Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Ask The Gunwriters Winchester Model 52 Sporter 22 LR. (prospective purchase, need help)

Always wanted a high end bolt 22, preferably a classic. Found a Winchester model 52 sporter in nice condition, bluing 100%, couple of light scratches and one nick that is non repairable but could be blended for the most part. My problem is I cannot tell if it is an orig 52 or a repro Jap gun. Dealer advised it is not a Jap gun and i DID NOT find "made in japan" stamping visibly on the gun..... so does that mean that it is an older orig for sure ? It had a rail on it for a scope but I don't remember if it had a rear sight. (don't think it had a front iron sight). The gun dealer advised that he thought gun was about 10 years old so that immediately puts it in the jap repro era as they stopped making sporters in 1991.

What would an orig sporter 52 be worth in very good condition minus a couple light scratches and one good nick.

I could get serial number and pictures and post here but would just prefer to purchase it if I know it is a good deal. Is there anyone out there who can advise me soon (today) what I need to know to determine what I am looking at.

Would an orig 52 sporter say built in late 1980's or say 1990 look any different than the jap repros ? Can someone give me serial number listings where i know what era gun was made. Is there a serial number database anyone on net I can download or view. If you would prefer to call me on this then my number is 518-399-1572. Kind regards and look forward to hearing from you. Bernie

I am no 52 expert but the last "real one" was made in 1979 with a E125419 serial #.

Any Jap 52 is easily identified comparing it to a real one. The blue and stock finish a super glossy and I think it should NOT have Winchester proof marks.

"In the 1990s the Herstal Group, owner of Winchester's trademarks as well as the Browning Arms Company, marketed "reissue" Model 52s in both Target and Sporting models. These reproductions were made by Miroku in Japan, and sold under both the Winchester and Browning brands."

A real 52 sporter that is unmolested is a VERY expensive gun and almost never seen for sale except at high end auctions. $3000-5000 is the norm.

The serial number database is at:

http://www.winchesterguns.com/suppo...es-by-Year----2012-Scanned-Documents.pdf

Beware that this is a popular rifle to fake as well.

If it's at the corner gun shop and the price (in the condition as you describe) is not close to $4000, it's a Jap gun.

Collecting Winchesters and Colts is a rich man's hobby and fakes abound.

Go and take lots of well lighted photos of the gun including all markings and go to this site:

http://www.winchestercollector.org/forum/index.php

Where the real experts are.

The last Winchester 52 Sporter I saw (in Griffin and Howe - NYC) was in 1998 and was priced at $2,500. I have 2 Browning Model 52 Sporters. I never bought a "real" one when they were produced, but at least I have the Brownings.

Seriously if you can't tell the difference from an original or a recent manufacture you may want to hold off on your purchase for a while. And I would find a new dealer!

You need to know more about 52s before you spend a dime.

That said, both the Winchester and Miroku Model 52s are top notch shooters. That is, if they are originals and not chop-shop specials.

I have a jap 52 and it is one sweet shooter. It is not an investment.

I loooove my Miroku. Picked it up on the consignment rack w small rail quick release talleys for $350!

Thanks for all replys so far. I HAVE been doing a lot of research on the net and getting to know things better. One thing is becoming quite apparent. Even thought the Jap guns are repros, they are great repros and do shoot and quite a bargin at the price. I believe it was stated "best kept secret". I am not sure I agree with OrangeOkie assessment that they are not an investment. Maybe not in the sense of the orig ones but in todays world with more and more crap being made these guns might be tomorrows collectables. Please all stop back tomorrow as I will have pics and serial numbers. Would guess a Jap repro but spend 30 minutes looking at it and for the life of me do NOT remember a MADE IN JAPAN stamped on it which is really bothering me as I think it would. That's the piece of the puzzle that really has me baffled. see ya tomorrow......

I have one of the Browning 52's and I also have my old original Win. 52B target rifle that I have had since high school...and that was a loooong time back. The quality is just not the same...but for the money you wouldn't expect it to be. No, it's not as smooth or as accurate, but it really has become my favorite 22 sporter. All the repro's had match chambers and they can be a bit sticky with some ammo. With ammo it likes, it is easily a 1/2" rifle at 5O yards. It shoots most ammo well enough, but good quality match ammo will bring out the best in it.

gunrator, here's the scoop. The original 52 SPORTER was made from 1934 to 1958 and started out with just a five digit serial number 34,123. Then they started stamping letters after the serial numbers as changes were made to the rifles. Next up was the "A's", like this 40,123A, then the "B's" and finally the "C's". They went on to make D's and E's, but these were target models only, no Sporters. Now if the gun you're looking at is a Jap 52 Sporter and remember the first 5,000 made will say Browning on them, and later ones will say Winchester. The serial numbers on the Brownings look something like this 01234NZ 496. The Winchester ones will be a little tricky because they had numerous serial styles. Here are some examples,, 00627NZ496 or 10NP801640 anyway you get the picture. The barrel will be stamped made in Japan if it's a Jap gun. Always remember, the Sporters, the original ones will ALWAYS bring about 3 to 4 times the price of a target model if both are in the same condition. The Jap models only came in the Sporter configuration with the exception on one that had a slightly heavier barrel than the rest, but not what I would call a "Heavy Barrel" like the true target models. Hope this helps. If the rifle you're looking at is a true original 52 Sporter and the price is below three grand, better have someone that knows their stuff to look at it with you, it may just turn out to be the deal of the year. RRM

Really? I have a Winchester 52 "made in Japan" NIB I paid $350 for when Clinton pushed the AWB through. It has a low 3 digit serial #. 5 years or so ago they were going north of $1100 for one like it if you could find one. This one still has the hang tag on the trigger guard.

