I just bought a Win. Model 52B .22 Sporter. The rifle was serial numbered in the late 30’s according to my reference book. It looks 100% original factory finish. However, it did have 3 holes drilled, tapped, and plugged on the receiver, 2 on the front ring and 1 on the rear. Could this have been a factory job or more likely altered later?? Thanks!

A photo would help here but I suspect a gunsmithing job after purchase.

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Alan
SWCA LM 2023, SWHF 220

This 1948 Winchester 52B Sporter came to me drilled and tapped - I always assumed it was a gunsmith job. The scope that was on it is a Weaver J4 with Weaver 3/4 in. rings and bases.

I had one guy try to convince me that it 'could be factory' saying that there was a time when the factory would do things like drill and tap for bases and receiver sights if you were willing to pay extra for it but without paperwork to verify the work there was no way to prove it.

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The Winchester 52B Sporter did not come from the factory drilled and tapped. It's not uncommon to find them altered. The rifles are extremely accurate and shooters wanted to mount scopes, especially after WWII. You'll also occasionally find them with the barrels drilled and tapped for target scope blocks.

The 52C Sporter was factory D&T'd for a scope, as were the Sporter remakes by Winchester and Browning.



Edit to add: Winchester finished the guns after all the machining and fabrication was completed. They did stamp the definitive Winchester proof mark after the finish was applied. Factory tapped holes will have bluing in the threads. Have a close look with a flashlight and I'm sure you'll find the threads are bare metal.

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"I also cook."

Am an avid Winchester collector and researcher. With all my years of detailing and documenting, there is little left to learn. Then S&Wchad comes along and reminds me that I quite possible DONT know everything. The bluing in factory holes is a telltale sign of a re-blue or factory. While I knew that applying the metal finish was Winchester's last procedure, it never quite registered before. Lesson learned.

Thanks for all the comments! Figured it was probably done by a gunsmith, but no matter it was quality work. Probably not going to scope it, but nice to know some of the work is done if I want to. This rifle must’ve been an early B model as the stock has the cutout for the early safety used on A and Pre-A models.

that is a neat gun

Get a Winchester Letter and talk to the guys on RFC, particularly Seewin
Winchester 52 | Rimfire Central Firearm Forum

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USMC 69-93 Combat Pistol Inst.

Aftermarket D&T mounting holes done through the factory blued surfaces will also show the very slight burr to the mounting hole right around the surface.
You can always feel it with a soft touch of your finger tip even if it's hard to see.
That from the D&T operation.

When done at the factoy, the scope and sight mount holes are done with the barrel and recv'r parts still in the white (unblued) and yet to recv their final polishing.

Aftet this D&T operation and other machining and fabrication, the parts are then polished.
Done by those experts in the trade, no washed out holes or rounded surfaces were left behind, but any tiny burr from those D&T operations was polished away leaving a nice clean surface,,and bluing.

When done aftermarket through that factory already polished and blued surface,,that slight turned up burr is still there along with the brite unblued metal.
Attempts to polish that top edge of the hole smooth will result in the very best attempts as a slight funneled look to remove the sharp top edge w/o damaging the factory blue. Or a bad obvious look where the blue is scratched and removed around the hole opening.

Aftermarket D&T holes and dovetails can be filled and 'made to go away'
Many choose to try and weld them up and reshape the metal then reblue. The outcome varies greatly, usually not so great.
The color match is a big stumbling block. But welding and matching can be as well.
Sometimes it works out very well.

Plugging and doing the job that way w/o any welding or adhesive is done.
It can be invisible if the right steel is chosen for the 'plug', the technique is right and the polish & bluing done correctly.

It takes some practice but can save a great many otherwise compromised frames, bbls and other valuable parts.

Added..
A project where multiple aftermarket D&T scope mt holes were plugged, some lettering recut as needed, then the bluing matched. All to save a nice M/S rifle.

Here are a set of pics,,not necessarily in order.
A 1950 Mann/Schoenauer.
Multiple extra D&T holes in the side plate and in the left recv'r wall. All from aftermarket scope mount attempts.
These are all filled 'cold' (no welding) with steel plugs. Then the surfaces polished off. Lettering recut a necessary. Then bluing matched.

On the left recv'r wall, the screw holes went right thru the Mfg'r name.
So there the Lettering was layed out again in the missing areas. Then re-cut by hand engraving to restore the piece.







Same rifle Top recv'r ring.
More after market scope mount screw holes.
Same process..plugged, finished off. Then the factory M/S marking restored by hand engraving.
Blued afterward to match.






Blued after work done