Venom Mach 1 Trigger Units.....

[Baxterbasics]

......how many were made? Who has one?


I have

[frazier]

......how many were made? Who has one?


I have

please, tell us more.......

[Nemesis]

While I was waiting for my Mach 1 to be made, Venom made me a trigger unit for my HW77. Not sure how many were made. I have two, the other one being in the Mach 1 itself of course.

[Baxterbasics]

A little background info lifted from the web:


Pride in workmanship-HUGE Musing!
March 9 2011, 1:40 PM



Ivan Hancock is a genius like so many people I've associated myself with. I guess I attract them because I so appreciate their gift.
Ivan's dream was to produce the finest spring rifle ever to be made. The Mach-1 Rifle was the culmination of that effort. Number 1 Mach1 is owned by Greg Fuller and we are talking about reuniting me with that rifle as Greg was kind enuf to fund me when I needed the $ most so he could own and appreciate #1 Mach1.
Part of the agreement was I would have first right to own it when the time came for Greg to pass it along the collectors chain. Greg has taken very good care of this rifle and I want to reunite #1 Mach1 with Number 1 Ultracarbine Venom 77. Both were born in the Winter of '86 so they could be shown @ our booth @ SHOT 1987 along with the SportsMatch GC2.
It was the pinnacle of Venoms accomplishments and one of the few times both oif us were hitting on all cylinders.
The UltraCarbine was my personal solution to the balance issue and what I thought would be the perfect underlever arrangement for FT use. The Venom Trophy Stock was the wood, Mach-1 was the trigger and Lazaglide tuned. The Action was DON BLOCKSEDGE ENGRAVED and Highly polished and Blacked by the Venomac shop. The Venomac Superstore LTD had acquired Ivan's Venom firm and they had fully set him up in a state of the art shop. Ivan had arrived to be a director, a well paid mechanic at the highest level as well as getting his entire Venom Investment handed to him in cash/stock.
He was by Airgunsmiths standards a very rich man. Ivan and I shared the passion for making our own rifles but my hands would be tied for a number of years before I'd have my chance.
Jonathan said when describing the Mach1 trigger unit
"which was a complete custom rebuild"

Replace rebuild with Remake and you nailed it. Rebuild says you reworked it. Ivan was known for playing with pins and stiff paper constantly fooling with the geometries of the HW trigger unit till he came up with a solution that allowed him to use the same geometry and mounting positions but modify the engagement angels and spring pick-up points till he had something that was like an LD vs a MKI.
Simple is genius and what Ivan had done was just that. He showed everyone how it should be done and even Hans W. Senior was blown away by Ivan's level of commitment.
It was based on the same geometry but he had reworked things with his genius and put the trigger into the category of a swiss watch or US FT Lock because of the absolute simplicity of his fresh approach with a cost is no object mentality.

The only parts that interchange between Rekord and Mach1 is the mounting pins. Gaylord once proclaimed to Beemans delight that the Venom Mach-1 was a reworked R1(HW80). Ivan was clearly insulted by the suggestion. I guess a Ferrari is also a Reworked Fiat sorta. The History of it says a Mach 1 trigger fits a HW because we wanted it that way so we could use it in HW's.

The firm (Bennett Engineering)that produced the Mach1 parts for Ivan had a rouge engineer that took credit for Ivan's genius and shared the Mach1 trigger secrets with Air Arms. The TX200 production trigger was inspired fully by the changes Ivan had worked so hard to design. Once again Ivan was devastated and as a genius without a chance to protect himself there were opportunists ready to pounce. Brits on Brits. So why do I not carry AA? HMMM! I guess my memory isn't all that bad after all.

Fast forward to currect situation. Jonathan stirs up all these memories about the Mach1 with his post and I'm feeling all nostalgic about the Mach1, Gregs genorosity, the UltraCarbine with a Mach1 trigger and I'm looking at a Busted up 77 that needs an action to be restored to its former glory. The #1 UItraCarbine had been stolen from the Mac1 office when I had inadvertantly left my office door unlocked during a bench time day. Someone had come in my office and grabbed everything that looked valuable and left. This was before I had Cali my cattle dog, of course. It was 2002 before the Simple Simon won the Nats but after I had lost my Oldest Sister to Cancer by a few months. I was out of control depressed and leaving my office door unlocked was pretty typical.

Fortunately LD inspired me to get out of my depression and get back to work on my passion once it was obvious what he had accomplished. My buddy was doing everything in his power to help me and I was doing nothing to help myself. I finally snapped out of it when the LD SS won the Nats and I could start doing custom work again. I can't do creative work when I'm depressed. Never have.

