Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Winchester Collectors Win'54 barrel on a Post '64 action

Will this work? How much work will need to be done to the 30-06 bolt? Please help? Trying to put a Mod '54 30-30 barrel on a post '64 action. powdr

Hi Powdr. The answer is... probably. The M54 barrel has 1"x16 thread, just like the pre 64 model 70, and just like MOST post 63 model 70s. However, the newest model 70s have a slightly larger tenon with a finer thread pitch. I think it is 1.062"x28. For those later build FN model 70s, the model 54 barrel will not work.

Win, it is an early '69ish 30-06 made by Sears. The barrel is toast I was more curious about any bolt altercations to the face and feeding issues. If you can help, let me know. powdr

The thread pitch and diameter of pre 64 and New Haven M70's is the same. You will just need to fit the barrel up; remove the cone breech as needed. As far as the bolt goes, I would get a 30-30 case and see how it fits the the pushfeed bolt face before I went any further on the project. See if the extractor will grab the rimmed case and also if the case head will fit in the bolt face recess. If that doesn't look good, see if you can find a magnum bolt to try the fit on the case. I have done similar with Springfield and 1917 Enfield barrels but that was a few years (more than a few) and can't remember all of the details but do know if you are careful you won't need a reamer to do the job. The push feed bolt face is the bigger issue. It is nothing to open up a claw extractor and bolt face to do the job. If the job seems do able you will need to make parallel slanted partitons in the mag box so that the rims are in front of the cartridge below them.

That brings up the factor I thought of when reading the post. Fitting the barrel should be nothing that a qualified smith or a machinist can't accomplish. Altering the magazine will be much harder. Look at the magazine box and follower of a M54 .30-30 and you will see what I mean. Just installing baffles fore and aft probably won't be enough.

Of course, a magazine isn't necessary unless you plan to hunt with it, and even then probably not. Were it mine, I would be sorely tempted to make it a single shot with maybe an aluminum feed tray built in place of a spring-fed magazine.

Lots to be said for a .30-30 bolt gun. It is an ideal platform (IMO) for experimentation, especially with cast bullets.