Hakim Military Trainer

[45flint]

John Milewski did a great two piece article on these rifles recently in Airgun World. (His articles are the only reason I subscribe) I was not new to them and had been looking for one that was a reasonable price and wasn’t beat to death. This one arrive from a auction today and seems to fit the bill. These are just a great story and John wrote it so very well. A true military trainer that looks like it’s been in combat. I was surprised how nice the metal was on mine. The wood was scared but not awful and to me adds to the character of the piece. Last pic is the serial number in Arabic, thanks to John for the translation #1786. I doubt there is another trainer that is better built and it certainly gives you the total feel of a military rifle?

https://imgur.com/gallery/U44B1dK

[Shed tuner]

i do like them, but as you say, hard to find at sensible prices and not mullered...

the mars and the vz-whatever-it-is are also on my list...

[Josie & John]

John Milewski did a great two piece article on these rifles recently in Airgun World. (His articles are the only reason I subscribe) I was not new to them and had been looking for one that was a reasonable price and wasn’t beat to death. This one arrive from a auction today and seems to fit the bill. These are just a great story and John wrote it so very well. A true military trainer that looks like it’s been in combat. I was surprised how nice the metal was on mine. The wood was scared but not awful and to me adds to the character of the piece. Last pic is the serial number in Arabic, thanks to John for the translation #1786. I doubt there is another trainer that is better built and it certainly gives you the total feel of a military rifle?

https://imgur.com/gallery/U44B1dK

That is very good of you to say so - I feel very flattered.

I agree these are excellent rifles and somewhat reminiscent of a Mauser in many ways.

Kind regards,

John

[Jerry Cornelius]

I doubt there is another trainer that is better built and it certainly gives you the total feel of a military rifle?

https://imgur.com/gallery/U44B1dK

VZ35. Puts a grin on your face when you fix the bayonet

Tom Gaylord has a very good strip down of these (hakims) on his blog.

I agree though they are great fun.

[45flint]

VZ35. Puts a grin on your face when you fix the bayonet

Tom Gaylord has a very good strip down of these (hakims) on his blog.

I agree though they are great fun.

I would love a VZ35. Only ones I have seen were very expensive! If you have to choose; 22 pellets win pretty easily over odd size round balls? Actually if money is not the issue, my first choice would be a first variant Diana 58 with the bolt or perhaps a BSA military?

[45flint]

I read that tha Hakim has lead in the stock to give it more wait. Does anyone know if that’s true?

[Jerry Cornelius]

I would love a VZ35. Only ones I have seen were very expensive! If you have to choose; 22 pellets win pretty easily over odd size round balls? Actually if money is not the issue, my first choice would be a first variant Diana 58 with the bolt or perhaps a BSA military?

I would guess not many VZs made it to the states. I think I’ve only seen two 35s here, the 47 is more common. I think it is fair comment that looked at purely as an air rifle the hakim is well ahead.

The odd sized balls are actually not that hard to find, in the uk anyway. And I believe there is a standard shotgun pellet size that can also be used.

Both the Diana and the BSA would be fantastic finds.

[draitzer]

Actually the VZ rifles do appear somewhat regularly in the USA, usually quite overpriced being offered by military firearms folks. A military-surplus outfit brought in a slew of VZ47's around the early 90's when a lot of Eastern Bloc items became available. These are usually in very good shape and a bit more reasonably priced, although to me they aren't quite as classy as the 35.

Don R.

[Garvin]

That Hakim looks better than most, Steve, especially the metalwork. I agree John's articles on the Hakim were excellent.

I owned one at one time and was impressed with its size and heft - no doubt deliberate. It was very accurate and quite powerful, as you'd expect from an aigun made by Anschutz.

Hard not to imagine Egyptian squaddies dragging it through an assault course!


Edit: I've just been reading John Atkins superb article in Air Gunner on postwar German military trainers. Unmissable!

