Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Hunting Rifles Cooper Model 52 !!!

I've been wanting a Cooper 52 for a while now so I went to a gun shop that carries them today, to say they are nice is an understatement. They had three classics in stock, 25-06,270, and a 30-06. They seemed a little bit on the heavy side and Im thinkin that by the time I put mounts and scope on it it will be a just a little overweight for me. Cooper now has a 52 called excalibur. It has flutted barrel and bolt.Has anyone had a chance to handle one of them. Just wondering about the weight difference between it and the classic. Thanks

cooper is now a dirty word around here, mr. cooper gave money to the Obama campaign both for his senate and presidential campaign, the firestorm was so great, cooper is trying to distance themselves from him, do a search, most around here will no longer do business with the company.

For $1500 build a custom with your choice of components and out the door weight. Or just buy one of those Kimber Montana's and be done with it. And this from a guy who owns a 52 that shoots very well. Won't be buying another due to the Obama deal.

Is Dan Cooper still a part of Cooper Firearms? I thought he was outed.

I have heard from more than one he is gone.

i believe he is just off the board. i am pretty sure he owns the company. i too always wanted a cooper, but forget it now! -keith

dan still owns over 50% of the company as per the nyt a couple weeks ago. i'll not send them a dime.

Surprisingly, differences b/w a classic and excalibur for me seemed mostly cosmetic. Contrary to hype, the few ounces were not much of a deal in the field. I do like the fluted bolt and barrel.

I carried my classic easily for miles this year w/o complaints. A NULA it's not. the discovery this year for me was how well the classic and excalibur shot off hand. In field positions I noticed a significant improvement. I dropped 9 deer w/ 9 shots.

My brother was impressed enough to order an excalibur as he's a die-hard synthetic man.

I suggest you buy what you prefer, worry less about ounces, and enjoy.

I wanted wood, but next go around will do a 338-06 excalibur.

That's my understanding too. I have two Coopers, a M22 Phoenix in .308 and a Classic in .22LR and while I like them both and they are every bit as accurate as advertised, they are my last unless the situation changes there.

Thanks gentlemen, I didn't know he was still at the helm. What other options are out there that compare with the quality of a 52 Custom Classic in the same price range. I currently own a 57M Custom Classic and it needs a cellmate. Is a SuperAmerica my only option?

Roy

Roy,

Well I'm not sure a Superamerica is your only option but I think that's where I'll go in a new .243 in a couple years. Another very reasonable option would be to look for a used custom of some sort. Likely not a lot of used Cooper game rifles on the market yet but buying one used would be an option too.

I have a couple of M52s, one Classic and one Jackson Game Rifle. Both were purchased before the Obama flap came to light. I do have to say that the rifles are very nice, shoot great and look great too. They are not lightweights, but not overly heavy in my opinion. In a couple of dealings with the company, I have nothing but the best regard for their customer service. FWIW

We have an excaliber in our store right now. It's slightly less weight. I owned a 52 in 280. It was the Jackson Hunter stainless synthetic. It was heavy, the chamber was extra tight (not necessarily a bad thing EXCEPT for fast second shots)also the ejector wasn't the greatest. After the election info, I sold the rifle, bought a Sako 85 in 30-06 and I'm having it rebarreled to 280 by Bansner.

Bob257,

I had a Sako M75 in .280 that I sold to get the Cooper. Sakos are nice rifles as well. Still have a M75 stainless/synthetic in 7mm-08

The Excalibur in 270 was to be a Christmas present to myself as I always wanted a Cooper. I didn't/don't agree with Dan's views on giving money to the left, so the Excalibur is now a distant memory.
Shame when people can't be saved from themselves....

After Dan Cooper stepped down from the board, the Cooper website announced it and gave the impression that he was no longer part of the company. That kind of put me off. It was like the company was trying to win back the shooting public without really coming clean.

Might just be me, but since I get to spend my money where I want, I won't be buying a .22lr from them...