I have just gotten a Winchester 52 and am getting into target shooting. Since it was a gift I don't know much about it, like the history, how good of a rifle it is, where could I get a manual or replacement parts. Any information you could give me would help.

The Winchester 52 has always been one of the top competition rifles made in this country. No effort was spared in making this rifle as accurate as possible. Final production went far into the mid-sixties with the D and E models. Current sales by ODCMP (Office of the Directer of the Civilian Marksmanship Program) of used, surplus Winchester 52Ds sold for $485 with auction site prices approaching double that. Manuals and parts may still be obtained on ebay, www.e-gunparts.com, or Outback Guns. The Winchester web site has a list of parts dealers. From a historical standpoint, you may be interested in obtaining a copy of "The Winchester Model 52 Perfection in Design" by Herbert G Houze. Take good care of your 52 as it is a very desireable rifle.

When would i need to change out the barrel, and if i need to would i beable to find a replacement?

Chances are good that you will probably never have to change out a barrel. The .22 bullet is almost pure lead so it is very gentle on the bore. The thing that will cause greatest damage to the bore would be improper use of a cleaning rod scoring the rifling or the crown.

However unlikely, should you ever have to change a barrel you will have to search the parts houses or a specialty gun shop like Outback Guns for a barrel. Being out of production for so long, Winchester no longer carries parts nor services these rifles.

You certainly got a winner... in the good ol/ days the Win 52 went head-to-head with the Rem 37 and there was nothing better. Given reasonable care the bore should last forever; 22LR match ammo is indeed gentle on the rifling. For parts, you might try GunParts.com (Numrich Arms); I just ordered a few items for a Rem 513T & a Colt Woodsman from them and they had what I needed. I might add that the Win M52 Sporter is about the most beautifully proportioned rifle I've ever seen.