Winchester 52

[Coyotefurharvester]

My Win 52 experience. Back in the late 80's, we had a low snow,cold winter. Lots of 5-10 dollar red fox. I hit the 100 mark before new years shooting my 17 rem. I told my hunting buddy I needed some excitement shooting more fox. He showed up with a scoped 52, said it was very accurate. I shoot 10+ the next couple days. Sneak out to 25-50 yards on a sleeping fox, shot them either between the eyes or in the ear hole. Pretty nice skinning 22rf head shot fox. No sewing wash the head, stretch and dry,sell. No reloading.

 

[davidjoe]

Help! Dad shot Winchester 52 [5 different rifles] for 40 years. When cleaning out his 'stuff' I came across a couple of these. Are these authentic Freeland Electronic Bedders? I have a pair of them and 2 sets of the paperwork that came with them. I remember that Dad tried them, but was not thrilled. He went back to his stock "B" for the rest of his lifetime. [BTW, I sold his Pre A, B, 2 Cs, & D. All I kept is an International E123050]

I was waiting to see if anyone else knew something more about the bedders. I’m not familiar with them at all. Looking at your chosen “handle”, I’m about certain you’re never selling that remaining rifle, I wouldn’t either. I have a 40-X in that version of stock. I use regularly in slow fire matches I’m able to attend. I recently bought a 1943, 1903 A-3, all original. Looks like maybe it was unissued. When I finally realized at about 30, there is no reason to limit myself to current production brand new guns, my collection became a lot more interesting.

 

[Will Henry]

I bought a well worn Model 52C a couple of years ago. The throat was burnt so I set the barrel back. I wanted to use it for M-S so I turned the barrel down and made an off-hand stock for it. I would love to have a Canjar trigger for it but am getting by with the factory trigger. With a bit of polishing, it is a decent trigger.
Does anyone know, who is the guy who makes the 3-d printed single shot adapters? WH

 

[justinp61]

I bought a well worn Model 52C a couple of years ago. The throat was burnt so I set the barrel back. I wanted to use it for M-S so I turned the barrel down and made an off-hand stock for it. I would love to have a Canjar trigger for it but am getting by with the factory trigger. With a bit of polishing, it is a decent trigger.
Does anyone know, who is the guy who makes the 3-d printed single shot adapters? WH

There is a guy on rimfire central that does C,D and E triggers.

 

[Will Henry]

I'm actually fairly satisfied with the trigger. It's smooth and consistent at 2.2 pounds. My plentiful misses are not due to the trigger. WH

 

[DaveCo]

I bought a well worn Model 52C a couple of years ago. The throat was burnt so I set the barrel back. I wanted to use it for M-S so I turned the barrel down and made an off-hand stock for it. I would love to have a Canjar trigger for it but am getting by with the factory trigger. With a bit of polishing, it is a decent trigger.
Does anyone know, who is the guy who makes the 3-d printed single shot adapters? WH

Will:

PWNolan on Rimfire Central makes the single shot adapters. I've purchased from him (good guy) and used his CZ adapters (good product, works well with no gliches). Multiple colors available.

Single Shot Adapters

PLEASE NOTE: PRICES VARY DEPENDING ON THE MODEL. SEE DETAILS FOR EACH ITEM. LET ME KNOW IF YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS After using a CZ OEM single shot adapter for a few seasons I noticed it's begun to crack. It still functions fine but I started looking at alternatives. I saw the 3D printed ones...

www.rimfirecentral.com

Dave

 

[xtcshooter]

Personally, I've never had a problem scoping my 52's.

52 Slow-Lock


52A Sporting


52D Target



All are wonderful shooters and accurate.

Art

 

[Sharp Guy]

Will:

PWNolan on Rimfire Central makes the single shot adapters. I've purchased from him (good guy) and used his CZ adapters (good product, works well with no gliches). Multiple colors available.

Single Shot Adapters

PLEASE NOTE: PRICES VARY DEPENDING ON THE MODEL. SEE DETAILS FOR EACH ITEM. LET ME KNOW IF YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS After using a CZ OEM single shot adapter for a few seasons I noticed it's begun to crack. It still functions fine but I started looking at alternatives. I saw the 3D printed ones...

www.rimfirecentral.com

Dave

Yep it's me Dave. I'm posting in disguise here. Actually, I just used the screen name I use on the knife forums.

@Will Henry let me know if you have any questions. I'm also on ebay as pwnolan2009

 

[Rampsey]

Very reliable, very accurate. I have 4 52D's as well as a 4 40X's. Three of my 52"s have a special scope mount made by Ken Viani, sadly they are no longer being produced. I shoot benchrest matches with mine and do fairly well with them. Mine are not collectors' items, at least not to me. I will agree that parts such as triggers, action screws and such are a little hard to come by, but they are out there. The 52 triggers, as opposed to the aftermarket ones for the 40X's, are heavy pull, but you can use to that. Like any other rifle, it takes good ammo and lots of practice, to get the upmost accuracy out of them. I have had and still have several good target rifles, Anschutz, Kimber, Valmet, BSA Martinis and Remington 40X's. The 52's to me seems more balanced and more forgiving than the others.

The Vianni scope mount is now back in production in Kentucky by a gentleman that procured the original drawing from Ken.

 

[mudduck]

The Vianni scope mount is now back in production in Kentucky by a gentleman that procured the original drawing from Ken.

