G&H Mod.54 Custom .220 Swift

GRIFFIN & HOWE

Rifles

Category : C

Caliber : .220 Swift

 

An exceptional Griffin & Howe rifle built circa 1936 on the basis of a highly customized Winchester Mod.54.

The Model 54 used to produce this rifle is one of the last examples produced in .220 Swift in 1935; the year Winchester introduced this caliber.

Although they retained the barreled action, Griffin & Howe extensively modified the original action with an improved trigger, a lowered bolt handle, and a machined Mod. 70 type trigger guard.

On he receiver left side the base for a 1931 side-mount is perfectly integrated and the safety catch comes with FIRE and SAFE details inlaid in gold.

On the 25½" chrome-molybdenum steel barrel, the rear sight has been replaced by an engraved insert while the Lyman 31 front sight is protected by a typical G&H knurled end sliding tunnel.

The receiver bears a superb period Lyman Mod 48WJ long slide diopter on its rear left side.

The Carl Zeiss Jena Zielklein scope is attached on the ¾" Ø monobloc rings of the Griffin & Howe 1931 mount that locks onto the base set on the left side of the receiver.

The mount features an indexed knob for lateral adjustment, the elevation adjustment being accessible on the Zielklein top turret.

This 2¼-magnification quality optic, in superb condition, features a special post and dot reticle, and during sighting at the range it surprised us by allowing the shooter to reach the 300-meters gong without difficulty.

With the exception of the mount and sights, all metal parts of the rifle have received a top-notch quality slow rust bluing.

The 13½" LOP stock, made of tight-grained American walnut (juglans regia) is typical of the pre-war creations of the great New York gunsmith.

The quality of inletting is absolutely remarkable, with perfectly glazed surfaces and surprising attention to detail, such as the locking key of the black horn tip capping the slightly and elegantly widened forend as must befit a precision rifle primarily intended for rest shooting.

The grip follows a perfect arc, and the cheekpiece, typical of the productions of the East Street workshop, has its purfling ending in an accent at the comb.

We must note the large sling eyelets, the silver oval free of mark, the finely engraved steel cap, and the nicely curved steel buttplate, hand-checkered and engraved.

The 22LPI checkering is of the highest quality, surrounding the top of the grip and covering a large area of the widened fore-end.

Tested at the range, this .220 Swift delivered superb accuracy, both with the metallic sights and with the surprising small Zeiss Zielklein.

Operation is beyond reproach, and the G&H modified double stage trigger has diminished the main flaw of the 54 system.

Equipped with its Lyman sight, this impressive rifle weighs 8lb-12oz while, fitted with scope and mount, it weighs 9lb-9oz.

 

This rare rifle is fully guaranteed.

It is a perfect example of fine modern American gunmaking from the first half of the 20th century.

 

** Griffin & Howe produced few weapons based on the Winchester Model 54, a model that lasted only a decade.

The best known remains the rifle built for Colonel Townsend Whelen.

On the other hand, the .220 Swift cartridge was introduced in 1935, by Captain G.L. Wotkyns for the Winchester Western Cartridge Company, just one year before the Model 54 end. **