Hi
My son started shooting air rifle last fall for high school. He wants to shoot rimfire this summer so I opened the safe and pulled out this old Anschutz I bought at a gun show in the early 90's. I notice that the newer guns have a lot more adjustability. Is it even worth having him use this relic or should I search for a more modern rifle? It's pretty much like new other than a few light safe marks and I assume it is accurate?
The big difference between your 1978 Match 54, and a new one is the stock. Yours is the improved 1600 action that lead to the current versions; the trigger is functionally almost identical (it lacks the coarse weight adjustment cam at the side). 1600 barrels are well regarded, and have generated many myths about the origin of the steel. Providing the round count isn't too high, and it was properly maintained and stored, accuracy should be fine, especially for a beginner. The stock is just simpler than any current 54 stock, with not even cheekpiece adjustment. That doesn't mean it won't fit, but where it doesn't you have to live with it, or remove/add material (where possible).
In the future, if your son finds the stock is lacking, you could drop the barrel/action into a new Anschutz 1918 Precise, or into any 19xx compatible stock like the MEC, Esprit Carabine, Grunig, System Gemini etc. As well as having more ergonomic adjustment, these place the action further back in relation to the grip than your 1607; one of the complaints about the Match 54 is the long bolt, and consequent stretch to load, so even a little helps.
Be aware the current stock looks very long. That Freeland butt assembly will add 2-3in (without running out the plate on the rods), but the stock doesn't look to have been cut shorter. Yes, it's important to get the stock the right length, and an over-short butt isn't great, but an over-long butt isn't good either; you push the barrel out, and it can be harder to balance. It may be OK if he's tall (6ft+) and only shooting prone, but might be sub-optimal for a smaller chap shooting 3-P.
Thank you very much for that information, exactly what I was looking for. Perfect to know that this action can be transferred if and when the time comes.
My son is 14, 5'11 and growing like a weed so the stock length should be ok.
As Tim S noted, your Match 54 Barreled action is functionally very similar to a very long lineage of Anschutz match rifles. The 54 in Match 54 stands for 1954 and similarities in your action would be easily seen next to a 1954 original. Enough of the history lesson.
As was noted, yours is from a year group casually referred to as the 1600 series. In marketing Anschutz never officially sold a 1600 series, but there were a few years in there where they were clearly no longer 1400s but had yet to market what became the true 1800s. Pretty much all of the 1600 series rifles I have encountered have a somewhat mysterious X at the end of the serial number. There is some lore that the X stands for transition model but I have never seen that as an official designation.
Tim has it nailed, shoot this for a while and this round action will bolt into any modern stock, when the need or desire arises.
My one caution, with the 1600 series action is be very careful to keep the angled ramp in the bolt that brings the firing pin back when you raise the handle very well lubricated. If you can, find a lube with molybdenum or zinc phosphate in it. As this was a new model, Anschutz did not have the stresses, metal hardness and wear on that cocking surface completely worked out and the cocking surface (cocking cam) on the bolt handle has been known to wear making opening the bolt, rough, uneven, difficult or sometimes impossible. This part is no longer serviced by Anschutz so unless you are lucky you end up pretty much replacing the entire bolt and going from a 1600 series to 1800 series trigger. (A few hundred dollars that you usually wanted to spend on something else.)
It is not my intent to scare the bejezuz out of you or imply the rifle is in any way unfit for the purpose you describe, just offering this hint so that is does stay fit and well suited for the purpose.
That I know of the 1600s did not have a reputation for breaking firing pins. Honestly, there are not that many of them out there so it would be hard to get a sense for that anyhow.
The other issue is as far as I know Anschutz does not really service the 1600 transition actions unless they parts happen to match a 1400 or 1800/1900 action. So you might have a hard time finding a pin, even it you wanted one.
While I expect it is, lets make sure this is a true 1600: Take the bolt out, turn it over, is the bottom of the bolt open so you can see the bottom firing pin? If yes, it is a 1600. If the bottom of the bolt is closed is a 1800.