Were barrel weights included as a standard part with any Model 52-2 sold by S&W, or, did the barrel weights have to be purchased separately?

I have owned several NIB 52-2s over the years and I have never seen one that came equipped with any barrel weight as standard issue.

Thanks in advance for enlightening me on this fine point of Model 52-2 history.

To my knowledge, no S&W 52s were shipped with the weight as a standard part as the brake, internal weights, and false muzzle were with the S&W 41s. I am also not aware of any underbarrel weight sets shipped with S&W 41s or 46s. To my knowledge the weight sets (including the S&W 46 single underbarrel weight) were additional parts made available separately. BUT remember Rule #1 on S&Ws - "There ain't no rules".

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TOMBECK

Thank you very much, Tom.

We did not have weights when I was fitting the 52-2's during my time there 1978 to 1989.

I bought 2 52-2 after they were released and both did not have the weights.

I don't remember any 2700 shooters wanting them.

EDIT:if weight was included the boxes would have a cutout for it.

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NEVER GIVE UP YOUR GUN

Thank you for your expert knowledge, Don.

This is so true. One of the things I like about the pistol is how it balances, and I found that the weight makes the pistol muzzle heavy, at least in my hand.

I believe the two-piece boxes with the cardboard cutout interior (not the foam interior boxes) actually did have a cut-out where a counterweight could or would fit. Even still, I also don't believe the pistol ever shipped with one, but I was certainly NOT in the 52 market back at that time.

No cutout for the weights in the old box.

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Regards,
Lee Jarrett

Yes, I bought one Used but in fired at a shop complete with counterweight. My first one I bought in ‘75 did not have the weight so I bought one from Gil Hebard. The other 2 from gunbroker were gun only.

When you see the weights today the price pretty well indicates they were a very scarce item. I have handled guns with weights installed and agree, made them nose heavy.

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H Richard
SWCA1967 SWHF244

This reminded me that I definitely have seen the counter weight packaged in it's original box and marked with the lettering on the outside, end of the box -- obviously a smallish box, but otherwise has the same look, construction, color, font and style as the blue two-piece pistol box.

The original box for the counter weight is a S&W collectible in it's own right!

The weights were a seperate purchase. I have seen boxes with weights in them, all where someone butchered the insert to get the weights to fit. I have a model 41 with the weight set...made to fit.
I guess if one did ship with weights as Tom says anything is possible, the box end lable would be marked, "Inc. weight", or something like that.
The model 52, 41 and 46 all shared the same box. And I have seen thousands of boxes. All the types and there are a few. The end lable told you what was inside.

I have not seen a box for the model 52 weight. The new weights I have seen were wrapped in a paper. Somthing to look for. Certainlythe 41 weight set came in boxes simular and same as handcuff boxes.

My 52-2, which I bought used, had a weight in the box (original serial
# box!), no cutout for it, but the gun has a "dimple" to locate the weight set screw, and it is blued as the rest of the gun.....? So it wasn't machined
in later and "touch up blued" Anyone else have this dimple on their 52?

The underframe dimple was standard for those milled for the weight.

As an aside, the 52 weight set (2 piece) both affected the balance and had a tendency to come off during a match - in the middle of a string. Once was enough of a lesson for me. Later decided to use the 1911 NM for the last two legs.

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TOMBECK

Funny that you ask about the dimple and rails. Both were not on the original no-dash 52 and were standard on all 52-1 and 52-2 however one of my 52's is an oddity in that it is missing them.

It is a TZT-prefix, extremely late in the run, very near the last of them ever made. The SCSW claims that the official word from S&W was that the 52 was taken out of production when it was decided that the tooling to make them was approaching a level of wear that was going to require an investment to keep the pistol to the standard to which it had always brought -- so they chose to end production.

It makes me wonder if very late in the game, S&W decided that since the counterweight was long out of production, they could stop making the rails and dimple?

I look as often as I can on three alpha prefix 52-2 pistols but I haven't yet seen another that also lacks the rails and dimple as mine does. Maybe mine simply slipped through unnoticed?

Let me tell you... this pistol takes a back seat to -NO- 52 in it's ability. It's fantastic.