40+ years ago I came close to buying a Winchester Model 52 at Robertson's in Henderson, TN. I was very impressed with the quality of the gun, the feel of the action and trigger, etc., but after a few days consideration I ended up not buying it. Partly because it was $300, but mostly because I thought it was a bit heavy for carrying around in the mixed-use ways that I used my primary .22 LR, a 1966 model 10/22 (that I'm thankful to still have). I passed on the Model 52 for those reasons, and also I had the view at the time that a true target/accuracy gun was a centerfire, such as my 700 Varmint Special in .22-250.
Because the action and build quality impressed me so much, I thought about that Model 52 occasionally over the years. But I didn't really understand what I'd missed out on until I finally got a similar Varmint/Target style 22 LR about 40 years later. I bought a BRNO Model 4 (a very similar gun to the Heavy Target Model 52, but not as refined in the level of finish and definitely not the work of art that a Model 52 is), and it instantly became my favorite .22 LR to shoot from a bench or other decent rest. The Model 4 became possibly my favorite rifle to take out for a couple hours of shooting, centerfire or rimfire. It was then that I developed the "regret" as I realized how much enjoyment I'd have gotten over the intervening 40 years if I'd have bought the Model 52 at Robertson's back in the day.
Since this thread is lacking pitcherz, here's the BRNO Model 4:
Boy gets gun in the end: I did eventually get a Model 52 and I like it even slightly better than the BRNO. It's the Standard model 52B from 1938 with a Leon Thomas trigger. (Some people people say the Thomas trigger wasn't all that good as high-end triggers go, but I have a bunch of guns with outstanding Set triggers and target triggers, and this one is as good as any if not better, so I'm not sure if I got lucky, if trigger snobs just tend to snub the Thomas trigger, or what.) The Model 52 Standard is a heavy gun, but the barrel and stock are slightly thinner/lighter than the Heavy Target Model 52 that I passed up all those years ago, and I definitely wouldn't trade it for the heavy version for my enjoyment. Both of these guns are really accurate as real-world .22 LR accuracy goes, shooting .25 - .35" groups somewhat regularly at 50 yards with good ammo.
The best set of radials that you could fit under a new Roadrunner back in the day would have been well under $100 each. You have no good excuse. You COULD have bought those bargain double rifles! Your GF should have aimed her kick about 30" above the ankle. 
