"Gun Jesus" Ian McCollum claims that the M1947 Madsen was the last bolt-action rifle designed for standard military use (see TDF 9). Well, seeing as how McCollum opposed Trump in the election, I feel free to anklebite at his claim.
The Mexican M1954, a .30-06 redesign of its M1936 model, was adopted, of course, in 1954. Mexico had switched from the 7mm Mauser to .30-06 due to receipt of M1 Garands and other arms of the caliber from their hermano grande blanco al norte. Indeed, falling in line with the U.S. made sense, considering the threat faced from Soviet expansion.
However, investing in a bolt-action design--not a retrofit, but a whole new manufacture--may make Mexico, not that Danish company, the holder of the fudd distinction as the last pusher of a bolt as standard army issue. (Colombia purchased some of the Madsens for naval use in 1958.)
From "The Breech Loading Rifles of Mexico," by Don Reynolds:
In 1947, the Mexican Army began looking for a new rifle. About 50,000 M1936 rifles had been produced for the Army and Federal Police at this time. In 1954 a much modified M1936type Mauser with receiver mounted aperture rear sight was adopted in .30-06., known as the Modelo 1954. These were marked "Cal.7.62mm MOD. 54". This rifle was made in limited numbers as late as 1959. Rifles of this type issued to the Mexican Navy are marked "Armada". U.S. supplied M1903A3 and M1 Garand rifles in .30-06 were also used in the 1950's and sixties.
And unlike McCollum's entry, this weapon is probably still in serious official use!
The Model 1954 was developed after the Mexican Army received many American weapons, such as the M1 Garand. Since more and more semi-automatic weapons became available on the surplus market, the production of the Model 1954 was reduced from 1955 but continued until 1959. Some of these rifles were supplied to the Mexican Navy and marked Armada.
In the 1960s, the Model 1954 was still one of the standard-issue rifles of the Mexican Army. As of 2017, the Model 1954 is still used by the rural militia (Rurales). In the civilian US market, it is listed as a curiosity or relics, still select to the provisions of 18 U.S.C. Chapter 44, the Gun Control Act of 1968 in the 2018 ATF classifications list.
A rural militiaman with a Carabina Mod. 1954 in 2015.
Of course, such an arm falls far short of the aspiration of the Anglo Power to the North's Second Amendment. Yet, it's firepower. Remember that.
