How foolish would it be to buy a 99% model 52-2 and then shoot it on a regular basis. They are such nice guns I would hate to buy one and not shoot it.

thanks

If you buy it, it's your call to make. Most of them aren't 99% by now.

Not foolish at all IMO. Do with it as intended, or save it for someone else to enjoy. Your move! I know what I would do.

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USS ZELLARS
DD-777

Some body WILL shot that M52-2. Why not you?

Twenty years ago, I shot mine enough to wear out the hammer and sear. Gun fired, slide came back, brass ejected about 2', new round chambered, and hammer went forward with the slide.

Came back from S&W repaired and reblued for about $40 charge. Sold the gun locally for 3X what I paid for it with box, docs, and 4 mags.

SHOOT IT!

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S&WHF 366

Do you see yourself shooting it a lot in Bullseye type matches? Or, do you just have a desire to own one to look at and admire? Either way the gun shouldn't get beat up. Shoot it, clean it and pass it on. You won't lose money unless you over pay buying it.

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Bob.
SWCA 1821

When I only had 1 model 52, I shot it all the time. Now I have 4 of them, I still only shoot one of them all the time, the other threee are in the safe.

If you've never had one you owe it to yourself to get it. Then you have to make the decision as to what to do with it. I like looking at mine and have shot it a few times. I also bought a case of wad cutters for it and reload dies.

Guess you know what I'm gonna do.

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Dan
Ps 96 SWCA 2930 SWHF 524

Thanks for the reply's, I have shot a friends 52 and it is a sweet shooting pistol, if I did not want to shoot one I would not buy it. I really don't like buying pistols that have been poorly taken care of hence the desire to buy a nice one and shoot it.

Most of the 52s, I have had, really have lived pampered lives. But, they have been shot. I have been lucky enough to have had several conversations with a retired factory 52 fitter. He was there the last seven years the 52 was offered. What a wealth of information. To shoot is your call. I could never resist the urge to shoot all of them. Just please do not remove the barrel bushing for any reason. If it gets damaged, you will cry.

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Mike 2796
SoFo Bunch member

Those .38wc are operating at such low pressure that you shouldn't be afraid to damage it.About 30 years ago,when I was shooting bullseye,I bought one,used it and sold it to a guy who still shoots it occasionnally.And it is still perking along perfectly.Have fun with it.
Qc

Do you not have to remove the barrel bushing to disassemble for cleaning?

If you wish to scrub the bore, you really should pull the barrel from the pistol and yes, this requires removal of the bushing.

I can tell you that I shoot one of my 52's regularly and my process it to NOT scrub the bore (and this not remove the barrel/bushing) until I have something between 750-1000 rounds through it.

Instead, my usual process is an exterior wipe-down after a range trip and just before next range trip I will remove the slide (keep barrel in slide) and wipe clear the entire frame, frame rails and underside of slide and inside of slide rails and then generosly lube before putting the halves back together.

With pistol reassembled, I lock the slide open and wipe any visible filth from the inside accessible from the ejection port.

I'm no expert but my rationale is to find a balance amongst:
--getting filth out
--getting clean lube in
--not taking the bushing out more than necessary

This has been working quite well for me.

The purpose for making the stuff (guns) is to use it for it's intended purposes... why have something as fine as a 52 and not enjoy it? Why would anyone hide a gun away in a safe to be sold at an estate sale for half price? All you gotta do is take care of it and you wont loose anything on your investment.

Not my intention to split hairs, but I will disagree slightly.

There were a lot of "results" when S&W developed, released and produced the Model 52. It instantly became a serious competition pistol, it became the centerpiece of a lot of interest and press and it quickly became the flagship semi-auto that displayed the skill of a manufacturer that had previously been known as a revolver maker.

However, there was one true purpose beyond all others for Smith & Wesson to make the Model 52:

sell pistols

And that they did. And when anyone offers a (now long out of production) Model 52/52-1/52-2 for sale, they also have one intention beyond all others... and that is to sell the firearm.

