Drew

You are right on the origin of these nice rifles - a 45 action in a stock based on that from the 35S. Made 1982-88. I think they were an attempt to produce a "new" model to compete with the HW80, pending the introduction (1984) of the genuinely new 34 series. Got a great write-up in SAR. Sold in the US as the Crosman 6100 - with a slightly different stock.

I don't think they were necessarily using up old stocks (unless they were rough blanks), as the inletting is very different between the two, and the 35S has a (HW35-style) one-piece fore-end, as it has an articulated cocking link.