Vintage .22 match air rifle?

[Heugher]

My local airgun club has started to allow .22 to compete with .177 in its pre-1975 vintage rifle class, shooting standing offhand. This is a bit barmy, as .22 punches a larger hole in the targets.
If you can't beat them, join them, so I am now looking for a .22 to use with a diopter. I thought an HW35E but please suggest any other suitable model.

[ptdunk]

Diana 50 came in .22.
I’m guessing all the ones with peep sights were in .177?

Matt

[Mach 1.5]

Webley MK3 and HW50. Mach 1.5

[steviebee]

Another vote for the webley mk3, or perhaps an original 50?
In regards to the .22 for target shooting, the .177 is inward scoring, whereas the .22 is outward scoring.
Love a nice vintage gun

[draitzer]

A few possibilities, in no particular order:
- Anschutz Hakim - I put a Williams peep on the dovetailed trigger block of mine, and they tend to be quite accurate.
- FWB 127 with a Williams or FWB sight.
- Early Anschutz 335? - not sure when they were first sold.
- Obviously, BSA pre-War underlevers fitted with one of the optional peep sights - 45Flint is tickled pink with his.
- Diana/Original 35 - same internals as their 50, and sold by Hy-Score in the U.S. as a target gun.

Don R.

[Garvin]

Falke 80 or 90 with diopter if you can find the combo.

[MDriskill]

Diana 50 came in .22.
I’m guessing all the ones with peep sights were in .177?

Matt

The model 50 below with full-tilt match stock, rotating front sight, and two-mode rear sight; and imported to the US with the "Peeriess" name (by Stoeger's of New York), is in .22 caliber. It would be interesting to know if a similar version was available in Europe (an "Original" in .22 seems like a natural for the UK though!).

Do the rules require "pure-bred" original guns? I don't think the HW 55 was made in .22 cal, but the HW 50 was, and its action drops right into the more competition-focused HW 55 stock. Weihrauch serials under 525000 or so would pre-date 1975.

[Vic Thompson]

From memory, didn't Milbro did their Diana Mod 27 based Targetmaster in 0.22 cal ? Possibly a "pick up and shoot" affordable item even if it lacks the charisma of other makes, and presumably one that secondhand spares would always be available for at any point in the future.

Just a suggestion, but I'll check the item out slow time using one of the various reference guides,

Vic Thompson.

[trajectory]

The model 50 below with full-tilt match stock, rotating front sight, and two-mode rear sight; and imported to the US with the "Peeriess" name (by Stoeger's of New York), is in .22 caliber. It would be interesting to know if a similar version was available in Europe.

Do the rules require "pure-bred" original guns? I don't think the HW 55 was made in .22 cal, but the HW 50 was, and will fit right into the match-style HW 55 stock. Weihrauch serials under 525000 or so would pre-date 1975.

Available in UK in full match spec. I've got one, very well made, sturdy construction. The trigger on the 50/35/27 series is very good providing it's in good order, it breaks very cleanly & is certainly as good as any of its contemporaries & I'd venture to suggest it's better than quite a few designs that came in later on. If you can cope with the weight of it then a 50 is a good option. The 35b is a little lighter but shares a similar sight set up. The 27 didnt as far as I know come with the more exotic sights that were available on the 35 & 50.

[MDriskill]

A few more notes on the Diana guns...

+ As draitzer mentioned, both the model 35 barrel-cocker and model 50 underlever were made in .22 with match sights - each in two versions. They went out of production in the early 1960's, after the 60-series recoilless Giss rifles were introduced.
+ The models 35M and 50M had the heavy full-contoured match stock seen above.
+ The models 35/b and 50/b had the same action with match sights, most of them in the trim stock used on sport versions of the guns. But rare late "b" variations of both used a more elaborate stock with deluxe checkering - effectively a slimmed-down version of the full Match wood.
+ The rear rails on all these guns will accept the later Diana Diopter 60 and Diopter 75 sights (but NOT the later Diopter 75 T01). The early sights are nifty, but the later ones more practical as they can take different eye disks, accessory adjustable irises, etc.
+ Later versions of all four models in fact discarded the early sights in favor of the Diopter 60 rear and Diana tunnel front sights. Again, the latter is an advantage as it can take many different inserts, including ring types which were not possible on the early rotating-post front sight (Diana inserts interchange with vintage Walther and FWB ones, by the way).

Early model 35/b in sport stock. Again, this one is in .22 with "Peerless" markings:




Late model 50/b with upgrade stock, early rear sight, and late front sight, from Dennis Hiller's Collector's Guide to Air Rifles (which has good coverage of all these). I briefly owned one of these years ago, which now that I think about it, was in .22 with "Original" markings!