Anschutz 335

[andrewM]

Having just bought one of these, in the form of a Mk1, I have noted the use of an anti-bear trap upon cocking. This means that the rifle cannot be de-cocked, except by firing after returning the barrel to the shooting position.

I believe the Mk2 had a safety catch but did it also feature the anti-bear trap device or could the rifle be de-cocked by switching off the safety catch and releasing the barrel carefully, with the finger on the trigger?

I gather the only other changes were to the sights (Mk1 the sliding sight, which I think I prefer) and the cocking release bolt (a straight bolt on Mk1).

Presumably, leather washers on both.

Does anyone know how to release, slightly, the pressure on the trigger so that the trigger is a little lighter?

Rgds
A

[PhatMan]

AndrewM,

AFAIK, the trigger is not adjustable for weight.

( this seems to be the case on my Annie 335 Mk2 )

My Annie 335 has no safety mechanisms at all.

Have fun

Best regards

Russ

[I. J.]

I have never seen a safety catch on a 335. Perhaps these were destined for the American market.

To make the trigger lighter - paint it white. [Im here all week with my Hands Hints ]

[draitzer]

I have a later style 335 (swinging lock lever) S/N 111579. It has the anti-beartrap and cannot be de-cocked. There is no external safety; the rear cap is just a domed cover. I've seen several of these rifles over the years, including the 'Crosman 6500' version, all the same.

Danny's Gallery has an instruction manual that shows the 335 with a safety slide sticking out the rear of the compression tube which apparently sets automatically upon cocking in addition to the anti-beartrap. I don't recall ever seeing this version even in pictures. This manual addresses trigger adjustment only in terms of changing the length of first stage pull - they claim sear engagement is factory set, and no mention of a way to change the overall weight. I recall tinkering with the trigger on mine to set it up for my preference with more adjustments but it's been 20 years or more.

Don R.

[Mach 1.5]

Had two late MK2's and both had the safety catch. Introduce in 1985 for the USA market. Stuck out of the rear of the cylinder as mentioned above. Mach 1.5

[I. J.]

Had two late MK2's and both had the safety catch. Introduce in 1985 for the USA market. Stuck out of the rear of the cylinder as mentioned above. Mach 1.5

Has anyone got a photo of these rare beasts?

[Geezer]

https://www.flickr.com/photos/18w/88...7627799575961/

Ad referring to an adjustable trigger. No further detail.

https://www.flickr.com/photos/31228487@N07/3483504289

Earlier ad referring to an “adjustable [trigger] pressure point” “with fine regulation” - whatever that means. Note that the rifle is principally pitched as an entry-level 10M target rifle - something which wouldn’t have helped it’s chances in the increasingly hunting/power focussed 1970s market.

[draitzer]

Aha, I found a discussion about 335 trigger adjustment by our good friend Mike Driskill just last month:
https://www.gatewaytoairguns.org/GTA...topic=189492.0

Don R.

[andrewM]

Thank you for these contributions.

So far as the trigger is concerned, it appears that the only adjustment is for the length of pull but not for the weight/tension/pressure on the trigger itself. This is not so surprising, given the design is from the 1970s. That said, I am quite happy with the trigger and the distinctive two stage pull but, ideally, would prefer something a tad lighter.

The differences between the Mk1 and Mk2 are interesting. First, I have also seen a photograph (presumably, these can be found on google images) with a safety catch but I wonder if this was only for the USA market. Or perhaps it was the Mk3 - assuming there was one.

Interesting, Russ, that your Mk2 is without any safety mechanisms. Presumably, this means it is without both a safety catch and an anti-bear trap. And yet Don has a later model which features the anti-bear trap.

This begs a further question: on those with the safety catch, was there also an anti-bear trap, which prevented de-cocking?

In one of your links, Geezer, the rifle is advertised as being up to the legal limit. This suggests the Mk2 was raised slightly in power but I doubt by very much. My own Mk1 is doing a respectable 10.5ish in 177.

It would be interesting to know how these rifles developed and what improvements/variations occurred. It seems that some of these took place within the production runs of both the Mk1 and the Mk2 - unless there was a distinctive Mk3.

Oh dear, these are the sort of questions that interest collectors. There is no going back.

Rgds
A

[draitzer]

The diagram in the factory manual with safety slide that I mentioned earlier shows the anti-beartrap as well; looks like its bar pushes the safety piece rearward as the sear engages. You might check it out on the Vintage Airguns Gallery.

Don R.

