Thinking about a model 52...any issues with them?

[leadlobber]

Hello all,


I am thinking about a model 52. Are there any major pitfalls or issues that people run into when buying these in good used conditions? Any particular area to check for excessive wear or the proper amount of clearance?

I know these only shoot .38 Wadcutter special loads.

Do the frame rails have issues on these?

Thanks in advance!

 

[hsguy]

The 52 is a great gun. The early ones 52 and 52-1 have a long extractor that was prone to breaking and are very hard to find. If you are looking for a shooter you should perhaps seek out a 52-2. The guns can be a bit finicky and you may have to experiment a bit with ammunition and lubrication. The 52 is a joy to shoot and probably the most accurate pistol I own. Good luck with your search, they have not been made in a long while and are a bit hard to find and command good prices. You will see a tag at the bottom of the thread for Model 52, click on it and you will find many posts regarding the gun.

 

[moosedog]

The model 52s are one of the finest and most reliable target 38s made.
I have been shooting 52s since the late 70s and have had early ones up to 52-2s and have never experienced a problem. I only knew of one guy on our department pistol team that ever had an extractor break and it was no big deal.
At one time I shot about 300 rnds per week all year long for several years with the model 52.
Like any auto loader, you need to clean it once in a while to make sure it keeps functioning reliably. Flush seated 38 spl wadcutters of a high quality is the secret to reliability.
If ever needed, the parts are out there. With the internet you can find almost anything.
The factory doesn't have parts for any of it's pre lates 80s guns.

Once you own and shoot the model 52, you'll never want to let it go.

 

[planojack]

I've owned six 52-2's and love them. Of these, one had a trigger so light that I had problems with it deciding when to go off, not me. With my friends at the range, they say I have no excuse for missing. The steel plates go down when I do my part. At the moment, I do have a spare ANIB, that could be acquired. PM if interested.

 

[civil1977]

As stated, stick to a 52-2 for a shooter. They can be picky about ammo and the magazines are expensive, especially the older metal follower mags. It is a great gun and a real joy to shoot. Here's my 1975 Model 52-2 in the original box with mags, weight set and bushing wrench.

 

[leadlobber]

Civil1977, You are making it tough to do anything but spring for one of these!!!

That is really a beauty!

I like the idea of the 952, but, I can't find one for less than $1500.....

 

[leadlobber]

Would I almost be as well off finding a nice model 39, or will it be worlds away in accuracy when compared to a 52 or 952?

 

[Swelfelo]

S&W 52

I would think long and hard about the 52. Although the gun is incredibly accurate, it is a very finicky beast and requires a lot of follow through to stay on target.

As noted above, the pistol is no longer supported by S&W and parts are hard to find and expensive. I got rid of mine because it just was not reliable and would often jam during matches--yes I cleaned it on a regular basis. In all fairness, one of the better shooters on our team has one that runs like a clock. Most of my teammates have shifted to the Walther GSP Expert in 32 wadcutter. Its predecessor can be found for about the same price as a S&W 52, but I would stay with the current version.

The 952 is a 9mm and is much snappier than the 52. One guy we compete against uses one and it is accurate and reliable. There do not appear to be anatomical grips made for the 952 if this is important to you.

 

[leadlobber]

sounds like I am hearing this quite a bit..... that the 52 can be really finicky to operate and kept fed with the proper ammo.... along with the inability to get parts.....

hmm....

Is the accuracy of the model 39 almost as good as the 52?

at least the ammo is much easier to acquire for the 39.....


The 952 sounds nice, but it looks like most of them are $1300+

 

[Swelfelo]

S&W 52

There really isn't readily available commercial 38 wadcutter ammo for a reasonable price. You will have to reload or find someone that does if you want to go the S&W 52 route. Fiocchi 32 wadcutter is fairly available for a reasonable price.

I do not know if the 39 was built to the same standard as the 52 as it was most likely never intended to be a pure target pistol. Suffice it say that in the last fifteen years of competition, I have never seen one on the line which says something.

 

[leadlobber]

thanks swelfelo!

 

[M29since14]

The follow-through issue is a problem, even for an experienced shooter. Seems completely different, for me anyway, than shooting a K38 (which I prefer). I think the 52 never obtained the popularity it might have, for just that reason, and many shooters chose to skip it as an option in centerfire and competed with their .45s. It is a tough gun to shoot well.

