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She's so pre-64 they weren't even making Model 70's yet!
Trudy is a Winchester Model 54 Standard Grade chambered in .30-06 and made in 1931.
The bore is bright and shiny and appears to have a lot of life left in it.
I don't know what grade she was, I am not a Winchester expert, but I've been told the checkering is a clue:
Can you help me with the grade from that? UPDATE: I had a book with the answer in it. It's a Standard Grade, Super Grade got a black tip and cap.
As befits her age, she's not wearing any glass. Instead she's got this nifty Lyman peep sight.
I sold Blanche, the $100 sporter Mauser to Marv for the selling price of Trudy. A mere $325 shipped right to my C&R door. I didn't rip off Marv, A Golden State Mauser is actually worth $350.
Model 54's in .30-06 typically run $400 plus, so I kind of got a deal too.
The reason she was so cheap is likely because of this hole in the top of the stock:
The seller didn't know what this was an attempt to do either. He suggested, "for a compass maybe?"
Replacement stocks are either really expensive or DIY affairs. I am going to get the tools to turn a DIY 96% inletted unfinished stock into a fully inletted, checkered and finished stock and Trudy will be my project gun!
I fully intend to make a business of checkering and finishing stocks, and if that is lucrative enough, getting the FFL to inlet stocks for the customer. This is a pre-IPO investment opportunity!
High risk! Low gain! Get in on the sub-basement floor!
Can't help you with the grade of the rifle, but she is a nice one. I love old '06s.
ReplyDeleteAwesome gun! I have not a clue about what bubba was doing with the stock. Possibly a wallered-out sling swivel hole? I can't really determine the scale, so that may he a very poor guess. But... I do like the idea of learning to checker. It may end up being like leather for me: not a true career, but you may become decent enough that the profits help you support your ammo and gun addiction. And for me, the catharsis of creating something with my hands is almost as much of a reason to do it as making a little scratch.
ReplyDeleteAlso: peep sights are awesome. Any "iron sight" rifle I got has a peep sight rather than a leaf.
That hole is on TOP of the stock. When I first saw the Gunbroker ad for the gun, I thought it was a failed attempt to mount a QD socket.
DeleteWow! Okay, yeah, that is most likely not for a sling swivel!
DeleteSince basically the stock was ruined by the hole, it won't be a crime to do a good patch job on it, since you say you wish to do woodworking of your own. Should be fairly simple to drill a smooth-edged round hole in that crater and lathe a plug of the same size to fix it with, either of a similar-colored wood, a different-colored wood for contrast, or even a wood plug with silver or brass cap suitable for engraving.
ReplyDeleteBob's correct.
DeleteShould not be that hard to find a craftsman that does marquetry. This would be a easy inlay for someone who knows what they are doing.
Willard has suggested putting a 1931 Buffalo nickel in the hole. It's already nearly the correct diameter.
DeleteThe down side is the indian face has the date on it. Plus the numismatic value of the coin to be sacrificed.