I found a Springfield Mod 52 at my favorite gun pusher.....er gun dealer. He specializes in C & R/ Surplus and in his long gun corner sat a little .22 rifle among the SKSs and Turk Mausers (and even a German .22 trainer). It had the usual wear on the outside (70% blue) but the bore shone like a mirror.
The gun itself looks like a grown-up version of a Henry Mini Bolt (had one and a 9year-old talked me out of it
). The Springfield is on lay-a-way (did not have enough dinero on hand to buy it out right ) and at $65 is the replacement for the departed Mini Bolt.
The barrel however is about 24" long and is grooved for a scope. When I get it the barrel will be bobbed to 18" and the front site reinstalled. To scope it is an academic question, although I have a BSA red dot laying around that needs a home.
The thing that concerns me is the lack of info on the internet about it and Numrich Arms has nothing (which is surprising).
