Winchester Resumes Production of Model 70 Rifles in 2008

Winchester Repeating Arms, now a subsidiary of FH Herstal, plans to resume production of Model 70 rifles in 2008. Delivery will commence in June of 2008. The rifles will be built at the modern FN Manufacturing Plant in Columbia, South Carolina. This facility operates under ISO 9001 production standards.

The new Model 70s will have both classic and new features. The latest generation of Model 70s will retain a three-position safety, and the Pre-64 controlled round feeding. However, the new guns will be fitted with the completely new “M.O.A.™ Trigger System”. This three-lever trigger adjusts from 3 to 5 pounds. Triggers will be set at 3.75 pounds, and Winchester claims: “the trigger mechanism [will] exhibit zero take up, zero creep and zero overtravel.” We shall see–it’s hard to image a shooter-friendly trigger that would function well with absolutely no take-up.

The new Winchester Model 70 will be offered in a Super Grade, Featherweight™ Deluxe, Sporter Deluxe and Extreme Weather SS models for 2008. Prices start at $999.00 MSRP for the Sporter Deluxe. All models will feature a Pachmayr® Decelerator® pad and hammer-forged barrels. Winchester claims that Model 70 barrels will deliver “1 MOA accuracy for 3-shot groups using properly managed barrel, quality match ammo and superior optics under ideal weather and range conditions.” Future testing will determine whether Winchester’s accuracy claims are warranted.

Large Photo FeatherWeight Deluxe

Large Photo Super Grade