Winchester Model 70s and Remington 870s were famous in the early century, here are five models that paved the way for more famous descendants to gain dominances.Posted on 08/11/2017 7:58:47 AM PDT by w1n1
Winchester Model 70s and Remington 870s were famous in the early century, here are five models that paved the way for more famous descendants to gain dominances.
We're going to start this list with an all time favorites: The Winchester Model 54. Introduced in 1925 and wasn’t produced until 1936, the Winchester 54 was itself a derivation of the limited-production Winchester Model 51 “Imperial.”
The Winchester 54 combined elements of the famous 98 Mauser and 1903 Springfield designs. These features were well-received, and the Model 54 became Winchester’s first commercially viable bolt-action rifle design, with just over 50,000 being built before Winchester’s now-famous Model 70 was introduced in 1936.
The Model 70 itself was a revamp of the Model 54, utilizing the same basic action, but incorporating a hinged drop magazine floor plate (the 54’s was stamped steel and fixed), a revolutionary side-swinging three-position safety, and the capacity to mount scopes more efficiently.
The Model 54 was offered in a multitude of calibers: .22 Hornet, .220 Swift, .257 Roberts, .250-3000 Savage, 7x57mm Mauser, 7.65x53mm Argentine, .30-06 Springfield, .30-30 Winchester, .270 Winchester, and 9x57mm Mauser. There are rumors of special order 54s being made in .38-55, .35 Whelen (yes please!) and .32 Special. Fun trivia fact: the Winchester 54 was the rifle in which the famed .270 Winchester cartridge was introduced.
So next time you caress your cherished Winchester Model 70, just remember – there wouldn't be a "Rifleman's Rifle" without the Model 54.
Introduced in 1931 as an answer to the runaway success that Winchester had with its Model 12, the Remington model 31 is to this day considered by many to the finest, smoothest pump action shotgun ever devised.
With a then-new side-ejecting milled steel receiver (its predecessors, the Remington Models 10 and 17 were downward-ejecting like a Browning BPS) the Model 31 broke untraveled ground for Remington. Though the Model 31 is commonly noted as having a "ball bearing" pump action due to its immense smoothness while working the action, there are no actual ball bearings in the mechanism. However, its oily slick operating system could easily lead one to believe that the single action bar indeed rode on greased bearings.
The Remington 721/722/725 family of rifles is a direct product of the lessons Remington learned about economy of manufacturing during World War 2. Wartime rifles needed to be inexpensive and fast to build. Production had to be maximized through processing efficiencies to get the much-needed weapons of war out the door to the troops.
Remington applied these efficiencies to their new post-war rifle design. Starting with a clean sheet instead of continuing with an older pre-war model (like Winchester did with the Model 70), these rifles came to be.... Read the rest of the original firearm story here.
Years ago I picked up a magazine with an article about the Henry Rifle. Is that right? I’m a girl that knows zip about guns.
I heard Hickok45 say something very profound on his youtube channel. He was reviewing a rifle and made the comment that the majority of modern rifles shoot better than he does. His point, I believe, was that you are much better served practicing to improve you marksmanship than improving your rifle. I’m certainly not criticizing any of the fine rifles in this article, I just thought it was a perceptive point.
The guns that I have shoot where they are aimed and hit what they are aimed at. I may not aim where I need to from time too time.
A 54 in 30-06 is my deer rifle. Got it about 15 years ago. Article is correct, mounting a scope was rather difficult. Although bolt handle was sporterized, flag safety still created problems. Small rifle that kicks like a mule.
Every American made bolt action is a very fine rifle.
Every one of them.
Just find a bullet weight that suits it’s particular barrel.
Ditto and I see them in Walmart in .44mag and 357mag and also in .22LR. They’re nicknamed “Golden Boy”
The original Henry was a pre Civil War, lever action repeater. I guess it is the predecessor of all the Winchester lever actions such as the 1873, 1894, 1892, 1895 etc.
Winchester began stamping an “H” on the base of their rim fire cartridges in honor of B. Tyler Henry who invented the Henry Rifle.
The modern Henry rifles are not connected to the originals and simply took the name because of it’s fame. Same as Springfield Armory.
The modern Henry Rifles despite having no connection, to the originals other than a vaguely similar appearance are nice rifles.
***The modern Henry rifles are not connected to the originals***
The Henry Rifle company does make a carbon copy of the original Henry Rifle.
https://www.henryusa.com/rifles/the-original-henry-rifle/
If I remember correctly, the US arsenals at Springfield or Rock Island made a very high quality sporting rifle based on the 1903 action.
They were later told to desist as they were competing with commercial manufacturers.
I own some of the offspring:
1954 Model 70 Winchester 30-30
Remington 1100 12 Guage
Colt 1911, MkIV, series 70 Gold Cup .45
S&W 686, 7rd, .357
1903 Springfield
I didn’t know Henry was making a reproduction. Daddy had one made by Uberti. I think my older Brother’s Son has it now. It was pretty expensive.
Not sure of caliber but it was probably 44-40.
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