doublegunshop.com - home Forums General Discussion Classic & Custom Single Barreled Sporting Rifles @ doublegunshop.com F E Hoffman 35 whelen imp. 1936 1903 Springfield

WRA had running changes, and when the phased out the M54 (aprox 50,000 made between 1925 and 1936-- they used the barrels in the early M70's, until they were out of them. I have a late 1936 M54 SG in .220 Swift with 26" stainless barrel, has been factory reworked in 1940 to the M70 bolt and release, trigger and second (side mounted) safety-- and has a custom reworked M70 floorplate, not with the SG stamp, and not hinged-like the M54- so it is a BA that I use as a single shot-you might want to get a copy of the Roger Rule book on the M70--

Could the gun actually be marked F.L. Hoffman? L. rather than E.?

I double checked, the Hoffman marking is F.E. Hoffman in the center of the barrel. The chamber marking is 35 IMP Whelen,on the barrel next to the receiver. I pulled the action and there are no other markings it is not bedded but there are shims near the action screw holes. The Springfield number is 1493XXX.

The Winchester has the model 70 barrel with the milled one piece front sight base. The bolt has the side safety. This gun was out of an estate and has been as pictured for 50 years or more. Does anyone have any idea who made the stock? The stock has a very old rubber butt pad but I cant make out the mark. It has A triangular mark on the top and 3 patent dates 1914, 1915 and 1927; that is all I can make out. The floor plate has 61 (or something like it) directly in front of the trigger guard.

I'm going to give you a set of "SWAG" answers--the 61 in front of the trigger guard bow on the M70-54 "hybrid" (darn fine looking rifle too) is most likely the inspectors stamp-- if the front of the magazine floor plate release-lock push button is at a 90% to the axis, it is 1936-1941 era- ditto if the safety moves from SAFE at 9 o'clock, to striker lock at 6 o'clock to FIRE at 3 o'clock position-- The Triangle and the three patent dates may mean a Jostam, after June 1922 WRA had their own design of a solid red recoil pad with the plug hole covers-- As far as stock makers-- wow- I'd eliminate R.G. Owen, Tom Shellhammer, Paul Wundhammer from the mix- might be Pachmyer's work (Frank liked tiger striped stock wood) except you would expect one of their pads to be covering the butt- great research anyway. RWTF

RWTF, Thanks for the info! You are right the recoil pad is a Jostam, the one pictured in the patent drawing matches the one on the gun. I just checked the name and the date and here is the original patent for it. http://www.google.com/patents/US1642835?...927&f=false
The safety info also matches my gun. This gun still has the model 54 floor plate so there is no button, the floor plate doesn't open. I will take it down and see if it has a 54 or model 70 style trigger. I just wish Winchester had the info on these and you could just order a letter. Thanks vytautus

I went to a Blackburn trigger guard and floorplate on the 1935 M54 SG .220 Swift that was 'converted" by the WRA Custom Shop in early 1940 to the M70 bolt and safety. The stamped sheet metal used on all the M54's was serviceable, but not quite right for a quality rifle like the M70's (up to about 1950 anyway, IMO)--I may have a Jostam solid red period pad in the "odds and ends" cigar box if you are thinking of replacing that--The best and IMO anyway, most accurate data on the M54 and the M70 (including the butt-ugly post 1964 rifles) has to be Roger Rule's book--I'd darn near rob a bank for some of the rare M70's he has pictured therein- let us know more about what you can find out--please!! RWTF