Model 52 magazine ?

How is this add confusing? It has a pic of three mags and states 5 round.
Some nags have been altered to 6 rounds. Read the big print.

But it did state 5 ("five") mags in the small print - I did not catch that at first, but I do suspect that may be an error by the seller and there may have been only 3 five round mags actually sold as supported by the pictures.

Jack
 
52 mags

I'm the guy that bought the 3 mags for a total of near $197.00 ea. They are mint, new, no scuffs or scratches, just as I saw in the photo's.
Now I ask was I totally nut's, or is the person paying $150.00 ea. for 3 plastic follower model 52 mags?
Not to mention, I saw on seller on e-bay with 2 steel follower 52 mags, $250.00 ea. 1 Left. People are paying the money, but the plastic follower mags, did not have a very good follower, that plastic edge wears, and then it's gone. I doubt it would be very hard to machine followers for the 52, even out of 7075 aluminum, would be better than the plastic ones.
Try the model 41-1 magazine, I remember buying a quantity on the forum here 5-8 years ago, $100.00 ea. Now $350.00-$566.00 is the highest I have seen one go for on GB. And he sold 4 of them, the price went up from $380.00 to $450.00 and up more on the 4th.
So that is where the 52 magazines can be headed. Model 41-1 mag's can be copied quite easily, I have seen one modified model 41 mag, altered to a fully functioning 41-1 mag.
 
Hello Jim, nuts? No I dont think so. I paid $150 for a new steel follower mag last week. And glad to get it. These 52 mags have entered the
realm of pre-39 mags. Damn near impossible to find. Good snag.
 
Mag Value

several years ago, when I had a number of the plastic follower magazines to get rid of, I noticed on e-bay that people were paying $100. plus for the plastic follower mags, and the steel followers could be had for like another $20.00, so I offed all that I had and exchanged them for the real deal, it still surprises me, that S&W didn't do a better job on the lets call it the Gen 2 mag, plastic follower, as it get's to the top, it's able to wiggle around left to right a great deal more, messing with the slide stop, and potential jamming.
Just a poorly designed follower.
 
I have been lucky, and have accumulated 5 magazines for my 52. All at sane prices. I have three steel follower mags and 2 plastic follower mags. I can see no difference between them performance and durability wise. The steel follower mags are the older ones, plastic newer. Prices on either nowadays is getting grim. Looks like the 4 extra mags are almost worth what the pistol is..
 
Mag Value

I would just clean up the follower and replace a plastic follower.
You could also clean up the rest of the parts, and save them in case you need them.
 
Mag Value

I have been lucky, and have accumulated 5 magazines for my 52. All at sane prices. I have three steel follower mags and 2 plastic follower mags. I can see no difference between them performance and durability wise. The steel follower mags are the older ones, plastic newer. Prices on either nowadays is getting grim. Looks like the 4 extra mags are almost worth what the pistol is..
Durability wise, you will find the plastic will wear long before the steel follower will, it's where the follower contacts your slide stop. The very edge will start to wear away. When I first purchased my first 52-2, I had steel follower mags, my friend was shooting his with the plastic followers, he had issues, and I'm sure many people have also had no issues. They just will not last nearly as long, and if your going to pay $150.00 ea. for plastic, you might as well go for broke. At least you will never have any trouble selling them.
 
Okay, so a guy on Ebay has M52 magazines for sale, but only has 3 in his pictures. But in his description he states 5, but only in one spot does he give a number for sale. So if it really is/was 5 for sale, why weren't all 5 in his pictures? Were 5 too many for the pictures? I guess I must be missing something here. If I am selling more than one of anything the number for sale goes at the top of the ad so potential buyers or interested parties see the amount for sale right away. With only 3 in the pictures one naturally believes only 3 are available. Now if there really was 5 in the purchase price, the end price of the auction was a really good deal and I missed the boat.....again. So to make everyone feel better here I will gladly take all your junkie, trashy, no good M52 plastic follower magazines that are doomed to absolute failure, off your hands for oh, $25.00 a piece. I will be doing you a favor because you won't have to worry about them failing and no doubt they contain some cancer causing material in them especially if you live in California. Now if you ask me how many S&W plastic follower magazines I have seen fail due to the follower over my career in law enforcement, it would be 1. Just 1.

I have personally rebuilt a few M52 magazines that were rusty and had some finish problems and they turned out just fine. I vapor blasted the components and sent them out to be Parkerized, put them together and they work great. I use them as my routine shooting magazines so I don't scuff up my good mags. I will admit the one that went for $77.00 on Ebay was pretty rough though, but it is still good for parts.

Rick H.
 
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Are we saying that eventually, a plastic follower 52 magazine will fail to lock a slide back after final shot?

Or are we saying that the magazine will be some how or someway NOT useable eventually?

I had a thread on this recently. Maybe I should link it or bump it.

Anyone who wishes to trade me TWO Model 52 magazines with plastic follower in exchange for ONE Model 52 magazine with metal follower, send me a PM.
 
Okay, so a guy on Ebay has M52 magazines for sale, but only has 3 in his pictures. But in his description he states 5, but only in one spot does he give a number for sale. So if it really is/was 5 for sale, why weren't all 5 in his pictures? Were 5 too many for the pictures? I guess I must be missing something here.

Rick H.

Rick,

The ebay buyer/winner revealed his experience in post #23. He seems to be very happy with his purchase, as these were apparently new, mint steel follower mags!

I guess I am too conservative in my thinking - the $77 beater parts magazine which sold recently apparently does have some significant value after all!

Jack
 
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