2001 was a horrible year for everyone but my world fell apart and it took at least a few years for me to get my act together. During that time the #1 UltraCarbine 77 grew legs and walked out of my life. At the time I'm certain it didn't rate very high on the pain meter 'cause I was already in shreds. About 8 years go by and a guy walks into the Mac1 shop carrying #1 UltraCarbine. It is beat beyond belief but there it is right there in front of me again. My mouth dropped open & I was speechless for at least 5 minutes looking over the damage. As my tears welled up the guy realized he had reunited someone with a gun. I pointed to the DonBlocksedge Engraved "Tim McMurray" and all I could say was "That's me".

I told the guy he was not leaving with this rifle but I'd credit him the full price he paid. He applied the credit toward a brand new Ultra Carbine HW97 MKIII and went on his way happy as could be. I had my Baby back. I tried to fix her but the action is ruined from being dry fired to death. The section that holds the barrel and cocking lever is blown out of the tube it gets welded into and the tube front is bellmouthed. I've never seen another gun with this level of abuse ever.

That is why I need a .177 or .22 caliber Hull Cartridge HW77 long barrelled action so I can remake the #1 Ultracarbine to exactly the same configuration as I had it back then complete with engraving. A Beeman stamped action will not cut it. I need a Generic HW. I plan to send it out to Pilkington to have him do his best to recreate the engaving the gun once had. It will take some work but like my 66 Bonneville RaceBike this HW77 is a part of my history and I want to be able to shoot it like I did for a dozen years in Competition.

Ivan was one of those guys I just loved from the first time we met. Our business models both went along the same lines and we represented eachothers products Worldwide for over 20 years. I helped him realize his dreams and helped him buy a home and when the time was right he did the same for me. I've been so fortunate to be friends and associates with some of the most amazing people in this Industry and we still are friends after three decades.

[linked image]

"NO GUNS WOULD BE A RIOT"

Later

Tim

Mac1 Airgun

[BEESA]

I have one in my TX200 MK1 .

Don ..

[Baxterbasics]

I have one in my TX200 MK1 .

Don ..

That is very interesting Don-is it the full brass version?

[BEESA]

Hi Graham mate , just teasing lol . The unit in my TX is very similar , it even comes apart in the same way as the Venom mach 1 unit . The side plates are screwed together , unlike later units that have rivets .

All the best ,

Don ...

[Bodger J]

I have 1 in a Venom 77, full brass unit fitted by Steve Pope a couple of years back, it has Steve's precision trigger blade fitted as the original brass blade had been drilled.

[Amac]

What a fascinating post! I reckon that if somebody was to consider manufacturing Mach 1 trigger units they would sell enough to warrant set up costs. Heres hoping!

Andy

[Maxiboy Wales]

What a fascinating post! I reckon that if somebody was to consider manufacturing Mach 1 trigger units they would sell enough to warrant set up costs. Heres hoping!

Andy

according to the above Air Arms have in the CD unit.. just fit one of these..

[Baxterbasics]

according to the above Air Arms have in the CD unit.. just fit one of these..

The only triggers that feel more positive, in my own experience, are the match triggers on the Anschutz 2002/8002 / Walther Dominator / Steyr LG range and Feinwerkbau-thats how good the MACH 1 is when set up correctly

[Mattatack]

my .177 kt83 has a mach1 trigger mechanism. brass sided with tiny watch like screws holding it intact. it has the lightest let off ive ever known with a hairs breath between end of 1st stage to 2stage. i was told by the original owner that this particular trigger unit was however built by ken turner. im aware there is some controversy regarding this hand built work but i dont know who did what, but i am very interested in the whole story.

[Baxterbasics]

my .177 kt83 has a mach1 trigger mechanism. brass sided with tiny watch like screws holding it intact. it has the lightest let off ive ever known with a hairs breath between end of 1st stage to 2stage. i was told by the original owner that this particular trigger unit was however built by ken turner. im aware there is some controversy regarding this hand built work but i dont know who did what, but i am very interested in the whole story.

Significantly better than the Rekord unit though, don't you think?
Ken Turner is a bloody genius-the "history" I posted earlier on in this thread was lifted from an American forum, whether it's true or just sour grapes-who knows

[Mattatack]

yeah have to agree ive been smitten on kens work since i was 18 and shot a vixen diana 52 short stroked by ken and it was wonderfully light and super quick shot sequence. why i didnt have my own 52 breathed on by ken could only of been because i was skint at the time and shot my tyroleon 77 mostly full time. the stainless kt83 was a rifle i looked upon enviously as an 18year old lad, so when i got my chance at 28 to buy it i didnt need asking twice! It is my only valued possession as i see it and not just another airrifle in my collection.

[TonyL]

IF I ever had the spare money and was offered the opportunity, a Mach 1 would HAVE to be my dream rifle.

Failing that, a Mach 1 trigger unit onto a Lazaglided 25mm HW77 would have to come pretty close.....

Dream, dream, dream........