winchester 670 opinions.

[codyb1991]

I have a 15-20+ year old Winchester 670 in .30-06 and I don't know much about them. The local gunsmith down here told me "Never get rid of that rifle", but didn't tell me why.

[skywag]

He is correct. It is the famous pre 64 Model 70 action, the most revered for making a custom rifle.

The 670 did not have the hinged floor plate, and must be unloaded from the top.

It was a slightly less costly Model 70, but still tops.

[Doyle]

If it is a 670, it is NOT a pre-64. Best information I have was that Winchester introduced the 670 in 1966. Yes, it is a plain-jane stocked model 70. That should make it a push-feed action. Decent gun, but won't have any collectors value.

[black mamba]

I'm 98% sure that Winchester brought back the Controlled Round Feed (CRF) action in the model 70 in the early '90s, so in the younger half of the "15-20 years old" time frame it could be a CRF action instead of the push feed one used from 1965-around 1993.

The push feed actions were just as accurate, and actually more convenient to use (you can just drop a cartridge in the opening instead of having to push it down into the magazine for feeding). The main benefit of the CRF action is for dangerous game, as the cartridge is always under control and much less likely to jam.

[jmr40]

670's were the cheap, budget version of the pushfeed 70's. Nothing at all special about the rifle. The pushfeed Winchesters are good enough rifles, under rated actually.

I've seen 670's with and without floorplates depending on when they were made. They are generally speaking the same rifle as the PF 70's, just with cheap Birch wood. While they shoot well enough they are only worth around $200-$250 in most places. Some have the exact same blue finish as the better rifles, others used a much rougher finish on the metal. Really depends on when they were made.

The CRF was brought back in the early 90's, but only in the top of the line Classic Rifles. Winchester sold mostly PF rifles right up until they closed the doors in 2006. They changed the name of their budget rifles to the Ranger model. I think around 1980. I could be wrong about the exact year but think a 670 would be pre-1980.

Winchester actually folded in 1979. A group of investors bought the rights to the Winchester name and rifles made beetween 1980-2006 were from the United States Repeating Arms Company. Many will have USRAC stamped on the gun somewhere as well as Winchester. They closed in 2006 and FN, who had purchased the company earlier, moved production into their South Carolina factory and resumed production in 2008. Current rifles are only offered in CRF.

If I owned that rifle, and it shot well, I'd ditch the cheap stock and put it into a decent aftermarket stock and have a decent hunting rifle. But it isn't worth a lot of money.

[taylorce1]

I've got a couple of the old push feed Winchesters one a M70 XTR and M670. They have both proven to be as accurate as anything Remington put out during the same time frame. Both would go under MOA with the right loads.

[jhnrckr]

does it have a claw extractor on it?

[black mamba]

Just reread the op, and the gunsmith has a point. It's a very serviceable rifle and has little resale value, so it's probably worth a lot more to keep than to sell.

[Lloyd Smale]

jmr40 has the right answer

[Jack O'Conner]

I'm thinking that last year of production for 670 was 1973 or 1974. They sold for about $35. less than the regular model 70. Seems like a small amount by 2011 standards but $35. was a day's take home pay for many guys.

Jack

[black mamba]

Jack, I turned 18 in 1973 and bought my first center fire rifle that year, a Model 70 in 30-06. Purchased new from a large sporting goods retail store (not a dedicated gunshop) I paid $164 and change total out the door, with soft case. That $35 less for the 670 was over 20% less, with the only difference being the wood. Even at that time, some thought the less garish 670, without spacers and forend tips, etc., actually looked better.

[warbirdlover]

I thought the 670 was more compact, like the Remington Model 7. And it was NOT pre-64. Maybe just made even cheaper and worse then the post-64 Model 70. It was a sloppily made rifle IMHO. At least if looks meant anything. Might function okay.

Oops. jmr40 has the answer already.

[oneoldsap]

670s are a good servicable blue collar rifle , poor mans Mod. 70 !