Another Old Winchester 52

Ambrose

Noticing a previous post about an early 52 got me wondering: I have #20297. What's the DOM?

Bert H.

April 1930.

Ambrose

Thanks, Bert. I guess I'm kind of surprised that, judging from the serial numbers of mine and that of the previous poster, that 6,700 of them were made in around 20 months especially since that was the early days of the great depression. Target shooting must have been a major activity in those days. Any idea what a 52 cost in the early thirties?

Incidentally, mine has the same target scope blocks as the previous posters Grandpa's rifle but the Springfield style rear sight has been removed, the dovetail blocked, and a Lyman target sight installed along with a Lyman 17 front sight. The rear sight looks very much like the Lyman #525 pictured in Stroebel's book. I inherited this rifle from my best friend when he died three years ago.

Bert H.

The list price for a Model 52 in the 1932 catalog was $49.

From 1927 through 1941 (15-years of production), the average annual production was 3,867 rifles per year.

Ambrose

Thanks again, Bert. I looked up the 52 in a 1952 Stoeger's catalog. The heavy barreled rifle with Redfield Olympic sights was priced at $147.55. That was about the time my friend bought his (not the one in the OP). We shot in the local junior rifle club. My Mossberg 146b cost $28.95. I guess that might be the difference between the doctor's son and the farmer's son.