Venom HW 80 Hunter/ Mark 2 HW80 and HW80K Wanted

[blackfrog]

I am wishing to purchase an as-new condition, Venom HW80 Hunter .22 and early MK2 HW80 and HW80K .22 calibre

The Venom Arms HW80 Hunter in left or right hand stock must be mint condition.

The factory HW80 rifles must have the thin, rear sight unit as seen on 80's/early 90's pieces and front sight.
I am not interested in recent models.
I am looking for truly pristine, factory examples without any sign of scope use, signs the rifle has been dismantled or that a silencer has been used.
Left hand or boxed examples are especially of interest.

Price is of no concern. I am a serious collector, ready to purchase in cash and travel now.

Just to clarify. I am not looking for a Venom in a box, but I know there are some rare cases where people kept the MK 2 HW80/K tucked away in the original carton. I have several mint, Weihrauch early models without any sign of use.They are out there, I collect the best examples and that's why I pay a premium for them. Thank you all for your advice and help. Fingers crossed.

[fozzy45]

Welcome to the site mate and very good luck with your search. TBH you might have more chance of winning the lottery without putting any numbers on. The first problem I feel you have is seeking mint condition, basically unused original first edition rifles. People like myself who own these used excellent and mint condition venoms don't want to part with them as it is, so fear you finding boxed examples just not possible, but I'm happy to be proved wrong.
ATB.
Fozzy

[Muskett]

I understand the desirability of mint. Many factory rifles can still be found mint in box or factory fresh without box. However, its a numbers game so some remain mint; and or because it was something special for keeping pristine in the first place.
When it comes to Venom few bought them for the fun of it, they were bought to shoot. They weren't originally thought as collectors pieces rather custom of factory rifles. To the collectors fraternity that makes a huge difference. A custom rather than a factory, everyone of the former being slightly different, with no long runs of more than a dozen. It was a workshop shed enterprise.
Now people collect Venom rifles, but its difficult to categorise them as each is different though a Venom. Heck the stickers were an afterthought, if any were lying about. There were some runs of a particular work done so some are "stage 1" and some "stage 2", but even that isn't easy to identify or quantify with any real authority. I know of no records that were kept.

Others may disagree but I think a Venom is judged each on its individual merit. They can be refinished too as in truth they are a refinished factory with hand finished stocks.

So I suggest that you should try first to secure a good example first. I'm unsure many came with anything more than a cardboard carton even, but Venom did several gunslips, even some slings.

Others who know more than I might chip in here. I own one, short stroke HW77 .77, but other than a few tell tale signs there is nothing to prove what it is. Shoot it and you would believe.

[njaw]

Without any signs of scope use? Good luck with that!
Were they even sold with open sights?
If there is no evidence of a scope/sight system being used, this would suggest the gun has never been used. With this in mind, the whole gun would need a full service before testing that it works (and is, indeed, a real Venom).

[Mach 1.5]

There are some nice examples out there but they are becoming harder to find. I did however find a couple of years ago a mint HW77K with venom paperwork and the owner had even kept the HW box it came in and a venom price list from 1989. A word of warning - some not so nice people are jumping on the venom band wagon and selling rifles that sometimes aren't what they seem. I wish you luck and if you need any venom info I will do my very best to help. Mach 1.5