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S&W 52-2 semi-auto 38 Special ??? up for sale

I have issue with Noe. I can’t figure what to buy, too many numbers. Can anybody pick a expander plug for me. 158g HBWC Berry plated is what I’ll be popping off. Both Revolvers and now Semi-auto
 
Riomouse911 said:
Scaramanga was the only man I knew of with a golden gun ;)

www.google.com

Golden gun signed by James Bond's Roger Moore & Christopher Lee could fetch £10k

THIS golden gun signed by James Bond stars Sir Roger Moore and Sir Christopher Lee, below, is set to sell for £10,000. The replica 18-carat gold weapon is among 170 rare pieces of memorabilia likel…
www.google.com www.google.com

Pretty pricy replica pistol, too.

Stay safe.
Click to expand...

Knowing perfectly well that this is pretty far off the original topic, I can't resist the opportunity to post the image, below (and not for the first time, I'm sure) . Some previous owner obviously thought the serial number was significant and lucky enough to have it gold-plated. Since it is now mine, possession of it makes me 'The Man With the Golden Gun' and, perhaps, 'Mr. Lucky'. It is an otherwise unaltered 1911A1, and the plating seems to have tightened the tolerances enough that it shoots very well, indeed.


DSC01146.JPG

PRD1 - mhb - MIke
 
PRD1 said:
Knowing perfectly well that this is pretty far off the original topic, I can't resist the opportunity to post the image, below (and not for the first time, I'm sure) . Some previous owner obviously thought the serial number was significant and lucky enough to have it gold-plated. Since it is now mine, possession of it makes me 'The Man With the Golden Gun' and, perhaps, 'Mr. Lucky'. It is an otherwise unaltered 1911A1, and the plating seems to have tightened the tolerances enough that it shoots very well, indeed.


View attachment 1167603

PRD1 - mhb - MIke
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ooooh wee that thing is SWEET!!!! Colt Puirst are literally puking
 
One of my collector buds has an extremely clean national match 38 sp 1911. I load for it,to be shot about once a year it comes out of his safe. The OAL is adjustable.... barely,but still a range of length is enough to warrant dialing it in. Without playing with the gun's springs twds this end,very fine attention to "jam" shows how truly fine a weapon this is. Saying a .010" difference in OAL can show up on paper(from bags/bench).

As to the 52, all I'll say is this about my unfired #39 that just saw the light of day after exactly 50 years in the dark(buried in.the safe).... the bone STOCK trigger on my 39 is the equal to some pro worked over 1911's in our stable. And I love 1911's. Just sayin,skipping all the dble/single action likes and dislikes... the 39's single action trigger is sweet.

Good luck with your project,new pistol.

Jim Watson said:
I have a M52-2. I am not a bullseye competitor, so it is just a "centerfire plinker."
It needs flush seated wadcutters to fit the 9mm length action. It also wants a definite roll crimp to get up the feed ramp, a taper crimp does not work... not in mine.
My PPC friend has one with magazines cut to take six rounds for that event. Not complicated, he paid Clark $20 to fix one and did the rest himself after seeing the change.

The factory Colt Gold Cup .38 Special is a queer duck operating in blowback with a slight delay from a grooved chamber and fractional setback of the barrel.

There are .38 Special wadcutter conversions from .38 Super that retain the regular Browning design locked breech. Colt even made .38 Special kits for assembly by gunsmiths, most dealt through Gil Hebard Guns and finished by Jim Clark.

I THINK the various Colts will accept cast H&G or Lyman wadcutters with a crimp groove and a narrow front band showing.
Click to expand...
 
Jim Watson said:
I have a M52-2. I am not a bullseye competitor, so it is just a "centerfire plinker."
It needs flush seated wadcutters to fit the 9mm length action. It also wants a definite roll crimp to get up the feed ramp, a taper crimp does not work... not in mine.
My PPC friend has one with magazines cut to take six rounds for that event. Not complicated, he paid Clark $20 to fix one and did the rest himself after seeing the change.

The factory Colt Gold Cup .38 Special is a queer duck operating in blowback with a slight delay from a grooved chamber and fractional setback of the barrel.

There are .38 Special wadcutter conversions from .38 Super that retain the regular Browning design locked breech. Colt even made .38 Special kits for assembly by gunsmiths, most dealt through Gil Hebard Guns and finished by Jim Clark.

I THINK the various Colts will accept cast H&G or Lyman wadcutters with a crimp groove and a narrow front band showing.
Click to expand...
You like shooting it?
 
12Bravo20 said:
A special die is not needed when reloading wad cutters for use in revolvers since you load them just like any other 38 Spec bullet. The reason that a special die is needed for loading wad cutters for use in a semi-auto is the simple fact that the end of the bullet is flush with the end of the case so that it fits into the magazines.
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Oohhhh-kay. Never thought about that with a semi-auto but I can put a pretty heavy roll on a case with my RCBS die as I accidently found out early on when I first started reloading. I have no idea it it would be enough to function though.
 
