I have had an old Win. 54 carbine 30-06 for many years and always used it with irons and for a saddle gun...It is D&T for scope and someone bent the bolt handle a bit..I intend to repace the bolt handle and thats not a problem, but I don't know what options I have for a safety that will work with a scope..I know that at one time some company made a 3 pos. mod. 70 type safety for the 54 and that would be ideal if I could find one...Perhaps some of you smiths could modify a Dayton Traister, or Timney Buehler safty to work, if not does anyone have a suggestion.

Ray, I had one in the shop for bluing last year. Someone had cut off the original "flag" and silver soldered it back on at a steep angle. Looked like crap but worked. Something like that might be done.

Not being a Winchester expert, I can't say what's available or if the Mod 70 shroud will interchange. But, given that the original Mod 54 safety is pretty much a smaller clone of the Mauser 98, you may look to the FN Left side safety for inspiration.

I had a buddy at Lassen who modified a ton of Mauser milsurp safeties to operate like the FN left side safety. They looked very nice and were scope friendly..

quote:

Originally posted by z1r:
Not being a Winchester expert, I can't say what's available or if the Mod 70 shroud will interchange. But, given that the original Mod 54 safety is pretty much a smaller clone of the Mauser 98, you may look to the FN Left side safety for inspiration.

I had a buddy at Lassen who modified a ton of Mauser milsurp safeties to operate like the FN left side safety. They looked very nice and were scope friendly..

I've bench-fabbed several of these left-side safeties for Mausers and 1903 Springfields, it's not difficult but it DOES require some artistry in shaping the flag and some care in shaping/polishing the camming surfaces. I used a round rod welded into a steel block, and then shaped the rod's end to lock the bolt, and then shaped the steel block into a flag. Takes about an hour or a little more, and you end up with whatever shape that trips your trigger (grin).

You can also fab a sliding or rotating thumb piece that will lock the bottom sear housing rather than the striker, and you can make the thumb piece either side-hung or tang-mounted.

Or you can probably just buy a Buehler made for some other rifle and just alter it to fit the 54. I'll bet that the locking rods are all the same diameter or close.

Like Paul Simon says in the song, there are fifty ways....
Regards, Joe