Winchester Model 70...no floor plate to floor plate conversion

Logan9885 · May 13, 2011, 08:54 PM

I recently bought a model 70 in 270 wsm with no floor plate just the trigger guard. I really want to put a floor plate on it to make it eaiser to remove shells and it just looks cheap with no floor plate. I know I will need a diff. stock. I just dont know what all else I will need. I would appreciate the advice and if you know of any places that sell floor plates, that would help also.

James K · May 13, 2011, 10:21 PM

You have the Model 70A, a less expensive version of the Model 70 made to compete with Remington's 700 ADL. I am not absolutely sure, but I don't think you need a new stock. I believe all you will need is the floorplate, hinge plate and trigger guard; AFAIK the magazine box, follower and spring are the same. For the parts, see www.gunpartscorp.com for the floorplate (Winchester calls it the magazine cover). You will need not only the floorplate and the magazine cover hinge plate, but also the trigger guard with the plunger to retain the magazine cover. Now for the interesting part - the cover will run around $70, the hinge plate around $20 and the trigger guard maybe over $100. You will also have to inlet the stock, something to be done very carefully. With the prices of the parts involved, and the labor if you can't do the work yourself, you might reconsider the project or think about trading for a rifle that already has a floorplate.

Jim

Rifleman1776 · May 14, 2011, 08:33 AM

That Mod. 70 is/was also sometimes called a Ranger.
I have one in 30-06 and believe the lack of a floorplate is a desirable feature. I recall watching a close relative show off his new something-magnum rifle to me, very expensive gun. He took one shot and the floorplate flew open dropping his ammo on the ground.

This is not an unusual happening with floorplates. But it can't happen with your rifle the way it is right now.
It only takes a few seconds to unload a blind box (no magazine) rifle. Wats the fuss?

James K · May 14, 2011, 10:53 PM

FWIW, I have several Remington Model 700 ADL's with the solid bottom. I just like the looks of them and have no real problem unloading them, though it takes a bit longer than just pushing a floor plate catch.

Jim

20thru45 · May 16, 2011, 01:38 AM

I strongly favor blind magazines (what you have). You can buy bottom metal at Brownells or Midway but your fixing what's not broken. i just dropped a couple grand on a custom rifle with a blind magazine.

Admittedly I adamantly refuse to acknowledge aesthetic considerations on firearms. To me they are hammers and I only care about how they swing and drive nails, pound stakes etc.

jduff8505 · March 18, 2012, 11:25 AM

This is the thread that caused me to join this forum. I wasn't exactly sure what I had, and wasn't getting much help on another forum. Well at least this started the ball rolling on my knowledge of the gun.

Now for the details.

Winchester Model 70 (70A?) 30-06
S/N G1223xxx (Date 1976?)
Value ? (I bought the gun several years ago for $500)
The gun looks like brand new and I have never fired it and can't tell if it ever has been fired.
Pentax Gameseeker 3-9X40
Kwiksite open rings.

A few pics

Jeff

PetahW · March 18, 2012, 12:20 PM

You did OK - The current Gameseeker's a little under $100 ( http://swfa.com/Pentax-3-9x40-Gamese...pe-P45827.aspx ), and the push-feed Model 70's worth $450-$500.

It's STILL a Model 70, complete with adj trigger - so what's not to like ?

(AFAIK, BTW, they've all been fired at least once, before leaving the factory.)

.

jduff8505 · March 18, 2012, 02:32 PM

Was told on another forum it was worth about $250. I'll come right out and say that I'll give $250 for any Model 70 if someone feels they have been saddled with a worthless gun. Lol.

Jeff

1SG Ret · March 19, 2012, 11:57 AM

I recently converted mine from a blind magazine to a floorplate. Someone I know who builds custom rifles on Model 70 actions gave me a take-off stock, floorplate, and trigger guard. They bolted right up using my magazine box, spring and follower. By the way, mine is a model 770 (and looked exactly like yours before the conversion). Winchester made a Model 670 and Model 770 for a few years in the early 1970s. Not sure of the 670, but my 770 is a push feed and resembled the 70 in every way except for the blind box.

kraigwy · March 19, 2012, 06:03 PM

I went the other way, I took a model 70 Action and got rid of the mag, follower............the works and made a single shot target rifle.

It was my 1000 yard gun. The match calls for single loading and so I didn't figure I wanted the mag. I use a heavy Bishop Stock, figuring if I didn't hog it out for the mag, floor plate 'n such, it would be stronger. Did dig out the stock a bit and filled it full of glass with nickle powder mixed in.

I don't know if my theory was all wet or not, but it sure shoots good, even though its a bit heavy.

May 13, 2011, 08:54 PM	#1
Logan9885 Member Join Date: January 28, 2011 Posts: 81	Winchester Model 70...no floor plate to floor plate conversion I recently bought a model 70 in 270 wsm with no floor plate just the trigger guard. I really want to put a floor plate on it to make it eaiser to remove shells and it just looks cheap with no floor plate. I know I will need a diff. stock. I just dont know what all else I will need. I would appreciate the advice and if you know of any places that sell floor plates, that would help also.

