Win Model 52 Barrel Band

JJewell · March 9, 2011, 03:12 PM

Hi All

I have a Model 52 Winchester target rifle that I recently purchased. The rifle had the barrel band removed. I installed a 20X Fecker scope and the rifle shoots dead on - 1 MOA at 100 yards or less. I am looking for advice regarding whether to add the missing barrel band and/ or to merely float the barrel.

Jim

PetahW · March 9, 2011, 09:46 PM

I'd shoot it quite a bit more, before I made any major decisions like that, about it.

YMMV, of course............................

.

triggerman770 · March 10, 2011, 10:01 AM

it was made with the band and will probably shoot better with it. 1" group is big for a 52

JJewell · March 11, 2011, 12:31 PM

I suspected that it would benefit from original equipment however I see so many with the band removed and I understand that free floating the barrel with a pillar bed helps. It does on every other rifle (bolt action) that I own.

Bart B. · March 17, 2011, 04:52 AM

Winchester put barrel bands on their early rimfire match rifles just like Springfield M1903 30 caliber target rifles had. They thought that was the way it was supposed to be made. 'Twas finally stopped on their later Model 52's and they shot much better that way.

Over the years, top competitive shooters learned that nothing should touch the barrel except the receiver; no bands, tuning screws, shims, worms or anything else between the barrel and fore end. The reason is that when a sling's attached, using it in position tends to bend the fore end a tiny bit changing its pressure on the barrel. That makes the barrel vibrate/whip different for each shot 'cause nobody holds a rifle with the same forces and position for each shot. So, make sure the barrel's free floating.

The receiver doesn't need to be pillar bedded; conventional bedding is just fine. Anschutz rimfire match rifles came without bedding; just bare metal to wood around the receiver. Torquing the stock screws to somewhere between 20 and 30 inch pounds is about right. Pillar bedding came about because the first synthetic stocs had cores in the receiver area too soft to withstand stock screw torque at this level and higher. Wood stocks never had this problem. The most accurate rifles I know of have all been conventional epoxy bedding; no pillars needed.

March 9, 2011, 03:12 PM	#1
JJewell Junior Member Join Date: March 9, 2011 Posts: 2	Win Model 52 Barrel Band Hi All I have a Model 52 Winchester target rifle that I recently purchased. The rifle had the barrel band removed. I installed a 20X Fecker scope and the rifle shoots dead on - 1 MOA at 100 yards or less. I am looking for advice regarding whether to add the missing barrel band and/ or to merely float the barrel. Jim

March 10, 2011, 10:01 AM	#3
triggerman770 Senior Member Join Date: August 9, 2009 Location: Metro Atlanta Area Posts: 125	barrel band it was made with the band and will probably shoot better with it. 1" group is big for a 52 __________________ Small Arms Restoration, Inc. smallarmsrestoration.net Proud member of Georgia Carry.org www.georgiacarry.org

March 11, 2011, 12:31 PM	#4
JJewell Junior Member Join Date: March 9, 2011 Posts: 2	Thank You I suspected that it would benefit from original equipment however I see so many with the band removed and I understand that free floating the barrel with a pillar bed helps. It does on every other rifle (bolt action) that I own.

March 9, 2011, 09:46 PM	#2
PetahW Senior Member Join Date: September 19, 2008 Posts: 4,678	I'd shoot it quite a bit more, before I made any major decisions like that, about it. YMMV, of course............................ .

March 17, 2011, 04:52 AM	#5
Bart B. Senior Member Join Date: February 15, 2009 Posts: 8,927	Winchester put barrel bands on their early rimfire match rifles just like Springfield M1903 30 caliber target rifles had. They thought that was the way it was supposed to be made. 'Twas finally stopped on their later Model 52's and they shot much better that way. Over the years, top competitive shooters learned that nothing should touch the barrel except the receiver; no bands, tuning screws, shims, worms or anything else between the barrel and fore end. The reason is that when a sling's attached, using it in position tends to bend the fore end a tiny bit changing its pressure on the barrel. That makes the barrel vibrate/whip different for each shot 'cause nobody holds a rifle with the same forces and position for each shot. So, make sure the barrel's free floating. The receiver doesn't need to be pillar bedded; conventional bedding is just fine. Anschutz rimfire match rifles came without bedding; just bare metal to wood around the receiver. Torquing the stock screws to somewhere between 20 and 30 inch pounds is about right. Pillar bedding came about because the first synthetic stocs had cores in the receiver area too soft to withstand stock screw torque at this level and higher. Wood stocks never had this problem. The most accurate rifles I know of have all been conventional epoxy bedding; no pillars needed.