Winchester Model 54 question

[Darkenfast]

This is one of those "I know a widow...." situations. A friend has several longarms left from her husband. She has sold some in the past, but I saw she had a Model 54, and told her that I'd be interested if she ever wanted to sell it. I must explain that I know very little about hunting rifles, but years ago I found that I really enjoyed learning to shoot a Navy M-14 and thought that a good bolt action with receiver sights would be a nice thing to have someday. I've looked up as much as I could find on the internet, so I know the basic history of the model. This one's in 30-06, Lyman receiver sight (I assume its a Model 48, which could be had as an option), standard barrel marked "Nickelsteel" (that changed later in the production run), some worn bluing, but a nice NRA-style stock and a leather sling. Serial 349XXA ("A" apparently means improved extractor).

It tickled me to see that it seems to have a stripper clip guide, which immediately gave me armchair adventurer images of wandering the hills after the collapse of civilization with a WWII cartridge belt (with my Ka-Bar and BHP hanging from it, of course)!

On a more serious note, any opinions regarding the 54 in 30-06 as a one-and-only rifle? It kinda sang to me when I picked it up and I wanted to drop into a prone position right then and there! I have no real NEED for it, and I'm a pistol type of person, but....

Comments and such welcome!

 

[David LaPell]

The Model 54 was the predecessor to the Model 70 and in their own right are a good rifle. They lacked the floorplate, and they had to be drilled and tapped to mount a scope. The .30-06 and .270 were the most common calibers, the rarest being the .30-30. I had two over the years and they were very accurate, I killed my first deer with Model 54 in .30-30. If you can get one, I recommend it.

 

[1943]

54 pic

I had this M54 on last year, and it caused lots of conversation. Its a little bit odd, but one of the ones that I'll try to hang onto

Old Winchesters are addictive

__________
~~Terry~~

 

[427mach1]

I agree with the other posters, the 54 is a fine rifle and the 30-06 is one of the best, most popular all-purpose calibers.

 

[ACP230]

When the idea of buying a .30-06 arises it helps me to remember this
couplet penned by Jeff Cooper's daughter, (If I recall correctly).

"Ain't too much a man can't fix.
With seven hundred dollars and a .30-06."

 

[kraigwy]

I am a HUGE Model 70 fan, I have several and built several target rifles on the Model 70 action.

In my opinion, the only rifle better then the Model 70 is the Model 54 Winchester.

 

[Stevie]

The internals of the bolt on some of these are quite similiar to the 1903 Springfield

 

[Cyrano]

The 30-06 has build up a HUGE reputation as the perfect caliber for the one-rifle-man. It's good for anything from groundhogs to grizzlies.

 

[Texas Star]

I love the stock on the rifle pictured. Reminds me of the current M-70 Fwt. Classic's.

 

[wraco]

I had this M54 on last year, and it caused lots of conversation. Its a little bit odd, but one of the ones that I'll try to hang onto

Old Winchesters are addictive

__________
~~Terry~~

Terry: Your Model 54 is a tad odd with the post war Model 70 safety and the M70 type bolt handle. . . Looks more like a pre-war 70. . Nice looking rifle. . I like the NRA stock on yours. . Mine is s/n 8000 and has the early slender stock with the small pistol grip and slender butt.

Rod

 

[1943]

SN range

Rod

S/N 513xx is outside the normal range of a M54. # on the bolt and receiver match.
Some speculation is that this rifle was an after war creation at New Haven. All parts appear to be M54 except bolt handle , bolt shroud and safety.
________
~~Terry~

 

[rburg]

Mine is s/n 8000 and has the early slender stock with the small pistol grip and slender butt.

Rod

Got a story about those. About 10 or 12 years ago I was finishing up a good weekend at the gunshow. I'd covered every square inch of the Louisville show (no small feat) and was a happy camper. Then as I was coming back into our "island" of tables I noticed the end cap tables next to us had a nice rifle. Amazing how you look at every gun everywhere else, and kind of ignore those right next to you. So I asked permission to fondle it. They were more than happy because it was getting on about pack up time, and folding cash is easier to carry than guns. Turns out it was #2762 or something like that. It even had a Balvar 8 scope on it. I have no idea when those started, but they were the cats meow in the 1950s. So I bought the darn thing. All was well with the world. And my table partner John was amused at my antics.

So a couple of years later I was at work. It was Christmas eve no less, and I had the task of keeping a hundred and some poor grunts at the grindstone at least until a reasonable hour. Had it been up to me, I'd have let the ones that showed up go and docked the ones who didn't. But it was maybe 10:00 and my phone rang. It was my partner John. He said "can you get out of work fast and make it to Lexington?" Of course he was a county coroner and could pretty much do as he wanted. I didn't have that kind of job.

So I asked him why I'd want to do all that driving on Christmas Eve. Well he said, you've got a new gun in layaway down here at Antique and Modern. He was helpful like that, figuring I wasn't already good enough at spending my meager salary. So I was polite, if only because he was a good friend and after all, it was Christmas time. So I asked him what I'd bought. He replied "another of those old Model 70s you seem to like so well." Of course I told him I already had a couple. So he says, yeah, but this one I got for you has a low serial number. Being kind of old myself, and having gotten used to seeing them up in the hundreds of thousands of serials, I asked him just what did he consider to be "low". He says "how's #202 sound to you".

And that, folks, is how I spent the day after Christmas driving downstate. John's been dead getting on 5 full years now. But I sure miss his bird dogging me good guns. Friends like that are real hard to come up with. And of course I still have them. Guess I will till I up and croak, too. Nice guns are hard to find. Friends that find you nice guns are even harder to find. Its even tough to find a friend who knows what a nice gun looks like!