I took my recently acquired Winchester 1937 vintage Model 52A to the range along with my other WWII era US training rifles.
Top to bottom:
- My Springfield M1922 M2. It’s marked “Caliber .22” with “M2” struck slightly less deep after it. It has a very early serial number of 1747. My understanding is that a Model 1922 M2 with a low numbered receiver marked in this way rather than “M1922” followed by an “M2” (a M1922 M2 or a M1922 updated directly to M2 configuration) or “M1I” (a M1922 M1 updated to M2 configuration) indicates one of the very early - and very unsuccessful - U.S. Gallery Rifle Caliber .22 Model 1903 rifles (introduced in 1907) that was rebuilt or reworked as an M1922 M2.
That's based on records kept by Richard T. Colton, a historian at the Springfield Armory Museum. He has stated that many of the early rifles, including the U.S. Gallery Rifle caliber .22 Model 1903, were rebuilt, updated and used to build some of the 1922 M1 and M2 models. The barrel is dated 7-42, so it was possibly converted from a 1903 gallery rifle to an M1922 M2:
1) sometime after M2 production started in 1938, and then re-barreled at some point in its service with a left over July 1942 barrel; or
2) it was one of the last M1922 M2s completed in 1942 using a reworked gallery rifle receiver and a July 1942 barrel.
Either way it’s interesting.
- My US Property marked Remington 513T dated June 1943, 1 of the 10,000 ordered by the US Army.
- My US Property marked Stevens 416, one of 10,388 ordered by the US Army beginning at serial number 200,000 all of which were delivered in 1943. It’s 204,000 serial range indicates probable delivery in early/mid 1943.
- My 1937 Winchester Model 52A.
Accuracy wise the Model 52 is tough to beat on A-23-6 targets at 50 yards. It pretty consistently shot 50 2x or 3x groups when it didn’t get a flier in the SK Standard Plus ammo (about 2 per box of 50 in my experience over the years).
I recently acquired a full set of inserts for the Vaver globe front sight off eBay and I substituted a Merit Master adjustable aperture on the Marbles rear sight. Between the two it can be set up to produce a very good sight picture under pretty much any light condition.
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My 513T normally shoots about the same, but today it didn’t get lucky, picking up a flier on the few groups I shot with it. These 49 3x groups are pretty typical of SK Standard Plus fliers and I’m leaning toward the ammo causing it, not the rifle (or of course the shooter, although both of these were uncalled flyers).
It also has a Merit adjustable aperture and a Lyman 20 globe front sight, with a set of Lee Shaver inserts. The border on those inserts is thinner than Lyman inserts or other inserts from the period, but I like them as they allow more light through the front sight, which in turn lets you stop down the rear aperture a bit more. It offers the best sight picture of the bunch. Not quite as flexible or adjustable as a modern diopter match sight but still very good.
——-
This was my first time out with the Stevens 416 and it felt a bit funny during the trigger pull. After I’d taken down the targets and put the bench away, I noticed the single action screw had worked loose letting the barrel and action move slightly in the stock.
That probably accounts for the less than stellar groups that wandered horizontally from group to group, and it would explain why the sight adjustments were just not working out.
I’ll give it a deep clean, then properly torque it on the stock and see how it shoots then.
The sights on the Stevens 416 are proprietary and the rear sight is a bit odd compared to its contemporaries. It’s functional but I’m so far not a fan, although the repeatability issue was probably caused more by the loose action screw. The original front sight is long gone and it has a Lyman 17 as a replacement. It’s not well suited height wise to the scale on the side of the rear sight, so it’ll probably get a suitable 20mm sized globe front sight. I installed the Merit Master aperture that came with my Model 52, sans the rubber eye cup. It worked well on the 416 as there otherwise isn’t adequate clearance between the eye cup and the bolt.
——-
I really like shooting my M1922 M2 but the sights leave a lot to be desired. The rear sight is ok, but the bolt clearance will not allow for an adjustable aperture rear sight, so I have to swap apertures manually. The biggest drawback is the blade front sight. I’d put a globe front sight on it, but then it doesn’t look right.
Unfortunately I don’t shoot blade front sights nearly as well as I did as a 23 year old marine with a Match grade M14. I could hold a 1 MOA group back then. Now, not so much as 56 year old eyes can’t quite keep the front sight in focus and maintain adequate alignment with the bullseye.
Unlike my other trainers, the bore on my M1922 isn’t pristine looking, but I’m sure it is capable of more accuracy than I am with the front sight.
