How many model 52 were made?
SCSW says 3500 of the 52 no dash, if I am reading that correctly.
How many -1, and-,2 were made?

Interesting question. One I'm sure has been asked before.

52 (no dash) 3500 is documented elsewhere.

Looking at my data I estimate the numbers around...
52 = 5650. Give or take a few 100.
52-1 = 15400 give or take a few 1000s
52-2 = 55000 give or take a few 1000s, up to 1980 (serial number A490000)
After this I have not looked to hard at it.
An uneducated guess would be around 200000 52-2s

I'm looking forward to others input...

I don't believe the Model 52's had their own serial number sequence but I may be wrong.
But a total production figure on the 52-2 variation of around 200,000 seems awfully high for as specialized of a model as the ".38 Master" was. Especially as production was likely fairly low in the 1980's before finally being dropped in 1993.

I'd certainly be interested to know what the total production of the Model 52 was. They were always a costly model and a niche gun for target shooters that preferred an autoloader over a K-38.

Agreed, I would be surprised if more than about 7000 model 52s of all types were made, it was very much a niche gun.

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Alan
SWCA LM 2023, SWHF 220

They shared the SN range with all automatics (39 and 41) but different blocks of numbers were reserved for the different models. I think 50,000 to 60,000 were 52s and 52-1s. 70,000 to 80,000 were 52-1s and 90,000 to 105,000 were 52-1s. I don't track the guns after they acquired the A prefix so I don't know about 52-2s.

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Kevin Williams SWCA1649 HF208

Agree nearly completely, I had to check my records to be sure, the 70000 to 80000 range was used for a mix of 41s, 41-1s and 46s. I have maybe 20 (mix of 41s, 41-1 and 46s) in this range.
Again for the range from 90000 to 100000, these are 41s and 46s.
Take these range out you are left with 20,000 guns a mix of 52 no dash and 52-1s.

Kwill, as expected you data is correct and the only exception I found is there are 36 Model 39's listed in the SWCA data base in the 50,000 s/n range. S&W strikes again.

Very interesting. Very surprising too.
I have spent way too much time studying the semiautomatic serial numbers, so much so that if you give me a number in pretty sure I can tell you the model.
I do not doubt the existence of a 39 in the 50000 to 60000 range. I find it very unlikely however anything is possible with S&W.
I have seen so many errors, typos and mistakes, it's so easy to do, Photos of a 39 with a 5XXXX serial number would be very welcome

AC - you are correct. The guns in my database in that range are 52s.

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Kevin Williams SWCA1649 HF208

So looks like AC and Kwill are both correct and I should have rechecked my data before posting. After rechecking, the guns on my list in the 50K range are indeed all 52 /52-1. I had them lumped in with my 39 tracking. You think I would know better by now. LOL

Thank you both. Pursuit of knowledge is what it's all about.
I spent hours looking at why it could be so before writing post #8
Thoughts and research into what else was in the 5XXXX range.
hush puppies...no
39A...no
Steel frame 39s..no
745.prototypes...no
952 prototype...no
52s in 9mm..no
59 prototype..no
As we know with anything S&W anything is possible.

I'm going to start another post to specifically look at the 52 no dash and how many were manufactured.

This thread is a very helpful insight.
I tried to summarize the info on this page into a spread sheet.
using the serial numbers given here. I assumed a low figure of 50% of the serial numbers and this is the spread sheet. As you can see 52-2 numbers are missing.
50%
model serial # low high
52 no dash 50000 3500 5500
52-1 80000 70000 5000 10000
105000 90000 7500 15000
52-2 105000 ? ?

total 16000 30500

I think I captured the essence of this thread. Please comment.

Attached Images

52 PRODUCTION.jpg (21.0 KB, 26 views)

I stand firm with my posts #1 & #5 until proven wrong. And I don't mind being proven wrong as it's all about learning. Therefore I put out a challenge for anyone and everyone.
Put up a photo of a model 52 in the serial number range of 70000 to 100000...

Aussie, Im confused. Just post a total number of all 52s.

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Mike 2796
SoFo Bunch member

52 = 5650
52-1 = 15400
52-2 = 200000 rough guess...
Total 220000

I have 7 model 52’s
1- M52-0
2-M52-1
4-M52-2’s
All but one are in the original box. The one I shoot is a M52-2 that I bought in a ziplock bag at a Dallas gun show. I posted info on it “bag-O-gun”. Shoots great.

They are beautiful guns. Looking and to shoot.
I needed a no dash for my collection, took many years to find one. Then within 6 months 4 more popped up...

Close but no cigar…

Okay that's an eye-popping number. At first I thought you had a typo and an extra "0" there.

200,000 ?

That seems like a -FAT- number.

I cannot imagine it's that large.

I think the number is conservative on my part.

