Clark 52-2 barrel

Has anyone actually got one fitted and fired at 50 yards yet ?

I spent the past weekend fitting a Clark bbl to my 52-1.  Which was a very accurate gun to start with, but I wanted to try it. unfortunately I don't have anyplace to shoot at 50 yds. so I can't speak to that until I shoot it in a match next month.  However I did shoot it today at an indoor 25yd. range.  My seat of the pants assessment is that the Clark bbl shoots noticeably better.  Last Friday I shot the gun with the S&W bbl at the same range and today it was just better.  I didn't shoot from sandbags or a rest, just offhand like you would in a match at 25 yd repair centers and B16 25 yd slow fire targets. Nothing scientific.

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The targets are nothing to write home about, but everything just grouped tighter for me than when I shot  the gun a few days earlier with the S&W barrel.

Thanks for this...did you fit one of the new Clark bushings as well ?

Yes, Clark bushing.

So what exactly did you do to fit the barrel? What surfaces did you trim?

I've tested at 25 yds from sandbags.  The Clark barrel does group a bit tighter than factory, but it's still an individual gun thing finding the right load.  My experience with the quality control of my Clark barrel was disappointing.  I took it to a smith who knows 52s.  I didn't want cookie cutter production fitting from Clark.  The crown had to be re-cut; (on a new barrel?).  He had to machine the barrel exterior between the upper lug and chamber to get the firing pin strikes near the center of the primer.  The rest was routine fitting of the lower lugs to the frame and barrel bushing.  The most amazing thing is that the barrels are designed to headspace off the case mouth, not the rim.  (A .38 Special, WHAT?)  Throat is almost nonexistent.   So I'm using a light taper crimp ~.370.  I haven't tried factory ammo yet.

The blue Sharpie areas on the barrel 

Greetings,

Would you ask your Model 52 "Smith" to make a chamber cast. I find it hard to believe they head space on the mouth.

I would expect a SAAMI style 38 WadCutter leade.

However, I will wait for the chamber cast before getting too excited.

"The most amazing thing is that the barrels are designed to headspace off the case mouth, not the rim.  (A .38 Special, WHAT?)  Throat is almost nonexistent."


Cheers,


Dave

fc60 wrote:Greetings,

Would you ask your Model 52 "Smith" to make a chamber cast. I find it hard to believe they head space on the mouth.

I would expect a SAAMI style 38 WadCutter leade.

However, I will wait for the chamber cast before getting too excited.

"The most amazing thing is that the barrels are designed to headspace off the case mouth, not the rim.  (A .38 Special, WHAT?)  Throat is almost nonexistent."


Cheers,


Dave

I asked Clark Custom about this and they said that the new barrels are indeed designed to headspace on the case mouth.  That and the short leade is conducive to better accuracy per Clark.

Ummm...if they headspace off the case mouth then how do they headspace factory ammo which is visibly roll crimped?