Yet another mystery pistol for your consideration

[ccdjg]

At the risk of making myself unpopular here is yet another mystery air pistol which I challenge anyone to name. There is method in my madness though, as I know only a little about it myself and I am hoping that one of you bright sparks might be able to add something to the story. I can say that it is German and was a production model. I believe (but am not sure) that there was a rifle version with a similar name, so does it remind you of anything you rifle collectors ?

The pistol is a side lever , http://i135.photobucket.com/albums/q...psa9b83790.jpg

And here you can see it cocked
http://i135.photobucket.com/albums/q...psa9b83790.jpg

Any suggestions? What little I know will be revealed in due course.

[waterford103]

is it a haenel?

[ggggr]

At the risk of making myself unpopular here is yet another mystery air pistol which I challenge anyone to name. There is method in my madness though, as I know only a little about it myself and I am hoping that one of you bright sparks might be able to add something to the story. I can say that it is German and was a production model. I believe (but am not sure) that there was a rifle version with a similar name, so does it remind you of anything you rifle collectors ?

The pistol is a side lever , http://i135.photobucket.com/albums/q...psa9b83790.jpg

And here you can see it cocked
http://i135.photobucket.com/albums/q...psa9b83790.jpg

Any suggestions? What little I know will be revealed in due course.

no idea But having a guess, the grip and fore sight look a bit like the Zenit overlever. It also has the look of the Zenit copy, the G4. I'm wondering if maybe Zenit decided to try something different to the dreaded flying endcap?.
That thicker section in front of the cylinder I cannot make it out very well. Not some sort of magazine is it?

[ccdjg]

Thanks for your suggestions.
I doubt that this originates from the Haenel company as nothing like it has turned up in any of their extensive catalogue literature.
You are right gggr about the magazine, as the gun is in fact a repeater.


Here are a couple more pictures:
http://i135.photobucket.com/albums/q...ps8529eabb.jpg

http://i135.photobucket.com/albums/q...ps0fb835e4.jpg


Unfortunately I can only come with half a story about this pistol, and all I know about it is the following.

It is stamped "ROVO Model 52" - see http://i135.photobucket.com/albums/q...psabb633ea.jpg
and it is a 10 shot repeater with a 4.5mm smoothbore barrel. The overall length is 30cm, the barrel is 12.5 cm long, and the pistol weighs about quarter of a kilo. It was found in Germany so may be German in origin, but this is by no means certain. Apart from that it is a complete mystery.

I have heard there was a Rovo Model 50 air rifle but I have not been able to find any record of such a thing. Has anyone ever come across one of these? Your help in finding the maker of this pistol would be much appreciated.

[Rob M]

How does the repeating mechanism work? I'm not trying to sound bigheaded but it's unusual for me to see something these days that I've never even seen photos of before...

[ccdjg]

Well Rob, your guess is as good as mine as I have never actually handled the gun. I presume that the magazine is the widened section where the barrel and cylinder merge, and there will be a hole on top for introducing the round shot. The system would be gravity fed, resembling the system used in the Haenel 100 and JBH54 (http://www.vzduchovka.cz/prehled/45500/45500_en.html). Perhaps after all it is Czech and not German.