[jonnyone]

Evening Andrew.
I have about four of these and from recollection two are earlier Mark 1s and there are 2 Mark 2s.
All have or had anti bear trap (I've removed a couple from memory) and none had or have safety catches. I have seen (a few years ago) what I took to be a late 335 with a safety. I had assumed like you that these were in effect a Mark 3 version. Clearly last of the line.
Your 335 is giving respectable ME there in .177. Indeed that wouldn't be too shabby in .22. They are lovely accurate guns- primarily I suspect due to their superb barrels and barrel locks. Funny how that concept never really took off? I think it's a good feature myself.
These are guns that deserve more respect than they get. Not a gun to try and wring power from as they can be easily over stretched. Always thought it was a bit of a bad marketing ploy to label the range with the "magnum" moniker at one stage of its production run.
Dave

[MDriskill]

Thank you Don!

I danced around, but never quite SAID, in that embarrassingly loquacious old essay, that "screw 58's" job is to create the second stage of the trigger pull. Too much coffee that day maybe...

[Geezer]

Thank you for these contributions.

So far as the trigger is concerned, it appears that the only adjustment is for the length of pull but not for the weight/tension/pressure on the trigger itself. This is not so surprising, given the design is from the 1970s. That said, I am quite happy with the trigger and the distinctive two stage pull but, ideally, would prefer something a tad lighter.

The differences between the Mk1 and Mk2 are interesting. First, I have also seen a photograph (presumably, these can be found on google images) with a safety catch but I wonder if this was only for the USA market. Or perhaps it was the Mk3 - assuming there was one.

Interesting, Russ, that your Mk2 is without any safety mechanisms. Presumably, this means it is without both a safety catch and an anti-bear trap. And yet Don has a later model which features the anti-bear trap.

This begs a further question: on those with the safety catch, was there also an anti-bear trap, which prevented de-cocking?

In one of your links, Geezer, the rifle is advertised as being up to the legal limit. This suggests the Mk2 was raised slightly in power but I doubt by very much. My own Mk1 is doing a respectable 10.5ish in 177.

It would be interesting to know how these rifles developed and what improvements/variations occurred. It seems that some of these took place within the production runs of both the Mk1 and the Mk2 - unless there was a distinctive Mk3.

Oh dear, these are the sort of questions that interest collectors. There is no going back.

Rgds
A

I strongly doubt that the Mk2 was raised in power. That, I suspect, was marketing BS from the new importer in an age when no-one had a chrono.

A number of makers in the 60s/70s and early 80s made the mistake of trying to market versions of their sporting springers as entry-level 10M rifles, sometimes with weakened springs. Webley Supertargets, Diana “S” models of the 25, 27, 35, and the A335.

They missed the point that as soon as the Diana Giss and FWB sledge guns arrived from 1960 or so, recoiling 10M springers were dying, and most novices would rather save up, or buy a second-hand “recoilless” rifle, or use a club gun. HW55 a case in point. And both the U.K. and US markets wanted power.

The Annie suffered from:

a) Limited marketing and advertising. No high-profile campaign from a big U.K. or US dealer (eg Beeman).
b) Early ads majoring on it as a basic target rifle.
c) Branding - Anschutz meant target gun.
d) Price - priced similarly to the HW35 Luxus or HW80. Undercut significantly by the regular 35, Diana 35 and 45, Webley Vulcan, BSA Merc, etc.

And, though we saw it less at the time, it’s not a superb rifle of the kind you’d expect from Annie. See discussion above on the trigger, which is, for a premium 70s/80s rifle, average and not near a Rekord. The fore-end mounts on the cylinder do break (as one has on mine). It makes 10.5 in .22” rather than 11.9. It is more like a German Webley Vulcan than an FWB Sport or HW.

[andrewM]

Thank you, all, for the further interesting thoughts and information (and the interest from our friends from the USA). It would appear that the safety catch is very rare on the 335 and was, perhaps, the final fling before the model ceased production and that this also featured the anti-bear trap (itself quite a rare device in those days), as did all the earlier versions.

I think your analysis, Geezer, with regard to marketing and the shortfalls is spot on.

However, I have gleaned two further points from this discussion: first, there is considerable interest and support for the 335 and, secondly, that the 335 fetched a premium price in its day. With regard to the latter point, I wonder if anyone can shed any light on the pricing at the time, with suitable comparisons in terms of the competition (probably Vulcan, FWB, HW, BSA, Original 35 and 45)?

I have yet to test mine on a target. Preferring open sights, I would like to test the sliding-scale rear sight before trying a scope. All these things take time and I fear I am so often without it.

A final question: did all versions continue with the leather seal, as per the Mk1?

Rgds
A

[Geezer]

JSR prices, spring 1985:

BSA Mercury £60.70
HW35 £65
Webley Vulcan £67
Diana 45 £69
Mercury S £74.90
Anschutz 335 £82.40
HW80 £84
Vulcan DL £84
HW35E £87

So the Annie wasn’t the most expensive break-barrel (that was usually the FWB Sport at £100+), but definitely toward the upper end of the market.

Leather seals were carried over to the Mk2. I’m not aware that they changed to synth, but can’t say for use that they didn’t.