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Make: Winchester
Model: 54 “NRA Standard”
Serial Number: 40561A
Year of Manufacture: 1933
Caliber: .22 Hornet
Action Type: Bolt Action Rifle with Internal Box Magazine
Barrel Length: 24”, Round
Sights/Optics: The front sight is a beaded blade dovetailed to a ramped base that’s slotted for a hood (none included). The left side of the receiver is mounted with a Lyman 48W adjustable aperture sight. The top of the chamber ring is drilled, tapped, and filled. The rear sight dovetail has been filled. The barrel in front of the filled dovetail has a pair of drilled, tapped, and filled holes.
Stock Configuration and Condition: The stock is one-piece checkered walnut with a checkered forend, checkered semi-pistol grip, fluted straight comb, sling swivels at the front and rear fitted with a brown leather rifle sling by Boyt, and a checkered steel buttplate. The stock has been relieved on the left for the installed receiver sight. There are some scattered light nicks and scratches. The checkering is well defined, but smoothed in some places on the grip. There are no chips. The LOP measures 13 3/4” from the front of the trigger to the back of the buttplate. The buttplate has wear around the edges, some erosion at the heel, and deep mottled patina throughout, but the checkering remains well defined. There are a few small cracks around the buttplate. Overall, the stock is in Very Good Condition.
Type of Finish: Blue
Finish Originality: Original
Bore Condition: The bore is bright and the rifling is sharp. There is no erosion in the bore. In this writer’s opinion, the bore rates at 10/10.
Overall Condition: This rifle retains about 65% of its metal finish. The finish is generally strong throughout with some edge-thinning and a few scattered minor marks. The bottom metal shows the most finish loss with the majority having taken to a dark patina. The action shows light operational wear. There is some light oxidation and thinning throughout. The screw heads are sharp. The markings are clear. Overall, this rifle is in Very Good Condition.
Mechanics: The action functions correctly. The rifle has a three-position safety similar to the M-1903: all the way to the left locks the bolt and disables the trigger; straight up disables the trigger but the bolt is free to move; to the right enables the rifle to be fired. We did not fire this rifle. As with all previously owned firearms, thorough cleaning may be necessary to meet your maintenance standards.
Box, Paperwork, and Accessories: This rifle comes with an attached brown leather rifle sling by Boyt in Very Good Condition.
Our Assessment: The Winchester Model 54 was the company's first bolt-action rifle firing high-velocity cartridges capable of taking big game, and for use in so-called big-bore target matches, and laid the groundwork for the famed Model 70. It had a fairly short production run, with about 50,000 made from 1925-1936. The “NRA Standard” of the Model 54 rifle was introduced in 1931, and featured a select-grade walnut stock with checkering, and a checkered steel buttplate. Initially only chambered in .30-06 or .270 Win, the .22 Hornet caliber was added to the lineup in 1933.
This Winchester Model 54 NRA Standard Rifle was made in 1933 and is in Very Good Condition. It features a 24” barrel, 65% of its original blued finish, an elegant one-piece walnut stock with a checkered forend, checkered semi-pistol grip, and checkered steel buttplate (there are a few small cracks around the buttplate), a Lyman 48W adjustable aperture sight on the receiver, clear markings, strong mechanics, and a bright bore with sharp rifling and no erosion. This classic Depression-era Model 54 is chambered in .22 Hornet, the most desirable caliber for this model.