Disassembly and Assembly Of The Smith & Wesson Model 52 - These Instructions Cover all versions of the Model 52
Before proceeding, I strongly suggest that you read the entire instructions first.
Necessary Tools:
Have available the following tools to work with:
- Schematic and Parts List for both the early and later Model 52s (see below)
- Small table vice (optional)
- Small Magnetic Tray to hold small parts (optional)
- Polymer Armorer’s Block (optional)
- Handgun Rear Sight Tool Remover (optional)
- 1/16th, 3/32nd and 1/8th steel punch. Brass punches are useless as they will bend out of shape.
- Small Brass Hammer having both a Brass and Polymer head
- Flat Blade Tool Driver Set
- Torx T5 and T8 Screw Drivers
- Dental Pic for removing small springs
- Tweezers for removing and putting small springs and plungers back in place
- Small Wooden Dowel to assist in moving the Rear Sight if needed
- Special Bottle opener tool with flat blade tip (optional - see pic)
Field Strip
Field strip your 52 by drawing the Slide back to the point where the rear of the Slide Stop lines up with the notch in the left side of the Slide. From the right side of the Slide push the small protruding nib of the Slide Stop towards the left side of the Slide then extract it from the Slide all together. You can now remove the Slide containing the Barrel and Recoil Spring Guide Assembly by withdrawing it forward from the Frame.
While holding the Slide in one hand after it’s removal from the Frame, push the Barrel out of the Slide a few centimetres with your other hand. While holding the Slide with the slightly extend Barrel, push down on the small spring loaded Barrel Bushing Plunger. While holding the Slide with the slightly extended Barrel and pushing down on the Barrel Bushing Plunger with one hand, rotate the Barrel Bushing with your free hand and completely remove it from the Slide along with the Barrel Bushing Plate. You can now remove the Barrel from the Slide by pushing it back into the Slide then remove it.
Slide Disassembly:
While holding the Slide in one hand take your 1/16th steel punch and from the rear of the Slide push the spring loaded Firing Pin all the way in and hold it there. Be careful that the spring loaded Firing Pin doesn’t slip off your steel punch as it will come flying out of the slide. While holding the Firing Pin in with your punch, rotate the Manual Safety slightly back and forth while slowly pushing or pulling it out of the Slide. While doing this, be mindful of the very small Manual Safety Plunger and spring located in the well wall of the Manual Safety as you remove it. On the early Model 52, the Manual Safety Plunger and Spring are located in the rear of the older flexible style of Extractor. You DO NOT want to lose the Manual Safety Plunger and Spring.
Now that the Manual Safety has been removed, the next item to remove is the Ejector-Depressor Plunger and Spring. In order to do this, the Rear Sight must be moved. First remove the Rear Sight Lock Screw using your Torx T5 screw driver/wrench. With your Rear Sight Remover Tool or Small Wooden Dowel and Brass Hammer, move the Rear Sight to the right while being careful of the Ejector-Depressor Plunger and Spring which are installed beneath the Rear Sight Base. Once the Rear Sight has been moved over, you can extract the Ejector-Depressor Spring first then the Plunger from the Slide. Finally with your 1/16th steel punch, drive out the Extractor Pin from the top of the Slide and then remove the Extractor and Extractor Spring. The early Model 52s use a flexible style of Extractor. In order to remove this early Extractor you will need a small flat blade screw driver or the special bottle opener tool and your polymer tipped hammer. Be sure to wrap a small piece of vinyl tape around the shaft of your small flat blade screw driver or special bottle opener tool at the point where it rests against the breech opening as well as on the flat blade which is used to lift the breech end of the extractor. Once you've slightly lifted the breech end of the extractor, use your polymer hammer to tap out the extractor. Careful when removing it as it could fly off the end of the slide as it's under tension. Replacing the early Extractor is very easy. Just slide it into the extractor channel until you receive resistance. Press down on the middle of the Extractor with your thumb while tapping it home with your polymer hammer.