The true "purpose" of any Model 52 (or any handgun) is what the buyer makes of it. We may all have opinions and ideas but not a one of them is the correct answer.

I've had as many as three 52's at one time and I happen to be at two right now, and as sure as I'm typing this, there will be more 52's in my future, God willing. Of the two I have, one comes with me on 95% of my range trips since the day I got my hands on it. I've also taken it 1,200 miles west for hunting twice. I shoot it a lot and I love it even more than I shoot it.

My other one was shot a lot until I got my second one. Then I cleaned it up nicely and now it lives in the safe. It comes out OFTEN and gets handled but it has only made a single range trip since I got my second one. I have no plans to shoot it again any time soon.

I love these 52's and I also love discussions on them, almost no matter what the discussion entails. At the same time, reality cannot be denied-- the pistol itself it a small, hand-operated machine and it has no reason or purpose beyond what the owner wishes to do with it.

I'm sure if we cataloged every Smith & Wesson owned by all participants of this forum, we would find -MANY- that bask in the fluorescent light of collector and display shows, and don't get taken out for range days. There is no crime in this.

I just acquired a 52-2 that I believe is unfired. I will fire it, but I do want to take care of it. To remove the slide without removing the barrel bushing, do you just push out the slide stop pin, and remove the slide as a unit? When I recently picked up the 52, the transferring ffl got a nice model 41, that I bought at the same time. Going to the range on Wednesday to fire them both. I shot bullseye during g the 80s at Ft. BENNING,Georgia. For the 3 guns, I shot a Colt Goldcup, same gun with a Kart 22 conversion, and the Goldcup for the Centerfirel pistol. Really looking forward to enjoylng the 52 and the 41. Thanks for the replies.

Removing the slide from the Model 52 is exactly the same as all 1-2-3rd Gen pistols. Clear the pistol, remove the magazine, line the slide stop cut-out up with the slide stop pin, push the pin left from the right side of the frame and carefully move the slide forward and off the frame.

The barrel, recoil spring and spring guide rod will remain in place.

I lucked into a pristine 52-2 earlier this year, shipped in October of 1978, according to Roy. Serial number: A4292XX. (the serial number on the gun as pictured has been altered for security purposes). I'm still looking for a proper box from that era - I believe it would be the dark blue Bangor Punta two-piece box with a light blue foam insert. Not sure as to the correct SAT. My take? I have lots of guns to shoot. This one, in this condition, is a safe queen simply to be admired as the pinnacle of S&W pistol manufacture.

John

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- Cogito, ergo armatus sum -

I wish you luck in your chase for the box. I can only say two things that I believe that I'm certain of...

The blue foam insert box is, in my experience, the rarest of all the 52 box variations. I had one to a 52 with A631xxx SN and that pistol dated to 1980. My A774xxx pistol dates to 1982 and has the last style box, the one-piece with lid that flips open and has the corrugated white "pistol shaped" interior carton.

I believe the box you seek is the rarest of Model 52 boxes, I hope you find one!

You know the more I read on the bushing the more Im convinced to keep
my trap shut. If it gets cross threaded, so what! Just make sure the plunger and spring shoot out of the slide into a shag rug. Best

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Mike 2796
SoFo Bunch member

I bought mine about 2 years ago, a 52-2 in 99% but the man had lost the box.. I shoot the ***** out of it. going on 7K now. No issues with removing the bushing, just be careful. No need for the tool after the first take down either. Mine is a later one, found a box of the same vintage with paper work and tools for $50 on Ebay just last week. Also found another "spare NIB bushing" on Ebay. Magazines are expensive, but the 5 I have never had any issues with either the plastic follower or the older metal follower. It was made to shoot, and it does a very good job of that. It is my no alibi pistol, if I miss it is not the pistols fault.

I have have a really nice 65 Mustang convert, drive it a lot, bought an unfired 1967 Model 41, shoot it a lot, have areal nice model 52-2,
shoot it a lot. You getting my drift here? Half the fun of having and USING stuff like that is sharing those items with the public. I am not a big fan of museums where beautiful "stuff" sits, unused and only looked at.I am 73, at the right hand side of the yardstick, I want to enjoy my
goodies as well as show others what great items these are.

