A Lucky Find .22 Grail Gun

[Fishinfool]

A few years back, I picked up a very clean 1933 Winchester model 52 with the full target barrel & stock. Mounted a modern 4x24 x50 scope, and use it as a bench rifle. Much to long & heavy to carry hunting. I always wanted a Model 52 Sporter, but original copies in good shape are rare and expensive. Especially if equipped with the factory Lyman aperture sights.



Little known fact John Browning designed the model 52 for Winchester. Back about the 1990's Browning decided to reintroduce the 52 Sporter under it's name, made by Miroku in a limited edition. After Browning's brief run, Winchester took over 52 Sporter production, stamping their name on further rifles made in the Miroku plant. Rifles were identical, except the Browning version had a slight "Monte Carlo", while the Winchester marked version had a straight comb stock.

So to cut to the chase, a short while ago, I came across a used Browning 52 Sporter in excellent shape, that the previous owner had mounted a Lyman aperture sight set, just like the originals. Polished blued steel and figured walnut, what a looker. So of course it came home with me..



Love the look, but I had real concerns about my aging eyes and peep sights. Damn front sight is just so blurry... So, to the range today. Turns out in good light, I could see good enough to punch out the centers on 3 inch target dots at 50 yards - maybe about one inch, 5 shot groups. Pretty dang good, considering my eye sight. I think it's going to be a real shooter.







I do believe my search for the "perfect " open sighted .22 hunting rifle has ended.

What are some of your favorite .22's?

Larry

 

[Baxter6551]

Larry - that's a beautiful Model 52. Congratulations.
I also am a sucker for the old .22s.
I have a Winchester model 75, Remington Scoremaster and Speedmaster, Marlin model 81DL and two Schultz & Larsen model 70 single shot. Got those at a great price figuring I would use them at kids shooting class I taught. One had been cut down to youth size. Loads of fun.

 

[rockquarry]

I bought two of the Miroku Winchester, maybe Browning (I'd have to look to be sure, but they're pretty much the same sporter rifle) new in 1997. Well-made guns and very accurate. I put a Lyman aperture sight on one and scoped the other. Still like to have an original a 52 target rifle.

 

[Fishinfool]

Baxter6551 - Shot so much centerfire handgun and rifle, I was losing track of how much fun an accurate .22 could be. Past couple years I have shot a lot more RF than CF, had fun, and saved a lot of money.

rockquarry - Some nice original, early 52's on the market, but it's a matter of the right time at the right place. A buddy in CT collects 52's - all years and models. He has acquired some really nice examples at stupid low prices. This is a rifle that seems all over the map in pricing, with some thinking they have gold, and others who feel "it's a .22, so what, a couple hundred bucks?" It can be hard to find an original example that someone hasn't monkeyed with or modified over the years.

Larry

 

[Mister Heavyhand]

That's just sexy right there.

 

[bdGreen]

My '90's' Winchester 52B.

Enjoy,

bdGreen

 

[wundudnee]

I am a .22 fan and have many nice and scarce Winchesters. I have never had a 52 in any variation, I have most of their other target models though. 57 Target, 60A Target, 47 Target, 69 Target, Match, Junior Target Shooters Special. 75 Target and many matching Sporter models. I offer no excuse for not having a 52. My grail .22 was a 1890 .22 LR model and the other pump models. I found my grail model a couple years ago at Tulsa.
My 1890 /90 grail gun.

Some of the Targets

60A target and sporter

47 sporter and Target

I love these .22 threads. maybe someday a pair of 52s, target and sporting

 

[greenwellg]

I might look for a current model like the OP's Browning but need to find a place to shoot outdoors. So far it's pistols indoors. Need to see if my H&k 45C with a Laser is sighted in correctly. It was one ragged hole left of center but it"s just too hot right now.

 

[Fishinfool]

wundudnee - I have always been impressed with your early .22 collection. Your 1890 is a beauty.

Larry

 

[Hal H.]

A few years back, I picked up a very clean 1933 Winchester model 52 with the full target barrel & stock. Mounted a modern 4x24 x50 scope, and use it as a bench rifle. Much to long & heavy to carry hunting. I always wanted a Model 52 Sporter, but original copies in good shape are rare and expensive. Especially if equipped with the factory Lyman aperture sights.

