Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Rimfires Anyone built a Win 52 Sporter from a target rifle?

Has anyone converted a Winchester 52 target rifle into a Sporter? Have you purchased one that had already been converted? Pics of yours. I purchased an early pre A that had been nicely converted, the standard weight barrel shortened to 22" and the stock reshaped to a Sporter profile and nicely checkered, ebony tip and sper grade swivels added. I like it better than my original sporter, the standard weight target barrel adds just enough weight to make it not feel too light.

I have one of the repos and really like it. Aren't those made up similar to what you described?

I have an original B target rifle that I had "sporterized". I had the barrel bobbed back to 22" and put a nice quilt maple sporter style stock on it. It is boringly accurate, but the heavy target barrel makes it too front heavy to carry all day and shoot offhand. So I use a bipod for much of my ground squirrel shooting.
Sometime in the next month or so I will chuck it up in the lathe and turn the barrel down to approximately "heavy Sporter" dimensions to lighten it up some and hopefully not lose the accuracy I've come to enjoy. I've seen several done this way by my gunsmith and they look awesome and shoot just as well.

If you want to go to a true sporter contour, Lilja makes a barrel turned to the original sporter contours. This is the route I will be taking on my 52C model when I sporterize it later this year.

Bob

I have a friend who has a pre-A, with the barrel turned to sporter profile,, and dropped into a B sporter stock. Shoots beautifully! With a custom bolt handle, the B stock (needs some refinishing), not sure of the value, but a great plinker/hunter.

Clarence

Clarence, I would like to see a picture of that 52 with a different handle. I have a 52 B that has been sporterized. I will take pictures at lunch but do not know how to upload. I can email to someone if they would like to post.
Chris

I started a project with a 1929 pre A. Had the barrel cut and crowned to 18". Restocked it with a piece of really neat maple(got from Sitka Deer). I ended up keeping the original sights due to the complexities of modifying the bolt handle to accept a lower scope mounting. The project got to be more than I wanted to spend with sending the rifle to here and there. I do have a nice looking old 52 that shoots very well and is fun to shoot. The last thing is to get it reblued or ceracoated. I would post a picture of the stock but I don't know how to post from my old phone.

If you have sporterized an early 52 rifle like I did, I would think a modern finish like cerakote would look out of place. Mine had been glass beaded and hot blued simulating rust bluing. If the rifle were mine I would either glass bead and hot blue which is the less costly option or if you don't mind spending a little more have it rust blued. I had my Springfield 1922 M2 which had been sporterized by its previous owner rust blued. Rust blue is period correct for these vintage rifles, it just looks right.

bennett,

Sorry-I no longer have any pictures of that rifle.

Clarence

Clarence, Thanks. Since mine is not original I am going to make it into what I need. The rings have to be so high to clear the bolt knob on the ocular ,that I want to have a different bolt handle welded on to get my head down where it should be, Any suggestions on who could do this?

Ed La Pour welded a bolt handle on my Springfield 1922M2 that allows bolt clearance. Check out his website LaPour Gunsmithing. He does great work at fair prices without a long wait. He is a member of the Gunsmith's Guild and is a great guy, easy to do business with.

Excellent news Thank You