Winchester 52 'Pre A' Bolt Takedown

[DeBee]

I'm cleaning up a Winchester 52 'Pre A' .22 RF circa 1925. All is going well except the bolt is cruddy with some rust forming on the inside and on the spring...

I'd like to take the bolt apart. I have a 52B repro and when I lock the striker in the vise and pull on the bolt body, the bolt handle also slides free and I can access the firing pin guide pin and tap it out...

However, on this Pre A model with the Springfield like cocking piece, the bolt handle is not moving from the bolt body- it spins freely around the body but will not move fore or aft.

Have I missed something? Is the Pre A takedown drill different from other 52s.

Any advice, links, or instruction appreciated.

 

[DeBee]

For future reference and search functions:

The pin on the breech bolt handle must be tapped out before disassembly continues. It's tight.

This pin retains a 'spline' that engages a recess milled into the radius of the bolt body. The spline is removed too, by the way...

Disassemble as usual from there. I used half a spring style clothes pin as a spacer to hold the cocking piece assembly back while removing the firing pin guide pin.

Must be unique to earlier models... Real nice finishing on the small parts on the earlier 52s, even the pins and holes are chamfered...

I'm going to have to replace the spring and rust blue the bolt while I have the thing apart...