Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Custom Rifles & Wildcats Photo essay of McMillan stocks for Model 70

Based on the thread that BobinNH started regarding the choice of a Compact pattern stock for a pre-64 Model 70, I offered to develop a photo essay based on some different stocks that I have. I also built a "positioning template" so that anyone could take additional photos and we could have the basis for a valid comparison.



The positioning template is two parallel lines 2" apart, and the centerline of bore covers the top one. Three perpendicular lines spaced 1.5" apart are used to show the grip geometry. The rifle is positioned so the trigger lays on the left most perpendicular line. A line 17 3/4" forward of the trigger line is used as the basis for the comparison of forend length. (Don't ask why I didn't use 18".) Photos must be taken as close to vertical as possible, otherwise the apparent drop of the butt will be distorted. And all are for Winchester Model 70 classics, except for the short action, which is push feed. All barrel lengths measured from the front of receiver.

McMillan Echols Legend, long action 24" barrel





McMillan Supergrade 24" barrel



McMillan Remington Mountain rifle stock, modified for M70 21 1/2" barrel


McMillan Compact pattern 22" barrel


McMillan Winchester Classic (sorry for the poor focus)



Factory tupperware for short M 70 23" barrel
[img]http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v703/utah708/P1120025.jpg[/img]

Bridges' pattern for short M 70 23" barrel
[img]http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v703/utah708/P1120026.jpg[/img]

McMillan Featherweight 22 3/8" barrel
[img]http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v703/utah708/Featherweight.jpg[/img]
At any rate, it appears that features such as grip shape, forend length, and drop all become much more visible on the positioning template. I encourage others to add photos as well and hope that this will be helpful for people considering buying stocks that they have never had a chance to handle.

Thank you - that is very informative and useful.

Had a Supergrade stock on a Model 70 and while it handled recoil well the grip was a teensy bit too open for me. Comparing that to the very long and open Compact pattern, which is the same design as their Hunter's Edge, has cured me of any desire to ever own one of those.

Can anybody show something like this with a McMillan M70 Featherweight style?

Actually, you asking for the featherweight reminded me that I had one, so I added it into the original post.

Part of the reason for doing it was so that people could compare these photos to stocks that they had, and either liked or didn't like. For me, I like the open grips on things like the compact. This is why it is nice to have choice.

Man, you guys have no idea how much anxiety this relieves! I was going to ask utah708 today by pm for the same info on the same rifle stocks as he has used here. I've got a M70 lh Classic in 270 Win that'll be here on the 16th, and McMillans go up 10% on the 1st of January. Now I at least know much more about which one to order. Thanks so much!
My main question was which stocks may look too short for a 22-24" barrel.

Yes, stock fit is so subjective. From the picture the Featherweight definitely has the more closed grip I prefer. Been thinking that a Featherweight with the Edge technology would be the way to go and your pictures help verify that.

Thank you again!

Ok, I went back and added barrel lengths, so you could see how they matched up with different forends. Sorry that the barrels are cut off in some of the photos, but I wasn't keying on that.

I think that the barrel/forend aesthetic is an seldom considered factor when people are building guns. I have put an action with a 21" featherweight barrel in the Legend stock, and it looks funny--the barrel just looks lost in there. the brown stock with red pad has had 1 1/2" cut out of the tip to make it match that barrel better. I also think the foreend on the Win tupperware stock is too long, even with the 23" barrel in it.

Absolutely! Thanks for your work here -- this is extremely illuminating. What is the difference between the "Bridge" and the "Compact"? And where can I get either in walnut ?

Dennis

Edited to add (Other than the "Bridge" has the bolt on the correct side of the action ...)

What I am referring to as the Bridges' is the stock that J. Earl Bridges designed that is prorietary and available through Hill Country. I suspect that a stock duplicator would be willing to run a copy of a fiberglass stock for you so that you can have one in walnut.

I will probably end up selling that stock. I got it for my wife and son, built a dandy .260 Rem using it. But they both like the feel of the tupperware stock better. No accounting for taste.

I knew that doing this essay with almost all LH stocks would perplex the lysdexics.

And the wanlut sluts...

Dang I looked at wanlut sluts for a long time before I saw anything amiss.

Great essay. Very informative. Thanks for taking the time.

Utah: That is very interesting and helpful.Thanks for going to all the trouble to demonstrate how all these stocks compare. That was very nice of you.

The rifles are slick,too! Can I come live with you...

Glad you saw it.

There are not as many guns sitting around as that number of stocks would imply--several stocks are shown with the same barreled action. But sure you can come live with me; it is snow shoveling season, and we're supposed to get a big dump tonight.

We'll buy a plow! We have power outages in the region....I have a pile of people coming to stay here tonite!What fun!

Good stuff. Thanks for posting this.

7-08,

Fantastic job and concept.

Confirmed a lot of what I thought I knew.

Thanks for all the work in posting this up.

Rick should put this up as a sticky as more info is added.

MM

I think it could be a useful sticky, particularly if it got populated with stocks that I don't have. There are a lot of the Remington, Sako/Tikka variants that ought to be added.

I own a Left Hand SS Model 70 Classic in 270 Win with the Pre-64 type action and I'm getting ready to order a McMillian Edge or Featherweight for this rifle. My question the for-end on the featherweight looks very flimsy and i was wondering if the floated barrel would touch if you rested the rifle on bags close to the tip of the for end?

Whether it deflected enough to touch would depend a lot on how much of a gap there was in the inletting. I will say that the stocks I have handled in EDGE construction are stiff as a girder.

Everyone's body shape and preferences are different, but having both, I greatly prefer the Compact/Hunter's EDGE pattern to the featherwieght

I have the Edge on my 243 Win Montana 99 LH and this rifle has the Model 70 Featherweight contour Pac-Nor Barrel and i love it. I just like the Schnabel Forend tip on the Featherweight McMillian and was wanting to try one just like the Blue Stock in your photo. I also have the Super Grade McMillian on my LH Model 70 in 270 WSM.