Reassemble The Slide:
Place your slide in your Small Table Vice (optional). Otherwise, place it on your working mat holding it down with the palm of your hand. Take the newer model Extractor Spring and place it in the open Spring hole located inside the Extractor channel. Place the Extractor into the Extractor channel. While holding The Extractor in place, turn the Slide upside down. Take the Extractor Pin and place it into the Extractor Pin hole located in the edge rail on the bottom of the slide. With the polymer end of your Brass Hammer, tap it into place. Use your 1/16th punch to make sure that the tip of the Extractor Pin clears the Slide’s rail path so that it won’t interfere with the action of the Slide travelling back and forth on the rail. If you’re using the original curved Extractor, place it into the Extractor channel. Press firmly down on the middle of the Extractor while at the same time tapping it into place with the polymer end of your Brass Hammer.
The Manual Safety and Firing Pin with Spring are now installed. With the Slide in the upside down position, take the Firing Pin with its installed Spring and place it, from the rear of the Slide, into the Firing Pin well. With your 3/32nd punch, push the Firing Pin with Spring in until it stops. While holding the Firing Pin and Spring in place with the punch, insert from the right side the Manual Safety. While doing so, be mindful that the Firing Pin and Spring are under tension and could easily fly out from the well if your punch slips off the end of the Firing Pin. While pushing in the Manual Safety turn it slightly back and forth until it clears the Firing Pin well. At this point you can remove the punch used to keep the Firing Pin inserted. Continue to push the Manual Safety until you reach the small opening in the wall near the left side. In this opening the Manual Safety Plunger and Spring will be inserted. On the early Model 52s with the old style curved Extractor, this hole is located in the rear of that Extractor. Place the Manual Safety Plunger into the end of the Manual Safety Spring. With your tweezers, carefully place the Manual Safety Plunger and Spring into the opening in the wall. This next part is very very tricky. With the tip of a small flat blade screw driver, press in against the Manual Safety Plunger until it is flush with the wall while at the same time pushing in the Manual Safety until it is all the way in. Keep in mind that these are very small parts that could easily fly out if the screw driver is moved even slightly. I would STRONGLY suggest that this be done in a confined area so the parts wouldn’t be lost. Once completed, test the Manual Safety by turning it back and forth making sure that it clicks into the two positions.
Lastly is the installation of the Ejector - Depressor Plunger, Ejector - Depressor Plunger Spring and the Rear Sight Assembly. Place the Ejector - Depressor Spring inside the Ejector - Depressor Plunger. At the back of the Rear Sight Assembly channel is the form fitting hole in which you place the Ejector - Depressor Plunger with Spring. Take the Rear Sight Assembly and install it into the channel from the right (Breech) side of the Slide. Tap it into place with the polymer end of your Brass Hammer or Small Wooden Dowel. While doing so, press down on the Ejector - Depressor Plunger Spring with your flat blade screw driver until the Rear Sight Assembly passes over it. With the Rear Sight Assembly now in pace, you can screw down the Rear Sight Lock Screw until it is tight. (Note that if the Ejector - Depressor Plunger and Spring are NOT installed the Magazine Safety is then disabled). You have now completed the reassembly of the Slide.
