Smith & Wesson Model 52
 

Had an interesting morning at the range today. Was shooting my Glock 19 as usual.

Another guy let me borrow two of his guns. The first was a 9mm SIG, I don't recall the model (226?), and it was nice but not really much different from the Glock. I really didn't like the trigger.

The second was a S&W Model 52 with .38 wadcutter and a 4 pound trigger. Was that a sweet gun! First several rounds I shot high, then he told me to use a 6 o'clock hold, next several rounds were all in the 10 ring and half were in the x-ring. This is at 25 yds, standing slow fire two-handed. That is much better than I did with the Glock (or the SIG). Nice heavy gun, easy to hold steady, not much kick. Almost felt like it was shooting itself.

Anyone have a model 52?

I've never thought of getting a .38 auto-loader before. But I really enjoyed that.

They are neat guns. I used to shoot plates with a guy who had a really nice old one. Not quite as accurate as a P210, but damn near. They are not inexpensive guns and .38 wadcutter is not always the easiest cartridge to find. It is very light and easy to shoot. It also makes nice clean holes in the paper :) S&W makes a more recent iteration called the 952 thats chambered in 9mm Para and uses the Wilson adjustable site. Its also a nice gun, but Id rather have an old 52-2 anyday.

Kind of OT but what the heck:

Went to the range last Wed. with 3 coworkers (one is a lurker here). Between the four of us we had a .38 Special w/ a 3" barrel, a .357 Ruger Service Six w/ a 4 inch barrel, a S&W .357 w/ another 4" barrel, a S&W .40 auto and a Springfield .45 ACP auto that had been massaged a bit.

I think we went through at least a 1000 rounds total in 2+ hours of fun. We all shot at different distances but the most common was about 25 feet or so.

For me, accuracy was as follows:

.45 ACP...yeah, it jammed a couple of times (it was dirty) but what tight groups and a hoot to shoot. Big, heavy and slow...just like me.

.40 S&W...didn't get to shoot it as much as the .45...groups were a little more loose and very fun to shoot.

.357 S&W...nice tight groups and fun to shoot...if only 6 at a time...nice grips and sights. .357 Magnum rounds are way fun!

.357 Ruger...crappy sights and so-so grips...still very fun to shoot though...certainly worth the $150 I paid for it.

.38 Special...I didn't get to shoot it and really didn't want to as I had a box of .38 for my Ruger. Not bad for practicing but certainly not as fun as the .357 Mag. that I'd been firing earlier.

YMMV, but a 1911 .45 ACP is in my future.

DB, are you listening? D)

I'm planning to get a new gun, but am having a hard time deciding. Sometimes I want a .22 target pistol. Othertimes I want a .45 1911. Occasionally I want another 9mm. Just can't settle on one.

Oh, please tell me a little more. In an autoloader, can I use light wadcutter or semi-wadcutter loads for the range, and more powerful hollowpoint loads for defense? Or is it too hard to get, say, a 1911 to reliably feed both?

I don't think I'm likely to ever get a model 52. The choice of ammunition seems too restrictive and the magazine doesn't hold many, plus the used ones I've found are going for $900 (probably more in CA). But I'd sure like a way to punch those crisp holes in the paper.

http://www.collectorsfirearms.com/index.html

print and send to Santa.

There are plenty of full custom 1911s that are bullseye accurate and 100% reliable. You can shoot 200gr semi wadcutter .45 in a standard 1911 with a standard 16lb recoil spring but you are going to have to reload or buy reloaded ammo. Buying factory wadcutter ammunition for practice is going to be as expensive as practicing with you self defense loads.

Bullseye guns and self defense guns are built for two totally different purposes. Do you want the accuracy? Or just the neat little holes in the paper?

There are .38 wadcutter Colt1911s out there. They are pure bullseye guns but they are out there. I wouldnt take one and try to use it as a dual purpose self defense gun. The recoil spring is literally about half the power of a standard recoil spring, the barrels would are different, and the sites are usually set up different.

Anything is possible and there is nothing terribly complicated about a 1911. You might make it run 99%, but by the time you paid someone to sort it out, you may as well have bought a 2nd gun. You could also have a .38 super/.38 wadcutter switchtop gun built with two upper assemblies, but again, you might as well have two separate guns. I wouldnt try to do a .38 wadcutter/.45ACP switchtop.

You can shoot .38 wadcutter from a .38 revolver. This is a perfect step up from .22 for teaching a new shooter.

If I ever bought a dedicated .38 wadcutter gun it would be an old 52-2. If I just wanted a stupid accurate gun I would buy a Sig P210

Try a Kimber before you make a decision. Their .45 auto is accurate out of the box and the price is right as well.

JoeA

We just did a group buy of Kimber Warriors...the Marines and Specops guys in my office (and the token squid...me) decided to, "upgun".
They did their homework and they know what they are doing concerning the value and use of side arms, I'm just along for the ride. Pretty good endorsement for Kimber, though.

You 1911 guys, what do you think of the Smith & Wesson 1911s, specifically the SW1911PD http://firearms.smith-wesson.com/store/index.php3?cat=407523&item=1205506&sw_activeTab=1

My local gun shop has and recommends these. He doesn't have a wide selection of 1911s to choose from. Being in Berkeley, I don't have a wide selection of local gun shops to choose from. Being in California, the local gun shops don't have a wide range of certified 1911 models to choose from. Alas.

I dont want an external extractor on my 1911 and I hate forward cocking serrations. Even with those two features I still have more a problem with the fact that they didnt build it to Colt spec. I probably would have bought one by now if they had made it with an 80 series firing pin safety instead of their own design.

I'm gonna get a p220. Fits my hand like a glove. I shot a p226 today and it is solid but not sublime. I also filled out the paperwork for my CPO p226 and got to see it...hard to tell it isn't a brand new gun. I'll likely get used to the p226 and it will be cheap to shoot, but the first time I picked up a p220 it just felt right. Better than any 1911 I tried.

Comfort is king...regardless of make or model. Sundance had it right.