How would a 50-year-old Sears thutty-thutty match up with a brand-spanking new Shorty? Pretty dang well, as we explain below.

It was the first centerfire rifle to use a then-new smokeless cartridge, the 30 Winchester or, more commonly, the 30-30. Both of these rifles are designed around the iconic Model 94 first built by Winchester in 1894. In particular, there was a Ted Williams Model 100 rifle, a dead ringer for the Winchester Model 94.īecause we’re always hunting for bargains, we wanted to compare a used Sears Ted William’s Model 100 to a current-production Winchester Model 94 Short Rifle. Ted’s signature appeared on everything from outdoor clothing to rifles. Ever mindful of marketing opportunities, Sears signed baseball great Ted Williams to endorse its outdoor products. Sears called it the Model 100 or Model 54.

contracted with Winchester to build a 30-30 lever-action rifle similar to Winchester’s Model 94. These department-store rifles were made by these gun manufacturers but were sold under the store’s in-house brand names, often at a lower price than their name-brand cousins.įrom the 1950s through the 1970s, Sears, Roebuck and Co. In great-grandpa’s day, hardware stores and department stores with thick catalogs also sold 30-30 lever-action rifles. Over the years, numerous manufacturers have built 30-30 lever actions - Winchester, Marlin, Stevens, Mossberg, Savage, and others. The rifle’s light weight, ease of use, simple open sights, and fast follow-up shots make it a sensible choice for shots from 15 to 100 yards. There are those hunters who still believe the 30-30 lever action is the ultimate rifle for a still hunter working in dense cover. There was time when every deer hunters’ gun rack held a 30-30 lever-action rifle, and red buffalo plaid was the only choice in a hunting coat.

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