All the pieces now for final assy./build on a Winchester 52D

Frank Green

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Oct 27, 2006
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www.bartleinbarrels.com
Finally got everything. Now for final assy.

The action I picked up as a totally stripped receiver. The bolt is out of a 52C that I got used but is in excellent condition. Stock is a slightly reworked 52D. The right side of the grip was relieved more and was checkered and the stock was shortened 1" but still retains the original Win. butt pad. Shortening the stock is common for position shooters. The trigger on the receiver will be coming off (it's off of my 52C that I sent out for refinishing). The trigger laying next to it is a Kenyon trigger. The barrel is a gain twist (16.5 to 16 twist), 8 grooves and a left hand twist. Barrel contour duplicates the 52D heavy pattern and will finish at 28" (30") blank. After the gun is all together and I get some trigger time I will post more pics.

Later, Frank
Bartlein Barrels

 
I wouldn't mind getting back into shooting some small bore myself but also have a couple of boys who are wanting to shoot more and more so I need more guns for them to shoot as well. It won't sit idle I guarantee it!

Also in the works I'm rebuilding a 52C. The barrel was not in the greatest shape. The gun sat in a closet for about 30 years literally. The barrel took it the worse with pitting on the outside and some on the inside of the bore as well. The gun is completely stripped and the action and trigger guard and some other parts out for refinishing. Fixed the stock as it was cracked.

Later, Frank
 
I wouldn't mind getting back into shooting some small bore myself but also have a couple of boys who are wanting to shoot more and more so I need more guns for them to shoot as well. It won't sit idle I guarantee it!

Also in the works I'm rebuilding a 52C. The barrel was not in the greatest shape. The gun sat in a closet for about 30 years literally. The barrel took it the worse with pitting on the outside and some on the inside of the bore as well. The gun is completely stripped and the action and trigger guard and some other parts out for refinishing. Fixed the stock as it was cracked.

Later, Frank

Frank
Set it up as a SB F Class gun. NRA recognizing it. Check out the thread...
 
Frank
Set it up as a SB F Class gun. NRA recognizing it. Check out the thread...

I didn't read all the details but I don't see why it couldn't be used for a SB F Class gun? I've already got a rail adapter for a 52D so I can attach a bipod to the stock. I've got another original 52D that I did shoot for a small bore gun for one season years ago.

I've got an extra 52C stock that I picked up off of anti-gun Ebay. I've already started to work on it and already bedded the stock.

Got that other 52C that I'm redoing. Got a barrel made for that as well but made that barrel as the bull gun barrel contour. 1.125" breech diameter and a .875" muzzle at 28". Got a nice match reamer to use that I designed as well.

Later, Frank
 

Made me laugh as well!

It's a POPE barrel! Well that's where I got the inspiration from anyways!

When I had it out last fitted in that stock with that bedding block....and after a rezero with CCI standard velocity I shot the RWS R50 ammo thru it. The three groups at 50 yards measured a .156", .116", and a .144". Last group I shot was a .512" at 114 yards.

Later, Frank
Bartlein Barrels
 
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It's a POPE barrel! Well that's where I got the inspiration from anyways!

Frank, care to explain the above, I am not very smart!

Eddie

Eddie, Harry Pope was considered and in some cases still considered the best barrel maker ever! He made barrels from the late 1800's to around WW2. He died if I remember correctly around 1952. Most of his barrels went on Schutzenfest type rifles. The Ballards, Win. HI Walls, Steven's etc....pictured below is my Marlin Ballard 6 1/2 Rigby offhand rifle. Originally it was a .32-40 or .38-55. It was sent to Steven's real early 1900's around the time Pope worked there. The gun was rebarreled and converted to .22RF. Nearly all of Pope's barrels were left hand twist, 8 groove and gain twist. One of the reasons for the left hand twist (he said he would never make a right hand twist barrel) is that the left hand twist would cause the gun to torque into the shooter. There fore the shooter could control the recoil of the gun better and helped him shoot better. Being a right handed shooter and having shot left handed twist barrels and right handed twist barrels I can tell you for a fact the right hand twist barrels the gun does torque into me and not away from me.



Later, Frank
Bartlein Barrels
 
As an update to this thread on how the 52D is shooting I shot it again on Saturday. Wind conditions where any where from 2 to 12mph. I shot the gun mostly at 50 yards but did shoot a couple of groups with a different lot of RWS R50 ammo and another group with Federal Ultra Match UM1 ammo at 114 yard and the RWS ammo gave me a .507" group and the Federal Ultra match gave me .483" for vertical and .378" for width. The gun is a consistent hammer.

Later, Frank
 
Frank,
You are correct about Pope being considered the best barrel maker of his time or one of the top few. I think you are incorrect about best barrel maker ever. Last I heard, that was some guy named Green from WI. :)
 
Frank,
You are correct about Pope being considered the best barrel maker of his time or one of the top few. I think you are incorrect about best barrel maker ever. Last I heard, that was some guy named Green from WI. :)

Team effort bud! Not just one guy doing it here. Double J rifled those two barrels for me. I told him how I wanted them. Adam turned them, Justin/Dan drilled them, and either Double J or pa reamed them. Most of my time is in the office now. Haven't done any reaming, drilling, rifling in a while now. Will put our heads together when there are hiccups etc...but like I said it's a team effort!

Later, Frank
 
As a long time user of your barrels, and owner of two 52's, I would like to say thanks for sharing your build.

STR, Thanks for using the sticks and your welcome for sharing the build on the 52D!

Redoing a 52C as a bull barrel right now as well. Waiting for the receiver and other parts to come back from being reblued/refinished. The gun was literally left in a closet for 30 years. The barrel took the worse of it. Pitting on the outside and in the bore. It's a shame! Gun shipped from the factory with the match sights and the whole works and appeared to be hardly used. The new barrel is just sitting there waiting for the stuff to come back. I'll post it when it get's done.

Later, Frank