Smith & Wessom model 52-2

Rod B

Rod B

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Thankfully about an hour North of Toronto.
One of the guys at our gun club has a S&W 52-2 for sale. It is in excellent condition & comes with two magazines.

He asked me what he should sell it for & I am thinking around $850.00 to $900.00. Any suggestions on the value of this gun would be appreciated.
 
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I would say more if gun were in good/ excellent condition
A great gun if you reload for it WC only

Some one might need one to fill a hole in a collection or just want one because they owned one when they were younger

A s&w person would be able to give a better estimate
 
12-1300 is pretty much fair in today's market, of course that includes the barrel weight, which I would trust he still has
 
I sold one a few months ago. Was excellent condition with two mags. No box, bushing tool, papers, or barrel weight. Asked $1350 shipped and it moved quickly for asking.

That said, it's a very small market limited to collectors or people looking for a unique range toy. If you don't have the whole package it's people looking for an uncommon range toy so timing is everything. Mine was certainly well made and had a good trigger but I don't miss it. As a competition gun the world has long since moved on.

I haven't seen one in the EE for awhile so timing may be on your side.
 
S&W model 52's were supposed to be pure target autos, employing the full wad cutter 38 special ammo. Five cartridges in the magazine. Not 6.
Unfortunately, S&W used their standard 1 in 16" barrel twist, but there are a number of US companies making better aftermarket barrels, faster twist rate, for this gun.
S&W 52 magazines are the key here as they command high prices. Expect to pay C$1000.00 for an exceptional pistol. One should know that there are a number of autos in the marketplace today that will equal or better the performance of the 52.....
 
I think as a bullseye gun the model 52-2 is hard to beat for the money. Not to totally derail the thread but I wonder what guns people think will equal or outperform this model?
 
At the risk of dating myself......
2.7 gr of Bullseye/ 148 gr wad cutter ( hollow base please) s&w small pistol primer.
Awesome target load from the M 52.
52 was the only auto you could "skip load" with empty cartridges for training purposes.
Lord I wish I still had mine.
 
I had a 14-3 that matched my 52-2 (but i’ve had probably 6 other 10’s, 14’s and and 15’s combined that didn’t come close so I think it was luck of the draw with the 14-3). My 1911 Valtro is close but not quite there, my P210-1 is close but I have yet to find a load that will match my 52-2. My Murray Charlton custom 19-5 will match the 52-2. My Colt mid-range is close as well but also not quite there. I should note that I had a 52-1 that could not shoot with any of the guns that I have just mentioned so there is also a bit of luck involved with the actual gun you get. I’ve had a variety of 45acp target revolvers that couldn’t match the 52-2 (but came close) including a 1950, a 1955 and a model 25 no dash. I do have a 610-3 (also customized by Murray Charlton) that will match the 52-2.

There’s some real high end guns I should add to the list. I had a couple nighthawks, one 1911 (Talon in .45) and a 2011 (Dominator in 9mm), an SVI sightracker in .40, a Baer TRS in .45 and although they were close, none were as accurate as the 52-2.
 
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The 52 is a fine gun, however, has been eclipsed by more modern designs and most significantly, rule changes. I'm not sure if the GSP, Pardini HP, or MG4 are more precise but they're certainly more adjustable and thus offer more flexibility to the user. Being .32S&W they also offer less recoil, a lower bore axis, and better(more adjustable) sights.

I've heard that the twist rate in the S&W52 made the bullet unstable at 50yd, however never shot mine at that distance and can't back it up with personal experience. There's an in-depth discussion of the topic on Bullseye-L and targettalk for those interested.

Despite all of the above, I suspect the rule change to allow centrefire to be shot with .45 and the availability of switch - calibre guns was the demise of the S&W 52. It's easier to learn two guns, or even one for those shooting 1911 .22 conversions, than three separate firearms.

As for which centrefire pistols are more precise than my 52 was...I don't honestly know. I can tell you that I'm more accurate with my 1911, X5, & X6 than I was the 52. I shoot most of my rimfires better still.
 
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Years ago, I owned a S&W Model 41 and a 52-2 -- shot a lot of bullseye. Very well made, very pretty guns and were certainly capable of match winning accuracy / Master level scores.
Then I bought a Walther GSP .22 / .32 set -- my scores went up. I think mostly because the GSP set is one frame, one grip and you just change the top slide to go from .22 to .32. Lower bore axis, lower recoil etc. are definitely contributing factors as well.
If "Bullseye" is the game you want to play, the Walther GSP set is hard to beat. Now they're out with the GSP "Expert" sets with a dual stage trigger and a few other refinements if you can take the price.
The Walther .32 shot great at 25 yds / meters but take it out to 50 yds. / meters and it too could be fussy about loads (at least the standard GSP models that I saw.
 
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