Any contact info

 

[Topstrap]

I had a Vianni mount and used his design to make my own with 40moa increase. His were made to also allow use of peep sights. The great idea but sometimes you could use those extra couple grooves to get the scope back a bit farther. Hopefully the new manufacture might make two versions, one original to allow use of peeps and another with grooves all the way to the rear where the mount connects to the side block.

https://imagizer.imageshack.com/img661/456/hRzVZi.jpg

Concerning a win 52, they are great shooters, I use mine for longrange rimfire matches, the D had never been shot and wears Redfield peeps, the C is presently used as an experiment to show people how well these guns shoot with the craziest setup. It gets smirks but it's won way more than its share of longrange matches. It's clamped to some pieces of 2x4 with a power aide cheekrest.



Topstrap

 

[natdscott]

We got a needed rain and I’ve pulled out my D model for some backyard shooting.

View attachment 1336541

That’s the scope base situation these all face. Mine is cemented as well as screwed, but that is what it is. I’ve tried several big time scopes on this gun and I wrestle with the logic of monster glass on a base that is made to attach like this, so it has what I feel is a reasonable fixed 36 Leupold with the Premier Reticle work over, and light aluminum rings.

I got this stock a few months ago off the classifieds on this site. Very happy to have it. It is dense hardwood wood and ergonomic.


View attachment 1336544

Ah.

So YOU bought that stock!

 

[diyj98]

First, every rifle is different and the 52 is no exception.

Absolutely. And with used vintage target rifles, how well or unwell the previous owner treated the rifle can make a big difference.

 

[Rampsey]

Any contact info

John Ritchie
740-612-9920

 

[6BRA]

Help! Dad shot Winchester 52 [5 different rifles] for 40 years. When cleaning out his 'stuff' I came across a couple of these. Are these authentic Freeland Electronic Bedders? I have a pair of them and 2 sets of the paperwork that came with them. I remember that Dad tried them, but was not thrilled. He went back to his stock "B" for the rest of his lifetime. [BTW, I sold his Pre A, B, 2 Cs, & D. All I kept is an International E123050]

I don't know much about these. My 52B has one of these, never adjusted it. The gun shoots 1 hole at 50 yards. Eley club. Never strays...rock solid 22!

 

[Cbonz]

The Vianni scope mount is now back in production in Kentucky by a gentleman that procured the original drawing from Ken.

 

[Kalitrazescapee]

We got a needed rain and I’ve pulled out my D model for some backyard shooting.

View attachment 1336541

That’s the scope base situation these all face. Mine is cemented as well as screwed, but that is what it is. I’ve tried several big time scopes on this gun and I wrestle with the logic of monster glass on a base that is made to attach like this, so it has what I feel is a reasonable fixed 36 Leupold with the Premier Reticle work over, and light aluminum rings.

I got this stock a few months ago off the classifieds on this site. Very happy to have it. It is dense hardwood wood and ergonomic.


View attachment 1336544

Nice rifle.....also the embellishments master Chief seal

 

[Will Henry]

Just a follow-up, nearly two years later. I bought the single shot adapter from Mr. Nolan. It goes into the category of really satisfactory purchases I have made. Works great with no fiddling. I also bought a couple of the old style which he has discontinued as not being satisfactory. They did require some fiddling and don't work as well as the current version, but I don't hate them either. Anyway, good stuff.
I ran into a problem with the stock trigger; the safety quit working (required for hunter rifle in M-S) and I had to fix that. Apart from that I still love the 52. WH

 

[FNSafari]

I would appreciate your opinions on this rifle such as reliability and accuracy.

Bank vault reliable and very accurate...based on my experience with over a half dozen and watching others.

 

[FNSafari]

The rifle is a legend and superbly made, but not for the high power scopes we use today. There truly are a few downsides to the 52 worth mentioning.

First, mounting a scope to these is awkward. I leave receivers as originally made and that means using the barrel’s two rear base holes to mount a cantilevered picatinny rail running backward over the receiver without being connected to it. This is a compromised and inherently weak setup that turns the scope into a torque wrench against the single, small contact surface and requires a lifetime of delicate treatment.

Second, the action screws are frustratingly incompatible with anything currently made, should you lose one or want to correct someone’s damage to the slot. Here again one practice is to bore and retap but that is akin to not just cleaning, but sandblasting one’s coin collection, in my mind, making it more convenient but permanently uncollectible. Original replacement screws must be searched out.

Third, compared to the 40-X footprint, there are not readily accessible backup target stocks. Far fewer 40-X’s were made than 52’s, but they fit any 700 opening. They have a protruding screw head on the bottom of the action but it is small enough so as to simply modify any regular 40-X stock, with a dremel.

I like to shoot these very old guns in matches. If the 52 could outshoot the 40-X, I’d say these issues could all be overlooked, but my two 52’s don’t shoot smaller, at least within my limited use of them so far. If the 52 is going to be the only vintage, top quality .22 in the collection, it would be fully appreciated, but the 40-X is also vintage, fits the same target rifle role, and if you already have one, is almost guaranteed to remain your favorite and the one that is always picked for matches.

Regarding scope mounting, mounting isn't awkward if the barrel bases are there and you have a Unertl or Lyman STS. AFAIK, the only 52s factory drilled on the receiver were later E's and C Sporters. If you drill others you take lots of $ value away.

Regarding screws contact Steve Emmert over on rimfirecentral.com, he makes lots of them but I'm not sure if he makes them all. As stated above, they can be finicky but they are a joy to shoot and own.