I find the M52 a bit twitchy.
I am so accustomed to the 1911 pattern guns that if I wanted a fine Centerfire, I would look at a really good 9mm like an Accuracy X Pro Plus, or a Baer with 1.5" "guarantee" or somebody's PPC gun.
 
doubleh said:
Oohhhh-kay. Never thought about that with a semi-auto but I can put a pretty heavy roll on a case with my RCBS die as I accidently found out early on when I first started reloading. I have no idea it it would be enough to function though.
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I’ll get a set of RCBS or mabey just the seating die..

Still can’t figure out the Noe seating die size??? anybody got a link? or a photo
 
Jim Watson said:
I find the M52 a bit twitchy.
I am so accustomed to the 1911 pattern guns that if I wanted a fine Centerfire, I would look at a really good 9mm like an Accuracy X Pro Plus, or a Baer with 1.5" "guarantee" or somebody's PPC gun.
Click to expand...
Les Baer is on my list. Might stop going to the Gun Shop for 6 months to save up to buy one! I like Blue guns! that way the finish wears off!
 
Mark_Mark said:
OK JUST CALLED them! they are holding it for me until Tuesday!

EXCITED!

Photos soon
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I'm jealous, in a kind way! I would have jumped all over it.

Any die set will work but I would go RCBS or Redding and maybe plan on looking for or making a custom seating stem.

When I mentioned to a shooting buddy that I wanted one of these he said to strip it down and look for cracks in the frame.
 
Rule3 said:
With the M52-2 it is one of the few 38 specials that need to trim the brass so that it feeds reliably I have a box of brass just for it!

The $1150 price with 3 mags is a good price!

View attachment 1167614
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I’m going to get real with with loading Wadcutter. I was shooting next to a Washington State maybe national bulleye shooter. And he was making one ragged hole at like 15-20 yards. Think his name was Jim, he’s a retired Chiropractor now

Anyway, going to sort brass by headstamp or ever get brand new Starline stuff!
 
lightman said:
I'm jealous, in a kind way! I would have jumped all over it.

Any die set will work but I would go RCBS or Redding and maybe plan on looking for or making a custom seating stem.

When I mentioned to a shooting buddy that I wanted one of these he said to strip it down and look for cracks in the frame.
Click to expand...
I’ll look a video how to strip it down. Definitely don’t want to crack frame gun
 
My .38 dies are a dog's breakfast of Dillon, Lee, and RCBS. Seem to recall making a flat faced seating plug to seat the wadcutters; yes, they want a firm roll crimp.
Mark Mark, try your standard dies before roaring off for anything else.
Mine has never been a fussy eater, but it much prefers HBWCs. I like to load Full Charge wadcutters for revolvers (same velocity as the old RNL 'police' load), and they won't run the 52. OTOH, the hollow bases actually achieve a little higher velocity (in the 52), and run just fine.
Jim Watson, you have filled in some spaces about the Colt wadcutter guns. I only knew them, by reputation, as less reliable than the locked breech Smith. The Smith has a very deliberate cycle!
BTW, on the 52-2, you should be able to dry snap it with the safety applied...it doesn't drop the hammer when applied, it just allows the shooter a couple dry 'sighters' before actually shooting their slowfire string.
Moon
 
Mark_Mark said:
Les Baer is on my list. Might stop going to the Gun Shop for 6 months to save up to buy one! I like Blue guns! that way the finish wears off!
Click to expand...
My buddy has a nice used LB at his shop. It doesn't interest me, so I didn't look closely enough to know the model or price but I can look into it if you want.
He does do layaway......lol!
 
NIGHTLORD40K said:
My buddy has a nice used LB at his shop. It doesn't interest me, so I didn't look closely enough to know the model or price but I can look into it if you want.
He does do layaway......lol!
Click to expand...
Man…. Broke is my Middle name! message me the details of the gun.. THANKS
 
halfmoonclip said:
Virtually certain he's talking about a 39 (alloy) frame cracking. The 52 frame is steel.
BTW, there was, briefly, a 952, which was, of course a 9mm 52. Only one I ever saw was in a Smith catalog.
Moon
Click to expand...
1 of 1 - wonder why they didn’t go thur with it. or even experiment with a 9mm Wadcutter for Hollow Base bullets
 
rabid wombat said:
Clark had 52 services for a while (dead link now). They do have barrels and bushings. A great company to work with!
Click to expand...

Both Jim Clark Sr and Jr are since deceased. I don't know who is running the shop now.

halfmoonclip said:
BTW, there was, briefly, a 952, which was, of course a 9mm 52.
Click to expand...

Mark_Mark said:
1 of 1 - wonder why they didn’t go thur with it. or even experiment with a 9mm Wadcutter for Hollow Base bullets
Click to expand...

They made them for a while in several variations.
There is no point to a 9mm wadcutter, at its chamber pressure you will likely get better accuracy with a good JHP.

The top of the S&W target lineup is the PPC 9. They will tell you that the only difference is that for some unexplained reason the PPC 9 is on a double stack receiver, which seems strange because PPC is shot in 6 round strings. But I have seen them being shot side by side by a PPC Master and the PPC 9 was better.
They would only sell them to cops; too many shots and not enough safeties for a commoner, I guess.
 
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