Too good to be true 52-2

[MrTrolleyguy]

Too clean, too good to be true 52-2, right there in front of me and wetdog hands it to me.

Gary says to me, "Joe, this is the dash 2 iteration with the improved ejector."

A 52-2, .38 caliber, blue, 5 round, match gun, fires wadcuters only, intended for Bullseye matches and it is perfect.

Gary had brought it out from the "cave" where it had been waiting to be priced and put on display.

I was only there for a cup of Fred's free coffee and maybe a donut.

About the model 52:

The Smith and Wesson Model 52 was a semi-automatic pistol developed by Smith & Wesson for Bullseye shooting. It was one of the first semiautomatic pistols chambered in .38 Special with flush-seated, full wadcutter bullets. The shape of the rimmed cartridge limited the magazine capacity to five rounds. A variant, known as the Model 952, in 9 mm Parabellum, is still produced in limited quantities by Smith & Wesson's Performance Center. The Model 52 was discontinued in 1992 when the machinery to manufacture the pistol broke down and it was deemed too costly to replace.

It ain't real without pictures, so here goes....



Look at that deep blue finish.


It still has the quality control inspector's number on it.



I thought it maybe was refinished. But look at the pins and lettering. No sign that I, a new guy, can see.



Loverly.



The checkering on the grips are so sharp it feels like a hundred small pins.



HELLO in there!


Did I do good? There is more but that is another thread on our new forum for knives and other brands. What a day!

 

[loeman]

Hey MrTrolley,

Wow did you ever score a nice one. Looks brand new! Congratulations and thanks for the continual reminder to pay a visit now and then to our LGSs. You NEVER know what gem they're gonna have for your buying pleasure. Last week for me it was a Md 39-2.

Last week I started a thread regarding my 52-2. Even though I've had it for many years, I never shot it. It was a delight! In case you missed the thread here it is. Also, I noticed that your safety has "plummed" just like mine.

http://smith-wessonforum.com/smith-...ls/375727-md-52-2-questions-new-platform.html

 

[MrTrolleyguy]

Hey MrTrolley,

..... and thanks for the continual reminder to pay a visit now and then to our LGSs.

http://smith-wessonforum.com/smith-...ls/375727-md-52-2-questions-new-platform.html

Yes, I agree we need to support our lgs. Here is mine:



What did you mean by plummed?

 

[grif684]

I believe he was referring to the plumb like deep purple color.

 

[g8rb8]

Very nice! Here comes the understatement of the day: Between this one and the High Standard you had a very good day.

 

[wetdog]

Very nice gun. If I'm not mistaken that is the correct (spiral) -2 prop rod used in the photo. Nice touch. Congrats.

 

[JimHartman]

Yes, I agree we need to support our lgs. Here is mine:



What did you mean by plummed?

Is that Locks?

 

[loeman]

Yes, I agree we need to support our lgs. Here is mine:



What did you mean by plummed?

Hey MrTrolleyguy, Your LGS looks like a comfortable, wonderful spot to visit (at least once per week).

Yes, Grif684 got it right. Over time some of the various parts of S&W guns take on a deep purple (plum) color. We'll need a metallurgist to tell us why. Nothing bad, nothing good, just the way it is. My 52-2 safety looks exactly like the one in the OP.

 

[loeman]

Very nice gun. If I'm not mistaken that is the correct (spiral) -2 prop rod used in the photo. Nice touch. Congrats.

Ok Wetdog, please explain the "correct (spiral) -2 prop rod. I'm slow and need tutoring!

 

[Krell1]

I found a 52-1 pretty much the same way. My LGS had just taken it in on consignment and my offer was good enough to consign it to me. Been shooting it ever since. If I could figure out how to put pictures on here I would do it.

 

[wetdog]

Pressure on , I hope I get this right.
Smooth tube is -1.
Spiral tube is -2.
Not 100 % sure, so I'll use a little Dennis Miller and point out "I could be wrong".

 

[MrTrolleyguy]

Is that Locks?

No, it is Delia's Gun Shop on the 6100 block of Torresdale Ave. They are a five minute drive apart.

 

[loeman]

Pressure on , I hope I get this right.
Smooth tube is -1.
Spiral tube is -2.
Not 100 % sure, so I'll use a little Dennis Miller and point out "I could be wrong".

Now wait a minute! Wouldn't there have to be a no dash?

I've never had one. I need to talk my LGS out of one of those. My go to prop is a one inch piece of hacksawed PVC pipe.

 

[wetdog]

loeman, I sent a PM with some more info.
Now that you mention it , I think there was a no dash to start it off.

 

[MrTrolleyguy]

Breaking in a 52 and nice article

Here is a link to a nice article about the 52-2 from Shooting Times.

I want to ask a question about breaking-in-loads for the 52. While the springs are new and stiff and parts need to smooth out do I want to use a heavier load? Any ideas?

 

[jag22]

Absolutely, I've had a no dash for a few years. Have no idea when it was made. Sorry I can't post a pic (need to figure that out one of these days) but it is beautiful. Looks very similar to a couple of 952s I have, really have to be careful and not pick up the wrong one. Showing up at the range with 9mm ammo and a 38 special gun can ruin your day.

PS Shooting Times made the same mistake. The gun pic is in fact a 952 although later in the article where they show one disassembled it is a 52.

 

[Dennis The B]

I have a 52-1 that was nearly NIB. After 1k rounds through it in the last 6 months, it is no longer. Mine had sat in the box for years, and the lubes had stiffened to the point where I had to tap the little tab locking the bushing, so I could get it disassembled. I soaked it in G96, dried it over night, and then slathered it in Shooter's Choice grease.

I started out with some Winchester 148gr WC Match Ammo, and found some locally mfd. copper-clad wadcutters that I could shoot indoors. I really don't believe you need any type of "break in" ammo.

I now reload for it using 2.7gr of Bulls Eye under a 148gr HBWC. It cuts nice round holes in paper more accurately than I can hold it.

I did mount a Bushnell red dot sight on it. I found a mound that replaced the right grip, put the left half of a set of Pachmayrs on it, and it cuts the same hole easily @ 25 yards.

My safety also has the "plum" color developing on it. I read somewhere that blued parts start to plum because of a certain amount of silica in the steel, and nothing to do with the bluing process.

It's a shame that S&W doesn't make these any more. I understand the marketing reasons, so I'm glad I own one.

 

[jimbo728]

Re: Plum coloring. I bought a new 539 in 1983 with the same coloring. I wonder if your 52-2 is from the same era?
Jim

 

[civil1977]

The plum color appears on the later guns from the 1980s and 1990s. Mostly it's the safety but I've seen slides too.

Here's my 52-2:

 

[loeman]

Re: Plum coloring. I bought a new 539 in 1983 with the same coloring. I wonder if your 52-2 is from the same era?
Jim

My Md 52-2 is from 1979/80 and the safety has definitely plummed.