View attachment 778743

Little known fact John Browning designed the model 52 for Winchester. Back about the 1990's Browning decided to reintroduce the 52 Sporter under it's name, made by Miroku in a limited edition. After Browning's brief run, Winchester took over 52 Sporter production, stamping their name on further rifles made in the Miroku plant. Rifles were identical, except the Browning version had a slight "Monte Carlo", while the Winchester marked version had a straight comb stock.

So to cut to the chase, a short while ago, I came across a used Browning 52 Sporter in excellent shape, that the previous owner had mounted a Lyman aperture sight set, just like the originals. Polished blued steel and figured walnut, what a looker. So of course it came home with me..

View attachment 778747

Love the look, but I had real concerns about my aging eyes and peep sights. Damn front sight is just so blurry... So, to the range today. Turns out in good light, I could see good enough to punch out the centers on 3 inch target dots at 50 yards - maybe about one inch, 5 shot groups. Pretty dang good, considering my eye sight. I think it's going to be a real shooter.

View attachment 778756

View attachment 778757

View attachment 778758

I do believe my search for the "perfect " open sighted .22 hunting rifle has ended.

What are some of your favorite .22's?

Larry

Winchester model 61.

 

[H Richard]

I grew up shooting a Win 52 at the High School range at age 12 and on. Much later in life, when competing, I bought a Anschutz 54 Match rifle that my son shot for 4 years on the Rifle Team, then I used at local 100 yard matches. I do have a three bull match target with all 100's perfect scores. I walked in my LGS one day and there was a Anschutz Sporter. Of coerce I took it home and my Granddaughters learned on that one.

 

[sceva]

Those model 52 repop's were great rifles. When they were announced, around 1990 - 1992 if I recall correctly, it was going to be a limited run of 5000 Browning rifles with a list price I believe of about $500.00. Many dealers that had one added a premium to the price. Once they saw how well they sold the company that owned both Browning AND Winchester brought them out under the Winchester name. Those that paid a premium for a "limited" rifle didn't like that but Winchester said the Brownings were limited not Winchesters.

I almost bought one at the time at a gunshow in Columbus, Ohio. Dealer had it and was pricing it at a $100 premium above list at $600. I thought about it and wanted it so I went back next day. Still there so I asked to look at it again and as they handed it to me they quoted me $650. I said it was $600 the day before and was told I should have bought it then and today it's $650. I handed it back; I didn't want it bad enough to play that game.

 

[CH4]

Very nice rifles! I've always admired the 52 but yet to grab one. The Miruko stuff is very nice. Picked up an 1873 awhile back. The 22 I learned to shoot with, and is still in the family, is a Winchester M77.

My current 22lr favorites are a Christiansen Arms and an Italian made Weatherby XXII.

 

[Fishinfool]

CH4 - Nice rifles. That Italian Weatherby is a looker. I had one of the Japanese versions years ago. Beautiful rifle, and accurate, but I eventually sold it as you couldn't hunt with a .22 semi in PA back then....

Larry

 

[BB57]

I have long been a fan of the Model 52 and the Model 52 sporter. The Model 52 Sporter has equally long been out of my comfort zone for what I'll pay for a rifle, as I use mine rather than hide them away in a safe.

The Winchester marked Model 52B and the Browning marked Model 52C reissue sporters made for Browning by Miroku are both nice and have pros and cons relative to each other.

The Winchester marked Model 52B rifles usually have pretty plain wood, but I have encountered a half dozen or so over the years that have very nice wood.

As mentioned above, the Winchester marked rifles have a classic butt stock while the Browning marked rifles have a slight Monte Carlo comb, along with higher line per inch checkering on the Winchester marked rifles.

The Winchester marked rifles also have a very well executed steel Niedner butt plate while the Browing marked 52C has a conventional polymer butt plate.

The Winchester marked 52B has a pressure screw in the fore end that is not present on the Browning marked 52C.

All three of mine are accurate averaging 1 MOA five shot groups at 100 yards on a calm day with SK Std Plus. A large group is around 1.25 MOA and the small ones are in the 1/2 MOA ball park. The group below is a 100 yard group.

