Winchester Model 52
| Winchester Model 52 rifle | |
|---|---|
1954 Winchester Model 52C | |
| Type | Rifle |
| Place of origin | United States |
| Production history | |
| Designer | T.C. Johnson, Frank Burton, A. F. Laudensack |
| Designed | 1918-19 |
| Manufacturer | Winchester Repeating Arms Company |
| Produced | 1920-1980 |
| No. built | 125,419 |
| Variants | Sporting Model, International Match |
| Specifications | |
| Mass | 9 lb (4.1 kg) to 13 lb (5.9 kg) target; 7.25 lb (3.3 kg) sporter |
| Length | 45 in (1,100 mm) target; 41 in (1,000 mm) sporter |
| Barrel length | 28 in (710 mm) target; 24 in (610 mm) sporter |
| Cartridge | .22 Long Rifle |
| Action | Bolt-action |
| Feed system | 5 round/10 round box magazine |
| Sights | Micrometer ladder rear sights, fixed-post front sights standard; many custom iron and optical combinations |
Winchester Model 52 is a bolt-action .22-caliber target rifle introduced by the Winchester Repeating Arms Company in 1920. Familiarly known as the "King of the .22s," it was for decades regarded as the premier smallbore match rifle in the United States and acclaimed worldwide for its accuracy and craftsmanship. The Model 52 Sporter variant was ranked by Field & Stream as one of "the 50 best guns ever made," and Winchester historian Herbert Houze characterized it as "perfection in design."