Re: Why did Marines go from M70 Win to M700 Rem?
<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: ArcticLight</div><div class="ubbcode-body">It had everything to do with WInchester not giving a rats ass about doing a contract or getting back to the USMC - Remington stepped up to the plate and said "Lets do it" - The USMC actually contacted Winchester but they were not very responsive...
All about politics and military contracting...
<span style="font-weight: bold">FYI - the late model 70's had the same features as the PRe-64 - control round feeding, something about the extractor</span>....WInchester finally listened to the customers then threw them under the bus... </div></div>
Actually, the Model 70s' produced in the late 70s', (really, Model 70s' produced between 1964 and 1993) were very different from the Pre-64 and "Classic" (introduced in 1994) Model 70s'. The Pre-64 action and the "Classic" feature a large, full length external claw extractor and a fixed blade-type ejector for positive feeding and ejection. The lip of the extractor snap-ups in front of the case head as the round is stripped from the magazine, capturing the case head between the extractor lip and the bolt face. The claw maintains "control" of the round from the time that it engages the case head to the time that the case is ejected. Hence the "CRF" (Controlled Round Feed) name. The external extractor is very strong and provides both control very positive extraction.
When properly fed, (rounds are inserted into the magazine and not just placed in front of the bolt) it is <span style="font-style: italic">really</span> hard to break the extractor on a CRF M70 (Pre-64 or Classic design). The rationale behind feeding from the magazine is so that the extractor lip "pops-up" to engage the case head, instead of the extractor lip being forced over the case head as the round is chambered. Some people say <span style="font-style: italic">"you don't have to do that - I just throw the round on top and close the bolt"</span>. Yeah, OK - whatever floats your boat. I'd venture to say that some people who do this are used to a Model 700 - others may be in a hurry, don't realize you could damage the extractor (pretty hard), or are just lazy. Because of this, many years ago Winchester started beveling the lip of the extractor to help the lip slip over the case head more easily. While this works, it is not the way the M70's CRF system was designed to operate. IMHO its' better to insert the round into the magazine on a CRF Model 70.
The Post-64 Model 70s' employ a clusterfuck called Controlled Round Push Feed (CRPF). On the CRPF bolt, a large extractor built into the bolthead guides the round as it is stripped from the magazine (much like the CRF on a Pre-64 or Classic action). The design seems to work, but the extractor isn't nearly as robust as that of a Pre-64 or Classic design. I also prefer the CRF's fixed blade-type ejector over the CRPF's button type.
Keith
These things are made by people and as such are subject to mistakes. I own both 70 and 700 and as far as parts the 700 is far easier to get parts for. In the process of building an M40a1 and had to make my own repro trig. guard because I couldn't find a pre-war at a decent price. Spent more in time but got what I wanted and felt better because I didn't fill someone else's pocket... good practice too. 
