Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Winchester Collectors Pics of the model 54 and safety

WAG: That might be a M70 bolt(?).

Might also be a M70 stock.

Oops i take it back...there's no M70 bolt release. Trigger looks like M54 from here.

Safety is M70

M70 bolt in an M54. There is no bolt catch.

The serial number on the bolt matches the gun, gunsmith must have modified it. 34xxxA

That certainly appears to be a M/70 bolt, I don't understand how it works with the M/54's bolt stop as it is quite a bit different than the M/70's. I would like to see a pic of how the M/54's stamped trigger guard/floorplate fits the inletting of the M/70 stock. The rifle is a unique combination of modifications to allow the use of a scope on a rifle that was never designed for scope use.

Appears to be M70 bottom metal with that release. Have no idea if it would work, but if numbers on bolt and receiver match, looks like a M70 receiver, bolt and bottom metal with a M54 trigger.

Just saw op's last post, the A suffix in serial# indicates it's a M54 receiver, but a M70 bolt shouldn't have an A in the serial#. Maybe a factory r&r?

Checkering on stock is different pattern than on my 54. Like others say. Looks like 70 type pattern. But that's appears to be only visual difference from wood on my 54.

Edit; but even that is hard to tell from pic. I dunno???

You have to pull the trigger to get the bolt out. My buddy had the gun for 30 years and bought from original owner. I was asking him about it and he said the guy had a picture from 1939 where he had won a ham in a shooting contest. I wish I could get that picture, But he passed away years ago. He had bought it in 1931.

Geez, who knows. The rifle might have gone back to Winchester for a modified safety and other work at some point.

The stock throws me a bit because any M54 I have ever seen had a schnabel for end,and were trimmer than the standard M70 stock.....that is unless they changed stocks late in the M54 production.

Time to cruise through Rule!


Well I take it back again....there are pictures in Rule of that style stock on M54's. So there you go!

It was my understanding that the early stocks had the schnabel forend and quite a bit of drop in the buttstock. Townsend Whelen was involved in the design of a more modern stock which had a straighter comb and the schnabel was eliminated. Some collectors call this the "improved stock", I have seen M/54's with both stock designs. As for pulling the trigger to remove the bolt I was aware that this is the way in which a M/54 bolt is removed. I believe that a M/70 bolt would have to be modified to work with the M/54 bolt stop. Perhaps the OP could post a pic of the underside of the bolt, I believe a M/54 bolt has a cut on the bottom which allows the sear to function as the bolt stop. While I have several M/70's and am familiar with their bolt, it has been a while since I have seen a M/54 bolt.

Early First Standard Rifle M54's had the schnabel tip, the later NRA Standard Rifle M54 was without the schnabel forend....

Well it is either a model 70 bolt modified with a bolt catch notch or someone did a heck of a good job modifying the bolt handle on a model 54 bolt. The bolt bodies from above are the same on 70's and 54's.

It has been a while, but I don't think M70 shrouds line up properly on a M54 bolt; I think they come up 1/4 turn short, or a M54 shroud comes up a 1/4 turn short on a M70 bolt body???

The later M54 had stocks very similar to M70

This what I got from the book

Another common source of confusion is the occurrence of the model 70 Breech bolt, breech bolt sleeves and safeties on model 54's. In the 1940's when rifles were returned the factory for speed locks/gas port improvements model 70 parts were sometimes adapted and substituted n cases where inventories of model 54 components had been depleted.

Cool thread guys and really neat rifle. Thanks for sharing..

Thanks 79S! Makes sense!

Enjoyed learning!!! That's guys!!!

I'm thinking of selling this rifle if there is any interest. Asking $700 shipped.

I'm always interested in a good Model 54! What is it chambered in? Have more pics?

Yeah. Me too.

donsm70

.30-06, pm me your email and I'll get you some pics.