Hi folks, I was at OGCA his past weekend and a fellow there had what he called a S&W 38Spl Mid Range. I thought it was a Model 52 but he insisted it was not. I looked in the S&W Std Catalog and could find no mention of a 38 Spl Mid Range. I saw a Model 52 on an internet site and the barrel was marked 38 Spl Mid Range. That makes me think the Model 52 and the 38 Spl Mid Range are one in the same and the guy was maybe trying to simply sell his gun as a rarity. What do you all think? Thanks.
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Model 52 vs Mid Range
- Thread starter Salmon68
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Odds are the gun being sold was a Model 52 and the gentleman was simply mistaken
Mid-range refers to the ammunition in this case, not the gun. .38 SPL wadcutter loaded to about 720 is called
a "mid-range load".
a "mid-range load".
AJ
US Veteran
There is such a pistol as a Colt MidRange in .38 Special. That maybe what he is thinking of. I have one. Nice gun, but not quite as accurate as a Model 52, or at least in my hands it is not.
Walter Rego
Member
Doc1500
Member
So, why did they make wad-cutters mid-range?
What is the purpose of that?
Is mid-range not a full power load ?
what is that pistol capable of shooting?
It's a pistol can shoot full power loads then what is the mid-range for ?
School me !!
What is the purpose of that?
Is mid-range not a full power load ?
what is that pistol capable of shooting?
It's a pistol can shoot full power loads then what is the mid-range for ?
School me !!
The pistol is designed to -ONLY- shoot a wadcutter load. From a profile view, the loaded round looks exactly the same as a piece of empty fired brass. That is the ONLY thing the magazine can fit and the pistol is designed to feed ONLY that round.
While there are lots of things you can shoot with a Model 52, it was designed for formal Bullseye and shooting X-rings in paper. I use my 52 for paper targets, steel plates and plinking — my target of choice for plinking is usually empty 12ga hulls. I also use my 52 for prairie dog hunting.
Could a 52 be made to run with other ammo? Yes, if you used a cut-down .38 Special case, you could load a more standard round nose or semi-wadcutter bullet, assuming you could fit them in the magazine. But this would be the loooong way around to use and enjoy a Model 52.
While there are lots of things you can shoot with a Model 52, it was designed for formal Bullseye and shooting X-rings in paper. I use my 52 for paper targets, steel plates and plinking — my target of choice for plinking is usually empty 12ga hulls. I also use my 52 for prairie dog hunting.
Could a 52 be made to run with other ammo? Yes, if you used a cut-down .38 Special case, you could load a more standard round nose or semi-wadcutter bullet, assuming you could fit them in the magazine. But this would be the loooong way around to use and enjoy a Model 52.
4barrel
Member
Mid range is normally shot with a flat nose bullet flush with the case 25-50 yards<hbwc-dewc bnwc>The guns designed to shoot these hold 5 shots in the magazine. The bullets group better at around 650 to 750 fps and depends how your gun is set up. A 38 case with 1/8'' of lead sticking is all the magazine will hold. These pistols are not made for a power load. 2.5--3.1 of bullseye is the max load. A model 52 S&W is the best out of the box gun for this. Post #3 has a photo of the gun.
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Formal target shooting was really popular back in the day. People could compete in .22, .45 and centerfire classifications. Competitors who wished to shoot all three could get away with two handguns and use their .45 in centerfire, but many felt the additional recoil put them at a disadvantage.
The .38 mid-range was developed as a light target load for the centerfire class and wadcutters were used because they cut nice round holes in the target and are easy to score. As previously mentioned, a 148 grain wadcutter over about 2.7 grains of Bullseye is extremely accurate and very pleasant to shoot.
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Doc1500
Member
I consider myself schooled and thank you very much for the information, good stuff guys I appreciate it .
In my opinion... the fact that you can only run full wadcutter ammo in 52’s is a big part of what keeps their market price reasonable.
Now!
We can all argue at what is “reasonable” (and yeah, we do argue it...!) but when the 52 went out of production almost 20 years ago, it carried an MSRP of $908 in 1993 dollars. That was a high price in the market for new handguns, and you can find clean 52’s in the $1,100-$1,200 range these days.
I believe that if the 52’s ran some common ammo (9mm, .45, or “any .38”) then there would be a lot more people snapping up 52’s on the used market.
I couldn’t be myself if I didn’t own at least a couple 52’s. I currently have two and I feel like I need at least another.
Now!
We can all argue at what is “reasonable” (and yeah, we do argue it...!) but when the 52 went out of production almost 20 years ago, it carried an MSRP of $908 in 1993 dollars. That was a high price in the market for new handguns, and you can find clean 52’s in the $1,100-$1,200 range these days.I believe that if the 52’s ran some common ammo (9mm, .45, or “any .38”) then there would be a lot more people snapping up 52’s on the used market.
I couldn’t be myself if I didn’t own at least a couple 52’s. I currently have two and I feel like I need at least another.
Walter Rego
Member
The Model 52's also have wonderful triggers and a unique feel while shooting them. It reminds me of a compensated Model 1911 with a light target load, you can almost read the lettering on the the slide while it cycles. They do require some follow through but with a little practice and getting used to how different they feel than a 9mm for example, they are capable of outstanding accuracy.
Doc1500
Member
I presume wadcutters are still available?
I’ve never shopped for them so I wouldn’t know.
I’ve never shopped for them so I wouldn’t know.
There were MUCH easier to find in the heyday of the Model 52 (1960’s through the late 1980’s) but yes, you can still get them. A decent source for factory .38 Wadcutter in bulk is Precision Delta. P-D also offers component 148gr swaged hollow base wadcutters, and I would guess that most of us who still love to shoot 52’s are rolling our own ammo.
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I could not have explained it any better. You are exactly right.
