Quality Engineering

[Abasmajor]

One of the things that attracts me to old airguns is the very high standard of build quality and finish together with attention to detail resulting in some innovative little extras that would not be financially viable in current times. It's nice to just to pick up and handle these old pieces and admire the sometimes-quirky ideas that probably took more time to design and produce than their use justified. An example is this pellet seating pin attached to the sealing knob on the A.G. Parker crank wound air pistol dating from the 1920s. Once the pellet has been inserted and seated using the attached pin, the sealing knob is retuned to the upright position and tightened down using the knurled head of the knob. There is no sealing washer, so close metal to metal tolerances are needed to prevent air escaping from the breech.



Brian

[Binners]

What a great photograph, never mind the pistol

[45flint]

Totally agree, I love Airguns that are a bit quirky. Something done in the past that would just never be done today. When I saw this old Benjamin pistol I just had to have it. Three tubes for repeating feed. 22 lead balls with rifled bronze barrel, inside steel outer barrel. Nicely machined fittings never happen today.

[Abasmajor]

The grip safety fitted to the 7th Series Titan and similar to that used on the Colt 45 ACP is another example of incorporating neat ideas into air pistols. The gun cannot be fired until the cocking lever at the rear is pressed tightly enough in the hand to deactivate the safety mechanism.



Brian

[Garvin]

I also love the gizmos as standard that you sometimes find fitted to prewar guns that became optional extras in later years, Brian.

The beautifully-machined peep sight on the Mk2 Service rifles springs to mind.

Another useful feature that must have cost next to nothing to add was the pellet sizer hole in the postwar Abas Major cocking lever.

Going even further back, to the eighteenth century and thereabouts, you had airguns tricked out with all sorts of unnecessary (but costly) features, like 'flintlock' flash pans, muzzle-loading ramrods and the like to make the transition from powder to air easier...

[rapidresponse1]

look very nice

[cinedux]

https://imgur.com/a/V5vMC1R

[Abasmajor]

The ratchet cocking lever and built-in pellet seater are also nice touches to the already innovative design of the Abas Major air pistol.



Brian

[Garvin]

Going even further back, to the eighteenth century and thereabouts, you had airguns tricked out with all sorts of unnecessary (but costly) features, like 'flintlock' flash pans, muzzle-loading ramrods and the like to make the transition from powder to air easier...

PS I wonder if the early 'flintlock' airguns were in fact disguised as real powder burners because airguns were generally viewed suspiciously as silent assassin's weapons?

[45flint]

PS I wonder if the early 'flintlock' airguns were in fact disguised as real powder burners because airguns were generally viewed suspiciously as silent assassin's weapons?

Or poacher’s rifles

[MDriskill]

I admire the way some touches were added for, apparently, nothing more than aesthetic correctness. Below is an example on a pre-war Diana model 27:

1. The top surface of the breech block is cylindrical. Its radius is slightly larger than, but concentric with, the barrel contour.
2. This surface forms a straight line where in intersects with the flat vertical surface of the breech block.
3. The top surface of the breech fork has a neat milled horizontal flat, that perfectly meets this line.

[Mark D]

I admire the way some touches were added for, apparently, nothing more than aesthetic correctness. Below is an example on a pre-war Diana model 27:

1. The top surface of the breech block is cylindrical. Its radius is slightly larger than, but concentric with, the barrel contour.
2. This surface forms a straight line where in intersects with the flat vertical surface of the breech block.
3. The top surface of the breech fork has a neat milled horizontal flat, that perfectly meets this line.

Interesting rear sight, it's identical in looks as the one fitted to the Hammerli Prinz pistol

[IMG]MVC00005 by davismark634, on Flickr[/IMG]

[Abasmajor]

I admire the way some touches were added for, apparently, nothing more than aesthetic correctness. Below is an example on a pre-war Diana model 27:

1. The top surface of the breech block is cylindrical. Its radius is slightly larger than, but concentric with, the barrel contour.
2. This surface forms a straight line where in intersects with the flat vertical surface of the breech block.
3. The top surface of the breech fork has a neat milled horizontal flat, that perfectly meets this line.

A perfect example of something that would receive scant consideration in a modern production environment.

Brian.

[MDriskill]

Interesting rear sight, it's identical in looks as the one fitted to the Hammerli Prinz pistol

[IMG]MVC00005 by davismark634, on Flickr[/IMG]

That little sight has a long history!

Left to right in this photo:
+ The pre-war German 27 in my photo above.
+ A post-war Milbro 27, with an identical sight, apparently a pre-war German component.
+ An early post-war German model 27. This sight is very similar, but not identical - you can see the blade is wider, and the front differently shaped. I know this sight was used on many Diana rifles, and also some early Weihrauch with the "Heym" name. This is likely what's on your Hammerli pistols.
+ Apparently zillions of these were made - you can still buy new ones from German suppliers (minus tensioning spring and pivot rod).

[Farsight]

Very similar to the Mk1 Meteor sight . Or the same ?