Frame Disassembly:
First remove the grips from the Frame. After placing the hammer in the fired position you then, with the 1/8th steel punch, drive out the Insert Pin which allows for the removal of the Frame Insert, Mainspring Plunger and Mainspring. Next remove the Side Plate Assembly by simply pulling it out of the Frame. Now remove the Hammer with Stirrup. From the top left rear of the Frame, remove the Ejector and Magazine Depressor along with the Ejector Spring. With your 3/32 steel punch drive out the Sear Pin from the right side of the Frame and remove the Sear. Be sure to note the orientation of the Sear when removing it. Also be mindful that the early model of the Sear is different in appearance than the later version but still installed the same way. You will also note that earlier model 52s use a different style of Sear Spring. Using your 1/16th punch, push and hold down the Magazine Catch Plunger while at the same time unscrew the Magazine Catch Nut in order to remove the Magazine Catch itself. Now comes the tricky part. Looking down from the top of the Frame into the Trigger well we can see the Trigger Stop Screw - Upper. While looking down and pulling back on the Trigger, you’ll notice that the back section of the Trigger Mechanism catches on the top front of the Trigger Stop Screw - Upper. With your Torx T8 wrench screw down completely the Trigger Stop Screw - Upper as this will allow the back of the Trigger Mechanism to clear the Trigger Stop Screw - Upper. Using your 1/8th steel punch, drive out the Trigger Pin. Once removed pull down and move the Trigger blade forward and up in the Trigger Guard. With your Torx T8 wrench, completely unscrew and remove the Trigger Stop Screw - Upper. While keeping the Trigger in that position use your thumb and index finger of your free hand to grasp through the side openings of the Frame the Drawbar and move it to the rear and eventually extracting it completely from the Frame. Once the Drawbar is removed, the Disconnector will fall out from its position above the Sear. You are now able to remove the Drawbar Plunger and Spring, which are located just above the Trigger opening, by simply tilting the Frame which allows the Drawbar Plunger and Spring to fall out, otherwise use your tweezers to remove them. Please be aware that the early version of the Drawbar incorporates a part called the Trigger Play Spring which plays a role in allowing DA capabilities. DO NOT remove the Trigger Play Spring from the Drawbar, unless it’s absolutely necessary as it’s fragile and could become damaged. Finally grasp the Trigger then push it up and out of the frame in a forward rolling motion. The Model 52 Frame is now completely stripped of all parts except the Trigger Stop Screw - Lower (not necessary to remove) and the Sear Spring on later model which should NEVER be removed unless it’s absolutely necessary. It’s very important to note that the Trigger Stop Screw - Lower, the Trigger Stop Screw - Upper along with the Trigger Play Spring are the components responsible for helping to implement DA on the early Model 52s. By moving the Trigger Stop Screw - Lower outwards inside the Trigger Guard to the point that the pistol will fire just as the Trigger touches the Trigger Stop Screw - Lower, along with tightening all the way down the Trigger Stop Screw - Upper, places the Model 52 in DA mode. Keep in mind that it can be somewhat difficult to return the early Model 52 back to SA mode because of the precise position that the Trigger Stop Screw - Upper must be in.
Reassemble the Frame:
For the reassembly of the Frame, the use of a small table top vice would be very helpful. Take the Drawbar Plunger and insert it into the Drawbar Plunger Spring. Looking inside the Frame down towards the Trigger opening, locate the small hole at the front side of the Frame just above the Trigger opening itself. Using your tweezers, insert the Drawbar Plunger and Spring into this opening. From the top of the Frame insert the Trigger. Using a backward rolling motion insert the Trigger down through the opening at the bottom of the Frame into the Trigger guard. When inside the Trigger guard rotate the Trigger until the tip of the Trigger is as close as possible to the bottom of the Frame inside the Trigger guard and keep it there.
Insert the Drawbar from the rear of the Frame. Once inserted, line up the tip of the Drawbar Plunger so that it mates with the small rounded hollow cup at the bottom front of the “L” shaped portion of the Drawbar. Move the Trigger down into its natural position. Once having been moved into position, locate the two small claws on either side at the back of the Trigger. Rotate the Trigger back up into the Frame which will allow the two claws to be positioned to grip the protruding cross pin located at the top front of the Drawbar. Once completed, the Trigger will now be able to move the Drawbar forward as far as possible. Once this movement has been verified, insert and screw down completely the Trigger Stop Screw - Upper using the Torx T8 wrench. The Trigger Pin can now be inserted securing the Trigger in place using the polymer end of your brass hammer.