Model 52 serial numbers
50001 to 60000 = 10,000
100001 to (A)110000 = 10,000
A190001 to A200000 = 10,000
A230001 to A240000 = 10,000
A310001 to A320000 = 10,000
A430001 to A450000 = 20,000
A480001 to A490000 = 10,000

This takes us to 1980. And I know I'm possibly missing one or two blocks so say 100,000.
Another 12 years of production. Using A prefix then the triple alpha/numeric 0001 to 9999 = 10,000 units for each triple alpha.
Including...
TDA
TFC
TEY
TZU
TZV
TAD
TZT
TAS
TAV

Easy 200,000 plus model 52s

"200000 rough guess", your words. With so many made, where in the blazes are all the mags? and why hasn't someone made aftermarket mags? Mr. Jinks has published that 347,551 mod-39s have been made. Lets do a
per-centage comparison. 63% 39s vs. 37% 52s. Thats about 2 mod-39s
for every 1 mod-52. Thats a lot of mod-52s.

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Mike 2796
SoFo Bunch member

I think I've seen two 52s in the wild in the last forty years. 200k production seems a bit optimistic.

I like a lot of the different reasons and arguments for what we see in this thread but this one takes a bad turn

At the gun show I attend every other month (admittedly, it's one of the finest in the nation), I see no less than 2 or 3 at each show.

At other gun shows I casually attend throughout the year, I usually see at least one.

Gunbroker at any given time has no less than 5 or 6 live, and sometimes it's over a dozen unique examples of the 52, ready to purchase. (anyone can check that right now to see if I'm accurate)

So what you've reported here is simply not representative of what's being discussed. And I'm NOT trying to come off snidely when I say it. Let me also add that if you have never had a Model 52 in your hands, please make sure you ask to handle one the next time you do see one.

Obviously, shooting one is the ticket. However simply the feel of the slide to frame fit and the feel of the trigger pull will quite possibly having you do a double-take when you feel these on a 52.

Remember too that many Model 52's were shot alot at one time, so there is no telling how many were scrapped, disassembled for parts and pieces and relegated to cardboard boxes on shelves. Once S&W stopped production and moved into the poly age they wasted no time is kissing off the Model 52 parts and repairs. And once the guys that worked on 52's left the factory the die was cast. Factory support for the Model 52 was history.

So depending on conjecture there is no way of telling how many 52's are still floating around and how many are actually being used. A good guess is maybe 50 to 60 percent of the Model 52's that were made are still in shootable condition and most people that own them hang onto to them. At one time I had 5 or 6 Model 52's but now only have 2 examples which shot the best of the bunch.

Not too long ago Gun Parts Corp used to have tons of parts for Model 52's, but that is not the case anymore. I doubt the spare parts market is going to get much better for this pistol and that is indeed sad when you are trying to keep an old Model 52 in shootable condition. For some just finding the correct factory loaded ammunition for this pistol can be a chore.

Rick H.

By my count there are 15 on GB. I just searched "Smith model 52". Gunsinternational has 8 for sale. It's not too hard to find one if you look. I had one in really good condition pop up at a local store last year so I snagged it.

Mr. Rick H., just as an educational question, what part would ware to constitute a new replacement part? Other than a recoil spring. If you charge the breech from the mag, what else is there?

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Mike 2796
SoFo Bunch member

I think there are multiple parts to this answer.

1. Those who shoot the model 52 DO NOT want to part with their spare mags. I have at least 12 model 52 and probably 50 spare mags.
2. Some with spare mags are hanging on to them because of the high prices.
3. Mags get seperated from guns, lost, sold, tossed out, sitting in boxes of mags at gun shows.
4. Mags break, quick reloads dropping the mag to the ground has its toll.
5. self fulfilling prophecy. Because we talk about how rare and valuable they are, it occurs. Sellers put the prices up on hearing they are rare, people hang on to them because they are valuable.

I think we have a mystery wrapped in an enigma. Basically unsolvable.
Unless one of us has access to the factory shiping log and counts every 52 that was shipped. Possible, yes. Probable, no. So, 200000 52s shipped is
a good guess.

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Mike 2796
SoFo Bunch member

Barrels... which get bulged from poor ammo.

Barrel bushings... extremely key part and perhaps "fragile" is not exactly the term I want, but let's agree that they are not "robust" either. Add in the clueless that tighten them FAR to tightly, I think these guys are the sale guys that screw oil filters on too tightly.

Extractors... a small part that does a massive job and is simply going to wear. On this front, someone at some time was making aftermarket extractors at least for the 52-2, but they need a lot of fine work with a file before they are serviceable in a pistol

I might guess (or hope...?) some of the small parts inside are awfully close to other 1-2-3rd Gen pistols, I suspect a couple of the guys active on this discussion have a better idea than I do.