Winchester Model 52

[Lemi]

I have a friend with a 1927 Winchester model 52 in excellent condition,  it has a Bishop stock and  what looks like a expensive rear peep sight. I am thinking of trading him a S & W Model 27-1 6" .357 Mag. with box in excellent condition. Any opinion from this group? Thanks in advance.

[Graybeard]

If the trade is even I'd think you are getting the best of the deal financially. I've never cared for N-frame .357s so think you'd be getting the best of the deal in that regard as well. I've never owned a Win M52 and likely never will but in some variants I do really like them. They were fine old rifles.

[Rangr44]

My custom-stocked 1929 slow lock/pre-A Model 52 sporter would keep an entire magazineful of shots under a dime @ 100 yds w/o breaking a sweat - but that's with a 3x Weaver scope mounted.


(bottom rifle)

I recently sold it locally/privately for $1200.

.

[gunnut69]

The pre-A 52's had a few prob;ems in a target mode. The frames cracked at the left front of the ejection port. This only after extreme round counts..  the A's addressed this issue. Also the slow lock was eliminated which is an advantage as it makes them a bit easier to hit with.. The 52 never really hit it's stride until the 'C' models and the MicroMotion' trigger assembly. I've an original pre-A and a reproduction 52-B (reproduction 52B's use the micromotion trigger). The reproductions don't seem to have the same quality barrels as the originals but the trigger is so superior to most others it allows the rifle to compete with musch better rifles when used in the woods.. I have rifles that will outshoot the repro off a bench but in the field it all seems even.  The values on all 52's is not likely to ever fall too much. They are the 'king' of the 22 rimfire rifles..