Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Hunting Rifles 52 B Target model to Sporter

I just picked up a nice Winchester 52B Target model (the original, not the remake); I want a Sporter bad but can't afford the price. I'm thinking about restocking it in the sporter style. I can have a stock made, but was wondering if the remake 52B sporter stock would fit the original..... or, does anyone know where I can find a original 52 B sporter stock?/

Thanks,
Don

Great American Gunstocks have a nice line of sporter style stocks to upgrade .22's.

Yeah, they are great folks; they have done several Martini Cadet stocks for me. I talked to them yesterday and they have several 52B stocks in stock. They are an option.

In the 1960s I had Luft Brothers of Spokane WA make a 52B target rifle into a sporter, I was lucky enough to have a factory sporter stock for it. The barrel was turned down to a lighter contour, but still heavier than a factory 52 sporter, and cut to 22". A Kollmorgen 4X Bear Cub was set up in handmade ONeill Hopkins style (or maybe they are ONeill Keith style) mounts, the front ring is a figure 8 holding the scope in the top loop and around the barrel in the bottom loop, the rear ring is conventional like an old Weaver B mount, two screws holding it to the receiver. A Springfield 1903 trigger guard was altered to replace the stamped factory guard. Some years later I had a Mannlicher Schoenaur trap buttplate fitted, the cavity holds a 10 shot factory clip magazine. This is a very fine .22 sporting rifle in every respect. IMO the factory sporter barrel is a little too light for best offhand balance and I like mine better. By the way I believe the Japanese 52 sporter barrel will adapt to the 52B action.

Thanks for your post; sounds like a great rifle. I was thinking also about replacing the trigger guard with something nicer. I hope mine turns out 1/2 as nice as yours.

Don

Don, one of the well known bottom metal specialists makes a machined trigger guard for the 52, I can't find the reference though. If you post a question on the Accuratereloading.com gunsmithing forum one of those guys will probably come up with it. Also I see an error in my previous post, it is the Japanese 52 stock, not barrel, that should fit the 52B action.