Smith & Wesson Mod 52 .38 special wadcutter

[tenneesse]

Can anyone share some history about the model 52. I have run across one for sale and wonder how the performance may have been. Are they specific to a wadcutter bullet. I havent looked for reloading data yet just wondering if anyone knew anything about these.
Thanks

[waco]

I saw one on a shooting show awhile back. Yes. Full wad cutters seated flush is the only thing I believe you can shoot through them.

[ebner glocken]

It hit the market in 1961 and was ran until 1993. Five round bullseye pistol made specificaly to shoot a full wadcutter, nothing else. Of the ones that I have messed with they have all shot extreamly well on paper. The only downside to them are it only holds 5 rounds and is pretty much a one trick pony and that is shooting wadcutters in tiny groups at 25 and 50 yards. The other downside is that I currently don't own one.

Ebner

[BruceB]

The M52 is a steel-framed target pistol based on the aluminum frame of the 9mm M39.

The original M52 had a lock-out screw to disable the double-action M39 trigger, making it single-action-only for target work.

52-1 has a true single-action trigger, and it is a superb Bullseye target handgun. The 52-1 extractor is a long, wide spring-steel device set into the right side of the slide.

52-2 has a spring-loaded narrow extractor like a late-model Browning 9mm Hi-Power.

We have a pair of 52-1 pistols, which between them have fired over a quarter-million rounds. The pistols require flush-seated wadcutters, meaning NO bullet protrusion beyond the mouth of the case.

The pistols are of very high-quality, and with decent ammo will group inside the NRA slow-fire ten-ring (3.39")at 50 yards We find them easy to shoot and rewarding for our efforts. .32-caliber seems to be the 'hot set-up' these days, but a Model 52 can still give a very good accounting in competition.

[tenneesse]

Appreciate the feedback I am finding out they do have an interesting history. Look like fun to me!

[30calflash]

I have a model 52, no dash. Shoots extremely well with Federal factory ammo, bordering on 3 MOA at 50 yards out of a Ransom rest. Really! Had good results with Hornady DEWC and 2.6 gr of Bullseye, the only powder tested at the time.

A friend used one for a long time and the Lee W/C was the one he used in it a lot. Very small nose that would feed. The Lyman style and other similar will not, period.

I found it hard to shoot well out of my hands, doing better with an accurized 45. Still like the pistol though.

[williamwaco]

I used to own one.
It was spectacularly accurate and never jammed.

It is a single use device. It's only designed function is target shooting.

./

[Le Loup Solitaire]

Bruce B's post/writeup on the M52 is very accurate....as accurate as the 52 itself. I have shot BE Comp with mine for many years. I loaded 38's with the flat faced wadcutter... seated flush with the case mouth. The H&G #251 casted with either a ladle or a BP pot, weighed and sorted them and used lube in one groove only. if using commercial brass I sized the bullets to .357; if I used Milspec brass I sized to .356. The pistol is a mechanical work of art and with practice will deliver repetitively tight groups at 25 and fifty yards with the appropriate powder charges. It was named "The Targetmaster' and justifiably so. In addition to careful preparation of the ammo that you prepare you must make sure that the cases are trimmed to uniform length. With good marksmanship discipline, match level ammo and practice this model will consistently deliver top level performance. LLS

[rintinglen]

THE most accurate auto-pistol I ever fired. Using Federal Match WC ammunition, I proceeded to shoot the X-ring out of a 25 yard slow fire target from the bench one day in 1980 or 81. That target hung on my garage wall for years, as though it was me and not the gun that could shoot. The gun belonged to a nice older (but not as old as I am now, probably) gentleman who saw me shooting decent groups from my K-22. I was young, married with a Baby on the way, so such a thing was beyond my means, but boy could that gun shoot. The bible says "thou shalt not covet," but that is one commandment that I surely broke that day.
I'd buy one today if I could find one, but I doubt I can do it justice now. Older ain't always better.