Smith 952

[Decker]

Some CZ's and Tanfoglio's offer Briley bushings (accubushings)? They are the same as the Briley bushing on the 952 except the threaded portion in the frame is longer.

Tom

Interesting.

So "any" accurized bushing is a "Briley" bushing?

Cool. I learn so much here on the forum.

Any design that uses a bushing/barrel fitment will benefit from a fit that is as close as can be but still be functional.
That's the basis behind every accurized 1911 that's ever been built.

Beyond that, there are factors that weigh on accuracy more than just that, so no tight bushing installation is going to be the be-all and end-all for accuracy (although it's a large part of it).

 

[Decker]

Here are my 2 long slides. A 952 heavy slide and a Sig 210-6-9 long slid. As to value, I think the 952 heavy should be about $4000.00. The Sig could bring almost 2 times that.
I do not know how many 952 long slides were made but not too many and heavy slides and two tones are the rarest of them. As to the Sig, I have knowledge of only 3 sold in the last 10 years and the last sale was $6800.00.
I feel very lucky to have two of the finest guns you can get.

Wow, then you should be interested in this auction for a special edition engraved P210 Legend. If yours is worth $8000, then this one should bring better than $12000.
SIG P210 Legend Number 97 of 210 SIG P-210 : Semi Auto Pistols at GunBroker.com

 

[Sevens]

Decker, not sure where all your negative energy comes from. You seem to make a slew of assumptions and you find rock-solid definitive answers with seemingly little data. Briley is a brand name. And the ONLY folks that are truly qualified to really make an assessment of one elite pistol's ability when compared to others in the same genre are those folks that not only OWN all of the pistols being compared, but have the ability to shoot them to the level we'd require to compare them. It certainly wouldn't be fair to own just one of these, have 3,000 rounds down range, then put two magazines through another one that you borrowed and then make a fair comparison.

Too bad that the 952, P210, or any other "real" target pistols don't have the Briley bushing either.

The 952 pistol does have the Briley bushing. Nearly every Performance Center semi-auto pistol save for the very earliest ones have a Briley bushing.

The Briley bushing in a S&W PC gun is NOT the guarantee of accuracy. For most of us, it is simply a calling card. When the S&W pistol is equipped with one of them, we see it as an elite-level fitted handgun.

There is room in this world for all of us, no matter how sickeningly sure you happen to be that you've got it all figured out. You appear to believe that you've got the greatest pistol that God ever crapped out for a thousand bucks and that's fine. Maybe the pistol can out-shoot the Tanfoglio Elite Match that I bought new for $560, half of what you paid. You call my pistol a "copy", which is certainly correct -- Tanfoglio copied a terrific design that was stuck & buried behind the iron curtain. So if my pistol is a "copy", your pistol is a "Commie." And along the same thought process... every Wilson, Baer or Brown 1911 pistol is also a "copy." Still, they are fine handguns.

I've had two Browns and one Baer and currently I have a Les Bear-era Springfield Custom Shop pistol. A one-off, built in 1991. All of these have been top notch pistols but I have only kept the one of them, and though I like it a lot and liked all of them... in my own hands, they take a back seat to my PC 845.

But that is no good reason to spew venom in this forum.

 

[ragman]

My Sig is not a legend. It is a original Swiss made Sig and best guess is there are only a hand full in the U.S. Folks that know a lot more than I ever will say that there were less than 200 made and most of those never left Europe. As far as Legends go they are very good guns and the Super Target is the best of the Legends. With that said Legends are not original Swiss Sigs and the Swiss Sigs will always bring a higher price.

 

[rbert0005]

More info here.
The original PC 1911s did not have the Briley set up. They were conventional with the bushing.
They were hand built by the real PC and every one I was aquainted with was a one hole gun.

Absolutely first class 1911s.

Bob

 

[Engine49guy]

I would like to find a reasonably priced Model 952 but in the mean time my Model 52-2 is more accurate than I can hold it .
Had a chance to buy a 952 about 5 years ago for $1000 but decided since I do not compete it was not financially feasible.

Besides for the $2000 price jump from a 52 to a 952 I can hand load alot of 38 wadcutter ammo.

 

[wlp624]

This started out as lighthearted banter among S&W lovers but has degenerated into a school yard peeing contest. A particularly ugly contest at that. This forum is better than that.

 

[mfserge]

Truth is there are far better target pistols out there than a 952. Older Colt's, Sig, Pardini, Clark, Kimber and a host of other manufacturers have target handguns equal to or better than a 952 and for a lot less money. AND you can get spare parts for them. It's one thing to be shooting a current production handgun in competition and have parts availability, but it is something entirely different to be shooting an out of production handgun with limited to no parts availability. So in this case the old saying "a fool and his money are soon parted" is absolutely true. If you doubt my words just look at the GB auction where a guy has a buy-it-now price of $1,500 for an alleged unfired S&W M-39-2. Before you dump a ton of money on a out of production 952 give yourself a real treat and shoot an X-Series Sig in 9mm or a Pardini. They are very nice shooters and if you break something you can easily get replacement parts for them. Just my 2 cents worth....

Rick H

The X-Series is easy to find replacement parts? You sure about that? I have a dozen X5's and they're impossible to get replacement parts unless you have a connection in Germany, which fortunately I do. I have two 952's, too many X5's, and two P210's, I think the 952's are insanely accurate, even more so than my P210's.

