Winchester Model 70
- Category
- Rifle
- Barrel
- 610 mm
- Weight, empty
- 3.62 kg
- Introduced
- 1936
About
What it is, and why it matters
The Winchester Model 70 is a bolt-action centerfire rifle introduced in 1936 as the successor to the Model 54. Often called 'The Rifleman's Rifle', the pre-1964 design features a Mauser-influenced controlled-round-feed action with a full-length claw extractor, a three-position wing safety, and a hinged floorplate magazine. Renowned for its accuracy and reliability, it became a benchmark American sporting rifle and was pressed into military service as an improvised sniper platform by U.S. forces.
Long marketed as 'The Rifleman's Rifle', the pre-1964 Winchester Model 70 is one of the most revered American bolt-action rifles ever made; its 1964 redesign to cut costs sparked such backlash that 'pre-64' became a coveted collector grade.
The pre-1964 'controlled-round-feed' Model 70 is prized by collectors; a cost-driven 1964 redesign switched to a push-feed bolt and stamped parts, which proved unpopular. Controlled-round-feed was later reintroduced. Production moved to FN Herstal's facility in Columbia, South Carolina after 2008.
Specification
Everything measured
IdentityWhat it is, who built it and when.
- Manufacturer
- Winchester Repeating Arms Company
- Category
- Rifle
- Country
- United States
- Status
- In production
- Produced
- 1936
DimensionsAs issued, without a magazine or an optic.
- Barrel
- 610 mm
- Overall length
- 1118 mm
- Weight, empty
- 3.62 kg
ActionHow it cycles, what trips it, and what feeds it.
- Action
- Bolt action
- Firing mechanism
- Hammer fired
- Trigger
- Single action
- Capacity
- 5
- Magazine
- Fixed box
MaterialsEach swatch is the material itself, not a colour chosen to stand for it.
- Frame
- Steel
- Barrel
- Steel
- Stock
- Walnut
- Finish
- Blued
BallisticsFrom the service cartridge, not a handload.
- Muzzle velocity
- 880 m/s
- Muzzle energy
- 4515 J
- Effective range
- 550 m
Trajectory
What the round does downrange
Solved from the muzzle figures and the bullet. The dashed rule is the effective range on the record, and the crosses are the steps the solver returned.
No load solved for this record yetThe flight path is computed from a cartridge and a bullet. This record has no ammunition filed against its chambering, so there is nothing to solve.
Features
What it has
What the record lists as fitted, drawn from the catalogue.
Controlled round feed
Claw extractor
Hinged floorplate
Drilled and tapped for optics
Adjustable trigger
Standing
How it compares
Each figure against the firearms of the same type and cartridge that record it, or of the same type where that cartridge has too few. Positions are read to the nearest tenth.
| Measurement | This firearm | Median | Position |
|---|---|---|---|
| Empty weightAmong 75 .30-06 Springfield rifles | 3.62 kg | 3.40 kg | Heavier than about 80% |
| Overall lengthAmong 73 .30-06 Springfield rifles | 1118 mm | 1100 mm | Longer than about 70% |
| Barrel lengthAmong 75 .30-06 Springfield rifles | 610 mm | 584 mm | Longer than about 80% |
| Magazine capacityAmong 78 .30-06 Springfield rifles | 5 | 4 | Holds more rounds than about 80% |
Answers
Questions about the Winchester Model 70
How much does the Winchester Model 70 weigh?
The Winchester Model 70 weighs 3.62 kg (7.98 lb) empty.
What caliber is the Winchester Model 70?
The Winchester Model 70 is chambered in .30-06 Springfield.
How many rounds does the Winchester Model 70 hold?
The Winchester Model 70 holds 5 rounds, fed from a fixed box magazine.
How long is the Winchester Model 70?
The Winchester Model 70 is 1118 mm (44.0 in) long overall, with a 610 mm (24.0 in) barrel.
Who makes the Winchester Model 70?
The Winchester Model 70 is made by Winchester Repeating Arms Company (United States). It was designed by Winchester Repeating Arms.
When was the Winchester Model 70 introduced?
The Winchester Model 70 was introduced in 1936.
How does the Winchester Model 70 operate?
The Winchester Model 70 uses a bolt action, and its firing mechanism is hammer fired.
Compatibility
Which parts fit this firearm
Studio
Every part that mounts on this, resolved
Not a list the maker typed out: the answer comes from the mounts this firearm exposes and the interface each part needs, so it stays right when either one changes.
- Every part that mounts on any firearm in the catalogue
- Interface standards, platforms and fit overrides
- The same answers through the API and the MCP server
Requires a signed-in GunSpec account on the Studio plan. The answer is computed per part, so it is not part of the public record.
Provenance
What the record holds
Every figure above was taken from one of these pages. The confidence reflects how much of the record came from a page a claim can be checked against.
In service
- United States Marine Corps
- 1942
- United States Army
- United States
Provenance
Confidence in this record
86%
Stockists
Where to buy
Offers link straight to the shop. GunSpec never takes the order.
No shop has listed this firearm yet
Stock and prices come from the shops themselves. If you sell this firearm, you can list it and it appears here.
List a firearmMCP
Ask an assistant about it
The same record, reached the way a person asks for it rather than the way a program does.
Ask GunSpec
Works with
Point an MCP client at GunSpec and it answers from the catalogue rather than from memory. A free key covers the read tools.
API
The call that returns this record
The same fields, in the same units, from the same endpoint the page reads.
curl --request GET \ --url 'https://api.gunspec.io/v1/firearms/winchester-70' \ --header 'X-API-Key: your_key'{ "id": "winchester-70", "name": "Winchester Model 70", "manufacturer": { "id": "winchester", "name": "Winchester Repeating Arms Company", "countryCode": "US", "foundedYear": 1866, "website": "https://www.winchesterguns.com", "logoUrl": null, "description": null, "status": null, "defunctYear": null, "stateOwned": null, "makesFirearms": null, "parentId": null, "predecessorId": null, "createdAt": "2026-02-11 23:44:38", "updatedAt": "2026-02-18 03:40:45", "version": "032f75658544de9d931ca09f772b9ab92b282bf53db67851bf4eb3f8c0612520" }, "category": { "id": "rifle", "name": "Rifle", "description": "Long-barreled firearms designed for accurate shooting" }, "country_of_origin": "US", "year_introduced": 1936, "barrel_length_mm": 610, "weight_empty_g": 3620, "action_type": "bolt_action"}