For details on how to get it if you haven't already (£15 a year online only!), here is a link, at the end of this para I wrote in my web links post in the gallery:

- The very best paid-for read on vintage airguns anywhere is John Atkins' articles in Air Gunner magazine. Declaration: I have no financial interest. Alone they make buying a digital subscription worthwhile, plus you get access to an archive of issues which goes back more than 9 years - that is hundreds of large-size pages of top-quality, full-colour articles on vintage airguns, all of which can be downloaded as PDFs. After four decades of writing for magazines, it's no exaggeration to say that Mr Atkins is the most knowledgeable vintage airgun writer in the world. Also, his previous professional life as a newspaper artist and designer means his articles have the most amazing illustrations and photographs. It's a 'no brainer'! https://www.subscriptionsave.co.uk/Magazines/Shooting-Magazines/Air-Gunner/MAG7D01B

[frakor]

I would love a VZ35. Only ones I have seen were very expensive! If you have to choose; 22 pellets win pretty easily over odd size round balls? Actually if money is not the issue, my first choice would be a first variant Diana 58 with the bolt or perhaps a BSA military?

The Diana 58 is having a WORKING bolt you have to use to cock the trigger or the rifle can't be fired, as the BSA has a fixed bolt that can't even move!
Actually the trigger unit of the first model Diana 58 is made out of adapted Mauser rifle parts .......



====================
Frank

[cinedux]

In this 21st Century, a collector can visit a heap of gun shows and not come across a fabled Daisy Model 140,thousand-shot BB repeating-rifle,otherwise known as a "Daisy Defender". Broadly based upon the firm's earlier 'Great War' Model 40 gun ,which was a handsome item complete with a rubber-tipped metal bayonet complimenting it's lever-action and fifty-shot magazine. The Model 140 was born into tumultuous times. Ones that saw it's creators turn to more serious tasks in an effort to drive back threatening prospective enemies! With conflict in Europe dominating our news and the question,'should we or shouldn't we get involved' it was inevitable that patriotic Daisy would,as it were,'answer the call!'. Adverts portraying the Model 140 rifle first appeared in early 1941 periodicals. From all accounts the new 'Defender' was eagerly anticipated. Daisy had dropped the idea of fitting a bayonet to the Model 140 and increased it's fire-power by incorporating a thousand-shot magazine. A stock and forearm replaced the earlier singular 'military-style' woodwork of the Model 40. The new 'Defender' had a neat dummy bolt which worked as a safety device and also lent a bit more realism to the firing cycle. A red indicator displayed through a hole in the bolt when the safety was off. Like the earlier Model 40,the Model 140 came fitted with a canvas sling and most seem to have had a colorful identifying sticker stapled around the forearm. All in all,it was a 'Daisy to die for"(as kids were won't to say!) However,(always however….)by the middle of 1941 things were hotting up. Many of Daisy's skilled machinists were involved with national defense. Early May saw Daisy sending out a desperate letter to distributors. In this correspondence they told the trade they definitely would not be making any shipments of the Model 140 in the year 1941. Ready to go stock would be available on January 2,1942. We all know what happened on December 7th 1941! So, there we have it,possibly this particular model was produced for around one month.It is reckoned around twenty-eight thousand units were made..making the Model 140 one of the rarest Daisy guns ever made.

I'm indebted to Gary Garber's 'Encyclopedia of DAISY Plymouth Guns' for most of this information.

[Geezer]

Great stuff, Trev. I’d never heard of that!

You are too modest to link to your own site or to Garvin’s posting of your content. So I have.

http://cinedux.com/daisy-airguns.php

https://forum.vintageairgunsgallery....-140-defender/

[45flint]

The Diana 58 is having a WORKING bolt you have to use to cock the trigger or the rifle can't be fired, as the BSA has a fixed bolt that can't even move!
Actually the trigger unit of the first model Diana 58 is made out of adapted Mauser rifle parts .......



====================
Frank

Never knew the BSA bolt was just for show!