My Dad inherited a 52C sporter about 5-6 years ago from a sister who'd taken it from her husband in a divorce. It was his favorite rifle, so she figured it was a good way to hurt the poor guy. My uncle had worked at a Western auto in the late 50's early 60's and a customer brought it in to trade/sell. The store wasn't interested but my uncle decided to buy it from the guy. He owned it there on til the divorce when my aunt took possession out of spite.

Anyway, he's ready to start clearing out some guns and has a cooper and a original 82 superamerica with most of the options available at the time, as well as a bunch of other high end rimfires that he's keeping, so this one is going.

Bluing is in very good shape. Stock shows wear but nothing terrible. I'd say 90% cond. easy. Serial number is 97510C. No modifications that I can tell.

What is a realistic value, and what is the best way to go about selling? Seems like a niche/collector market to sell something like this at what I'm assuming is a reasonably large sum of money.

I can email pics to someone willing to post them.

List it in the RimfireCentral website's classified section, there's a very active group of 52 Sporter shooter/collectors there.

I posted on the Winchester 52 subforum over there also. Any idea where the market is on these at this time?

I would say around 3500.00 assuming all original, no extra holes, stock not cut, etc.
I've seen them listed at 5000.00 but they don't seem to move at that price unless exceptional condition.

DON'T sell it for $3,500! Photos would help immensely and, as you describe it and if unmolested. should bring at least $4,500 on GI or GB...Rimfire Central will not get you top $; the GB auction route is how to go....

Wow! Nice one!

No safe Queen, but for being 60 years old and hunted with, it's in good shape. Bolt won't clear the ocular on that scope and it's obviously not period correct, so no idea what the story is on that.....mounts appear period and are Redfield. I'd say my aunt's son stole the scope off it and put that cheap POS on there.

Shows bluing wear on the bottom metal, but barrel and receiver show very little. Dad said he remembered his brother-in-law shooting mice inside a house he and my aunt had lived in with that 52. Apparently he drank a good bit (grin)

Nice rifle, the pictures do bring up one concern. I think the 52C Sporting should have a stock with a slight Monte Carlo comb. Can you see any evidence of the comb being sanded and refinished?
I am not an expert just an enthusiast so I could be wrong, if the stock is not correct it will affect value.

Told the same thing at Rimfire central. I'll get pics Sunday and take a better look. It sure doesn't look modified and there's no difference in the finish. Really odd. Someone went to great pains to do it for some reason.... If they all had a raised comb then it's been modified. Any "experts" on the 52's out there? Like to know what he has so we can price it correctly.

As far as I know C's had a small comb, B's had a straight stock, they had different triggers so I don't think B and C stocks were easily swapped.
Changing contour of stocks by sanding was fairly common back then, I've got a late 40's B target rifle that the comb was slightly modified and a Model 12 trap that also was slightly contoured to get the face centered.

My old friend , George Madis, said when it came to Winchesters " there're no rules".
Winchester came to Madis for info, when he was alive.
Madis would stay in bed , most mornings, Patty would bring him coffee or breakfast. He would answer letters, faxes, etc.

Barrels of parts would show up in assembly , and they were used to put guns together.
It did not have to be at the end of a production run.

The only reason i have never owned a 52 because it wasn't ever offered in Left Hand if they had I would have one today

Another old friend, Nubs Fashingbauer, from Lac du flambeau, turned a number of the 52 clunker target rifles into 52 clunker sporters. I saw one 52 he spun into a left hander for some fruitcake in Iran.
He was a great gunsmith. Sorry to say he passed many ,many years ago.

The only 52's of interest are custom rifles. i don't give a [bleep] how high the front sight is or if it is perfect in every regard.
It's all about the wood and custom features and how it shoots.

As far as Rimfire Central goes..... there are 6-7 cliquey , know it alls on there.
None have any money to spend. Cheap know it all arm chair pro( futzing) fessionals. One can guess how I get along on there.

If I haven't ruffled any feathers....my job isn't done.

