Skip to main content
Help Center Community Shop

Winchester 52 sporter

will221
A friend of mine has an old Winchester 52 sporter (1931), and we've got a couple of questions for the experts here:

1. It has a pair of target scope blocks on the barrel, but we can't figure out the manufacturer. Instead of having crescent cuts in them like a Unertl or Lyman block, they each just have a small hole in the side. Any ideas?

2. The front sight appears to have been filed at some point, and point of impact is too high at his shooting distance (with the rear sight all the way down). This gun has a front sight ramp with a 3/8" dovetail. Does anyone know which front sight Winchester originally used (Marbles, etc), and where I might find one?

Thanks!
0

Comments

7 comments

Date Votes
  • MIKE WISKEY
    "they each just have a small hole in the side."........FECKER
    0
  • MP
    The blocks are for the Winchester A5 or the Lyman 5A.
    0
  • will221
    Thanks for the thoughts, guys! I've never had either a Fecker or an old A5, but either one of them are good possibilities.
    0
  • Dokey
    To the best of my knowledge the winchester sporters didn't have the barrels drilled for scope blocks only the receivers. What series 52 is it? Some pics would help
    0
  • will221
    Yeah, I figure the barrel was drilled to add the blocks. I think it is an 52-A - it doesn't have the speedlock bolt. Since it is a friend's rifle, I don't have any pics. Sorry!
    0
  • Herschel
    will221, Are you sure of the date of manufacture and that the rifle is a Sporting Rifle? The Blue Book of Gun Values says the 52 sporter was made from 1934 to 1958. The 1939 Shooter's Bible pictures and describes the "the new model 52 Sporting Rifle". The standard model 52 stock looked somewhat like a sporter stock I suspect the rifle in question is not a Sporter.. Does the rifle in question have a black fore end tip? 52 Sporters had a black fore end cap. Blue Book also says drilling and tapping of scope blocks was not standard until after serial number 5200. The Winchester Model 52 by Houze has pictures of many model 52 rifles from the early 1920's through the 1930's. Many show scope mounting blocks on the rifles. ALL of them have one block just forward of the receiver ring and another block 7" or so up the barrel. The 1939 Shooter's Bible (actually called the Stoeger Catalog and Handbook in 1939) lists the following front sights as being available on the model 52 with standard weight barrel; Winchester 93-B, Lyman 17-A, and Redfield 65. The caption with the Sporting Rifle model says the front sight is "Lyman Gold Bead front sight mounted on ramp front sight base. Winchester detachable Sight Cover, the barrel sight ramp having special grooves to hold sight cover in place."

    FWIW, I am not a model 52 expert but have a rather extensive gun book library.

    Edited to add info rather than use one of the 10 posts.

    I Think the rifle came drilled and tapped from the factory. I don't know if the blocks came from the factory. There were several target scopes besides the 5A/A5 available in the 1930's. I am not sure when they changed to the milled out cutout on the edge of the block. I have seen several of the early blocks damaged by someone tightening the late type scope mount on the earlier block. Be careful that the ring assembly is made to fit the type block on the rifle.

    No need to apologize to the experts. Some of us are "journeyman" experts and some are "apprentice" experts and are easily confused. :)
    0
  • will221
    Thanks, Herschel! I looked up the serial number online, and 1931 was what the site gave me. If memory serves, I think it was in the 18000 range. I called this rifle a sporter because of the stock and the front sight ramp, but now that you mention it, I have read the same thing about sporter manufacture dates. I guess I've misled the experts on this forum. Sorry! This rifle's blocks are exactly as you described - both on the barrel and approx 7" apart. Could it be that they are actually original to the gun for the old A5 scopes? Your info on the front sights is much appreciated, and with a little luck, maybe I can find one and get him shooting straight again.

    Thanks again!
    0

Please sign in to leave a comment.

Recent Activity