Am I correct in my belief that a Model 54 Winchester can be converted to a low scope safety by fitting a pre-64 Model 70 bolt sleeve, firing pin and cocking piece?

Yes and somewhat.

The Slow Lock guns are bear and require a newly made cocking piece and firing pin.

The Speed Lock guns can be converted much easier

JW

I believe the Model 54 has the same bolt handle shape as the PW M70. If so you will have to modify the bolt handle if you use a post war shroud. The other option is to use a pre war shroud and/or a pre war shroud with a Tilden safety. The Tilden safetys are great but are hard to find and expensive now.

No, a unaltered M54 bolt handle is far different than any M70 handle.

The sleeve threads are the same, so the M70 sleeve will screw in with no issue.

The big problem is the M54 has a ODD sear set up so the M70 firing pin WILL NOT work. A new cocking piece needs to be made and then its easy to make that into a one piece firing pin like the M70.

But the BIG issue is making the cocking piece, depending on if the bolt is a slow or speed lock.

J Wisner

Yep, the 54 bolt handle is not scope friendly unless you have a neck like a giraffe! bug its simple enough to tig weld a mod. 70 bolt on..

I have a 54 that Winchester converted to a mod. 70 more or less, they overstamped the 70 to 54 on the mod. 70 replacement barrel, added a mod 70 pre war safety, and bolt handle, kept the 54 bottom metal and trigger..They did this for those that had 54s when they came out with the mod. 70 and at no charge..My dad and my uncle sent their 54s in for that service..not many folks know this, shows that back in the day it was all customer service and not money...I found and purchased one of these guns a couple of weeks ago, its a super nice gun, lean and mean with the schnable stock..Collectors like these guns..