Winchester Model 54
Encyclopedia
The Winchester Model 54 is a bolt action rifle
manufactured by the Winchester Repeating Arms Company
. The 54 was the first successful production run centerfire bolt action for Winchester.
Using a Mauser 98
-type action, the 54 was a less-expensive derivation of the limited-production handmade Model 51 "Imperial" of 1919. The Model 54 was produced until 1936 when, with some modifications, it was reintroduced as the Winchester Model 70
. The Model 54 had a relatively heavy two stage trigger pull, which was greatly improved in the Model 70.
Standard chamberings included the .22 Hornet
, .220 Swift
, .250-3000 Savage
, .257 Roberts
, .270 Winchester
, 30-30 Winchester, .30-06 Springfield
, 7x57mm Mauser, 7.65x53mm Argentine, and 9x57mm Mauser
. Special order chamberings were made in .25-35 Winchester
, .32 Winchester Special
, and .35 Whelen
.
Introduced prior to the popularity of telescopic sight
s, it was intended for use with open or aperture sights, and the bolt throw makes the addition of a scope difficult.
Rifle
A rifle is a firearm designed to be fired from the shoulder, with a barrel that has a helical groove or pattern of grooves cut into the barrel walls. The raised areas of the rifling are called "lands," which make contact with the projectile , imparting spin around an axis corresponding to the...
manufactured by the Winchester Repeating Arms Company
Winchester Repeating Arms Company
The Winchester Repeating Arms Company was a prominent American maker of repeating firearms, located in New Haven, Connecticut. The Winchester brand is today used under license by two subsidiaries of the Herstal Group, Fabrique Nationale of Belgium and the Browning Arms Company of Morgan, Utah.-...
. The 54 was the first successful production run centerfire bolt action for Winchester.
Using a Mauser 98
Gewehr 98
The Gewehr 98 is a German bolt action Mauser rifle firing the 8x57mm cartridge from a 5 round internal clip-loaded magazine that was the German service rifle from 1898 to 1935, when it was replaced by the Karabiner 98k. It was hence the main rifle of the German infantry during World War I...
-type action, the 54 was a less-expensive derivation of the limited-production handmade Model 51 "Imperial" of 1919. The Model 54 was produced until 1936 when, with some modifications, it was reintroduced as the Winchester Model 70
Winchester Model 70
The Winchester Model 70 is a bolt action sporting rifle. It has an iconic place in American sporting culture and has been held in high regard by shooters since it was introduced in 1936, earning the moniker "The Rifleman's Rifle". The action has some design similarities to Mauser designs and it is...
. The Model 54 had a relatively heavy two stage trigger pull, which was greatly improved in the Model 70.
Standard chamberings included the .22 Hornet
.22 Hornet
The .22 Hornet is a low-end vermin, small-game and predator centerfire rifle cartridge. It is considerably more powerful than the .22 WMR and the .17 HMR, achieving higher velocity with a bullet twice the weight. The Hornet also differs very significantly from these in that it is not a rimfire...
, .220 Swift
.220 Swift
The .220 Swift is a semi-rimmed rifle cartridge developed by Winchester and introduced in 1935. It was the first factory loaded rifle cartridge with a muzzle velocity of over...
, .250-3000 Savage
.250-3000 Savage
The .250-3000 Savage is a rifle cartridge created by Charles Newton in 1915 and is also known as the .250 Savage. The name comes from its original manufacturer, Savage Arms and the fact that the original load achieved a 3000 ft/s velocity with an 87 grain bullet.-Background:Charles Newton...
, .257 Roberts
.257 Roberts
The .257 Roberts a medium powered .25 caliber cartridge known affectionately as the Bob. It has been described as the best compromise between the low recoil and flat trajectory of smaller calibers such as the .22 and 6mm, and the strong energy but not the strong recoil of larger popular hunting...
, .270 Winchester
.270 Winchester
The .270 Winchester was developed by Winchester Repeating Arms Company in 1923 and unveiled in 1925 as a chambering for their bolt-action Model 54. The cartridge is based upon the .30-06 Springfield...
, 30-30 Winchester, .30-06 Springfield
.30-06 Springfield
The .30-06 Springfield cartridge or 7.62×63mm in metric notation, was introduced to the United States Army in 1906 and standardized, and was in use until the 1960s and early 1970s. It replaced the .30-03, 6 mm Lee Navy, and .30 US Army...
, 7x57mm Mauser, 7.65x53mm Argentine, and 9x57mm Mauser
9x57mm Mauser
The 9x57mm Mauser is a cartridge based on the 7.92x57mm Mauser. It uses the identical 57 mm-long cartridge case, with the same shoulder angle, but necked up to accept a 9 mm-diameter bullet. Ballistically - but not dimensionally - it is indistinguishable from the 9x56mm...
. Special order chamberings were made in .25-35 Winchester
.25-35 Winchester
The .25-35 Winchester, or WCF was introduced in 1895 by Winchester for the Winchester Model 1894 lever action rifle...
, .32 Winchester Special
.32 Winchester Special
The .32 Winchester Special is a rimmed cartridge created in October 1901 for use in the Winchester Model 94 lever-action rifle. It is similar in name but unrelated to the .32-20 Winchester cartridge ....
, and .35 Whelen
.35 Whelen
The .35 Whelen is a powerful medium-bore rifle cartridge that does not require a magnum action or a magnum bolt-face. The parent of this cartridge is the .30-06 Springfield, which is necked-up to accept a bullet diameter of...
.
Introduced prior to the popularity of telescopic sight
Telescopic sight
A telescopic sight, commonly called a scope, is a sighting device that is based on an optical refracting telescope. They are equipped with some form of graphic image pattern mounted in an optically appropriate position in their optical system to give an accurate aiming point...
s, it was intended for use with open or aperture sights, and the bolt throw makes the addition of a scope difficult.