For some inexplicable reason find myself fascinated and drawn to Competition .22 target rifles. Maybe its the extra effort by manufacturers to display high quality barrels, triggers, and sights for precision shooting. Most are too heavy for any other use other than what they were designed for. The tricked out adjustable stocks say so much about the ergo dynamics required to make the shooter comfortable and consistent.
Maybe its for Biathlon, 3 position smallbore, silhouette, benchrest, or something else....I find these rifles take it to a new level of accuracy.
Hope to pick up a 40X and an Anschutz someday.
1936 Winchester 52 Speedlock International stock with Al Freeland hardware and Lyman Target Spot.
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My father in law has a 52 nearly identical to that, even down to the unertl scope and mounts. I think whoever built your stock also made his because they look identical from my memory. He used to compete in small bore with it and was nationally ranked.
The thumbhole for mine is not a Winchester original, appears to be a Reinhart Fajen. I've seen several similar to it, that makes sense your father-in-law's would be similar.
Very cool. I know a guy from Detroit Lakes, my hometown, that was state champ National Guard. He shot national matches too. He started with a 540 XR like mine. I take it you are North of there. There used to be a national training camp near Ely. I have shot there and got certified as an instructor there in the 1980's.Boy, your friend may be upset that you unpacked his new rifle!.......
I do not own one yet but would like an accurate rim fire rifle someday. Would bring me back to the early seventies when my sister and I competed. We made it to the 1973 Junior Rifle Championship Meet!
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Don't know what I would purchase but Offhand has posted some nice rifles!
The palm rest , buttplate and other accessories were manufactured by Roy Dunlap, who also built target rifles widely used by top rifle competitors. The palm rest is aluminum with a heavy soft-surface coating.Offfhand, that's an interesting palm rest on your 37, is it wood or acrylic? Is that a Roy Dunlap exclusive? Beautiful rifle!
Amazing how many different palm rest variations there are.
....Among the several palm rests I've used one of the most elaborate is on this Russian "free rifle".
I don't quite consider this pair of Anschutz target .22's as part of my "collection" because of they are still on active duty in silhouette competitions. Back when the Silhouette Competition program was in it's infancy (Having imported from Mexico and adopted in the US by the NRA.) I went through a series of rifles (Rimfire and Centerfire) and scopes, hoping to find the most successful combinations. Finally settling on this heavy barrel M-54MS for the Standard Rifle class (at top), and trim barreled lightweight sporter for Hunter Rifle Class (below). Both have had lots of use, and still do, as shown by the multi-colored National Championship inspection stickers on both. In theory, scores should be higher with the heavy class rifles because of the extra weight and lighter trigger pull. But like many other shooters I came to realize that despite its lighter weight and trigger pull restriction (2 lb minimum) my scores with both were not all that different. And since a Hunter rifle can be entered in both classes, why not concentrate practice and other match preparations on the one rifle? It has paid off on the scoreboard, which is why I'm now basically a one-rifle competitor but still take the heavy rifle along to big events, if needed.View attachment 979716
This is identical to my first ANNIE, mine wears irons and sees more 3p use,
As far as the rest of these rifle, down right sexy, all of them!
Probably the reason I took up high power, because there are way to many rifles to collect and shoot.
.....On the older model 52s, you have to watch for the death crack. Around the safety, is weak and is prone to cracking. Lucky, the one I bought is ok. I read about it after I had bought it.....
I wonder if a bent safety shaft can contribute in some way to the crack developing. I noticed that, in the case of my Pre-A, the weight of the entire rifle (and scope) rests on the safety lever when it is set down on that side......Ahhhh yes, the dreaded "Crack of Doom" found on the older 52's, pre B-C's and D's. Receiver lug cracks if bolt is bound and forced. One of the early flaws that later designs remedied. I've seen a few at gun shows going for premium price where dealers were unaware what they had. After pointing it out tried to politely let them know the gun was worth about half what they were asking. Nobody wants to hear that.
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