New problem with my Model 52

[Jeff423]

Honestly, this is ludicrous. If you just bought your first 52, you own two magazines (if you are lucky!) and if you load them up before a range trip, you quite literally have no way whatsoever to lower the hammer of the pistol unless you want to go boldly outside everything that's ever been taught about safe gun handling and stuff a loaded magazine up in to the pistol simply to lower the hammer.

If the magazine disconnect could be disabled without having to drive the rear sight out, I've got four target S&W pistols that I'd be updating tonight.

I must (or my 52-2) must be missing something. I can dry fire mine with or W/O a magazine.
Is that, or lack of it, what you're describing?



Jeff

 

[mikemyers]

I must (or my 52-2) must be missing something. I can dry fire mine with or W/O a magazine.
Is that, or lack of it, what you're describing?

Jeff, I have two S&W Model 52 guns. One was barely used, and sat in a safe forever, and I bought it several years ago, but haven't done anything to it except shoot and clean it. The other is the gun I've been struggling with for months, trying to fix what I didn't think was that big a problem.

Both of my guns will "fire" with a magazine in the gun.
Neither of my guns will "fire" without a magazine.

Your gun doesn't have a working "magazine disconnect". Maybe someone removed the rear sight, and the spring and plunger got lost. Maybe just the spring is missing. (If so, you're in luck, the parts are available from Numrich.)

Did you buy the guns new? The previous owner might have been having the problems I've got now, and maybe he took the easy way out and just removed that spring and plunger, which I am *so* tempted to do myself.

You can easily find out - just loosen the small set screw on the rear sight that locks it in place, and chances are with finger pressure you can slide the rear sight to the right, and find the hole that's supposed to have the plunger and spring. If they're in place, something else is probably wrong. The Model 52 is supposed to have a "magazine disconnect", which is supposed to prevent the gun from firing if there is no magazine in the gun.

 

[mikemyers]

For anyone who doesn't understand what a magazine disconnect is for, or why it's considered a safety feature:
American Rifleman | Magazine Disconnect

 

[donk52]

Mike Myers, Do not put grease in the plunger hole, it will probably make things worse. I would try the gun with the plunger and spring removed. Just remember it could fire with no mag. You could always drop the safety and that will stop the firing pin from moving.

 

[mikemyers]

Hi Don!!

I got out the grease, thought about using it, and chickened out. I put my plunger back in, and assembled the gun. I have new plungers on order, both steel and plastic.

New parts should be here in a week.

As a test, I will try to use the gun with the plunger and spring removed. If I understand this correctly, the gun will be fine, other than that it will be able to fire with or without the magazine in place. If the problem shows up with the plunger and spring removed, then I'm back to square-1. I'll be watching out for that.

Glad you're back!

 

[handlebar]

I put that same Vortex Venom on my 52 and do not recall seeing that plunger that you have in your picture. Is it possible that my 52 does not have one. My 52 was manufactured in 1974 with SN: A237xxx.

 

[mikemyers]

If your gun will fire with or without the magazine being in the gun, then the magazine disconnect is not functioning, and you probably no longer have the plunger and spring. Numrich has the parts if you need to buy them, as do others.

If you weren't looking for them as you removed the old sight, they might have gone flying off to wherever..... but the plunger may still be in your gun. Without the spring, I doubt it will work as intended.

The gun should still shoot perfectly. Just slide the new mount off, carefully, and look into the. hole, and see what's there.

 

[handlebar]

my magazine disconnect still works, so I guess that plunger is in there, I just was not paying too much attention to it.
handlebar