Turn the Frame upside down resting it on the rails. Looking towards the top of the Frame from behind the Magazine well, you’ll see a small opening just in front of the rear of the Drawbar. With your tweezer, insert the “L” shaped Disconnector into the hole. The small cross bar of the Disconnector is the end that is inserted with the “L” shaped curved end facing towards the rear of the Frame. Lay the pistol on the right (breech) side. Using tweezers, insert the Sear with the claw end facing upwards. The smooth side of the Sear will face towards the front (muzzle) end of the Frame. The Sear’s claw will go around the “L” portion of the Disconnector while the bottom portion of the Sear will rest against the top of the Sear Spring. Line up the hole in the Sear with the Sear Pin hole in the Frame. Insert the Sear Pin from the left side of the Frame as it has a slight indent that allows the Sear Pin to lie flush with the Frame. If necessary, use the Polymer end of the Brass hammer to punch it into place.
Insert the Ejector Spring into the small opening at the top rear of the Frame located just behind the protruding Disconnector. Place the Ejector and Magazine Depressor into the channel on top of Ejector Spring. Insert the Hammer Assembly from the top rear with the Stirrup extending down inside the back rear of the Frame. After lining up the hole in the Ejector and Magazine Depressor with the hole in the Hammer insert the Side Plate Assembly through the hole on the left side of the Frame in front of the Hammer thus capturing the Ejector and Magazine Depressor as well as the Hammer Assembly. Rotate the Side Plate Assembly in order for it to be properly in place. Note that the Hammer must be up in the fired position in order to compete the reassembly of the Insert. If not in the fired position after installing the Hammer Assembly, push the bottom of the Sear against the Sear Spring which will release and allow you to move the Hammer into the fired position.
Place the Stirrup into the Mainspring then place both into the Mainspring Plunger. Take the Insert and place it into the palm of your hand. Place the Mainspring Plunger with the Stirrup and Mainspring into the base of the Insert. While cupping the Insert tightly in the palm of your hand push it up and into the rear of the Frame while at the same time with one of your fingers pull the Mainspring Assembly against the rear wall of the Insert while pushing it up into place. Once inserted take the Insert Pin (same as the Trigger Pin) and place it in the hole located at the very bottom rear of the Frame. Use the Polymer end of your brass hammer to drive it into place.
Insert the Magazine Catch into the opening in the front of the Frame’s Magazine well. Lay the left side of the Frame on a hard surface so that the threaded end of the Magazine Catch protrudes threw the Frame. Place the Magazine Catch Plunger into the Magazine Catch Spring then place them both into the small hole in front of the protruding Magazine Catch threaded end. Place the Magazine Catch Nut onto the protruding Magazine Catch. With the 1/16th punch pushing down on the Magazine Catch Plunger, screw down the Magazine Catch Nut until it’s almost flush with the tip of the Magazine Catch threaded end. Insert a Magazine in order to test the ejection of the Magazine when the Magazine Catch Nut is pressed in. The height of the Nut may have to be adjusted in order for the Magazine to insert and eject properly. You have now completed the reassembly of the Frame.
Final adjustment. Hold the Frame in your hand and pull back on the Trigger. While Trigger is being held back, insert your Torx T8 into the Trigger Stop Screw - Upper unscrewing it until it stops against the rear of the Trigger. Screw the Trigger Stop Screw - Upper down slightly allowing some Trigger movement. Reassemble the Slide with the Frame in order to fully test your Model 52. Some minor adjustments to the Trigger Stop Screw - Upper may still be needed.
Installing the Insert:
I've seen questions on this form as to what is the best way to reassemble the extremely difficult to install Insert which contains the Stirrup (includes Hammer), Mainspring and Mainspring Plunger on all Model 52s. Once you've have reassembled the pistol and are about to install the Insert, make sure the Hammer is in the 'fired' position. Reinstall the Mainspring and the Mainspring Plunger onto the Stirrup. Place the assembled Stirrup into the base of the Insert. Take a small plastic serrated tie and attach it around the base of the Mainspring just above the Mainspring Plunger and pull it tight. You'll now be able to easily push in and reinstall the Insert into the rear of the Model 52 frame. Once finished, simply cut the tie and remove it (see my post #8 below).
See Attached Thumbnails
Revised: 05/04/19
Complete Disassembly & Assembly of ALL S&W Model 52s
Linear Mode
