Winchester · Bolt-action rifle
Winchester Model 52 Value
The Winchester Model 52 is a bolt-action .22 Long Rifle rifle originally developed as a target rifle, known for its precise action and build quality that made it popular in competitive smallbore shooting for decades. It also spawned sporting-configured variants aimed at hunters rather than competitors.
- Type
- Bolt-action rifle
- Production
- Introduced in the early 1920s and produced for several decades with later revisions
- Maker
- Winchester
About the Winchester Model 52
The Winchester Model 52 is a bolt-action .22 Long Rifle rifle originally developed as a target rifle, known for its precise action and build quality that made it popular in competitive smallbore shooting for decades. It also spawned sporting-configured variants aimed at hunters rather than competitors.
Over its production life, Winchester revised the Model 52 several times, with collectors generally recognizing early, mid, and later target action variants as well as distinct sporting configurations.
Because it served both target shooters and sporting rifle buyers, correct identification of whether a given example is a target or sporter configuration is central to understanding it.
Variations
Winchester Model 52 variations that matter
Configuration is often the difference between two otherwise identical examples.
Early target configuration
Original target rifle production featured target stocks and sight equipment suited to early 20th-century smallbore competition.
Sporting configuration
A sporter-stocked version aimed at hunters and general shooters was offered as a distinct model from the target rifles.
Later target action revisions
Winchester revised the target action design over the decades, with later versions differing from the earliest production in various mechanical details.
Heavy barrel and standard barrel variants
Both heavy target-weight barrels and lighter sporting-weight barrels were offered depending on configuration.
Valuation
What affects Winchester Model 52 value
We do not publish a price chart. These are the characteristics that determine what a specific example evaluates at.
Factor 1
Target vs sporting configuration
Whether a Model 52 is a target rifle or a sporter-stocked hunting rifle is one of the most basic distinctions affecting how it is assessed.
Factor 2
Action generation
Early versus later target action revisions are noted by collectors familiar with the model's mechanical history.
Factor 3
Stock and metal condition
Original finish condition on wood and metal is a standard consideration for a rifle of this age.
Factor 4
Sight equipment
Original target sight sets, when present and matching factory specification, are relevant to target rifle examples.
Factor 5
Barrel weight and configuration
Heavy target barrels versus lighter sporting barrels reflect different original configurations.
Factor 6
Originality of parts
Whether the barrel, action, and stock are original to each other matters to collectors of this model.
Winchester Model 52: common questions
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