Winchester Model 54
- Category
- Rifle
- Barrel
- 610 mm
- Weight, empty
- 3.52 kg
- Introduced
- 1925
About
What it is, and why it matters
The Winchester Model 54 is an American bolt-action rifle produced by the Winchester Repeating Arms Company from 1925 to 1936. Built around a Mauser 98-type action with a controlled-round feed and a five-round internal box magazine, it was Winchester's first commercially successful bolt-action sporting rifle and the gun for which the new .270 Winchester cartridge was introduced. Offered in numerous chamberings including the .30-06 Springfield, it directly influenced the later and more famous Winchester Model 70.
The Model 54 introduced the .270 Winchester cartridge, which became one of the most popular hunting rounds in North America. Its Mauser-derived action and accuracy made it the foundation for the Winchester Model 70, often called 'The Rifleman's Rifle.'
About 50,000 were produced across standard rifle, carbine, super grade, target and National Match configurations. A 'Speed Lock' improvement in 1933 reduced lock time. The Model 54 was superseded by the Winchester Model 70 in 1936.
Specification
Everything measured
IdentityWhat it is, who built it and when.
- Manufacturer
- Winchester Repeating Arms Company
- Category
- Rifle
- Country
- United States
- Status
- Discontinued
- Produced
- 1925 to 1936
DimensionsAs issued, without a magazine or an optic.
- Barrel
- 610 mm
- Overall length
- 1118 mm
- Weight, empty
- 3.52 kg
ActionHow it cycles, what trips it, and what feeds it.
- Action
- Bolt action
- Firing mechanism
- Hammer fired
- Trigger
- Two stage
- Capacity
- 5
- Magazine
- Fixed box
MaterialsEach swatch is the material itself, not a colour chosen to stand for it.
- Frame
- Steel
- Barrel
- Steel
- Stock
- Walnut
- Finish
- Blued
BallisticsFrom the service cartridge, not a handload.
- Muzzle velocity
- 880 m/s
- Muzzle energy
- 4515 J
- Effective range
- 500 m
Trajectory
What the round does downrange
Solved from the muzzle figures and the bullet. The dashed rule is the effective range on the record, and the crosses are the steps the solver returned.
No load solved for this record yetThe flight path is computed from a cartridge and a bullet. This record has no ammunition filed against its chambering, so there is nothing to solve.
Features
What it has
What the record lists as fitted, drawn from the catalogue.
Mauser 98 type action
Internal box magazine
Two stage trigger
Speed lock
Standing
How it compares
Each figure against the firearms of the same type and cartridge that record it, or of the same type where that cartridge has too few. Positions are read to the nearest tenth.
| Measurement | This firearm | Median | Position |
|---|---|---|---|
| Empty weightAmong 75 .30-06 Springfield rifles | 3.52 kg | 3.40 kg | Heavier than about 80% |
| Overall lengthAmong 73 .30-06 Springfield rifles | 1118 mm | 1100 mm | Longer than about 70% |
| Barrel lengthAmong 75 .30-06 Springfield rifles | 610 mm | 584 mm | Longer than about 80% |
| Magazine capacityAmong 78 .30-06 Springfield rifles | 5 | 4 | Holds more rounds than about 80% |
Answers
Questions about the Winchester Model 54
How much does the Winchester Model 54 weigh?
The Winchester Model 54 weighs 3.52 kg (7.75 lb) empty.
What caliber is the Winchester Model 54?
The Winchester Model 54 is chambered in .30-06 Springfield.
How many rounds does the Winchester Model 54 hold?
The Winchester Model 54 holds 5 rounds, fed from a fixed box magazine.
How long is the Winchester Model 54?
The Winchester Model 54 is 1118 mm (44.0 in) long overall, with a 610 mm (24.0 in) barrel.
Who makes the Winchester Model 54?
The Winchester Model 54 is made by Winchester Repeating Arms Company (United States). It was designed by Frank Burton.
When was the Winchester Model 54 introduced?
The Winchester Model 54 was introduced in 1925 and discontinued in 1936.
How does the Winchester Model 54 operate?
The Winchester Model 54 uses a bolt action, and its firing mechanism is hammer fired.
Compatibility
Which parts fit this firearm
Studio
Every part that mounts on this, resolved
Not a list the maker typed out: the answer comes from the mounts this firearm exposes and the interface each part needs, so it stays right when either one changes.
- Every part that mounts on any firearm in the catalogue
- Interface standards, platforms and fit overrides
- The same answers through the API and the MCP server
Requires a signed-in GunSpec account on the Studio plan. The answer is computed per part, so it is not part of the public record.
Provenance
What the record holds
Every figure above was taken from one of these pages. The confidence reflects how much of the record came from a page a claim can be checked against.
In service
- Civilian sport shooters and hunters
- 1925
Provenance
Confidence in this record
82%
Stockists
Where to buy
Offers link straight to the shop. GunSpec never takes the order.
No shop has listed this firearm yet
Stock and prices come from the shops themselves. If you sell this firearm, you can list it and it appears here.
List a firearmMCP
Ask an assistant about it
The same record, reached the way a person asks for it rather than the way a program does.
Ask GunSpec
Works with
Point an MCP client at GunSpec and it answers from the catalogue rather than from memory. A free key covers the read tools.
API
The call that returns this record
The same fields, in the same units, from the same endpoint the page reads.
curl --request GET \ --url 'https://api.gunspec.io/v1/firearms/winchester-model-54' \ --header 'X-API-Key: your_key'{ "id": "winchester-model-54", "name": "Winchester Model 54", "manufacturer": { "id": "winchester", "name": "Winchester Repeating Arms Company", "countryCode": "US", "foundedYear": 1866, "website": "https://www.winchesterguns.com", "logoUrl": null, "description": null, "status": null, "defunctYear": null, "stateOwned": null, "makesFirearms": null, "parentId": null, "predecessorId": null, "createdAt": "2026-02-11 23:44:38", "updatedAt": "2026-02-18 03:40:45", "version": "032f75658544de9d931ca09f772b9ab92b282bf53db67851bf4eb3f8c0612520" }, "category": { "id": "rifle", "name": "Rifle", "description": "Long-barreled firearms designed for accurate shooting" }, "country_of_origin": "US", "year_introduced": 1925, "barrel_length_mm": 610, "weight_empty_g": 3515, "action_type": "bolt_action"}