Haenel 28 - new find

[Abasmajor]

Looking at my notes, after a strip etc I got 340 fps with Hobby =/- 4fps which I thought pretty good for this small pistol. But crikey, they are awkward to cock.
Cheers, Phil

I have to agree that the Haenal 28 and Hyscore pistols aren't the easiest to cock, but as with the Webleys, not too bad once you acquire the knack.
I have a nice boxed example which shoots with just about the same power as my Webley Senior.



Brian

[Arminius]

https://imgur.com/a/xPAojvk

Just to show there is a knack to cocking this pistol

Thanks everyone who commented!

[45flint]

My cocking technique:https://youtu.be/BEt7aj2o30k

[Arminius]

Does anyone know how to date these pistols from the serial number stamped on the base of the grip?
Mine has 8130 stamped

[micky2]

Does anyone know how to date these pistols from the serial number stamped on the base of the grip?
Mine has 8130 stamped

Dennis Hillers, book on air pistols has them made from 1927-36. and the highest number seen at that time was 21990.

[ptdunk]

If you push the spring and piston back in by hand, with you finger pressed in the transfer port, you can tell if it’s sealing ok.

Matt

[ccdjg]

Dennis Hillers, book on air pistols has them made from 1927-36. and the highest number seen at that time was 21990.

We now know that the Haenel 28 was made up until at least 1940, and it was advertised in German catalogues of that year. At present (and I stand to be corrected here) the highest reported serial number is 23,828.

Reportedly a very small batch of the Haenel 28 pistols was made by Ernst Thalman Werk in East Germany in the 1950's. ETW was the company that took over Haenel after the war. No examples of these late pistols are yet known.

[45flint]

Just to confuse things further the first Haenels were not 28’s just Haenel Air Pistols. Flat medallions, different locking system, and no 28 on pistol. Not sure how many were made? Did they carry forward the serial numbers into the 28’s? Probably?

https://imgur.com/a/iozpHJ0

[Buck25]

We now know that the Haenel 28 was made up until at least 1940, and it was advertised in German catalogues of that year. At present (and I stand to be corrected here) the highest reported serial number is 23,828.

Reportedly a very small batch of the Haenel 28 pistols was made by Ernst Thalman Werk in East Germany in the 1950's. ETW was the company that took over Haenel after the war. No examples of these late pistols are yet known.

ccdjg referenced 23,828 as the highest serial number known on the Mod 28. To my knowledge, that information is still accurate as this pistol is in my collection. In my research I have found very few Model 28s that have been date stamped. I have serial #12,089 & #12,156 that are stamped "1.6.31" on the bottom of the wood grip. Believe this signifies a date of 1st June 1931. So you know that your pistol #8,130 was made prior to 1931. Unfortunately no production records have surfaced on any versions of the Haenel air pistols that would identify their year of manufacture by serial number.

Owners of Haenel Mod 50, Mod 51 & Mod 100 are fortunate that the majority of these pistols are stamped with the month & year of production on the bottom of the wood grip. My research shows the earliest stamped pistol as 5.29 and the latest as 12.38 or May-1929 & December-1938 respectively. If anyone has any of these model Haenel with earlier or later dates, I would greatly appreciate hearing about them so that I can update my records.