Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Winchester Collectors First year Model 54

What's the current value of such a critter. The local gunshop just got one in on trade. Serial # puts in the first year of production at 1925. Bluing is excellent, wood is fair. I just feel like I need to add this to my collection if I can get it right. No extra holes anywhere and It's got 2 rear sights that flip. Is this rifle extremely collectible like older cousin the 70?

Forgot caliber 30-06

54's are pretty collectible, but higher prices are mostly paid for really nice rifles in uncommon chamberings. Which doesn't describe a well-used .30-06, even if it is all original.

How much are they asking? They're nice hunting rifles, if you want to hunt with an American classic. I had a second-year .270 for a while and it shot really well with an old Lyman aperture sight.

Think I can get it for 750, too much?

That isnt to bad, not drilled and tapped?

yes, but appears to have never had the screws removed

yes, but appears to have never had the screws removed

I would ask if I could take it out of the stock and see what's up first, but if the metal's in nice shape $750 would sure be reasonable.

examined the rifle more closely this afternoon. the rear of the receiver has been drilled and tapped with evidence of a scope being mounted. what detraction in value does this represent?

Have read that extra holes reduce the collectors value of the rifle by at least half.

Here is a picture of the aforementioned rifle. Pretty nice shape for 1925.

Respectfully disagree with that, and doubt it has any significance at all.

Appears to be a standard model and $750 would be a very good price assuming function and the bore are proper.

I have a 1927 model in 270 with a Lyman peep in excellent condition that I sure wouldn't let go for $750, it has the slickest action and shoots extremely well.

Bart

MAybe not half depending on the condition of the rifle but a signifigant amount unless the rilfe is all beat up and only a using gun. But if it's in good shape, like this one appears to be, those holes knock off some SERIOUS value. $750 for that rifle seems like a decent deal, not a steal for either the seller or the buyer, just a good price for each of them.

Well we will have to agree to disagree on that. Few folks that owned Model 54s from days gone by used the with factory iron sights, thus they have been drilled and tapped. Good luck finding one that is without that alteration. Very good to excellent condition standard 54s are going to start in the $1,000 range...drilled and tapped.

I completely agree with the first part of your post, most were D&T'd or messed with in some other way. Finding one that is in nice shape and all original is getting pretty darn hard to do, and when you find one like that be prepared to pay for it and pay big for it. The M54 was not a gun that they made very many of to begin with, if I was a betting man I would be snapping up every original one I could find because I think pretty soon collectors will really start to take notice of them.

I've only seen about 4 or 5 M54's in shops and at shows in the last 10 years. They are not common up here. The ones I did see were not original with extra holes and cut butt stocks,missing sights etc.
I bought this 1926 in 30-06 about a year ago for $400..think I did OK.

Thats a pretty clean M54 you have there.

I run into M70 collectors everywhere I go, but I dont encounter
anyone that collects M54s.