# Winchester Model 70 fore end screw eye problem



## TheSonics (Aug 31, 2009)

i have a winchester model 70 in .270 with a synthetic black stock. i bought the rifle secondhand for a pretty good deal. when i tried to put swivel mounts in fore end and the stock the fore end screw eye wouldnt hold. the stock swivel stud fit fine. i took it to a gun shop and they said that the fore end mount threads were stripped and that i had one of two options. either take the action off the stock and drill into the fore end mount and countersink the threads. or use some loctite or jb industro weld to hold the fore end screw eye in. they said it would be 50-70 dollars for the work. should i just use the loctite or jb weld? does anyone have any tips on how or why not to use it? or should i just get it smithed?


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## fi8shmasty (Aug 31, 2009)

If you don't feel confident in taking the barrel and action off.  There would be nothing wrong with gluing it in there. You could use a 2 part epoxy  (Like at the depot) it comes in black, put a very lite coating of oil on the threads and use the epoxy according to the directions. Then you should be able to unscrew the sling swivel screw after the epoxy cures.


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## Twenty five ought six (Aug 31, 2009)

I really don't understand the first option, but if I were in your position, I would drill out the hole for the mount, fill it JB weld, and install the mount.

If you want the mount to be removable, (and I really don't know why you would) coat the threads with a heavy coat of car wax or furniture wax,  wait until the JB Weld has kicked off, and screw in.  Then when the JB Weld has finished, unscrew the mount and clean the wax off.  It should screw back in fine.

Or fill the hole with  JB Weld, keep the stock turned bottom side up, and let the JB Weld completely cure.  24 hours or so.  Make a pilot hole with a drill bit slightly smaller than the screw base on your mount.  Screw in, and go on.

The secret is to drill out the original screw hole so you can have an adequate base to hold the mount screw in.

You could also use something like Accreglas, just would be a lot more expensive.


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## germag (Sep 1, 2009)

My suggestion would be to try to use a process like Twenty five ought six suggested where you fill with an epoxy of some sort and then drill a pilot hole and screw the thing back in. I wouldn't do it with the barreled action in place, though....too much risk of accidentally hitting the barrel with the drill or accidentally epoxying the barrel to the stock.

One thing that is going to be a consideration is the material the stock is made of. If it's an injection molded thermoplastic, you may not be able to get an epoxy to bond well with it. The last thing you need is for the swivel to pull out while you are carrying the rifle slung and have it fall on the scope (they ALWAYS land right on top of the scope). I ruined a Nikon Monarch like that 3 or 4 years ago when the sling buckle broke on my sling.

You might want to consider simply filling the hole as it is with a black epoxy just for looks and then just relocate the sling swivel 1/2" forward or back.

If the stock is a laid up fiberglass stock or something like that, then there's no issue with epoxy bonding to it.


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## Twenty five ought six (Sep 1, 2009)

> My suggestion would be to try to use a process like Twenty five ought six suggested where you fill with an epoxy of some sort and then drill a pilot hole and screw the thing back in. I wouldn't do it with the barreled action in place, though....too much risk of accidentally hitting the barrel with the drill or accidentally epoxying the barrel to the stock.



Yep, I guess I just assumed that the action would be out.


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## NOYDB (Sep 1, 2009)

I'm not clear on what exactly the problem is. When you say foreend screw is stripped are you saying just the place where the swivel is installed or are you saying the front action screw that holds the stock to the action. 

If it's just the swivel screw, then you could use the type of post that is machine threaded and put a nut and lock washer on the inside. May not even have to counter bore it if there's enough clearance.

If you are saying that the front action screw is stripped that's a whole 'nother ball game. You need to have the smith re-thread that or whatever it takes to get a solid lock up with the action or you'll most likely have accuracy problems. That would be a $70 job.

Just fixing a swivel stud mount shouldn't run that much.


Pics would help.


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## jglenn (Sep 1, 2009)

almost all the front swivel mount studs I've seen were the machined sytle NOYDB mentioned. it could well be that the stud is stipped on the end where the nut goes. these nuts generally are pressed into a recess that holds them tight so you can thread the stud up into the fore stock.



if you can take the stud out look at the threads. are they wood screw like or more like a fine machine thread. are the threads  on the end stipped? if so then simply get a new stud from any gunshop

worst case the nut could be slipping or is messed up. in that case you'll need to remove the action from the stock(no big deal) and see exactly what the issue is.


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## TheSonics (Sep 1, 2009)

thanks for all your help, and yes, the screw is slipping out of it's mount hole in the fore end of the stock. the problem isnt so much with the screw as it is the hole/mount that it screws into. the threads on the inside of the mount on the fore end of the stock are stripped.


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## TheSonics (Sep 1, 2009)

just picked up ome of this at home depot, http://www.loctiteproducts.com/products/detail.asp?catid=17&subid=40&plid=517 hopefully itll do the job.


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## NOYDB (Sep 1, 2009)

That will probably work. Make sure you don't fill in too much and epoxy the forearm to the barrel. I'd take the stock off to do the work.


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## TheSonics (Sep 1, 2009)

i already removed the action from the stock. hopefully this works or else it looks like im gonna be walkin around like elmer fudd oct. 17.


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