It’s been 40 years since Winchester stopped making the legendary Model 52. Last year, the Browning company that still bears the Winchester name, released their first .22LR rimfire in decades: the Xpert.
In many ways the Xpert is the diametric opposite of the Model 52. The Xpert shares the polymer body and 10/22 compatible magazine of the Winchester Wildcat. It uses an adjustable M.O.A. trigger from the Model 70 (which can be adjusted down to 2.5 lbs) and has a Bentz chamber.
With a street price under $300, the XPert is priced to compete with the base model Savage A22 and less than half the price of a Bergara B-series or the CZ 457s. It remains to be seen if the XPert can compete with those bolt-action rimfire rifles or live up to the legend of the Model 52.