Buy it and shoot it.

If you put it in your safe will it be worth $10,000 or $100,000 I don't think so.

Enjoy shooting it that's what it was made for.

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Goal Life Member
Traveling Man

I collect 41s, 46s and 52s. I do have one shooter from each that I shoot on a regular basis. The rest are safe queens by choice.

For those interested in the Model 52, the November '17 issue of the Blue Press will feature an extensive article I did on that fine gun. It has yet to be published, but will probably come out in early October. For those who don't have a free subscription, you can sign up at dillonprecision.com or call toll-free at 1-800-223-4570.

John

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- Cogito, ergo armatus sum -

I just inherited a Model 52-1 ands it is in really good shape. No box or papers but the pistol itself is probably 95%. The serial is 10083XX. The barrel says 38 Special mid range. Does this shoot the a lead wadcutter round that is low velocity?


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Will only safely feed, fire and function with flush-loaded full wadcutter ammo. Most of us find the sweet spot in velocity to be somewhere around 730 fps.

The Model 52 is a terrific pistol and one that is a joy to shoot. I have owned at least 8 of them and still have 3. Two have boxes and the third one doesn't. The third one I bought and it wasn't quite as described by the owner and needed a barrel. I should have sent it back, but I didn't as I became attached to it in 5 minutes. I found two new never fitted barrels and had Clark Custom Guns fit one of the new barrels to it and it is mechanically 100% now. The frame has just a tiny bit of speckling on it and I had given thought to selling it, but after going thru all the work of getting a barrel for it and having it installed I will keep it and it is my normal shooter now. The other two reside in a secure environment.

Unless you have a 100% known never ever fired before in its life Model 52 don't worry about shooting it. Of course use some due common sense and take care of it by regular cleaning. It would be next to impossible, except for a complete putz, to cross-thread the barrel bushing. I learned a long time ago to NOT tighten the bushing too tight so as to avoid excessive wear and possible cracking. Some may argue that fact with me but I haven't had one damaged yet.

So bottom line is buy it, shoot it, clean it and enjoy it. Life is too short not to.

Rick H.

is there any interest out the for an after market replacement barrel i will have some available soon is 416 s/steel,will be available in different twist rates

Yes, there would be some limited interest. The fitting to an existing bushing and slide stop would be a fun challenge. I wish the factory Mod-52
retired fitters would chime in. But if Clark Guns will do it with good
results, all bases are covered. How much will they sell for?

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Mike 2796
SoFo Bunch member

SHOOT IT, if you want something pretty to look at go shopping at Victoria Secrets.

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IN GOD WE TRUST     ΜΟΛΩΝ ΛΑΒΕ

Is that a new gun shop near you? I dont get out much any more. Wink.

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Mike 2796
SoFo Bunch member

But that's just me. My personal feeling is that these are machines made for the sole purpose of putting lead downrange, not to rust away in a collector's safe. The Model 52 exemplifies that; it's a paper punch, made to put midrange wadcutters in the same hole over and over again if the operator does his part. Keep in mind, too, that these guns were made as working guns for professional shooters, the kind of people who burn through more ammo in a year than most of us do in a lifetime. I've had mine for about two decades and I couldn't tell you how many rounds I've put through it. I managed to break the tip off the ejector fairly early on, probably through my own clumsiness, and now I keep a couple of spares handy. I also have a spare barrel bushing, just on the off chance that I ever wear out the one that came with it, plus a few other odds & ends I've noticed for sale on eBay. The alloy frame Mod. 39 that the 52 sprang from is a legend for being hell-for-stout. I don't know anybody who's managed to wear one out, although a few have been damaged by operator error. I expect this steel frame to outlast me and my children and still, most likely, shoot as close as any of us can hold.

Well I did not get the 99% 52-2 that was on the Rockisland auction last week. They had an estimated sales price of 1000-1600 and it sold for 2300 plus.