Talk to me about a S&W 52-2

[Rowlf]

Gil Hebard tested a few S&W model 52's at 50 yards back in the day. He shot 3,200 rounds from a machine rest. He concluded that the pistols would reliably average between 2-3" ten shot groups at 50 yards. This is from his book "The Pistol Shooter's Treasury".

Hebard also got to use good factory ammo in his testing that is hard to match in recent times. I can't get Center Fire scores with my M52 using Zero ammunition or swaged HBWC reloads to come close to what I can get using a 45 wadgun. Plus I can use the 45 wadgun in CF and 45 matches of a 2700, so only one trigger to master. The 45 wadgun tests inside Hebard's M52 results and slightly outside 22LR results.

Are there any examples of military or Olympic teams using a M52 in competition? (Center Fire used to be an Olympic event.)

 

[BE Mike]

Hebard also got to use good factory ammo in his testing that is hard to match in recent times. I can't get Center Fire scores with my M52 using Zero ammunition or swaged HBWC reloads to come close to what I can get using a 45 wadgun. Plus I can use the 45 wadgun in CF and 45 matches of a 2700, so only one trigger to master. The 45 wadgun tests inside Hebard's M52 results and slightly outside 22LR results.

Are there any examples of military or Olympic teams using a M52 in competition? (Center Fire used to be an Olympic event.)

I wasn't suggesting to the OP that he use a model 52 in outdoor 2700 pistol matches. I was only trying to show how accurate the pistol is at 50 yards with the right ammo. I quit using my 52-1 in 2700's on the advice of those who had reached a high level. I credit, in part, my making of NRA Outdoor Master by replacing my 52-1 with my Kidd accurized 1911 in the centerfire match. I am an old has been and long retired from competition. I doubt that the S&W model 52 is used in International Centerfire events anymore. I would guess that .32 long has replaced the .38 SPL as a caliber choice for International Centerfire matches and that imported pistols like the Pardini HP would be popular.

 

[Rick H.]

I read some of the posts here and have to shake my head in amazement. Lots of people like to bad-mouth the Model 52 and the results that it had when it was used in competition. The reality of the situation is that many of these people compare a bone stock Model 52 to custom fabbed .45 ACP's done up by any number of good to excellent pistol-smiths including military armorers. How about we take a bone stock off the shelf Colt 1911 .45 Gold Cup and put it up against a similar M52 in like new condition? Doing so will be a tough call today as finding a like new M52 will be no easy task. This test really should have been done back when M-52's were still being made and an example pulled off the shelf or display case at the local gun store along with a new 1911 Colt Gold Cup.

Let's also be realistic here and understand few shooters are capable of shooting ANY pistol accurately at 50 yards, least of all me at 73 years old. 25 yards is a much more realistic goal, but completely stock pistols MUST be compared against each other, not a stock M52 against a Kiefer or Clark prepped 1911. Almost all serious bullseye shooters back in the day had some type of work done on their 1911's if they were chasing good scores. How many shooters did much of anything to their M52's? Few if any. As an aside, I find my .38 wadcutter hand loads with Hornady 148 grain HBWC's to be far more accurate in my M52 than almost any of the new 148 grain wadcutter offerings and my cost per bullet is far less. My bullet speeds seem to hover around 800 to 825 FPS compared to factory loads around 700 to 750 FPS.

I have long surmised that just because military marksmanship units didn't change to a pistol like the M52 doesn't mean a whole lot. I think the military shooters and armorers were very comfortable with the 1911 and the development of it on their end and they saw no reason to change to a completely different pistol and caliber. A fat bullet gives you a better chance for a higher score. A sharp edge .38 wadcutter told the truth immediately and held no benefit. If you made a mistake with a M52 it told you so right now. Rarely did one have to gauge a .38 HBWC wadcutter to tell if it was in or out.

Of course none of this matters much today, but I enjoyed competing with my M52's so long ago, but everything I did was limited to 25 yards. 50 yard pistol ranges were not in abundance in my area and we were always fighting for control of one for a bullseye match. I think in a lot of instances the M52 gets a bad rap and most comparisons with other pistols of the time are unfair at best, as the other pistols are almost never in stock OEM form, only the M52.

Rick H.

 

[Krogen]

Very good points, Rick! Precision Pistol / Bullseye is a niche discipline these days. Split between two clubs, There are about 20 of us shooting six matches a month. Truth be told, we're rank amateurs and none us are limited by box stock Gold Cups or M52s. We're not equipment limited, unless you refer to the equipment between our ears. We joke that slow fire, aka "slow flyer" should be scored like metallic silhouette. Hit the paper, get a point. Miss the paper, get a zero.

Precision pistol is a definite challenge and we have a great time working on our skills. I shoot my M52 in centerfire, because I can. It's a nod to days past. I actually shoot it better than a 1911. I also shoot my K-32 in centerfire, again because I can. I suck badly with a revolver in rapid fire, but them's the breaks. Shooting a K-32 or an M52 in Precision Pistol is a thrill.

 

[Sevens]

Lots of people like to bad-mouth the Model 52 and the results that it had when it was used in competition. The reality of the situation is that many of these people compare a bone stock Model 52 to custom fabbed .45 ACP's done up by any number of good to excellent pistol-smiths including military armorers.

Hear hear! Very well said!

 

[AJ]

Rick H.,

I have never "Bad Mouthed" a S&W 52. In fact it is one of my most favorite pistols to shoot. However, I do have a bone stock original Colt Series 70 National Match Gold Cup that shoots as well as my 52-1. Maybe it is just the way I shoot them or I got lucky with the Colt. Which one is my favorite? Not sure as it seems like a toss up to me.

AJ