My S&W 52 has finally come home

[Winger Ed.]

Years ago, I bought a unfired Model 52-2 from a life long friend, who'd bought it as a novelty
from another guy who'd bought it as a novelty and neither of them ever fired it.

I kept it a few years and shot it several hundred times.
All factory original: It feels like everything in it is running on ball bearings and has a 1 1/2 pound trigger.
(This thing is so accurate, Stevie Wonder could hold a 2" group with it.)

Several years ago, I thought I was more or less done shooting.
In thinning out the safe, I sold it back to my friend, who never fired it after that either.

A couple years ago, I got back into loading & shooting, made the best deal I could-
and yesterday--- the Model 52 is back home.


Life is good, and I'm happier than a dog with a new stick.

[skeettx]

Yeeee Hawww !!
Well done :)

[Reverend Recoil]

I have competed well in some bullseye matches with mine. I load the 358-158-RF bullet backwards seated flush to the case mouth with 3.2 gr. W-231 and then crimp them with a Lyman taper crimp die. This load shoots great at 25 yds.

[Drm50]

I bought one new in early 70s when I had target pistol fever. Got wound up on pre 64 Win 70s and got rid of target pistols. Just bought a M52 and a couple m41s in last year or so and haven’t got to shoot them much yet. I do have 400 WCs loaded up for it.

[BigAlofPa.]

Very nice gun. Congrats on it getting back.

[onelight]

I like that pistol and it has an interesting story behind it and.... it sounds like a great trigger .:guntootsmiley:

[Green Frog]

A man who owns and regularly shoots a Model 52 S&W is a serious shooter... this is not a gun for dilettantes and those who buy them and leave them in the safe are just caretakers until a real shooter comes along. I say this as a guy who has a mint Model 52-1 in his safe and who has not shot it in well over 25 years. My only defense is that I inherited it from my Dad, but I must join in the chorus chanting, “We are not worthy, we are not worthy!” :?

Froggie

[Green Frog]

A man who owns and regularly shoots a Model 52 S&W is a serious shooter... this is not a gun for dilettantes and those who buy them and leave them in the safe are just caretakers until a real shooter comes along. I say this as a guy who has a mint Model 52-1 in his safe and who has not shot it in well over 25 years. My only defense is that I inherited it from my Dad, but I must join in the chorus chanting, “We are not worthy, we are not worthy!” :?

Froggie

[PNW_Steve]

Congrats!

I sold my 52-2 in 1993 and I am still kicking myself. I have never shot another handgun as well as I shot that one.

[JoeJames]

A buddy showed me his Model 52. It was one of the first issue that had a setscrew to lock out the double-action option on the trigger. I had never heard of the original option before. I looked it up and apparently that option was discontinued not long afterwards. Just wondering if yours has the option?

[rintinglen]

I have one, which is darned hard to reload for, but which is the most accurate repeating handgun I've ever shot. (Saving, perhaps, an FA .454 I once had the pleasure to shoot a few rounds out of.) Still, the S&W 52 will shoot 2-3"groups at 50 yards. I got mine cheap, relatively, because a previous owner had drilled and tapped the frame to mount a Red Dot sight. The major fly in the ointment is the high cost of spare magazines. The best advice I can give you is to sit down before you start looking for them. I got one from an individual here in the S&S section here, it was rusty and a little worn but it works. Congratulations on a lost sheep returning to the fold.

[Reverend Recoil]

Yes, the magazines sell for about $100 each.

[Winger Ed.]

A buddy showed me his Model 52. It was one of the first issue that had a setscrew to lock out the double-action option on the trigger. I had never heard of the original option before. I looked it up and apparently that option was discontinued not long afterwards. Just wondering if yours has the option?

Mine is a later '-2' model and is single action only.
There's a over travel adjustment screw behind the trigger, but it won't go to double action.

Years ago, I'd bought a 2nd new factory magazine for it when they were $35. retail.
My buddy is still digging around in his stuff to find it.

