Winchester model 52 Sporter|Winchester .22 Rim Fire|Forum|Winchester Collector

For a couple bucks, Winchester would, in fact, drill and tap a M52-B on special order, but there are no records, short of an original bill of sale, to prove a factory job. You are better off searching for a M52-C Sporter, the King of Winchester 22 rifles. Also, the most expensive. Very few were made. Maybe 1,000. I had a “C” many years ago, but foolishly traded t off. Never even fired it. When considering a Sporter, make sure it is a 100% rifle. Many were altered to fit an individual owners needs. Buy the best you can afford, but do not buy someone els’es hack job. You are looking at a $4,000-$6,000 rifle.   Big Larry

Phil Carr said
Headed out to look at the rifle. Price seems fair. What a shame records are missing for this serial number as well as others.

Is there a book that is recommended for Winchester 22 rifles. 

  

For 52s, there’s only one, now OP & selling for $200 or more:   Herbert Houze’s Winchester “Model 52.”  Best available, though hard to use because of the way the info is scattered about, & mixed up with dozens of unhelpful factory memos apparently included to increase page count.  Some fundamental questions like “why was the first variant (what we now call the Slowlock) designed to cock on closing,” which most American shooters dislike, aren’t even addressed.

I have to disagree. Any rifle or pistol with extra holes has been swiss cheesed and to me, an astute collector, not worth owning. It may well be a gun you are forever making excuses for. I have some 192 guns and not one has been modified. Too many unmodified guns around. Big Larry

Ghostrider said
Looked at the 52. It is a nice gun but has been drilled like the C style but also has two holes on the barrel. I guess for a rear sight. Priced at $2700 out the door this may be over priced I am gathering?

  

Does it still have the original Lyman 48 rcvr. sight?  Can’t figure purpose of 2 holes on the brl.–why use a rear sight if it was scoped, & also provided with a rcvr. sight.  Someone intending to mount a target-type scope might have used the holes on the brl for attaching the forward block, & the holes in the rcvr. for the rear block.

Whether $2700 is overpriced or not depends on what you’re planning to do with it.  If you’re serious about hunting with it, this gun makes more sense than a 4 or 5 G gun you’d be nervous about using.  (Or at least I would.)  If you’re looking for a safe-queen to show off to friends, this isn’t it.

Ghostrider said
Yes it does have the original receiver sight. You may be correct. Possibly that is what the forward screws in the barrel was for a target scope front mount. 

Wow–somebody must have bought a new drill-press & wanted to see what it could do!  The standard rcvr. mounted hunting scope required only 3 holes–two in the ring, one in the bridge.  Target scopes required 4–either in the brl. alone, or the brl. & the ring, which was the way it was done at Springfield Armory for 1903 Sniper rifles & the Model 1922. 

I think the best way to scope this rifle would be with a Lyman, Unertl, or Fecker Small-Game scope, these being still quite popular in the ’50s.  That would leave the holes in the bridge unused, but the gun is what it is.  This gun obviously has “problems,” but they provide a means of negotiating a better price.  Collectors like Larry won’t touch it, so it’s an opportunity to acquire a Sporting Model at a half-way reasonable price.  I’d offer about $2200, but wouldn’t want to go above $2500

Ghostrider:

I think you’re wise to pass on this one unless the seller is very flexible on price. I’ve seen exponentially more non-factory drilled sporters than correct and unaltered examples. I don’t mind extra holes but feel the price should reflect and to me the value on this one would be closer to $1750-$2000. It could bring more at auction or with time, but I wouldn’t be confident enough to gamble on gaining a break even return for more than investment than that. 

I have a correct B that is not drilled and have the good fortune of strong eye sight, so I shoot the peep with pleasure. 

I intend to pick up a C and scope it when the opportunity presents itself. The reason I’ve dragged my feet on the C until now is the stock design. I don’t like the aesthetics of the rollover cheek piece on the C’s stock. 

With effort and patience – a correct high condition (95%+) example can be found for not much more than what the rifle in discussion is priced at. 

clarence said

jsgwoodsman said

I intend to pick up a C and scope it when the opportunity presents itself. The reason I’ve dragged my feet on the C until now is the stock design. I don’t like the aesthetics of the rollover cheek piece on the C’s stock.

Neither do I, though even if I loved it, they’re FAR out of my price-range. (Plus, I’d rather put that money in a good 2nd-hand 4X4!)  But I’m skeptical he’ll find an unaltered 95% “B” for under 4 Gs, unless he runs into someone who’s owned the gun a good while, & doesn’t want to put it in auction, or consign to a dealer, like you might find (if you were very lucky) at a small local show. Such a gun at a major show would be snapped up quickly by another dealer.  Even at $2700, I think the “Swiss cheese” gun would sell on Gunbroker, the fool’s paradise.

  

I have had the good fortune to find 3 B’s in the past 4-5 years that were clean and correct for sub $3500 – of course 2 of those times my play money was otherwise earmarked. The one I purchased recently is a clean unaltered example and it cost less than the asking price of the op’s topic rifle. BUT, I realize that’s not the rule nor the common occurrence. 

For clarity’s sake (since I see that I wasn’t particular clear) I meant to imply that a nice and correct B can be found for about $3k with some effort and patience. My idea of effort and patience involves searching all over the web multiple times a day, automatic notifications, an extensive network of collectors and hoarders, following gun shops, etc. etc. and then still intending to have to wait for years. Most guys would just pay an extra grand or two and be done with it. 

A C-Sporter on the other hand… I haven’t seen one of those for under $4k for years.  Not any that I trusted to be correct and original anyway!

Ghostrider said
Headed out to look at the rifle. Price seems fair. What a shame records are missing for this serial number as well as others.

Is there a book that is recommended for Winchester 22 rifles. 

  

I picked up a soft cover copy of Houze’s Model 52 book on Fleabay for 95 bucks about a year ago – keep checking and you might catch a break like I did. Other folks have mentioned the shortcomings of the book, but I did learn some things.