Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Winchester Collectors What can you tell me about this model 52B?

Hey guys, I just picked this one up. I've wanted one of these for a long time now and finally ran across the right one (I hope). Let me know your opinions on this one. I know more about model 70's. Thanks.....:








In person, it is a very sweet looking rifle. I'm hoping it shoots as good as it looks. Bore looks good, crown is good, sights are decent, but I don't know what type of rear sight it is. The place I bought it from said it's a lyman, but I don't know. Your help would be appreciated. Thanks.. Oh, serial #65xxx. I believe it was made in '49.... Trigger is sweet as hell too...

That's a great looking M/52 B you've got there, with the exception of the broken pointer on the Lyman 48's elevation slide everything looks right. The browning on the the bolt handle probably is more from age as the rest of the rifle shows very little evidence of use. I first started shooting M/52's as a 12 yr. old junior and the B model has always been my favorite. At age 70 I have owned several over the years, no matter if they were Target models or Sporters all have shot great. Good luck with your new prize, hope you take it to the range and shoot it often.

Thanks gunwizard. I appreciate your insight. I plan on shooting this one too. We are having a fall rimfire match in a few weeks and probably a turkey shoot, so im hoping to put it to good use.

I agree it hasn't been shot much. The Lyman 48 sight is 1/4 MOA per click you will have to do the math for shot movement at the various ranges (distances). Shoot 40 grain, lead, Standard Velocity through it.
Aguila Super Extra in the Blue and Yellow trimmed box is good ammo at an affordable price. Federal 711 or 714 when available is decent ammo too. If you get real serious you can use the higher grades of LaPua, RWS, Ely, etc but they are Very expensive. The lower grades of them are great as well.

My pre A 52 Custom Sporter shot CCI Standard Velocity just fine, good enough that I never tried any of the expensive stuff.

Nice rifle!

If you haven't already, consider getting a mat, coat, glove and sling and shooting some NRA smallbore prone or position matches. Lots of fun to be had and things to be learned.

ok..

I have looked at many 52's over the years, never found a good one that was not messed up for a decent price. That one looks VERY nice. The very first rifle I ever shot was a 52 Sporter. My Dad borrowed it from a friend, Art Vonn who used to write for Field and Stream. Got my BSA merit badge with that one. I was sad when it was time to return it... Just found a grail rifle for myself, a BSA Martini MKIII International. Gotta love those rimfires. Will probably see a decent 52 now that I bought another..

My M52's weren't of the caliber of that one. Nice snag. I too cut my adolescent target shooting teeth with a 52- a slow lock with factory sights. My current faves are an A and a Pre-A speed lock with scope blocks (and a Fecker that rotates between them), but a 52B is needed to round things out. An elderly buddy who is an ex-.22 benchrest shooter informs me that his 52D heavy barrel w/36x Leupold is coming my way- but I'd rather have him with me at the range than his gun in my hands. Martini's are cool, and Springfield M2's are my all-time favorites, but when it comes down to pure accuracy give me a 52 and a fistful of Eley Tenex any day.

Thanks guys, I appreciate the info. I just ran across this old ad. Looks a lot like my rifle:

Very nice.

That's a daisy.

Good move BSA and I hope you enjoy yours as much as I do mine. I have the same rifle, though I shoot mine most with a Unertl 14x for which you have mounting blocks on your rifle.

I think you did well with it considering that so often these come about missing sights, handstops, and swivels. Yours looks intact.

I recommend, even if you just do it once to see, that you go on and get a small assortment of quality target ammo such as Tenex or Midas Plus and watch it put many bullets in the same little bitty hole. For a sling that you can order made up, Ron Brown is the way to go.

My rifle shoots most ammo well, but as the price goes up the number of fliers get fewer. Worth remembering is that it takes quite a few shots (like 10 or 15) for the barrel to settle in with one type of rimfire ammo after switching from another.

I'd wish you luck with it but you don't need it- enjoy!

