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M 54 in 70 stock w/70 bbl in swift !

This!

Nice catch, Demingus!!!

I like the Mauser-style bolt shroud and wing safety. Don't mind the trigger, and like both full size 54 stock styles - standard rifle and later NRA style. Bolt handle is liked because all of mine utilize either Lyman 48's and/or vintage target scopes, don't need a handle that conforms to a receiver mounted scope. Besides, that's the rifle that was in production during the years several important folks in my life were born. (And I like Fords of that era too 😁)

I know, little things. But they add up to a certain something that trips my trigger. Don't get me wrong, the 70 is pretty special to me too. It's just that the 54 sings to me a bit more.

What I've always disliked was the stamped bottom metal. I get why they did that, for economic/profit reasons, but still.....

This.

I have a great interest in the Winchester Model 54 and its rival the Remington Model 30. Winchester having done everything right in era 'up to date' status, listening to sportsmen. And then... Remington dropping the ball. Winchester over 11 year Model 54 life producing over 50K as Remington over a 19 year life producing "officially" (ignoring serialization fantasies) some 22K Model 30 rifles!

There were a variety of Model 54 styles available. Where any such specimens are now???. Beyond photos, I've only seen a handful of 'other than' the several common editions in six decades of collecting. Folowing just some comments.

The "Standard Model 54" came in two principal editions each reflecting early and latter era configurations of wood and of barrels. The wood, a European-esque schnabel forend model from product inception in 1925 into early thirties. Then the stock morphing to the so-called "NRA Style", so named by such NRA official pundits as Townsend Whelen et al, with complaints concerning the ergonomics of that early stock - and rightly so. Cool looking, but 'ouch'! in firing. The NRA stock far more like the Winchester Model 70 "Standard" stock which seemed to copy that latter Model 54.
Then the barrel reconfiguration principally of the front sight morphing from the early style more post-like to a svelte ramp integral with the barrel. Adding of impoetance, barrel material. Early confituration of Nickel Steel.
Latter of "Winchester Proof Steel", essentially high quality spec 5140 chrome moly.
(The aside as notably the Winchester Model 94 paralleling moving from post to integral ramp in the same timeframe!)

Then something of a wild card Model 54 departure with a variation in the early stock era was a carbine model more than a bit unique. Probably one of the few rifles in the world where a single chambering engendered a modified receiver design especially for the rimmed 30 WCF chambering. It included a "finger grasping grooovec forstock and carbine length (early model nickel steel) barrel. Unique and 'hoot to shoot'! This was the ONLY Model 54 receiver without bridge located clip loading slot.

The Model 54 is far more likely to be found without aftermarket "extra sight holes and less likely with aftermarket pads! The reason in respect of sight, there were far fewer telescopic sights in general use during its years. Pads were both less common - more exotic - and the principal chanberings didn't include any heavy recoiling magnum chamberings. The aftermarket pad specimens also often have completely worn out and crumbling pads. Just the appearance often makes the rifles available at 'truck gun' prices.

Considering the Model 54 was mainstream production and a damned good rifle design itself, the Model 70 came along in 1936 and simply overshadowed the Model 54 considerably. The 'good gun' 54 compared to the 'great gun' Model 70. It expanding the chrome moly fabrication metal to include action and bolt. Few rifles of any era less than some "customs" include such materials!

The Model 54 featured a fixed stamped steel bottom metal configuration. Noting in this Thread a Model 70 target stock adapted to the Model 54, likely requiring either adapting Model 70 botom metal of a jury-rigged excess inletting solution!

Below, for viewing pleasure. Mod 54: Supergrade in "30 Gov't 06" & in "30 WCF" Carbines. Not shown mine also mentioned above in 7x57 both later and earlier configurations. No Carbine! (Darn!)

A pitch for David Bichrest's book "Winchester Model 54 Bolt Action Rifle 1925 -1936". One of a kind in any complete tretise on the Model 54. David was selling them direct for, as I recall about $70.

All here... My take!
Best!
John

love that you have that 7x57 those European calibers would be awesome to own

I have a 1927 M54 in .270. All original including factory Lyman peep. Has anyone ever heard of any accidents where the firing pin was blown back when a case ruptured? I read that the original M54 that did not have the gas release port in the receiver ring could have this happen? I have not seen any evidence of this online and with quite a few still out there being used if it was a big problem someone would have mentioned it? I do know that Winchester would drill the gas port and change the firing pin to the one piece FP if the rifle was sent back to them. My M54 was built before the factory gas port, but it does have one now. The rifle was sent back to Winchester at some point for the modification.

The rifles with an A in sn means the rifle has the improved firing pin and gas port.

Mine has no A in the serial number but was modified. I’m asking if anyone has had or heard of any problems with either the modified or M54 without the gas port?

I put out bad info Winchester started putting the A in sn to
Indicate the improved extractor. I stole this from another website “In mid production, a ‘speed striker mechanism’ improving lock time and ignition reliability was also introduced”.