 

[Decker]

The X-Series is easy to find replacement parts? You sure about that? I have a dozen X5's and they're impossible to get replacement parts unless you have a connection in Germany, which fortunately I do. I have two 952's, too many X5's, and two P210's, I think the 952's are insanely accurate, even more so than my P210's.

So just curious... what classes do you compete in?
I figure that you must be a serious competitor with all those expensive and rare pistols.
Noting that you have only come here recently to comment on this subject (your second post on the forum), I wish you would have brought all your obvious experience and knowledge to the forums much sooner than you did.

 

[mfserge]

So just curious... what classes do you compete in?
I figure that you must be a serious competitor with all those expensive and rare pistols.
Noting that you have only come here recently to comment on this subject (your second post on the forum), I wish you would have brought all your obvious experience and knowledge to the forums much sooner than you did.

Not going to partake in your sarcastic nonsense but here are my X5's prior to adding an all-around e, super match, black & white e, and an X6 match skeleton. I love my Sigs but the 952's shoot slightly better for me.

 

[Decker]

Not going to partake in your sarcastic nonsense but here are my X5's prior to adding an all-around e, super match, black & white e, and an X6 match skeleton. I love my Sigs but the 952's shoot slightly better for me.

Sorry you took it as sarcasm 'cuz if it was, I would have added a or something.

You have clearly been around, so I was curious as to your level of competition participation, that's all.

Sheesh.

 

[clang444]

Not going to partake in your sarcastic nonsense but here are my X5's prior to adding an all-around e, super match, black & white e, and an X6 match skeleton. I love my Sigs but the 952's shoot slightly better for me.

Nice collection, but too bad you don't have one of those CZs. I hear that they are so much more accurate than any gun you have...

 

[at-home-daddy]

As always, it looks like I mistimed the market on the sale of my unfired, as-new blued 952-1 back in 2012. From this thread, it looks like progressive scarcity has driven up the price of it pretty significantly...I think I sold mine for $1500 or $1600, which was a fair price at the time.

Never even got to fire it to experience its special quality.

I don't think I even want to know how much the three 945 models -- one 5", two 4" -- that I sold at the same time are going for these days. :-(

 

[clang444]

That blue 952 is a beauty

 

[mfserge]

Nice collection, but too bad you don't have one of those CZs. I hear that they are so much more accurate than any gun you have...

I have two CZs, and they're very accurate especially the tactical sport and a handful of Tanfoglios which are also very accurate. The 952's are still my favorite.

 

[Yuns]

I personally think that the 952 and the PPC9 series have well deserved reputations for accuracy. My friend bac1023 and I have been spending this past year or so comparing our collections side by side to see how various high end pistols compare at a series of range days we've set up. The 952 especially the 6" 952 could run as accurately as anything else we brought. The most accurate centerfire semiauto pistols for me were the P210-5 and P210 Legend Supertarget and 952 6" and 3566 5". The most accurate rimfire for me was the Pardini SP. The most accurate revolver for me was the Korth (1.3" at 25 yards for a full cylinder). Not to denigrate any other pistols because they were all very very accurate but in my hands the 952 and 3566 could run with most anything including the fantastic P210-5. There were no bad pistols among them just degrees of excellence.

From my collection we ran the Sig Arms P210-5 Heavy Frame, Sig Sauer Legend Super Target, S&W 3566 5" (basically a PPC9 in .356TSW), Korth Sport .357, Korriphila HSP701 5", H&K USP Expert, S&W K38 Heavy Masterpiece, Beretta 96 Combat, Sig Sauer XFive Classic, S&W Performance Center 5906 IDPA, Pardini GT45-II, Pardini SP, H&K P9S Target, and H&K P9S Sport Group III.

bac contributed his S&W 952 6", Korriphila HSP701 4", Freedom Arms Premier Grade 97, Pardini GT9, HK P9S, Sig P210-6, VIS Radom, Ultramatic LV, Astra 600, Smith & Wesson 52, Infinity 1911, H&R Sportsman, and Benelli B77, Browning GP Competition, Bernardelli Practical VB, Benelli MP3S, MAB PAP F1, Delta Top Gun, Wolf Ultramatic SV, Sphinx Competitor, CZ Champion, Beretta 89 Gold Standard, Bernardelli P010 .22lr, Manurhin MR73 Sport 6", S&W 945, P7M10, Wilson Super Grade, Smith & Wesson 952, and Leckie Custom Hi Power.

Others let us shoot Nighthawk Heinie 1911 .45, Les Baer Monolith 1911 .45, Colt Wiley Clapp 1911 .45, Colt Commander .38 Super, Sig Sauer P938 and Ruger GP100 Wiley Clapp, Nighthawk Falcon, Colt CQBP (Marine M45), Les Baer Thunder Ranch Special, S&W 29, an immaculate Colt Python, Guncrafter, Coonan 357mag, HK VP9, PMR-30, customized Beretta Elite II, Glock 17L, etc.

Despite my love of the 952, I do agree that the prices have reached breathtaking levels.

 

[Magneto]

Yuns,
What factory ammo performed best in your 952 ?

Steve

 

[Yuns]

It wasn't my 952 but rather bac's. We were using cheap range ammo. Blaser Brass and Perfecta for 9mm. No Atlanta Arms or any other target grade stuff. The Perfecta loads were really light and had trouble cycling some of the stiffer sprung pistols. Haven't had a chance to run any ammo tests but we're hoping to order a case of the Atlanta Arms 115 gr XTP for testing purposes. bac and I keep talking about buying a Ransom Rest but they are a pain to keep, transport and set up.