Thanks, i appreciate that

As I shot it tonight, I thought to myself, "no one in their right mind would let this rifle go". I bet you, some poor old guy passed away and his kids or grandkids sold this beautiful rifle to the LGS, because, "no one in the family shoots guns". What a sad realization of the direction this world is going.


I tried several different types of ammo in it and it seemed to love them all, even though the wind was blowing hard enough to blow my target stand over 2 times. My hands were going numb, because of the cold, but i kept shooting until I could no longer see the target. My last 10 shots were fired at the target, for schidts and giggles, on the 100 yard line. Also, as I shot, I started to think, "this rifle is going to turn me into a right handed shooter". As I only shoot irons right handed.....In all, I left the range with a feeling of complete satisfaction. I don't think I've ever shot a 22 rifle of this caliber (quality, not referring to internal diameter of the bore) in my life. The wait was well worth it and Im glad I finally found this one...

I first shot a 52 as a 12 yr. old junior and they've never stopped providing that feeling. Won many a match shooting a 52 and used one to earn all my NRA certifications. My 52 goes with me nearly every trip to the range as well as my Springfield 1922, if you like the 52 you should definately experience the Springfield 1922.

Thanks guys, here's the outcome of shooting in the wind yesterday evening and today. Didn't have much time to shoot it lastnight. Kind of got it dialed in and ready so I could shoot it today:

[All targets 10 shot groups]

From yesterday evening: Sorry about the crappy cell phone pics!!!!





It was a windy sob, I'll tell you!!! Not spectacular shooting. Keep in mind I'm also shooting weak handed (right handed)...

Now for today's shooting. After it was dialed in from last nights last group:




I see good things to come with this rifle. I may change that front post over to a globe insert down the road. I know that helps with better target acquisition (for me anyway)...

Nice!

Congrats on a great find.

That is a dandy! Congrats! I have three 52’s - two B’s and a D. While they are nice, none of them look as good as yours - one of the B’s is a much sought after true bull barrel though, which makes me happy.

It should shoot just fine. Try some good quality subsonic match Ammo.

Thanks Mike, I appreciate the info. Now I need to find out where to get some parts for that rear sight!!! Maybe Numrich?

Can they teach me how to have better eye sight? I just put a globe front on it and scores improved. I got lucky and found a redfield sight and inserts on ebay. Works like a champ. I also ran across some bad azzed olympic sights that are damn cool. The guy wants $200.00 for them, but they are nice. I'm shooting weak handed (right handed), because my dominant eye sucks:

Very nice!

Thanks Cliff!!

Good shooting. The front sight with an aperture is a huge help vs. a post for my 57 year old eyes. Play around with different size openings to find what works best for you regarding the amount of white you see around the aiming black. An adjustable rear iris is helpful as well. There are also lenses that can be used in the rear to allow a fine tuning of your focus on the front sight.

In the NRA long range/palma shooting I like, there is not much difference in scores between the scopes vs. irons... the eye does a surprisingly good job of lining up concentric circles.

Good post Mike. The olympic sight set I found has an adjustable iris on the rear. I'm very tempted to buy that set and put it on this rifle. I need every bit of help I can get!!! My right eye isn't too bad yet, but it is almost impossible to use my left eye with a peep sight.. Sucks, but such is life..

Don't give up on your right eye yet... i wear a +5.00 correction contact with a correction for astigmatism in my right eye, and my vision is not holding me back... wind reading ability maybe ;-).

I've got one of those wonderful old rifles too! Grandpa and Dad both shot it in matches. I just use it now and again for practice.



Guy

Very cool. Thanks for sharing that beauty with us!!!!

Mine is a shooter grade 52b set up with a Weaver K-6.

We use it for clean kills on ground squirrels to a little over 100 yards with Remington Yellow Jackets.

That combination squeezes about all you can get out of a .22 lr for varmint shooting.

Hey BSA, that's a Lyman 48 alright. Look on the back and see if it's stamped Lyman FH. If it is that's the sight that originally came on most "B" target models. By the way nice rifle. BCM

Thanks BCM. i'll do that. Id like to find a pointer for the elevation.