Quote Originally Posted by ccdjg View Post
Thanks everyone for the invaluable information. Using this and some new data I have obtained from other sources there at least twelve examples of the "Haenel Air Pistol" with the small sear housing flanges I know of. No examples with large flanges and no "Haenel 28's" with small flanges have yet turned up, so I think we can now say with reasonable certainty that the small flanges are a unique identification characteristic of the "Haenel Air Pistol".

This is actually very useful, as the flanges are visible on the outside of the gun, unlike the cylinder latch, and so enable the model to be identified immediately from auction photo's etc. More than once examples of the rarer "Haenel Air Pistol" have been incorrectly described as Haenel 28's in catalogues and collectors may have missed out on these

It may also be possible to identify "Haenel Air Pistols" externally from the grip medallion, which is usually flat rather than haveing a raised rim, but I am not sure how reliable this is. Also it is not quite so easy to distinguish from photographs.

Thanks again!
The strange thing with the Haenel air pistol is that it must have been made alongside the model 28. because of the difference in se/nos. as 2 of the 3 of the ones that l had. one being in the 3000s and the other in the 7000s.