FYI, the book "The Winchester Model 52 - Perfection in Design" by Herbert G. Houze is a great reference. While it covers the rifle's development and manufacture, it also features the sporter version in better detail than most references. Try to pick up a copy.

Strictly by coincidcnce i pulled out of the hidely hole a 52B and a 52C today, One has a ten power inertal on it, the other a J. feckler scope, 15 power. Those ol outside adjustment scopes are a hoot.
I was trolling a little bid on the net today, and they sure are not inexpensive anymore. Which i find funny in a way, I had offered both of them when i found them to a guy i know, and he said 600bucks a piece was too much. Yeah, okay. Try the scopes alone. I haven't shot either of them, or the remington40-x i am trying to restock. But they do have good triggers on them, but from my uneducated perspective i think the 40=X is just as good.

i think the following by another poster is probably pretty close to the truth.
A real 52 sporter that is unmolested is a VERY expensive gun and almost never seen for sale except at high end auctions. $3000-5000 is the norm.

Well it was a jap repro and it had scratches and one good nick that was unrepairable. So......

I got pissed and bought a new one in the box for less money. Not a nick, scratch, buff mark, absolutely prestine in and out. Would post some pics a but don't know how.

NOW, I wish to put the best scope that I find on it. I had a 36x Leapold on my Sako 22-250 Finebear but that would be way too much for this, but, I still want to see out to 100 - 150 yards so I would guess maybe a 24x Variable if anyone makes one. Would love to hear suggestions on a quality scope for this 52B.
I see some scope have a BDC feature, just not sure if this would be good for me.

I know this is going to sound crazy but I have decided to buy another new gun to play next to the 52, I believe I have made up my mind on a new Anschutz 1712 Silhouette. I have done A LOT of research in the last week or so on the next and it seems to come out on top over and over again and I would guess that the 52B will not keep up to it but it will be fun trying. Like the looks of it so now just have to find one out there with a beautiful piece of wood and get it. So make that two Scopes to advise on.

I'm Hooked!!

Maybe a CZ452 at the end of the summer just for giggles (if I can find one as I guess their getting scarce. ??

next year a good used Sako as I heard that if you get the right one they are also real shooters too.

let the competition begin !

Kind Regards,
Gunraptor

Get a Leupold Ultralight 3-9 AO as a just about perfect "nice .22" scope. The Anschutz 54 sporters out shot the Jap 52 (example of one) that I have had, but so did my Marlin 39A Mountie. Maybe I just got a less than perfect one or did not find just the right ammo. IIRC, mine was branded Winchester, but the box should make no difference.

Jack

Maybe yours had an issue. I have one of the Win's, looked at and should have bought, a second. Mine can pretty easily put 5 in a quarter inch at 50yds with several types of high quality target ammo. And pretty much anything short of cheap bulk ammo at around a half inch. See the target below - and that was just was just going from one ammo to the other with only shooting some of the Thunderbolts in between - i believe if i'd have shot a second and third group of each after the first ones, they'd have shown improvement. One of the last rifles I'd ever get rid of honestly.

eh, I was doing some research on Winchester 52s and I came across this old post. I did not in fact buy my jap reproduction as an investment, but I am really happy to see it has appreciated in price. That's never bad. It is a real beauty, and looks new. Now I need to get back up in the attic to see if I can find the box it came in. Don't want to misplace that. This rifle, along with my Kimber Mod 82 and my 9422's will eventually be passed on to my kids anyway, I'll let them worry about selling 'em if they want. Now I am going to have to go through my storm vault and see if I can locate the 52 and I'll take some photos and post here.

Like you I prefer a 24x for looking @ 100 yard .22 caliber holes. For your Winchester M 52 I'd recommend the Leupold VX-6

It's a very trim scope for all the features built into it.

https://www.leupold.com/tactical/scopes/vx-6-riflescopes/


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I bought a couple of the reproductions new about twenty years ago. These are surprisingly accurate for thin-barreled sporters. I shoot no expensive ammo in mine; the plain CCI standard velocity shoots very well in both guns. However, don't waste money on the bulk stuff.

I'm in an obvious minority on sighting equipment. I have a 6x Unertl small game scope on one and a Lyman aperture sight on the other. Each seems to be adequate for the limited range of the cartridge.