Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Ask The Gunwriters Win. Mod 54- 30-30

A local shop has one in the rack. It is in about NRA 90% condition with a 15,000 serial number and a period correct Lyman peep sight. It is REAL cool and the first one I have ever seen in any caliber. The gun is light and is stocked very well for shooting with a peep sight. It almost makes a man want to own one if it was in .275 Rigby.

doc: I have seen them....run down and buy it!

Oh, yeah, if the price is anywhere near reasonable, grab it!

In my limited experience M54's shoot just as well as pre-64 Model 70's. I have shot a few but only owned one, a .270 that would shoot into 1.5" or so at 100 yards--with a Lyman aperture sight, since it wasn't drilled and tapped for a scope.

Price is $1,000. The real sight is missing to clear the view for the peep. It also has 2 screw holes drilled and plugged in the from action ring on center line. Checkering is good and the wood isn't dinged up with a bright bore and sharp rifleing.

We used to load down a 30-06 with 125 grain spitzers to 30-30 velocity for the kids it makes a great 200 yard deer cartridge. I think that rifle would be a lot of fun, especially with open/peep sights.

John, your article "Approximating the 30-06" has helped me become a recovering loonie. Combined with reading the Campfire daily, I have saved a lot of money on the latest greatest stuff. I still struggle with the cool old guns and outdated cartridges. A 54 winchester at the right price would be tough to walk away from.

docbill,

That's about what I expected for an asking price. Too bad about the holes in the side of the receiver. It's not a bad price, especially for somebody who really wants a M54, but personally I'd see if I could get it for a little less.

About third or fourth blue moon, I run across a M54
in 30-30 that has been rechambered to 30-40 Krag.

After doing some work on a Model 54 for a friend (a 30/06 carbine with ORIGINAL stainless barrel), I decided they were neat enough that I would find one for a project. I found one; a beater in 30/06. The owner wanted 375.00 for it so I cleverly traded him about 600 dollars worth of work.
I had planned to have the project completed this spring but have been sidetracked by customer work. I have very nearly settled on the chambering (I'm leaning toward 7x57)and I have the stock roughed out.
This is a very slick action and is, in fact, better than both of my pre-war Model 70 actions. I have gotten as far as replacing the bolt handle and re-drilling the front guard screw hole so I can use Model 70 bottom metal. Kind of a fun project.
I would like to find a 30/30 action as the basis for a 219 Donaldson Wasp (I have a set of dies on the shelf). I suppose I could save quite a bit of money by simply throwing the dies out. GD

It sounds like the plugged screws are in the front action ring and assuming that they are on top of the action I'm pretty sure those are original to the gun.

yep, i have my mothers sn#574 it has the top holes in it also. they are a fine gun.

Yeah, I missed the "centerline" about the holes. They are factory.

I have a .30WCF M54 that has mounted a 9X Unertl scope. It's my favorite cast bullet rifle, and almost everything groups five shots into 1.5 inches at a hundred yards.

I saw a M54 in 22 Hornet several years ago that had the
bolt altered for a scope. The bolt was a brass color probably
from being brazed, wasnt very pretty.

greydog,

That sounds like a nifty project!

Many years ago I was given a set of .22 Savage High Power dies by a friend, along with maybe 35 cases. It took me 20 years to come up with a Model 1899 in decent shape--and then I found the dies weren't worth a darn. Had to buy some new ones!

MD,
Man, I hate to think about how much money I've spent over the years just to utilize a set of dies or a box of bullets. I'd hate even more to confess the amount to my wife!
Back to Model 54's for a bit... About 25 years ago, I attended an auction which featured a pretty good selection of rifles. Among these were two Winchester 220 Swifts. One of these was a model 54 with about 6 inches of throat and fitted with a J series Weaver scope.
The other was a pre-war Model 70 Super Grade which looked to be in near mint condition. Hoping that nobody else was interested (faint hope indeed!), I decided I would limit myself to 1400 dollars for the Model 70. Well, I quit at 1400 and a guy bought it for 1450. Needless to say, I was kicking myself for giving up so easily.
The Model 54 came up next and it was soon apparent that I wasn't the only guy who was disappointed he quit so soon on the Super Grade. That Model 54 blew through the 1500 dollar mark so fast I didn't even get to raise my hand. I think it went for about 1750! I had valued it at about 500.
Anyway, I ended up with a decent pre-war 30/06 which ended up being the action donor for one of my long range target rifles.
The only think I really dislike about the Model 54 is the utilization of the trigger as the bolt stop. On my project rifle, I've filled in the notch in the bolt and am fitting a Ruger bolt stop (I like the spring cushioned idea for the stop). GD

I've always wanted one of those..it is at the top of my short list of rifles I desire...

the same in 35 Remington...

or a Model 30S in 30 Rem, 32 Rem and 25 Rem..

I have a Model 54 in .250/3000. It's been altered though with a Model 70 bolt release at the back left of the action. I understand with the original rifles, you had to pull the trigger while removing the bolt like a rimfire. When I got it, the original checkering had been worn completely smooth so I got it recut in the original pattern. I never use it as I have a Ruger Ultralight in .250/3000 that weighs a lot less and is more accurate.

A M54 in .30-30 was my all time favorite cast bullet rifle. I too mounted a Unertl on it, having had to make a set of custom blocks to match the factory holes on the receiver ring and a neat little block that fit the sight dovetail. The thing would group 180 gr. cast bullets better than jacketed stuff, and as such I used it in CBA competition. It went the way of the wind, along with a few other choice pieces to finance a house down payment. I would give anything to have it back! $1000 sounds a bit high, but if it were me I would sell the house to get it back!

Whoa! Sell the house?

Must have Obama's foreign birth certificate tucked in there somewheres.

My own M54 came about from looking at the same overpriced 30-06 carbine at my local gun show for about 3 years. I finally asked the seller if he really wanted to carry that beauty around for the next 3 years with no buyers, as I had cash and was willing to take it off his hands. I must have caught him at a weak point, as he relented.

Good move on his point, as that old M54 has taken a couple elk with the good old Nosler 220 grain semi-spitzer using the Lyman 48 receiver peep.

If you find a good one, reach for the checkbook. Slick action with cool factor included at no extra cost.