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Quick Guide to Dating Annie Target Rifles

41K views 49 replies 24 participants last post by  vega2029 
#1 · (Edited)
I publish this for my juniors in the market for used Annies, and appreciate y'all's help. Any additions?


Dating Anschutz Rifles

Some obvious keys for dating older Anschutz 54's and 64's in auction listings.

1. The original 54-Action rifles date from 1954 and until ca1960 had vertically-rounded (bullnose) forearm tips, tapered barrels, single-claw extractors and wing safeties.

2. In 1960/61 the single horizontal barrel retention pin was replaced by two vertical pins.

3. Before 1962 barrel muzzles were machined with a dovetail block for the front sight. After 1962 muzzles were drilled and tapped for a dovetail block.

4. Before 1963 1413 models had tapered barrels. Straight barrels for the 1413 began in 1963.

5. The 64-Action rifles are an improved Flobert bolt patent and date from the early 1960's. They are smaller-diameter actions with significantly weaker bolts and are worth $2-400 less than the equivalent 54-Action.

6. Adding two-number year dates to barrels - 1961

7. Front receiver ring grooved for scope mounts - early 1965

8. Single-claw to double-claw extractors on the 54 action - late 1965

9. Fixed-hook to removable-hook buttplates - ca1970

10. Checkering changed to stippling in 1970 (1407) and '71 (1411/1413) .

11. Barrel dates changed to letter codes replacing numerical dates - ca1977 .
A 0
B 1
C 2
D 3
E 4
F 5
G 6
H 7
I/J 8
K 9

12. Wing Safety to Side-Safety triggers - First version either 1976 or 77 with the 5071 trigger on a Match 54 rifle, commonly referred to as a "1600", which were made until 1980, when the 1800 rifle with 5018 trigger, swept bolt handle and improved buttplate was introduced.

13. The swept bolt handle was introduced in mid-1978. Hence some 1600-Series rifles have straight bolt handles, and some have swept handles.

14. The only difference between the 1800 and 1900 rifles is the front sight mounting. From a 3/8" scope block mounting to a grooved barrel. The front sights are not interchangeable without an adaptor, which usually also requires a rear riser block to match the height increase.
 
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#5 · (Edited)
Anschutz

Bob,

Nice guide but you may want to consider some of the following or not.

Earlier models (1413) pre-63 had tapered barrels. Straight barrels (1413) 15/16"D x 27-1/2" began in ~1963.

On Pre-62 barrel muzzles were dovetail grooved for front sight, 1962 D&T for sight block.

Prior to 64 the 1409 and the 1411 were available in a light version with a bbl diameter of 13/16"x 26", some 1411 heavy barrels were listed as 26" as well.

~1960/61 the single horizontal bbl retention pin was replaced by two vertical pins.

However all your points from #2 on and mine can be dated very easily by the barrel stamped number or code, no need to go thru the process.

bjm
 
#9 ·
And my 1970 was marked 70. My club has two 73 marked rifles, and several other privately owned pre'77 M54s with numbers in the proofs. The other three clubs which I've shot with also had many numbered pre-'77 M54 rifles, together with every other pre-'77 M54 I've handled.

I really would be interested to see a letter proofed pre'77 rifle. Could you post a picture please?
 
#11 ·
If I may, X actions were made from '76 or '77 until 1980. The X allegedly stands for experimental. The X rifles, or 1600 series as these are known commonly, were the first go feature the 507- series triggers. Anschutz also made efforts to speed up the lock time: the firing pin was lighter than the old 1400, and the bolt even had a slot running along the bottom under the firing pin, to prevent the pin compressing air in front of it, and slowing it.

All 1600 rifles have the X. All have the slotted bolt. All have the 507-triggers. All have a conical screw -fit bolt end cap. At some point in 1978 the straight bolt handle was changed to the current cranked style.

Some X marked actions were used for 1800 rifles. I have an early 1813 with an X suffixed serial number, but it has a 5018 trigger, and lacks the slotted bolt.
 
#13 · (Edited)
The 507- triggers will work with 1400 bolts, if the sear pivot pin is trimmed (or a relief slot is cut into the receiver), but not with 1800, 1900, and 2000 actions. Although 1600 and later triggers look identical, they aren't; the shape of the sear was changed minutely for the 5018 trigger and correspondingly the firing pin is different. 1600 triggers won't cock a later bolt, as the sear won't properly engage with the firing pin. 1600 firing pins won't fit later bolts IIRC (I did once try).
 
#16 ·
compatability

TBR,

That's what the letter "X" indicated. Here (US) the up grade (1400 to 1600) took place but like the "E" 52 was never advertised as such, (1600). The 1400 kept its models as such and the parts changed. The "X" was necessary to differentiate a new model 1400 part or an old model 1400 part.

bjm
 
#21 ·
Yep, and I'm Canadian, and it's a Match 64 action based rifle.. lol
To be clearer, it's a CIL-Anschutz 190, they were made in at least two variants, one with the CIL prefix and one without. I'm told the stock is slightly different on the Anschutz-only labelled model, but don't have both rifles to compare.
Some had two-stage triggers, mine is single stage. That may have been another defining point between the two guns.
 
#24 · (Edited)
That one shouldn't be a puzzler. It's a 1979 vintage 1607 ISU Standard rifle. The bolt has the appropriate slot running down the ejector groove. And the trigger is stamped (50)71 at the rear of the housing. The sights and handstop appear to be original.

The 'scope blocks on the barrel are unusual for an ISU barrel, but turn up occassionally.
 
#28 · (Edited)
I heard that many of the rifles that came to Sydney for the 2000 Olympics has an X suffix on their serial number.
Brian
I think the closest any came to a medal was Vaclav Becvar in the Prone. The Anschutz shooters who won medals all used newer rifles, unless Juha Hirvi used a 1613 not an 1813. Grimmel and Stenvaag shot 2013s, the Russian women had 1907s (aluminium stocks) and Martynov had his 1913.

I'm fairly sure that Maik Eckhart took 4th (and highest final score) with a pre-'77 1413.
 
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