While the Winchester marked Model 52B reissue rifles are objectively better made, they made 10,000 of them compared to only 500 of the Browning marked 52C rifles, so the latter are less common and show up for sale much less often. The one I own is the only one I have ever encountered in person for sale.

Together the Model 52 reissue rifles are the best *production* sporter .22 LR rifles ever made. I also have a Kimber Model 82, and while it is very well made, with steel butt plate, has similar care in fit and finish and equally good accuracy the Model 52 reissues edge it out in overall polish, blue, and general lines.

There were an estimated 18,300 Model 82 sporters made in all its variants, not including two runs totally 20,000 of the Model 82G government training rifles. Consequently the Model 82 is as uncommon as the Winchester Model 52 reissues and is equally worth having if you can find one.

----

I also have a very nice Model 52A (an early unmarked A).

It's also quite accurate and outshoots any of my military training rifles. This is a typical 50 yard group with Sk Std Plus.

 

[larstusor]

Why did the Model 52 go by the wayside? One word.....Anschutz.

 

[cowboy94916]

I am a sucker for 22 rifles. Your 52 looks great. And I am positive very accurate.
I owned 2 52b winchester reintroductions. I also own and have owned Dakota 22, Kimber 82, a couple of Kimber of oregon 82 and 82c Superamerica's , Remington 541 T, a couple of Anschutz, 1 target and 1 sporter, rifles, and a custom ordered Cooper 157, in bolt guns. The point of describing the list is related to accuracy. I test every 22 bolt gun by firing, 2 5 shot groups twice for total 20 shots. The groups come from 35 different ammo types and brands that I had bought a brick of each long ago for testing purposes. The groups are fired at 50 yards from a bench rest using same power scope.
I do this to determine which ammo shoots best in a gun. I average all the groups, to see which rifles can consistently shoot small groups with anything I feed them. The poor performers go down the road. If i have duplicates I sometimes get talked out of one by a friend of mine. The range of the ammo type they have to shoot is everything from low end bulk, to high end match target ammo, from here and across the pond.

The bottom line to this post is, that of all 22 bolt guns I have owned, the two winchester 52's, posted the best individual groups and the best overall average,s of all of them. They were virtually identical, so much so, that when my buddy needed one for his collection, I gave him his choice.
You have one great rifle there enjoy it.
I sure do mine, just started to shoot a local game we invented, using it at 100 to 300 yards on steel knock down targets.

 

[Empe]

I too always wanted one of the Winchester 52 Sporters but they were a little too expensive for my tastes several years ago and even more so today.
I do remember the reproductions by Miroku but again I waited around too long ,,,they quit making them and the prices went up on them as well .
There are some pretty nice classic .22 rifles pictured in this thread .
I own a few that I really enjoy : a 1939 Marlin 39A that's in very nice original condition with beautiful case colored receiver and lever .... the 1st year for the 39A . A 1956 Marlin 39A Mountie that I bought used when I was in high school ...it's seen some use with a fair amount of loss of blue but is in good condition and a 1982 Marlin 39A that looks almost new.
Also a very nice Remington 541T and a 504 ...both in very nice condition.
Although not rifles I very much enjoy my S&W 17-3 and both of my Ruger MK II Target handguns ....classics all !

 

[BB57]

Why did the Model 52 go by the wayside? One word.....Anschutz.

As a small bore top level competition rifle, sure. Even my restocked Anschutz Savage Model 64 Match will more than hold it's own with a Model 52D, and the Anschutz 54 left the Model 52 and contemporary small bore Remington 3P and prone rifles in the dust.

But in terms of sporters, I'll still take a Model 52 Sporter over an Anschutz sporter.

As a sporting rifle, the Model 52 Sporters were never inexpensive and the Model 52 re-issues were also expensive compared to the contemporary Remington 541S and 541T sporters, the Ruger 77/22, etc, so the economics were never there for hundreds of thousands of them to be produced. But the same is true for the Kimber 82 and Anschutz sporters, and none of them are common.

 

[tbob38]

Thanks all for posting about those wonderful old Winchester 22's.