Shot a S&W Model 52 today

[Dan_G]

All I can say is wow. My uncle just got it and let me try it out. It shoots great. Almost no recoil, very accurate, and a great trigger. Its chambered in .38 special and shoots fully seated wadcutters. I think I need one now. Makes my G17 feel like a shoddily put together toy.

 

[Marauder]

Model 52's are hard to come by. They usually hold there value, you will pay top dollar. There real nice shooting bullseye guns.

 

[coopermania]

It would be some of the best money you will ever spend on a handgun. I own 2 and they are used a few times a month. If you like the 52 seek out and shoot a Mod 41, Its a awesome rimfire target pistol.

 

[28Shooter]

Model 52 has always been one of my Holy Grails. The few times I have seen one (Marauder is absolutely right -"hard to come by"), their asking price was ridiculous and non-negotiable.

 

[coopermania]

Model 52 has always been one of my Holy Grails. The few times I have seen one (Marauder is absolutely right -"hard to come by"), their asking price was ridiculous and non-negotiable.

I don't agree at all with that.. last November from the Pawn Store in White Plains Md I bought my second 52. I bought a 98% pistol with 2 mags Count them ladys. 635.00 plus tax.. sad part was no box..

 

[Dan_G]

I looked up prices, wow. Everything about the gun is very well put together and just felt "right". My uncle had been looking for one for years and finally found it around a month ago. Im awful at shooting pistols and normally do around 10"+ groups at 25yds with my G17. With the 52 I did a 2" group of 5 the first time shooting it, it wasnt near the bullseye but it was a good group.

 

[captainstashu]

I was issued a Model 52 while at Rock Island Arsenal in 1970. Members of the Pistol team were issued a Colt or S&W model 41, a S&W 52, and an arsenal accurized 45, We wereguven a hundred rounds awek (eachgun) and told to go practice. They were all great guns, but the Model 52 wadcutter was amazing. I had never seen one before.

 

[Biggfoot44]

I've seen them , but it's been years.

Now to ask yourself what aprticular aspect draws you in.

Super accurate target gun ? .38wadcutter semi-auto ?
Grip shape ?

Factory .38WC semi is limited to the M52 . 60-ish yrs ago , a number of 'smiths made them on 1911s. Jim Clark in particular was well known , for these , and you could probably still get one built.

Inbetween Camp Perry , and PPC , a number of 'smiths build very accurate 9mms, would be sort of similar recoil.

Or if it is the grip shape in particular , get a M39 ( -2 ideally ) , 439, 539(rare) , or 639 .

 

[coopermania]

Colt also built quite a few 38 wadd cutter pistols. Pre-Gold Cups and Gold Cups.
I believe the 52 is still in production but in 9mm.

 

[Dan_G]

I believe the 52 went out of production in 1992.
What I liked about the gun was the sights, how it fit in my hand, recoil, and the general quality and fit. Mostly I liked how it fit my hand. My G17 just doesnt fit my hand right.

 

[Biggfoot44]

The origional M52 is discontinued. The Performance Center makes ( or at least did make ) a similar in 9mm , IIRC the M952 .

 

[Jimbob2.0]

Ive never seen one

 

[Dan_G]

I just looked it up, bigfoot you are right. The 9mm is still made in very limited quantities called the 952.

 

[coopermania]

I just looked it up, bigfoot you are right. The 9mm is still made in very limited quantities called the 952.

That was me that said it was still in production in 9mm

 

[trbon8r]

Very cool gun. I've always wanted one.

I love the steel framed S&W autos. Very underrated guns.

 

[bpm32]

I don't agree at all with that.. last November from the Pawn Store in White Plains Md I bought my second 52. I bought a 98% pistol with 2 mags Count them ladys. 635.00 plus tax.. sad part was no box..

That's a great price. Generally you see them for around $1000, plus or minus. For what they are that's still not too bad.

In terms of accuracy, the old Bullseye guru Gil Hebard fired 1200 rounds across three M52s and got an average group of 2.6 inches at 50 yards. He wrote about it in the 1963 edition of "Gun Digest".

 

[Lou45]

I just looked it up, bigfoot you are right. The 9mm is still made in very limited quantities called the 952.

The original older 52's in .38 special WC (mid range) were built very well and shot very well. I was issued one in my array of issued handguns way back in the day of my Nat'l Match shooting. There wasn't anything not to like about that gun as it jus' shot the shit oudda' da X-10 rings. The new 52's, or 952's from the custom shop (don't flame me here) probably, if almost certainly, are not of the same top quality of the old model 52's. The old 52 is one of the few guns on my bucket list.