Any Winchester 52 experts here?

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jnyork
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Any Winchester 52 experts here?

Post by jnyork »

Picked up this Winchester model 52B at the Riverton WY gun show last weekend. Serial number puts it at 1940 vintage, same as me. :D Does not have the "speed lock" bolt. I don't know if the checkering is factory or not, it doesn't look like Bubba did it and the House book on these guns does show some with checkering, also it seems to me I saw an almost identical gun for sale on one of these boards a few months ago. I don't think the forend handstop is factory. It has a little Redfield receiver sight and a bead front, not gold. The Lyman scope I already had. There is a hole in the rear of the trigger guard, I thought it might have been Bubba installing an overtravel screw but it isn't treaded. Took it to our local benchrest match last evening, came in 5th out of 31, only dropped 3 points out of 400 so off to a good start. Anyone know anything more I should be aware of here?

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wm
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Re: Any Winchester 52 experts here?

Post by wm »

Shot a similar rifle for years in 4 position small bore comp.......only issue I ever had is I set the trigger so light it started going off if I closed the bolt too hard. Had to back off a bit on that.

Fantastic rifles.......the likes of which we are not likely to see again.
Pete44ru
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Re: Any Winchester 52 experts here?

Post by Pete44ru »

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R U confident on the 1940 dating ?

I say that because your M52 is a slow-lock; the Speedlock was invented in 1929, the receivers altered for the speedlock starting in 1930, and they became fully standard by 1935.

My 52B Sporting Rifle had a speedlock, but the pre-A M52 custom sporter had the slowlock - which I preferred for hunting, as the striker could easily be lowered until a Squill was spotted, then quietly drawn back to the cocked position for the shot.

Due to the filled-in receiver inletting in the stock, I presume somebody removed the issue long slide Lyman receiver sight in favor of the Redfield.

While I'm aware of the checkered examples in House's book, I've never personally ever seen a checkered target model 52. (funshops, multiple funshows, and online)

I couldn't make out the stamping, most likely the maker's mark, on the handstop's drilled & inletted base - what does it denote ?

In the day, since most target shooters simply altered their rifles to suit themselves, in order to achieve better scores, it's rare to find an un-altered specimen.


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Last edited by Pete44ru on Wed May 28, 2014 10:56 am, edited 1 time in total.
jnyork
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Re: Any Winchester 52 experts here?

Post by jnyork »

Even more curiouser, :grin: I looked up the serial number, 45XXX, in the Blue Book of Gun Values and it says 1940. I later looked it up the House book, it shows July of 1937.

The handstop rail says "USA Patent Pending", nothing more.
Pete44ru
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Re: Any Winchester 52 experts here?

Post by Pete44ru »

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The Winchester factory records say that SN range is late 1938, into 1939 (pp24): http://www.winchesterguns.com/support/f ... uments.pdf

In any event, that is well past the time that the Speedlock became standard, so IDK what to make of your rifle.


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Hobie
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Re: Any Winchester 52 experts here?

Post by Hobie »

Not an expert but recently picked up a 52C and after research don't think the checkering is factory. That's a Ken Viani mount on it. Just put the T-36 Weaver on today. They want me to shoot this Sunday! I don't think so.
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Mescalero
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Re: Any Winchester 52 experts here?

Post by Mescalero »

I have been reluctant to respond to this post.
When I worked for W.R. Weaver Co. I was on staff.
Staff members were offered a smoking deal on Winchester 52's.
I did not buy one :oops:
jdad
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Re: Any Winchester 52 experts here?

Post by jdad »

Checkering is not factory.

A lot of custom work done to it by a previous 3 or 4 position shooter. The hole, in the trigger guard, was where he screwed in his trigger stop.

Enjoy it for what it is.......with Eley Tenex. :wink:
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Hobie
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Re: Any Winchester 52 experts here?

Post by Hobie »

Mine shot SK Jagd and Remington Target very well today.
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Molasses
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Re: Any Winchester 52 experts here?

Post by Molasses »

First off: I am not an expert and I certainly don't claim to be one.

Something doesn't make sense to me about this setup. I've had a couple of slow locks and that cocking piece isn't the shape I remember them having. (This finally got me frustrated and dug around until I found my copy of Houze' book on the Model 52...necessitating an edit). Okay, what I'm seeing in the picture is a squared off, smooth finished, disc-shaped end on the cocking piece, while the pictures I've found of slow locks w. a cocking piece show a rounded, knurled configuration.
I've still got a pre-B speed lock: it's got no cocking piece and it still has a wing safety on the left rear side of the receiver itself like the slow locks had. The one B I've owned had no cocking piece and had the thumb safety off to the right of the receiver like the safety in the pictures.
Having both the right side thumb safety and a cocking piece together just seems...like a strange juxtaposition of bits from two model variations that were separated by a third (I'm talking easily visible variations, not little things like the safety mod that differentiates the A from the earlier guns). Makes me wonder about whether the bolt's been swapped out or if someone felt the need to be able to pull start the critter and had a new firing pin assembly made from scratch or some such.
Doesn't much matter as long as it shoots well and you're happy with it.

Still, I wonder what the folks that live in the Model 52 portion of the Winchester area at RimfireCentral.com would make of this rifle?
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