Jackmountain: What a cool Rifle - best of luck in appraising and selling it.
I have never owned a 52 Sporter but have owned several Target 52's.
Great guns with great accuracy and strong inherent value.
My friend Mike from Tacoma, Washington brought out his minty Model 52 Sporter several years ago and we shot Ground Squirrels with it for three days.
It was like a magic gun - the trigger was so nice and the accuracy so good that it was hard to miss with!
Personally if it were my Rifle I would not have let it out of my gun vault room!
Again good luck with the Rifle.
Hold into the wind
VarmintGuy

My first thought was to pull that simmons off and throw it in the trash can. It does the rifle no favors... As for price/value (real world), the best advice is to look at a couple blue books of gun values like the "The Red Book of Winchester Values". This is one of my favorite books and it has been pretty spot on accurate. This book says a rifle in "90%" condition is worth $4680.00. Now market value may be a little less, but probably not by much. However, as previously mentioned, the 52C sporting rifle had a higher monte carlo stock on it. I'm a little leery about the OP's description and the title. I'm reluctant to believe it's a "52C". It is however, a sporter (sporting rifle). The 52A and B have a low comb stock. That sure is a beautiful little rifle you have. Good luck with it, and don't let that damn cousin touch it again!!!

Your rifle should have a MC comb..either it was either removed or it wears a B Sporter stock. I cannot tell if it is a B stock as there is no photo which shows the comb. If it is a C stock and the comb was removed the entire stock would have likely been refinished.

In any event the stock is not original to the gun which detracts from its value...

The shape of the raised cheek is definitely C. The B's I've seen pics of are more oval. This is tear drop, like the C. I"ll have pics up this evening. Going over this afternoon to take some. How bad does it kill the value? 50%?

Send me some real good photos, I pad 4500 or 5000 for my last one.. Im interested very best winpoor

As with anything "messed" with (when pertaining to old Winchesters), the value goes in the chitter. Now I wish I would have bought the beautiful 52B sporter I saw a couple years ago for $1,000.00. Or the 75 sporter I was offered at an antiques firearm gunshow for $500.00... You can only kick yourself in the azz so much though. As it was that day, I ended up buying a cool old 71 deluxe for $900.00 and that little red book of Winchester values for $45.00. I only had $1,000.00 fun money saved up at the time. Let us know what you find out with your rifle. I'm curious.. Thanks..

here's a pic of the cheekpiece. Whomever sanded it down did a nice job. Obviously that doesn't matter to value of it being original, but as for aesthetical value, it doesn't look hacked. At least if someone wants to use it as a shooter.

For anyone interested, I took 15 pictures of it today in better lighting with good closeups off bluing wear on the bottom metal and steel pistol grip cap. Also, the rool over on the butt plate and better pics of the stock and receiver.
Send me an email address and I'll send them to you.

The front sight blade is removed and there is an insert in the dovetail marked "stith sights"

Here's one listed at Cabela's:

52C


Jackmountain. Your rifle is a beauty, but pretty obvious the montecarlo has been sanded down and then refinished. I wish I knew how much that diminishes the value.

Good bit nicer for sure. I'm guessing only way to find out value is to list it and find out. I guess I have a reasonable idea of starting price and good to know the stock's been modified in order to give an accurate description.

My suggestion is to start the auction out a little higher than you think it might sell for. If you don't get any bids, it will re-list for free. I'm speaking in terms of listing it on gunbroker. I'd probably start it out at around $3,000.00, but that may just be me. Winpoor may have a better idea. You can also pm oregon45 here and see if he has any input. He really likes these old 52's...

With the missing front sight and the stock issues I think BSA's estimate to start at 3000.00 is pretty solid. Collectors will not have much interest but there should be a lot of interest from someone wanting a highly desirable 52 Sporting to use as a shooter. I would not be surprised if it went for higher, pleas let us know when you list it.
One other item to look for before you list it is to remove the bolt and make sure the serial number is electro pencilled on the bolt, most likely it is but if for some reason the serial number is wrong it would be another large hit on value.
Pic is what the serial number should look like.

Going to list it here on the classifieds for $3000.00 what condition would you call this? 85-90%? I want to err on the side of caution....