Winchester model 54

R

redline494

New member
I picked up a Winchester model 54 yesterday.It was in an old tattered canvas case that was falling to pieces. Large ball of lint in the barrel, and overall, quite dirty. Unfortunately, the buttplate is rusted, but the rest should clean up quite well.
From what I can find online, date of manufacture is 1929.
If anyone has anything they can share on this, please do, otherwise, just thought I would share!


 
To me that rifle looks to be in pretty good shape. You could easily clean it up without much effort.

As you know the '54 was the forerunner of the Model 70. A good rifle just not a smooth as the M-70.

From what I've seen the '54s don't bring as much money as the Pre-64 Model70s but well worth the addition to any Winchester Collection.

Please don't let anyone talk you into re-bluing the rifle or changing the butt plate. A fine wire wheel on an electric drill will clean that rust off and then coat it with 'RIG' grease. It will darken up and look natural for a gun of that age.

Just curious, what caliber?

I found a couple of M-54s in a nearby town, was trying to figure which one I want but not have to wait tell next month due to having to cover my Taxes after under withholding this month.

If a guy has a good supply of Model 70s he really needs a '54 or two.
 
In addition:

After looking at the pictures again, I noticed some dents on the stock.

Lay a damp wash cloth on the dents, use your wife's steam iron over the damp cloth and you can raise the dents.

Use a good "cleaning" furniture polish on the stock, it looks like it will clean up pretty good.

DONT LET ANY SAND PAPER TOUCH YOUR STOCK. Its an old rifle, its suppose to look old.
 
Yes, the stock does have a few dents. Still, for as old as it is, it's in good shape.
I have no plans on modifying it, just hoping to return it to better form. So far, I have about an hour in cleaning, and expect 3-4 more!
It's chambered in .30-06.
The lady I got it from said it was her father's (she's in her late 50's, early 60's). Told me she only ever saw it fired twice. I'm sure it's had more lead than that through it.
I only wish the buttplate wasn't so rough, but I'm not changing it out for an incorrect one.
 
Very nice rifle! Kraig is right. Take a fine-wire wheel to that buttplate and it will look excellent. You probably should not re-blue it, either. After that, I say shoot it and hunt with it.
 
No plans to re-blue either.
If it shoots well enough, I do plan on hunting with it occasionally, weather permitting. It's not something I would take out in rain or snow, when I have a number of stainless/synthetic rifles to choose from.
I have VERY LITTLE invested into it, so if it's not a shooter, I'm not out much.
 
That is a nice find. Don't see too many 54's around. Really like the caliber designation on the barrel: .30Govt'06. Nice!
 
I had a 54 in my hands once. Great condition for a old 06 rifle. But I didn't buy it from the widow. Its previous owner had shortened its original stock by a couple inches. How disappointing that was.
As far as you're rifle. I would hang it on the parlor wall just under the biggest set of antlers I had. That would be: Eye Catching sir.
 
Yes, the rear sight has 2 leafs.
I have it pretty well cleaned up now. Bore is actually quite good looking once I got the dust bunnies out of it.
Does anyone know if the sling eyes simply unscrew? I did not try very hard to get them out.
 
May 2016 issue of Rifle has an article which included info on m54s, I just read it, it was interesting to learn about the design's pro and cons. I believe it was titled "Firsts and Lasts".

Pro; similar to the `03 Springfield (which is similar to a Mauser).
Con; bolt stops on the trigger sear.
Maybe a con (depending) doesn't handle a gas escape in the event of a primer blowout very well. By not very well I mean it apparently travels down the raceway to the shooter's face. Wear glasses and don't shoot overloads or defective brass and you'll be fine.
 
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That brings me to a question. I have it all cleaned up and checked out.
I hope to have time to put some lead through it soon.
Should I start with load data listed for the Garand, or data for regular old .30-06 Springfield?
Not being familiar with a rifle of this vintage, I wanted to ask before putting loads through it that it may not handle. I would start with some cheap factory stuff first, if it is acceptable?
 
i found a older rem 725 in 3006 that has the same look as your win 54 and i,m quite happy with it. i was going to scope it, but it has just enough stock drop to use the open sights.i agree with the other posters, don,t over do the cleaning and no sand paper or reblue please. eastbank.
 
A nice find and it looks just the way a rifle made in 1929 should look. Clean up the butt plate but do not refinish anything. The Model 54 has more historical import than the Model 70, since it was Winchester's first attempt at a sporting rifle when it was introduced in 1925. Exuberant collectors keep the pre-64 Model 70 prices up, so a Model 54 is often a bargain by comparison. This rifle was used to introduce the .270 Winchester and there were about 10 chamberings total. I think the .30-06 was the most common. The early ones had a slender stock with a Schnabel tip and were very attractive, in my book. Looks like yours has a two-blade rear sight mounted in the barrel boss. The receiver ring was not tapped. If yours is original, do not be tempted to tap it and put a scope on. A new Williams FP peep (or an old Lyman if you can find one) will fit with the taps at the rear left of the receiver. I bet you will find that it shoots well, so happy shooting!
 
I did not have much time, but I was able to get 4 rounds out of it today. I didnt even take the time to go staple a target on my 50 yard board, just shot at the board.
Went bang each time, and with the steel buttplate, kicked like a mule as I figured it would.
It will be a few weekends before I have the time to get some accuracy testing in, but at least I know I have a functional rifle!
I still need to do something about the sling if I am to use it for hunting, as it's not in very good condition, and it's actually too small, I can barely sling it with a sweatshirt on, much less the clothing I would be wearing at the end of November in Wisconsin.
 
I recommend the traditional leather, "military", style of sling as was common for that vintage of rifle. Try to get a good one with solid brass hardware.
 
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