Top to bottom:
- My Springfield M1922 M2. It’s marked “Caliber .22” with “M2” struck slightly less deep after it. It has a very early serial number of 1747. My understanding is that a Model 1922 M2 with a low numbered receiver marked in this way rather than “M1922” followed by an “M2” (a M1922 M2 or a M1922 updated directly to M2 configuration) or “M1I” (a M1922 M1 updated to M2 configuration) indicates one of the very early - and very unsuccessful - U.S. Gallery Rifle Caliber .22 Model 1903 rifles (introduced in 1907) that was rebuilt or reworked as an M1922 M2.
That's based on records kept by Richard T. Colton, a historian at the Springfield Armory Museum. He has stated that many of the early rifles, including the U.S. Gallery Rifle caliber .22 Model 1903, were rebuilt, updated and used to build some of the 1922 M1 and M2 models. The barrel is dated 7-42, so it was possibly converted from a 1903 gallery rifle to an M1922 M2:
1) sometime after M2 production started in 1938, and then re-barreled at some point in its service with a left over July 1942 barrel; or
2) it was one of the last M1922 M2s completed in 1942 using a reworked gallery rifle receiver and a July 1942 barrel.
Either way it’s interesting.
- My US Property marked Remington 513T dated June 1943, 1 of the 10,000 ordered by the US Army.
- My US Property marked Stevens 416, one of 10,388 ordered by the US Army beginning at serial number 200,000 all of which were delivered in 1943. It’s 204,000 serial range indicates probable delivery in early/mid 1943.
- My 1937 Winchester Model 52A.
Accuracy wise the Model 52 is tough to beat on A-23-6 targets at 50 yards. It pretty consistently shot 50 2x or 3x groups when it didn’t get a flier in the SK Standard Plus ammo (about 2 per box of 50 in my experience over the years).
I recently acquired a full set of inserts for the Vaver globe front sight off eBay and I substituted a Merit Master adjustable aperture on the Marbles rear sight. Between the two it can be set up to produce a very good sight picture under pretty much any light condition.
——
My 513T normally shoots about the same, but today it didn’t get lucky, picking up a flier on the few groups I shot with it. These 49 3x groups are pretty typical of SK Standard Plus fliers and I’m leaning toward the ammo causing it, not the rifle (or of course the shooter, although both of these were uncalled flyers).
It also has a Merit adjustable aperture and a Lyman 20 globe front sight, with a set of Lee Shaver inserts. The border on those inserts is thinner than Lyman inserts or other inserts from the period, but I like them as they allow more light through the front sight, which in turn lets you stop down the rear aperture a bit more. It offers the best sight picture of the bunch. Not quite as flexible or adjustable as a modern diopter match sight but still very good.
——-
This was my first time out with the Stevens 416 and it felt a bit funny during the trigger pull. After I’d taken down the targets and put the bench away, I noticed the single action screw had worked loose letting the barrel and action move slightly in the stock.
That probably accounts for the less than stellar groups that wandered horizontally from group to group, and it would explain why the sight adjustments were just not working out.
I’ll give it a deep clean, then properly torque it on the stock and see how it shoots then.
The sights on the Stevens 416 are proprietary and the rear sight is a bit odd compared to its contemporaries. It’s functional but I’m so far not a fan, although the repeatability issue was probably caused more by the loose action screw. The original front sight is long gone and it has a Lyman 17 as a replacement. It’s not well suited height wise to the scale on the side of the rear sight, so it’ll probably get a suitable 20mm sized globe front sight. I installed the Merit Master aperture that came with my Model 52, sans the rubber eye cup. It worked well on the 416 as there otherwise isn’t adequate clearance between the eye cup and the bolt.
——-
I really like shooting my M1922 M2 but the sights leave a lot to be desired. The rear sight is ok, but the bolt clearance will not allow for an adjustable aperture rear sight, so I have to swap apertures manually. The biggest drawback is the blade front sight. I’d put a globe front sight on it, but then it doesn’t look right.
Unfortunately I don’t shoot blade front sights nearly as well as I did as a 23 year old marine with a Match grade M14. I could hold a 1 MOA group back then. Now, not so much as 56 year old eyes can’t quite keep the front sight in focus and maintain adequate alignment with the bullseye.
Unlike my other trainers, the bore on my M1922 isn’t pristine looking, but I’m sure it is capable of more accuracy than I am with the front sight.