March 19, 2012, 06:03 PM	#10
kraigwy Senior Member Join Date: June 16, 2008 Location: Wyoming Posts: 11,061	I went the other way, I took a model 70 Action and got rid of the mag, follower............the works and made a single shot target rifle. It was my 1000 yard gun. The match calls for single loading and so I didn't figure I wanted the mag. I use a heavy Bishop Stock, figuring if I didn't hog it out for the mag, floor plate 'n such, it would be stronger. Did dig out the stock a bit and filled it full of glass with nickle powder mixed in. I don't know if my theory was all wet or not, but it sure shoots good, even though its a bit heavy. __________________ Kraig Stuart CPT USAR Ret USAMU Sniper School Distinguished Rifle Badge 1071

May 13, 2011, 10:21 PM	#2
James K Member In Memoriam Join Date: March 17, 1999 Posts: 24,383	You have the Model 70A, a less expensive version of the Model 70 made to compete with Remington's 700 ADL. I am not absolutely sure, but I don't think you need a new stock. I believe all you will need is the floorplate, hinge plate and trigger guard; AFAIK the magazine box, follower and spring are the same. For the parts, see www.gunpartscorp.com for the floorplate (Winchester calls it the magazine cover). You will need not only the floorplate and the magazine cover hinge plate, but also the trigger guard with the plunger to retain the magazine cover. Now for the interesting part - the cover will run around $70, the hinge plate around $20 and the trigger guard maybe over $100. You will also have to inlet the stock, something to be done very carefully. With the prices of the parts involved, and the labor if you can't do the work yourself, you might reconsider the project or think about trading for a rifle that already has a floorplate. Jim

May 14, 2011, 08:33 AM	#3
Rifleman1776 Senior Member Join Date: April 25, 2010 Location: Arkansas Posts: 3,309	That Mod. 70 is/was also sometimes called a Ranger. I have one in 30-06 and believe the lack of a floorplate is a desirable feature. I recall watching a close relative show off his new something-magnum rifle to me, very expensive gun. He took one shot and the floorplate flew open dropping his ammo on the ground. This is not an unusual happening with floorplates. But it can't happen with your rifle the way it is right now. It only takes a few seconds to unload a blind box (no magazine) rifle. Wats the fuss?

May 14, 2011, 10:53 PM	#4
James K Member In Memoriam Join Date: March 17, 1999 Posts: 24,383	FWIW, I have several Remington Model 700 ADL's with the solid bottom. I just like the looks of them and have no real problem unloading them, though it takes a bit longer than just pushing a floor plate catch. Jim

May 16, 2011, 01:38 AM	#5
20thru45 Senior Member Join Date: January 19, 2011 Location: In the first foothills of the Cascade mountains outside Portland OR Posts: 156	I strongly favor blind magazines (what you have). You can buy bottom metal at Brownells or Midway but your fixing what's not broken. i just dropped a couple grand on a custom rifle with a blind magazine. Admittedly I adamantly refuse to acknowledge aesthetic considerations on firearms. To me they are hammers and I only care about how they swing and drive nails, pound stakes etc.

March 18, 2012, 11:25 AM	#6
jduff8505 Junior Member Join Date: March 18, 2012 Posts: 3	This is the thread that caused me to join this forum. I wasn't exactly sure what I had, and wasn't getting much help on another forum. Well at least this started the ball rolling on my knowledge of the gun. Now for the details. Winchester Model 70 (70A?) 30-06 S/N G1223xxx (Date 1976?) Value ? (I bought the gun several years ago for $500) The gun looks like brand new and I have never fired it and can't tell if it ever has been fired. Pentax Gameseeker 3-9X40 Kwiksite open rings. A few pics Jeff

March 18, 2012, 12:20 PM	#7
PetahW Senior Member Join Date: September 19, 2008 Posts: 4,678	You did OK - The current Gameseeker's a little under $100 ( http://swfa.com/Pentax-3-9x40-Gamese...pe-P45827.aspx ), and the push-feed Model 70's worth $450-$500. It's STILL a Model 70, complete with adj trigger - so what's not to like ? (AFAIK, BTW, they've all been fired at least once, before leaving the factory.) .

March 18, 2012, 02:32 PM	#8
jduff8505 Junior Member Join Date: March 18, 2012 Posts: 3	Was told on another forum it was worth about $250. I'll come right out and say that I'll give $250 for any Model 70 if someone feels they have been saddled with a worthless gun. Lol. Jeff

March 19, 2012, 11:57 AM	#9
1SG Ret Junior Member Join Date: August 26, 2010 Posts: 8	I recently converted mine from a blind magazine to a floorplate. Someone I know who builds custom rifles on Model 70 actions gave me a take-off stock, floorplate, and trigger guard. They bolted right up using my magazine box, spring and follower. By the way, mine is a model 770 (and looked exactly like yours before the conversion). Winchester made a Model 670 and Model 770 for a few years in the early 1970s. Not sure of the 670, but my 770 is a push feed and resembled the 70 in every way except for the blind box.