expert

[R Flowers]

At the risk of sounding stupid, I have a pe-64 Model 70 chambered in 270 Winchester that is driving me crazy.

A friend brought me his friends rifle that he recently had a sporting goods store mount a 3x9 Leupold using the standard Leupold mounts. (One piece base, with the windage adjustment)
The guy in the sporting good store, whose name I could not pry out of anybody mounted the scope so far out of square we could not believe it. The crosshairs were so crooked that I laughed when I looked down the scope.

They asked me if I could straighten the crosshairs and sight the gun in for them. I said sure, thinking this was a no-brainer.

I went out this morning and straightened the scope the thought I should bore sight it before going to the range. Wrong! I cannot get the darned bolt out of that rifle!

Now I am 62 years old and have messed with guns since I was a little kid. I have owned several model 70's including several pre-64's and I have NEVER had a problem getting the bolt out of one.

I have pushed on that bolt release till my thumb is sore. The old model 70's had sort of a dog leg in the release and I have tried pushing on that with a big screwdriver, no luck. I can look down the race way and see that when I push on the lever the bolt release goes down, but just not far enough. It lacks about a sixteenth of an inch of releasing the bolt.

I have tried sticking a rod down the raceway and depressing the lever, I just cannot get it down far enough to get the bolt out.

Darned aggravating!

Any suggestions?

 

[DrMike]

It sounds as if there is debris on the bolt release. You may have to drop the trigger assembly to clean up the internal mechanism.

 

[Too Tall]

Take it out of the stock and look for something in the way.

 

[muleman]

Any chance that the front action screw is protruding into the action? Or maybe who ever tapped the rifle for a scope mount drilled into the action and the gentleman who mounted the scope base used too long of screws? Just wondering.

 

[Oldtrader3]

Or the rear tang is not properly bedded and is springing the action slightly. Take the screws and barrelled action out of the stock and then you should be able to get at your issue and get the bolt out of the action or remove the trigger assembly if something is not made to specification.

 

[Elkman]

You did not say whether or not the bolt moves to the rear and wont come out or it won't move at all. I am betting if it won't move at all its front mount screws. If it will move to the rear and not come out its either the rear mount screw, or the rear trigger guard screw. Sometimes the clearence there is very tight and tightning it will make it impact the bottom bolt lug when extracting . Let us know ??

 

[Guy Miner]

"I have tried sticking a rod down the raceway and depressing the lever, I just cannot get it down far enough to get the bolt out."

Have you got something with a 90 degree bend in it, like a dental tool? That might reach in there and depress the lever far enough.

Otherwise, I'd pull the barreled action from the stock and see if I could find a little chunk of crud or something in there, blocking the works.

So the bolt has NEVER been out of that particular rifle? Dang.

 

[R Flowers]

Thanks for the input guys. Maybe I was not clear in my first post. The bolt moved back and forth in the raceway just fine, it closes fine, I just could not get it out to bore sight and clean the rifle.

I tried what Guy suggests with a pick but could not get any debris out or the lever down far enough to get the bolt out. I could look inside and see that the lever was ALMOST dropping far enough, but not quite.

Those old model 70's have sort of a dog-leg in the arm that you push on to release the bolt. I took a screwdriver and put it in that notch then tapped on it lightly with a hammer. Not very scientific, I know, but it worked. The bolt then came out.

Then the fun began, I do not know when this thing was last cleaned. It took me all morning with Butch's Bore Shine and Montana Extreme Copper Killer to get it reasonably clean. Maybe the owner had not been able to get the bolt out either.

And this was supposed to be such an easy project.

 

[DrMike]

Interestingly, on some of my Model 70s, it is the bore guide that is held firmly in place by the bolt stop. I use a small piece of thin metal to place over the stop and slide the guide over it. The bolt has just enough clearance to come out when it is depressed.

 

[Elkman]

Dirt and grim was not part of my thinking process. And of course I forgot about the bolt stop arm. Well thats that advantage of the forum, it sounds like Dr Mike and Guy nailed this one. !!!!!

 

[filmjunkie4ever]

Dont want to sound demeaning at all but I have seen similar on a Mark X Interarms Mauser that Had me stumped until I realized the scope was mounted so low that the bolt handle was rubbing against it and that was the source of my bind....maybe worth checking into, I missed it even though it was in plain sight :grin: