Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Winchester Collectors Model 54 in 30-30

All:

Never owned a 54 but I have an opportunity to get one in 30-30. Fairly nice condition rifle.

Tell me why I should, or should not get this rifle.

You don't find many 54's that haven't seen the drill, the saw or the sandpaper....

If the rifle has not been bubba'd or altered and the price is reasonable I'd say buy it. M'54's when encountered are usually .30-06, .30-30's are kinda scarce.

A friend has one. He left it at my house for several years and said I should air it out now and again. In the 2 years it was here I shot a mule deer, and elk and a buffalo with it. Neat rifle. I tried to buy it but alas it was a family gun. I don't think you will be disappointed if you buy it.

A bolt-gun .30-30 might be fun to mess around with provided:
- The bore is in decent enough shape.
- You can aim well enough with whatever sights are on it (or that you can put on it without having to drill any holes.)
- You hand load, because part of the fun would be to use bullets you cannot use in a tubular magazine (unless you are happy with chambering one and putting only one in the tube.)
- You have the time for messing around with it.

Yes! Get it. Because you will kick your azz if you dont.

They can be scoped using a Stith mount without drilling any holes, I have scoped one this way and it was entirely satisfactory.

They are very rare in .30-30 and command premiums of 50%-75% above .30-06's which are common.

Something to consider: your end usage. Are you looking for an investment grade collector's piece or are you figuring on shooting the heck out of it and are concerned about mechanical integrity over condition. Your call, and you know what to look for in both regards without anybody telling you. Mine is a "shooter grade" nicely patina'ed but obviously carried a lot but with a pristine bore, because, well, what good is a shooter grade with a crappy bore? I paid $700 for it a few years ago and feel I got a good deal. I've seen similar ones since then go for over $1000. I spotted two in person over the last 2 years for sale, both "minty" with one a little north of $1000 (super deal, and was snagged by a member here), and one (2 weeks ago) for $1600. Both at the Baltimore gun show.

Drilled and tapped? Again depends on your desired usage. Mind you they were d/t'ed at the factory, but with only two holes on the receiver ring, no holes on the receiver bridge. No holes in the barrel. The protocol was to screw a target scope block onto the receiver ring and use a special block fitted into the rear sight slot. Installing a Unertl/Fecker/Targetspot scope in such a manner will find it high enough that the bolt handle will clear without alteration. If the receiver is drilled to accept "modern" scope mounts, then 95 times out of 100 the bolt handle has to be altered to clear the lower mounted scope bell, and that's a bad thing IMO.

Sights: again, protocol was to install a receiver sight using the holes provided by the factory. Lyman and Redfield made good ones. Lyman 48 best IMO, but they're getting expensive. Shooting/hunting with a receiver sight is a bit of a challenge, and very old school , but that doesn't mean it's useless. They work very very well. A M54 .30-30 with Lyman receiver sight is a nicely balanced rig and a wonderful companion for a day in the deer woods- a lot like a Savage 99EG in that regard.

Mine's bloody dammed accurate with peep sight, and astonishingly so with a target scope mounted for benchrest work.

Yep, I'm a fanboy of the M54 .30-30. I bet you will be too if you buy it.

Indeed, but then the bolt handle has to be re-shaped to clear the scope, often enough that to not have to do that is astonishing. (Unless maybe if a crummy "period correct" scope with a small ocular bell is employed. But even then...)

Were there Stith mounts made specifically for the M54? I ask because I have attempted to use Stith mounts removed from two pre-war M70’s on a M54 and as Gnoahhh indicated the bolt handle would not clear the scope (actually, it’s not even close).

The Stith mount I used fit and the bolt handle cleared when using a Lyman Alaskan, guess I just got the right combination.

RAS: Many years ago (1969'ish!) I had an opportunity to buy a Model 54 Carbine in 30/30 - it was new unfired - in the box!
I passed on it as I was an avid "Model 70 Collector" - every time I think about that missed opportunity I kick myself.
If YOU think the price is fair for the Rifle - buy it!
Hold into the wind
VarmintGuy

I'm biased because I love my 54 in .30WCF. Mine has a pristine bore but the PO for some reason shortened the butt. the stock could be nice but it shoots great which to me is all that matters. Mine came with a nice Lyman long slide 48.







With the receiver sight I can shoot Minute of Deer as far as I feel the .30-30 is suited to the task. I don't try to hot rod it, instead, I feed it loss leader factory ammo.

I tried two older El Paso Weavers with the brass trimmings, a K6 and a K2.5.

Yes. I cant believe its even a question.

I have a 54 in 30 govt. aught 6.

It was grandpa's.

It has a compass in the stock and a piece of flat iron around the stock holding it together.



Whats not to love about the 54?

That's looks like a very nice gun.

You going to fish or cut bait?

It’s an early gun with later Winchester swivels. The good news though is the original eye swivels come with the gun.