Winchester Model 54

[Dave91]

The rifle in the photo looks more like a sporterized US M1917.

I was thinking the same thing. Look at the finger groove, the bottom part of the stock, and it has the look of the 1917's you see that have the rear sight ears chopped off.

 

[mgbill]

Uhhh - it does say Model 54 on the barrel...

 

[MilsurpDan]

Uhhh - it does say Model 54 on the barrel...

We're talking about the rifle in the photograph I posted. Not the OP's rifle.

Sorry, didn't want to hijack your post im_mac, I just thought the picture shared some similarities with your story

 

[im_mac]

No problem MilsurpDan - that is a neat picture.

And Blackbart - I found a reference to a 1933 price list where that rifle was $76, possibly more since I suspect the stock was higher grade than normal. I think my grandfather said the stock was part of the reason he picked it up. Definitely wasn't bought by an enlisted.

 

[BlackBart]

The rifle in the photo looks more like a sporterized US M1917.

Could be, what I'm calling the cocking piece might be the ugly assed ears.

 

[noahhh]

I suggest the rifle held by the Japanese soldier is a M1922 M1/M2 Springfield. Pistol grip stock, finger groove forearm. I thought at first M1903 NRA Sporter, but the finger grooves give lie to that. Nor is it a cut-down M1903A1- again no finger grooves on that model even though the 03A1 was a pistol grip stock. The only other Springfield with finger grooves was the M1903 with Type S (straight grip) stock which was by far the most common one, but again this isn't a cut-down one of those due to the pistol grip. Definitely not a Krag- no side plate, and Krags never had pistol grip stocks. That pretty much leaves M1922 M1/M2. (Which is odd because the M1922 was a .22RF.) The only other remotely possible candidate would be a M1903 target model, some very rare examples of which had finger groove pistol grip stocks- but they only made a couple of them and not likely it would have been available on Corregidor. .22's were commonly used as training/gallery rifles at regular army bases, even overseas.

I bet too they're posing in an American coastal gun battery on Corregidor. Probably picked the gun up as a souvenir moments before. Looks a lot like pics I've seen of Japs posing in Marine coastal battery positions on Wake Island, but if this one is attributable to the Phillipines it has to be on Corregidor. We didn't have guns of that caliber on Bataan or anywhere else in the Phillipines in 1941-42, just field artillery.

It's not beyond the realm of imagination to think the OP's rifle was a souvenir picked up by a Jap soldier. Unlike we Americans, the Japanese didn't have a tradition of sending souvenir guns home. He probably got it when the Phillipines fell in 1942, kept it, used it a bunch, didn't take care of it, got killed with it when we re-invaded in 1944. We don't know if he was "armed" with it when he met his end or just happened to have it in his possession. The Japanese army was as particular as we were about guys carrying non-issue weapons, if not more so.

 

[Machodoc]

I bet too they're posing in an American coastal gun battery on Corregidor. Probably picked the gun up as a souvenir moments before. Looks a lot like pics I've seen of Japs posing in Marine coastal battery positions on Wake Island, but if this one is attributable to the Phillipines it has to be on Corregidor. We didn't have guns of that caliber on Bataan or anywhere else in the Phillipines in 1941-42, just field artillery.

Yes, and apparently there were some civilians who also withdrew to Corregidor.

It's an interesting photo and I guarantee that, staged by the photographer or not, they are doing a "Banzai!" cheer.