More info on Haenel mod 1

[GJM87]

Hi folks,

Its amazing what you can find in the back of the garage isnt it? Was just tidying up an old farm store room at the back of our mostly disused car garage and stumbled across a classic air rifle.

Markings show it to be a German 'Haenel mod 1' but have a look for yourselves.

Can anybody give me any more info on it? A bit of googling suggests its likely to be pre-WW2 but can anybody give me any info on how to date it accuratly?

http://i277.photobucket.com/albums/k...ssicair001.jpg

http://i277.photobucket.com/albums/k...ssicair007.jpg

http://i277.photobucket.com/albums/k...ssicair009.jpg

http://i277.photobucket.com/albums/k...ssicair010.jpg

http://i277.photobucket.com/albums/k...ssicair013.jpg

Thanks, Graham

[Garvin]

It looks like a DRP model 1, about 1925-1939. The old Haenels often had month and year stamps under the barrels not far from the breech so if you look carefully you may see an x.2x or x.3x date stamp, depending on whether '20s or '30s. Looking at the condition, yours might be too pitted to see these markings even if they are there. HTH.

[GJM87]

Thanks Garvin, just had a look and with some very very fine wet and dry can make out what i believe to be 10.27 .October 1927 then?! Thats older than i thought.

[GJM87]

Can anybody tell me any more about these old rifles?

Im a bit new to air rifles. Wanting to get into it after using a Gamo Paratrooper and a knakerd SMK for years but having never seen air rifling as a hobby.

Can a gun in this condition be saved? Perhaps i should rephrase that, can i gun of this condition be saved cheaply without spending £100s on reconditioning stock, barrel etc?

It does seem to work, freed barrel latch mechanism with copious amounts of WD40 and lo and behold it fires so its not to far gone.

[Garvin]

Here's a diagram of the mod. 1 from WHB Smith's encyclopedia.

Here's an advert from a 1930s Haenel brochure. (Gezogenem means rifled, glattem means smoothbore).

[Garvin]

Also check out this American forum thread on a Haenel Mod I restoration project.

[badfish]

cracking little guns these very accurate and lovely to shoot....
I have one but interestingly mine has some extra features that arn't shown on any infomation i have, such as the cocking arm is articulated and also it has a safety catch at the end of the compression cylinder. were these an option on the mod 1's i would put it down to it being 80 years old and some wannabe enginner having a go at it but these look like a factory job.

james

[Garvin]

cracking little guns these... if you want to sell it give me 1st refusal.
I have one but interestingly mine has some extra features that arn't shown on any infomation i have, such as the cocking arm is articulated and also it has a safety catch at the end of the compression cylinder. were these an option on the mod 1's i would put it down to it being 80 years old and some wannabe enginner having a go at it but these look like a factory job.

james

James my impression is that there were quite a few changes made over the years to the pre-WW2 Haenels. I have a couple of Model IIs that were made about 10 years apart and there are numerous differences. One is an export model the other domestic but the differences are far greater than you would expect. I notice the cylinder cap on Graham's model I is different from most pics I've seen of this model. Maybe this was because his was an early model? I heard that all the Haenel factory records were destroyed during the War also, so much info on details like manufacturing changes would probably have been lost.

[badfish]

thanks for the info Garvin, nice couple of mod II's there

james
p.s. most of the info i have on heanels have been from your posts on here and other forums so thank you

[GJM87]

Aye thanks for the replies folks.

Think your right about the yearly changes Garvin. Mine does not have this : http://www.pyramydair.com/blog/images/03-16-09-04.jpg , im refering to the knob/latch? mechanism. No sign there ever was one on mine unless im wrong. (Picture from http://www.pyramydair.com/blog/2009/...ve-airgun.html ) Also does not have the 'DRP' (does have the MADE IN GERMANY) Also has a solid non adjustable rear sight.

I'll have a closer look at it next week. I'll keep you posted.

[harry mac]

Just a thought, but would the "Reichs Patent" refer to the third Reich? If so then a 1927 rifle wouldn't be marked that way because it pre-dates the Nazi party.

[Garvin]

Just a thought, but would the "Reichs Patent" refer to the third Reich? If so then a 1927 rifle wouldn't be marked that way because it pre-dates the Nazi party.

D.R.P. does stand for Deutsches Reichs Patent which were the German patents that were in force until 1945, and so covers the Nazi period, but I think this patent system pre-dated the Nazis, possibly by as many as 40 or 50 years.

Graham I think your rearsight is the stub of a broken original rearsight which has been been bent upwards and had a "V" inserted into it....... Not sure why the barrel lock is absent -- maybe an early or budget version of the rifle?

[GJM87]

maybe an early or budget version of the rifle?

I think your right. Mine also appears to be a smooth bore, not rifled.

[badfish]

if its a smoothbore it will not have a * after the .177/.22 engraving on the gun mine is a rifled .22 so says .22*
hope this helps
james