Guns easy to overlook that as a collector you need to try once

[45flint]

My thought for the day. There are certain guns that surprise you. You think this is such a cool gun but it is one that is so easy for collectors to ignore. To me one to nominate is the Hakim. Usually beat up in a collecting world that tends to be drawn to the pristine or at least well taken care of. Attributes that demand attention and admiration.

1. Without doubt the closest a Airgun got to a military weapon.
2. Top of the line 1950’s German quality. No corners cut, firearm quality. Obvious copy of the Airsporter but better made (that should get the English blood boiling! Lol)
3. As accurate as anything you will pick up.

Task is to find a good one.

I’m sure there are other guns out there like this, sleepers?

[Kevmcc]

Looks a lovely rifle will be keeping my eye out for one of those from now on

[I. J.]

BSF Get written off by many who have never even shot one.

[Garvin]

I'm a fan of the Hakim and its civilian counterpart the Anschutz LG54 but I'm not keen on the stamped steel rearsights, especially when you compare them to the Amazing hand machined Falke 80/90 sights, made at the same time.

[evert]

BSF Get written off by many who have never even shot one.

I have three BSF 55's, and in my opinion they are hyped by people who have never shot one!

[I. J.]

I have three BSF 55's, and in my opinion they are hyped by people who have never shot one!

Ive 14 BSFs at the moment, various models including several 55 & 55D/lux and the only ones I cant get on with is the 54s. To Tornado ish and heavy for my liking. You have to compare them with the stuff that was out at the time. Webley Mk3s, Hawks, Meteors, Haenel 303s Original 35/50 etc. The HW35 was far heavier and not as powerful. The 'Sport far more expensive and fragile in parts (plastic trigger, splitting stock etc.)

Anyway Im off the to nuclear fall out shelter.

[Mr. Gen]

I nominate the wooden stocked Sussex Armoury offerings.

In the late 70's these were 12 ft lbs, offered in an ultra carbine version and took a scope...………...

[sniper24687066]

The Hakim looks just like some of the WW2 issued bolt action rifles and very well made.

[Garvin]

Diana mod 6 pistols are in this category. FWB 65 also.

[I. J.]

Diana mod 6 pistols are in this category. FWB 65 also.

FWB65 (and possibly 80) is one of my favourite spring pistols. I had never even shot one before when my local gun shop got an exceedingly tatty example in. I bought it for under £150 thinking 'What the hell' lets have a play. At my first attempt, before I had even zeroed the sights, I did a group approx the size of a 5p piece @ 10m single handed. Once I had zeroed the '65 I managed to do a 45 ex 50. I went on to buy a finer example and regret selling Old Tatty for about what I paid for it.

[Geezer]

BSFs, definitely. Apart from the 54, which deserves to be overlooked. I think the S20 probably deserves overlooking too.

Postwar Haenels?

The Diana 35, especially the early ones, is a really nice rifle that’s often overshadowed even in the M&G line by the 50, the later 45, and the smaller 27 which - rightly - has a bit of a cult following.

I ignored the BSA Scorpion as a huge gimmick for about 30 years, but then got one. It’s actually a really good pistol.

Not my field, but I think some of the interwar German BSA copies may be pretty good, but fly under the radar screen because they are not real BSAs?

[MDriskill]

I concur on everything mentioned so far! And, I'd toss a descendant of the Hakim into the pile: the Anschutz 335 barrel-cocking sporter (also sold as the "Crosman Challenger 6500" in the US), with manually-locked breech.

There were two versions; the earlier one has a straight pull-out lock (Webley Omega-ish), the latter one an angled lever (like old [or new] Walther LGV) and an improved stock. I prefer the latter model.

The trigger, sights, and heavy 16mm barrel are as good as you would expect from this maker. There are many nice design details, but one that stood out to me was the breech leade design: a smooth-sided taper about 3mm long before the rifling begins. It's like a built-in sizer: pushing the pellet skirt just past the breech face rounds it out, seals it to the taper; and sets the head in the rifling. A VERY accurate and pellet-friendly rifle.

Leather piston seal and about 10 FPE power (I believe the piston, spring, and seal are in fact identical to the Hakim). Interestingly, the same power plant and trigger were used in the smaller model 333 ("Challenger 6300"), with simple slender stock and shorter, lighter, detent-locked barrel.

Some pics and further discussion here: https://www.airgunnation.com/topic/a...w-piston-seal/

[Drew451]

I like BSF's partly because thy are a bit odd/ quirky but mostly because the ones I have owned or shot have been nice, accurate guns. For me they have shot better than their old fashioned design and build would suggest.
As long as you are not trying to extract too much power they are pleasant to use and very nice to own. Their triggers detract from the experience a bit though.

[I. J.]

I like BSF's partly because thy are a bit odd/ quirky but mostly because the ones I have owned or shot have been nice, accurate guns. For me they have shot better than their old fashioned design and build would suggest.
As long as you are not trying to extract too much power they are pleasant to use and very nice to own. Their triggers detract from the experience a bit though.

Totally agree. You can tune them to FAC levels but they become jumpy and inaccurate - which is to be expected from something weighing similar to the BSA Meteor. They perform best around the mid 10 ft/lbs. The trigger is about par for the period.
Odd/quirky? Maybe thats why I like the so much.

[Geezer]

I concur on everything mentioned so far! And, I'd toss a descendant of the Hakim into the pile: the Anschutz 335 barrel-cocking sporter (also sold as the "Crosman Challenger 6500" in the US), with manually-locked breech.

There were two versions; the earlier one has a straight pull-out lock (Webley Omega-ish), the latter one an angled lever (like old [or new] Walther LGV) and an improved stock. I prefer the latter model.

The trigger, sights, and heavy 16mm barrel are as good as you would expect from this maker. There are many nice design details, but one that stood out to me was the breech leade design: a smooth-sided taper about 3mm long before the rifling begins. It's like a built-in sizer: pushing the pellet skirt just past the breech face rounds it out, seals it to the taper; and sets the head in the rifling. A VERY accurate and pellet-friendly rifle.

Leather piston seal and about 10 FPE power (I believe the piston, spring, and seal are in fact identical to the Hakim). Interestingly, the same power plant and trigger were used in the smaller model 333 ("Challenger 6300"), with simple slender stock and shorter, lighter, detent-locked barrel.

Some pics and further discussion here: https://www.airgunnation.com/topic/a...w-piston-seal/

I agree they are easy to overlook.

But they just aren’t quite as good as you’d expect an Anschutz to be.

They lack the uncanny accuracy and superb handling of the FWB Sport.

They have an annoying habit of breaking the welds on the cylinder lugs. I have one lying around that did that, and a replacement cylinder with intact welds, and at some point in the next decade I must build a rifle from them that works.

The trigger I think is OK, but not as special as you’d expect.

And the internals are finished more at the BSA/M&G level than a higher one.

They’re not bad, just a bit underwhelming given the brand.

The Worcester Black Powder Supplies Marauder of 1984-85, a custom stocked, tuned, 335 was one of the best though least well-known custom springers in the hey day of the classic custom springer.