Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Winchester Collectors M54 and M70 differences?

I have a 1937 m54. don't shoot it much.
just curious, what did they change when they made the m70 to make it improved over the 54?

I don’t have my 54 in front of me, but the safeties are different. The model 54 is more similar to a Mauser safety. The trigger is also a two stage. I’m sure there are more differences, but they really are quite similar.

The Model 54 requires some bolt work in order to mount a scope, and the trigger sear is the bolt stop, two "issues" that were remedied in the Model 70. The safety turns in the opposite direction of the 1903 Springfield safety.

"The safety turns in the opposite direction of the 1903 Springfield safety."

I always speculated that’s why the Model 54 safety’s were marked "safe" and "fire".

Unless the 1903 safety is a reversed safety on a target rifle.

Further differences: stamped vs.miilled trigger guard, bolt sleeve different (to accommodate the side swing safety), extractor different (But 70 can be made to work on 54 with some minor mods).

which is the stamped and which is milled trigger guard?

I was only stating what I knew. Thanks for the added input to keep me clear. I would have never known about or seen the "safe" and "fire" markings Sir without you setting me straight.

LOL! Only reason I mentioned it was hoping someone who really knew would chime in. Wasn’t trying to be smart asstical or anything. Like I said was always speculation on my part. Have a good weekend!

Edit,

With all the WWI vets around who trained on the 1903, was the reason for my speculation. I’ve also always suspected that the reverse safety reaaon was an attempt to get around any Mauser patents. But I don’t know It for fact.

which is the stamped and which is milled trigger guard?

54 fp stamped, and not hinged. Manually cycle cartridges to unload, though I do it without putting them in full battery. Just so long as the extractor has them.

70 fp is hinged.

I have seen Model 54s with Model 70 bolt assemblies, i understand that this was a factory conversion?

The accumulative changes between the M54 and M70 changed the 54 from a real good rifle to the new M70 which was and is a great rifle action design. There were actually many changes made to the action. In addition to some of the changes already mentioned, there are a couple other major ones worth mentioning: the lock time of the M54 with standard firing pin mainspring was 5.2 while the M70 has the much faster lock time of 3.5 which is almost as fast as the Rem. 700 at 3.0. However, even more significant was relocating the front guard screw from INTO the recoil lug, of the 54 to IN BACK OF the large lug into the middle of the large flat area to the rear of the lug. This provided a much better stock bedding surface which contributed to the dominance of the M70 in hi-power competition over many years. From time to time I've thought it would be neat to have a 54, but when you start looking at all the functional changes made, it becomes very hard to justify buying a 54 unless for just nostalgia. For those interested in the details of those changes, the best and most technical I've ever read is the book "The Bolt Action" by Stuart Otteson.

bobski, thanks for your excellent post on the Win M-54.
Short answer is the important one when you compare the later 54’s to the pre war 70’s. To unload unfired rounds from the 54 you must work the bolt to unload each unfired cartridge whereas with the 70 with its hinged floor plate you only needed to release the hinge and catch the falling rounds as they fall in your hand. Otherwise the differences are neglegible between pre war model 70’s.
Tom

i certainly received an education with everyones posts. thank you all.
this old 54 sits in the gun case practically the way it was given to me back in 1990. the widow passed it on to me because it was her time to go on to the next world. along with it came an early 4 digit m70 in 30-06. she bought both for her husband as a birthday gift....then in less than 6 months, he died. she held on to them since 1937. he shot the 70 a few times, shot the 22 hornet m54 a few times, but that was it. this m54 still has cozmoline on the bolt. I only shoot it on special occasions, and its been 23 years since the last special occasion. a busy life never allowed me the time to learn of this gun. it is one of the nicest guns I ever held. it just sems to fit and feel like an extension of my hands.
and if you are wondering, the m70 was sold to a family member since I don't shoot 30-06. its still in his closet now....racking up years, still like the day it was made. seems some guns are destined to be time machines, kept in perfect condition to be enjoyed by the next generation.

Recall reading that Winchester never used Cosmoline on their guns, may or may not be accurate.

my uncle worked in Winchester. they had it.

I've observed old timers and new timers refer to every heavy rust preventive grease as "cosmoline". It has been a generic term in our vernacular for a looooong time.

bingo........
sorta like flavored sugar water is all called koolaid.

I have had several Model 70, and 54. Depending on the year of manufacturing some M54s don’t have the safe/fire written on the saftey lever. Also before 1933 or so the M54 had a two piece firing pin and no vent hole in the receiver. Winchester did offer the modification of the bolt for the One piece firing pin and would drill the gas escape hole like the M 70. If you sent your M 54 to the factory for any reason the two mods were done, apparently Winchester thought it was a saftey issue that needed to be addressed. They also added the small firing pin retainer pin(the diagonal small screw in the bolt shroud) which was to retain the firing pin in a gas release. The firing pin was said to have blown back in some instances of gas release. The same pin is seen on the M70. I have a 1927 M54 in .270 it has the gas escape hole drilled but doesn’t have the firing pin modification or the retainer pin? I’ve read the M54 could have any combination of the modification ie. Retainer pin and no escape hole in receiver, one piece FP but no retainer pin, gas escape hole and no FP modification like mine. There were several different stocks also,mine has the very trim snabble tipped forearm stock were as the later models had the NRA model stock which looked more like the M70. There were also sniper,super Grade and target stocks. There were some M54 that were modified to use a M70 bolt when Winchester ran out of M54 bolts.
The M54s I’ve owned/shot were all very accurate and the actions were smooth as glass. While the M70 had some improvements the M54 is still a quality rifle. IMO if a scope is not used they are equal to the M70. The added saftey features and two stage trigger are the main advantage of the M70

I'm no collector guru guy, but sometime around '29 or '30 they changed from a Mauser style long travel lock/sear/striker assy to a shorter speed lock design. Quite a noticeable difference, I've shot both, and it was a real improvement IMO. But then I'm the only guy who probably preferred the early schnabel, slender style stock to the later NRA style Louisville slugger...which was the prolly the parent of the model 70 nicely checkered and finished railroad tie stock.