Well, IMO most would say that for years the 52 & the Rem 37 were the top rifles at any competition. Say from the late 20's up until the 60's perhaps when Anschutz's began to upset the apple cart so-to-speak.
They, if well cared for still shoot outstanding. The have that classic American appearance & for the most part will appreciate in value. Not that the Annies won't, just perhaps not to the extent of early 52's.
I think it kinda depends on one's tastes & what the rifles intended use's are too.
I have had 52 B's & a c at one time. I now own a Savage Anschutz 64. I tried competing in IR50 br matches with the 52's early on & they (& more likely I), weren't up to the task. I upgraded equipment. They were too heavy for my off hand taste.
But if I could only get a decent 52c Std barrel I'd take that over an Annie 64any day..... classic American firearm is all.
That's my .02

Keith

 

Classic American Quality and a gun that will not depreciate in value if taken care of properly. As far as accuracy, I shoot a 52E in my club's bench competition as well as Anschutz 54 guns in other catergories. The Winchester is the most accurate factory gun I own, and is very competitive at my club's matches....even against custom built guns.

So.....accuracy, quality, value, and nostalgia.......what's not to like? :bthumb::bthumb:

 

Classic American Quality and a gun that will not depreciate in value if taken care of properly. As far as accuracy, I shoot a 52E in my club's bench competition as well as Anschutz 54 guns in other catergories. The Winchester is the most accurate factory gun I own, and is very competitive at my club's matches....even against custom built guns.

So.....accuracy, quality, value, and nostalgia.......what's not to like? :bthumb::bthumb:

I wpi;d choose the 53soley on the Nostalga of an American firearm STILL performing its designed task!

 

Apples and oranges

I think you would have to compare a 52 Winchester to a 54 action Anschutz to get a fairer comparison. A 64 Annie, is more a second tier target rifle, that I would put along with a 540X Remington, Kimber 82G, H&R M12.... They are all good rifles and once in awhile, you find an example that shoots above it pay grade.

64 Anschutz 52 Winchester

George

 

Winchester is more collectable, but the Anschutz will be the better shooter. Speaking factory rifle against factory rifle.

 

Not always



Not always... I have a stock 52E and I have several Match 54 Anschutz rifles, (all factory stock), and I can't say that the Winchester 52E I have is inferior to any of the Anschutz rifles.

Sometimes there is an ammunition preference variation, But it is a toss up.....

Your mileage may vary.

 

Sometimes it comes down to personal tastes as to what some people like and don't like. And I'd venture most people who would be looking to purchase either an Anschutz or a 52 Win are a little older. And the Winchesters are guns they are familiar with from their youth. If you asked European shooters in the same age bracket which of these guns they prefer, the results might be opposite.

Personally, I don't put the 64 action Anschutz rifles in the same category as a Win 52. Looks wise, there's no comparison. And going by my own experiences, there's no comparison accuracy wise either. I have seen one 64 target model Anschutz that shot awesome. Have seen a pile of old Winchester 52's that are more accurate than they had a right to be.

Of the 52's, the D's and E's, if taken care of, are simply amazing with how they shoot. Never owned an E, but know people who do and have been around them. But have owned an old B, a couple of C's and one D. Of them all, the D was a far better shooter than I was. Never owned a target model 64 action Anschutz. But have owned a few of the 54 actions. Those are pretty darn nice! But looks wise, I always liked the Winchesters more. Accuracy wise, like any model of rifle, it just depended on the rifle itself. I can say I do love the looks of the old Anschutz Match 54's in the 1411 style stocks. They kind of remind me of the old Winchesters. Own one of those and love it. But still much prefer the old 52D's. Again, I guess that goes back to the fact the older style guns remind me of guns from my youth.

In all honesty, for me, choosing any gun over another comes down to a person's own personal wants, needs or expectations. You buy what you buy according to what you want or like. Other people's experiences can somewhat help with your decision process, but it comes down to what you like the most. Its the same when asking which model is more accurate. Everyone has their own experiences, so their input is based on that. From asking, you can get a general idea of what a particular model of gun might shoot like, but until you actually own or shoot one of those guns, you just don't know exactly how accurate it really is.

JMO

Kenny

 

Kenny, as usual, you did a very good job of putting it all into perspective.....at least from my perspective.......

:bthumb::bthumb:

 

While the Winchester 52 may not match a newer Annie today, there was a time when they shot rings around them. I have two 52 B's with standard barrels that will give most any rifle a run. I like them, they fit me and they shoot very, very well. I have never found an Annie that I liked as much as my two Winchesters. One rifle has been left out of this conversation and that's the Remington 40X. I have owned a few 40X's that I thought may have been better shooters than my 52's, but I could never prove it. One day the 52's shot better and one another day the 40X's shot better. Another rifle that shot quite well for me was a Kimber Hunter, but I still gave the edge to the 52. A few years ago I cleaned out my heard of .22's to make room for other items. The only .22 bolt guns that I kept were the Winchester 52's. I never regretted selling the 40X's because I didn't like the way they fit me, but I sometimes wish I has kept the Kimber. I like American made firearms that fit the bill.