Its been raining so much, I can't get to the range.
Its down a dirt road and stays muddy for a day or two after it rains.
If ya leave ruts in it, the range shack has a shovel you can use to fill them in, but I don't want to work that hard.

[remy3424]

Well done. I have read about the 52s but never held/shot one. Hope to run across a fair deal on one someday.

[Winger Ed.]

Well done. I have read about the 52s but never held/shot one. Hope to run across a fair deal on one someday.

Good luck on that, you'll love it.
Casting & reloading brings the price of shooting one down to about what you'd pay for premium .22LRs.

Digging around, I found that gun show prices on one are about 25-30% less
than what ya see for them on Gunbroker.

[JoeJames]

I certainly don't fault Smith for dropping the double action option. If I had one I never would shoot it double action anyway. By the way how's the trigger pull?

[Martin Luber]

Congratulations, l too went full circle. It was the first target auto l ever owned because they shot well right out of the box. I sold it so I could buy a match 1911 in 45, and to get good, You had to learn shoot a 45 well. I got another one a couple years ago. They have their idiocyncracies, like a 355 (9mm) groove and triggers can take work to get to B.E. weights of 2.5#. They like hollow base wadcutters best and chambers aren't supported so you can't hotrod them without blowing out the base of the case. Loading cast boolets into just any case can result in a case bulge at the bullet base. And those won't feed. Wadcutter brass has 2 cannelures on the case midspan. As a gage, a 23/64 .359? drill bit shank will slide further into those cases. +P are a no go. 2.8 be, 3.2-231 are good . Oh and they have to be seated absolutely flush to the mouth. But you guy knew all that right? Hope this helps someone new enjoy a really neat pistol.

[historicfirearms]

I bought a beautiful H&G mold specifically designed for the 52 a few years ago. Now I just have to find the gun to go with the mold.

[Patrick L]

Sweet. That is a nice gun. Maybe someday I'll buy one.

And I love it when a gun finds its way back home.

[wrench]

You motivated me, I took my 52-2 out to the range yesterday and put 50r through it. Beautiful, smooth, and accurate as always. I don't shoot it a ton, but everytime I do I wonder why.
You will love it.

[jonp]

Wow, good for you

[Martin Luber]

I bought a beautiful H&G mold specifically designed for the 52 a few years ago. Now I just have to find the gun to go with the mold.
Which number H&G was that? There is a Lyman DEWC that casts slighty undersize that works well in the 52, and is less likely to bulge brass compared to the flat base #50 from H&G

Thanks

[georgerkahn]

I believe the Hensley and Gibbs mould expressly designed and marketed for the S&W Model 52 is their #251 -- .38 Special Auto "for the Smith & Wesson # 52 semi-auto". Three rounded grease grooves, no crimp grooves. Same both ends (bevel both ends and full-wadcutter nose).
I am privileged to own and use one of these, which -- like other H&G moulds -- drops bullets which are almost perfect in every way ;). When (decades back) I shot competitive Bullseye, I would weigh each and every cast bullet, and would cull any more than 1 grain from the median weight! If I recall, these numbered less than five out of each hundred cast, too.
I had an original (no dash) Model 52 which I fed these to. It would almost self-point to the target centre, and really was my all-time favourite target pistol! I had one problem in all the time I owned/shot it, this being one day after (thank you!) a shoot, my bullets started flying way outside the group. I cleaned it; cleaned it; oiled it; de-leaded it; cleaned it -- etc. -- you get the idea -- with zero improvement. Bion, another competetor -- NOT my most favourite person, either, volunteered, "why don't you put my 'scope on it." I had a new red-dot, but -- what the heck? -- I put on his. Problem fixed! First (and only) time I heard of a red-dot 'scope going bad -- but thankful it was after the competition. (I don't recall if I sent it for repairs -- or, knowing me -- most likely, just bought a new one to replace it...)
Congrats on your '52!
geo

[historicfirearms]

Yes its the H&G 251. I have not even cast any boolits with mine yet.