A couple of years ago I found a beat up Model 52B. It had apparently been in a fire, because the metal was pitted and the bluing was discolored and blotchy. The stock must have been a replacement if it had been in a fire; it was crudely shortened, unfinished, and had a crack near at the bolt handle. There was no forward barrel band. The metal was quite loose in the stock. A Redfield receiver sight was crudely inletted into the stock. The barrel was drilled and tapped but there were no scope blocks.
The dealer let me take it home to clean it up. The action worked smoothly. The barrel had a ring-shaped pit in the rifling about 14" back from the muzzle. But it shot half-inch 50-yard groups, so I bought it for $150.
I glass-bedded it, and had it scoped. It then shot the groups pictured below (one of them was actually from a Ruger 77/22). I knew I had a keeper.
I couldn't find a replacement stock anywhere, so I ordered one from Wenig Custom, rough-inletted and rough-shaped, left-handed. It has a palm swell on the left of the grip, and a cheek piece on the right.
I spent this past week polishing the metal, cold-bluing, and letting it into the stock. The pictures show how it's coming along. Right now it's quite tightly fitted; I'll fire for groups, and if I like what I see I'll complete the glass bedding then oil-finish and checker it. A couple of sling swivel bases, and I'll have the cosmic squirrel rifle.
The dealer let me take it home to clean it up. The action worked smoothly. The barrel had a ring-shaped pit in the rifling about 14" back from the muzzle. But it shot half-inch 50-yard groups, so I bought it for $150.
I glass-bedded it, and had it scoped. It then shot the groups pictured below (one of them was actually from a Ruger 77/22). I knew I had a keeper.
I couldn't find a replacement stock anywhere, so I ordered one from Wenig Custom, rough-inletted and rough-shaped, left-handed. It has a palm swell on the left of the grip, and a cheek piece on the right.
I spent this past week polishing the metal, cold-bluing, and letting it into the stock. The pictures show how it's coming along. Right now it's quite tightly fitted; I'll fire for groups, and if I like what I see I'll complete the glass bedding then oil-finish and checker it. A couple of sling swivel bases, and I'll have the cosmic squirrel rifle.