Rick H.

 

They can both be very accurate on an individual basis. I have both a 52C and 54 Anschutz. They are just two different rifles. The major difference in my opinion is adjustability. With the 52 you fit yourself to the rifle whereas with the Annie there are adjustments that can fit the rifle to you.
Of course you could put the 52 in a custom stock or modify the existing stock (ugh!).

 

It is individual, I have a Annie 54 match which has the shorter barrel at 25-1/2 inches with the thumb hole stock and it is just right for me. I have shot the 52 and found it does not fit me and feels too heavy. The real comparison would be a Win 52 vs a Annie 54 Super Match ( 27 inch barrel, 1" in Dia.) an example being the 1413. The difference is then the Annie is very adjustable while the Win is not and as someone said you fit yourself to it.

The 64 is not in the same class but is a really good rifle that is nice when you get older and want something a bit lighter

 

52D better than Annie 1913

I have 1913 Annie which cost about $2300. My 52D cost me $1000.00. The metal quality is about equal. The stock on the 52D has much better wood and finish.

In my hands the 52D shots better that the 1913. On the 25 shot bench rest target, the 52D scores about 245, the Annie about 235. I do not try to compensate for wind. I never shoot if the wind gusts are 10MPH or higher. I do not shoot a particular shot if I can feel the wind. I wait until the wind dies down, then shoot. My ammo is R50 for any bench rest.

The Annie can be purchased any time. You have to wait for a 52D to come up for sale.

 

I have 1913 Annie which cost about $2300. My 52D cost me $1000.00. The metal quality is about equal. The stock on the 52D has much better wood and finish.

In my hands the 52D shots better that the 1913. On the 25 shot bench rest target, the 52D scores about 245, the Annie about 235. I do not try to compensate for wind. I never shoot if the wind gusts are 10MPH or higher. I do not shoot a particular shot if I can feel the wind. I wait until the wind dies down, then shoot. My ammo is R50 for any bench rest.

The Annie can be purchased any time. You have to wait for a 52D to come up for sale.

I paid around two grand for a top of the line Anschutz. Shot it mostly with aperture sights. It was the most accurate aperture sighted gun I ever owned. Paid another pile of money turning it into a BR gun. Shot well.

Paid less than $600 for a CMP beater 52D. Was the second most accurate aperture sighted rifle I ever owned. But the thing is, I could shoot Wolf MT in the Win and clean A23/5's at 50. Needed at least Eley Team to do the same with the Annie.

Stuck a bottom plate on the front of the 52D and took it to a BR match. Wondered how it might do. Shot a 749 (out of 750) three card agg. So, which gun was most accurate? Don't know. Did well with both.

But really...which looks better...

My 52D (with apertures):



My main Anschutz (with apertures):



Here's some examples of how the 52D did on it's voyage into BR shooting...





Every gun is different. I think the original poster was looking for info on why the 52's were so sought after. I think it comes down to "it's because people like them".

JMO

Kenny

Edit: In case any Anschutz fans think I'm piling on, my favorite Anschutz is the older 1411 style stocked guns. Here's my old Match 54 in that style of stock:


And here's the target it shot that day:


At 100 yards with apertures. Not too bad for a gun that is a year younger than I am...And I'm old!

 

I would agree with some of the other posters. Lets compare apples to apples and that would be the Win. 52, Anshutz 54 and 64 and lets throw in the Remington 40x. Although any of these would be satisfactory for off hand or 3 position shooting but the Winchester comes in dead last for bench rest shooting because of its totally inferior trigger. After 1964 Anschutz really started to improve their triggers. I was unable to compete in bench rest matches with the 52 Winchester because of its trigger which was way to heavy. I need at trigger system no heavier than 3 oz. to be competitive. This the Anschutz and the Remington 40x had. I think for what you get the Winchester is way overpriced and I would take a new Anschutz even the 64 model any day over the Winchester 52. Its had its day and the world has moved on especially with the newer improved triggers. If you are really lucky and run into an old Canjar trigger for the Win. 52 that is the set trigger model then you could be competitive in bench matches but your chances of this are about as remote as winning the lottery these days as most people would not sell even a spare Canjar trigger for the Win. 52. I think too that the Anschutz with its grooved receiver gives you way more scope mounting possibilities than being stuck with the drilled and tapped Winchester Receiver. Yes you can come up with something that will work on the Winchester but the hassle is just not even worth it.

I have one Win. 52D left and would have got rid of it long ago but it has a custom adjustable stock which lets me quickly adjust it if I ever want to shoot 3 position again. I probably never will at my age preferring to shoot bench rest instead so its just sits in my safe collecting dust

 

Thanks for your advice. My level of shooting far away from difference between rifles
Will practice with my Remington 540srx to improve my skills

 

I think the earlier postings all have it right. Also, for a casual shooter like me, who does not compete any more, practically any match rifle is better than I can now shoot, and the older rifles give me real pleasure.