If you want a target pistol and do not want to take the time to have one hand-built, a 952 would probably make more sense today. Not being able to get parts for a gun you plan to use quite a bit is not a good thing.

I don't think you will find a Model 39 that will come close to a 52 shooting good quality factory loads. The 39 is a duty gun, not a target pistol. My experience is that they shoot at 15-yards about like the 52 will at 50.

 

[leadlobber]

hmmmmm....

darn....

every rose has it's thorns....

 

[nightshade2x]

There really isn't readily available commercial 38 wadcutter ammo for a reasonable price. You will have to reload or find someone that does if you want to go the S&W 52 route. Fiocchi 32 wadcutter is fairly available for a reasonable price.

This is incorrect.

Commercial 148 gr. wadcutters are readily available from many consumer sources. Cheaper than Dirt, East Coast Gun Sales, Midway USA and Cabellas all sell these.

Winchester, Federal, Sellier & Bellot and Remington all have loads.

Have fun and be safe.
Nightshade2x

 

[DHENRY]

nightshade 2x has it right!
The whole 'secret' to using commonly-available 148gr wadcutters is the correct springing.
Wolff Springs makes several lower-poundage, variable-rate recoil springs for the (somewhat) milder loads you find today.
My 52 prints so accurately I wonder if it's beeing controlled by aliens.
Just ran 200 rounds of S&B through it today, with ***zero*** misfires, extraction or feed problems.
IMHO, the 52-series takes other comparable bullseye guns to the cleaners.
Don

 

[boatbum101]

I have & shoot a 52-2 . Yes parts can be a problem & you have to look for them too . They're out there but you've gotta shake the bush . I reload for mine & if you'll search my posts you'll find the ticket . They are fine but extremely demanding to shoot . The least little mistake / lack of concentration will be magnified on the target especially @ 50yds . The trigger is better than the 952 also . Biggest things to look @ on a used one is peening on the slide stop & check for a bulged barrel . Barrels are very very hard to find & must be hand fitted to each gun , slides also . 38 HBWC ammo between 700 - 800fps is the ticket . 9mm must be pushed much faster for best accuracy which equals more recoil / muzzle blast & flip . 9mm for best accuracy one must use jacketed bullets . If you look hard you should be able to find a used 52 for $ 700 on up . If you want the box & the rest probably $ 1000 on up . I've attached pics of mine & 50yd offhand targets .

 

[Swelfelo]

Look Before You Stick Foot in Mouth

Nightshade2X, you need to read very carefully before saying something is incorrect. I said "reasonable price." I do not consider paying over $18.00 to $31.00 a box before shipping costs reasonable.

Anyway, most serious S&W 52 shooters end up loading their own so they can fine tune the ammo to the gun.

As I mentioned earlier, most of us on our team transitioned to Walther GSP Experts and we are doing very well with them. However, we have team members that perform well with the S&W 52's. It is all a matter of what works for you.

 

[S&WIowegan]

I've had a 52-2 for about 15 yrs. I don't consider it finicky at all. I take it to the range occasionally and it always runs and is accurate.....better than K38, Colt OMM or custom PPC Model 10. I shoot my own handloads in all. I load 3.0 gr. Bullseye behind 148 gr. HBWC....that's a little hotter than many use.

My take on 952s are they can't approach 52s in accuracy and cost more.

 

[RGPM1A]

I have both the 52-2 and the 952-2. I have never had an issue with either gun as long as the ammo is loaded properly. As others have said the follow through with a 52 is more critical as the slide cycles much slower. As far as the trigger goes the 952-2 can be tweaked to have a trigger pull as good or better than a 52. I have found that a load using a 150 grain Meister LSWC will perform better than a 148 grain HBWC at 50 yards - at 25 yards they are the same. I frequently see 952-2s sold by bullseye shooters that get frustrated by them because the factory trigger is not as good as the 52 or because they can't find a load the 952 likes. If you use the right ammo (you really have to be a reloader) and fix the trigger the 952 is a fantastic Bullseye gun.

 

[Dave_n]

I have two 52-2's and will not part with either. You have to hand load but when you do your part, the pistol does theirs. Would I like a Pardini? Sure, but until I win the lottery, my 52s will suffice. Dave_n