I stumbled across a M54 a couple of years ago in a pawn shop and was immediately smitten. I had owned a 1948 M70 in 270, but for whatever reason it didn't grow on me. The 54 is in 30 WCF and the price was right. It has been D&T'ed on the rear of the bridge and had an old, cheap scope mounted in TALL rings. The bolt and safety have not been modified. The staff of the Lyman 48 was also missing.

The scope and rings were tossed, and I started looking for a replacement Lyman staff. Had no luck with the Winchester version but did find one for a Mauser that would fit with only a little light filing on the staff. Of course, I had to mount it backwards (the Mauser attaches to the right side of the receiver) but that works out OK because I use it as a ghost ring with no desire for an aperture.

It is a sweet rifle and shoots very well considering my 73 year old eyes! It is a cast bullet only rifle and should handle one our whitetails with no problem if I can see the deer and sights at the same time. The only thing that could make it sweeter is if it were a carbine in the same caliber, but I'll make do....

I first began paying attention to the Model 54 due to its longstanding "also ran" pricing compared to the Model 70. Yes, the 70 was factually a better rifle, but much of which was more like desireable 'optional equipment on many modern vehicles. A major change was the "low scope bolt" accommodation. The entire Model 54 production and Model 70 production to about 48, were similarly not drilled for scope use. A removable floorplate did distinguish the Model 70. A superior trigger was also a 70 feature. Beyond, the matter of ''functionally' they were similar and notably so as Model 70 Standard stock and barrel assembly mimicking the latter Model 54 production. In gun shops and shows, most Models 54 languished but for uncommon chamberings! I was occasionally buying 54 rifrles as price point targets of opportunity! They were, sporting. They were lightweight. They were functional and comfortable at least in their NRA srock style latter production configuration. The early edition, nore European nifty era styling, simply not ergonomic.

By seventies and eighties era, I was picking up nice specimens for a couple of hundred dollars average. By then the milsurp sporter market was at a low and these rifles about the same prices as nicer such milsurps. Carbines less common but similar prices. Again, the less common chamberings, more costly but most of them as rarely encountered in shops or shows.

To my mind the Model 54 has yet retained a permanent status of 'also ran'. Some clicks more toward "collectible" but other than the stratospheric prices of the Internet brokerage houses, remaining 'relative' bargains as the "pre '64 Model 70 has long achieved reverence!

A 'post' note abou the Lyman 48 as "factory available" from early 54 production and popular. Many to be found on Model 54 rifles and Model 70 rifles predominantly until postwar as scopes movign from uncommon to prevalent. The 48 as, my opinion, the 'Cadillac' of its genre. The only material downside to these as on the 54 or 70, almost surely a large stock inletting divot. Removing plans not to play well in terms of reality unless restocking. A last, 3rd edition of the Lyman 48 as "scalloped" slide assembly to accommodate a "no inletting" feature. These sights considerably after the Model 54 and into the Model 70 production era. The can be utilized "post" factory. My deluxe stocked pre '64 Model 70 Supergrade in .338 Mag, with such model and believing it likely factory!

Hail to and long live the Model 54, a great rifle of itself!

Below pix of my latter era 54 in 7x57. And for the 7mm lover... This one's for you Kid!

Best!
John

That’s not a M70 stock. No fore end hand stop rail and no inletting for the M70 ‘bent’ bolt handle. It’s a M54 Target Rifle stock, the first adaptation of the M54 (along with the M52) Marksman style stock.

I was raised in a Winchester 70 house and have never been a Winchester 54 fan. I've always preferred to shoot a scoped rifle and the 54s weren't designed to accomodate low over bore center hunting scopes. The last one that I owned was in 257 Roberts with a new, low lift, bolt handle, a Buehler(?) low safety lever, and it had been d&t for a Redfield turn-in style base.

I also had a bad Winchester 54 experience at Taylor's in China, ME. Bearrr264 and I drove from Boston to China, ME, to look at a mint, 100% original, Winchester 54 in 250-3000 only to find that the only component of the rifle that hadn't been modified was the barrel. The action had been d&t 6x, 4x in the left receiver rail and 2x on the receiver bridge. The checkering was worn smooth and there was a rubber recoil pad installed. When the originality was questioned, the counterman said that it was in the configuration that they originally received it. Taylor's had been in business long enough to know that that rifle was far from original. I've always wondered what the GUNLIST buyer thought when he openned the box it came to him in.

Great snag! Lucked into a few nice 54’s early on, slim pickings within driving distance since.

That is my so called Unicorn in life...or that winning lottery ticket...

doubt I'll ever see the day or get the chance... but a Model 54 in 30/30 is at the top of my list of guns I'd LOVE to own...
quickly followed by a Model 30S Remington in 30 Remington and then one in 25 Rem and then 35 Rem.

just old school nostalgia...

My M54 in .270 all original including the Lyman.

The best of luck to you Seafire. It is worth the search!

Thats SWEET!!!