Best air rifle back in 1950'/60's ?

[Powderfinger]

Were HW35s widely available in Britain in the 1960s? What company was the importer? And would a freeborn Briton buy one considering he had been bombed, strafed, wounded and possibly imprisoned by their country of origin? Would he not favour the products of booming and illustrious British industry whatever their shortcomings?

[Geezer]

In the U.K. the top end would have been either a Mk3 or an Airsporter.

HW35 undoubtedly a fine choice. As were the German “Original” Dianas like the 50 and 35. BSF if you could find one. And as Powderfinger says, if you were prepared, and many weren’t, to buy a German product.

Most people were I think more likely to be using Milbro Dianas, Meteors and things like the Webley Falcon. Or older pre-WW2 BSAs and the like.

[Shed tuner]

interesting question.

I'm going with early airsporter mk1/2, as the HW35 was too "foreign"

[crowbar]

The Mk1 Airsporter !

The Hw35 had crap braizing, a droopy barrel a oversize comp tube for piston bounce and a transfer port miles too long .

[ratbuster2240]

When I open up old Airgun World Magazines from the 70/80s, I'm guaranteed to see one or two gents with a bucket hat and an HW35.

[Abasmajor]

Another vote for the BSA Mk1 Airsporter.

Brian

[Faerie]

Having been around at the time, I can say that most people were using Webleys and BSAs, with the MK3 Webley and the Airsporter being the most common. There were a few German guns around, which I suspect were brought home by National Servicemen who had served in Germany and bought them there - import duties were high in the post-war years, putting guns such as Orginals and Weirauchs practically out of reach for all but the most well off.

[HW777]

interesting question.

I'm going with early airsporter mk1/2, as the HW35 was too "foreign"

Options were limited back then and the Airsporters were the most modern at the time.

How many German rifles reached our shores at the time is anyone's guess.

The Falke 80 would have been a good choice for those with very deep pockets.

A lot of 50/60's rifles in use must have been pre war models still going strong, which does widen the choice with their triggers smoothed out over time or fettled by the shed tuner of the day

[T 20]

Options were limited back then and the Airsporters were the most modern at the time.

How many German rifles reached our shores at the time is anyone's guess.

The Falke 80 would have been a good choice for those with very deep pockets.

A lot of 50/60's rifles in use must have been pre war models still going strong, which does widen the choice with their triggers smoothed out over time or fettled by the shed tuner of the day

I've shot a Falke 80 and a Falke 90 John.

They're nice and well made and all that, but they do nothing over and above what a MK1 Airsporter will do --- I've no idea how they're accuracy compares.



All the best Mick

[HW777]

I've shot a Falke 80 and a Falke 90 John.

They're nice and well made and all that, but they do nothing over and above what a MK1 Airsporter will do --- I've no idea how they're accuracy compares.



All the best Mick

How do the Falke's compare to Airsporters in build quality Mick ?

There are a number of makes that have not been mentioned, BSF, Sharp, Benjamin and Sheridan to name a few

If would appear air guns were viewed as lowly creations to the shooting set some 70 years ago and even now If you mention air guns in certain circles you are not deemed worthy until you have your shot gun or fac ticket.

Webley & Scott and BSA are gone in all but name, I really think they could have done better 70 years ago but as mentioned above, that no doubt had a lot to do with it.

All the best

John

[VALE BOY]

I would describe the Falke 80 and 90 as similar to the Mk 1 and 2 Airsporters with the concealed cocking lever which pulls the piston on cocking rather than the more conventional ‘pushing’ method and automatically opening loading tap but made with Webley Mk3 build quality.
They are extremely nice to shoot and it’s such a shame they only had a very brief production run of several years in the mid 50’s.

[Faerie]

If would appear air guns were viewed as lowly creations to the shooting set some 70 years ago and even now If you mention air guns in certain circles you are not deemed worthy until you have your shot gun or fac ticket.

Much less than 70 years ago, in my own experience.
40 years ago I was keeping my village including the 2 local pubs supplied with rabbits, all taken with air rifles, but still encountered a lot of snobbery from the FAC crowd for not being a "proper" shooter. Oddly, it was usually from target shooters, while those who were hunters were very accepting, perhaps because having done it themselves they knew that stalking rabbits can be every bit as difficult as stalking deer. Some reckon it's even harder.

Every small town had it's gun club in those days and you could acquire an FAC simply by joining your local club & (assuming you didn't "blot your copy book" during your probationary period) the members would support your application, and it then became almost a formality that you'd be granted a license.
The downside of this was that if you shot air guns & weren't a member of a gun club then you were assumed to be either a mere "wannabe" or worse, someone who'd had their application turned down. Hence airguns were seen either as children's guns or for those unfit to hold an FAC.

[tikkapaul]

interesting question.

I'm going with early airsporter mk1/2, as the HW35 was too "foreign"

Got to agree shot more with Airsporters than any other including PCPs

[where's it gone]

In the late 60's I remember my dad had a BSA Meteor in .22 for shooting rats down the chicken house which was about 20ish yards away down the garden. It had all the power and accuracy, open sights, to do the job

[Kuyajonathan]

Were HW35s widely available in Britain in the 1960s? What company was the importer? And would a freeborn Briton buy one considering he had been bombed, strafed, wounded and possibly imprisoned by their country of origin? Would he not favour the products of booming and illustrious British industry whatever their shortcomings?

Agree with above, plus as said import duty penalised imports
same for motor cycles, cars at that time, BMW 's were good, but pricey against home built BSA's, Triumph's, Norton & AMC group bikes.
Same applied to most goods at that time ,
My preference would be BSA Cadet/Major, then Meteor & Airsporter's, Webly MK3 . Recall few Diana's - small battered budget models, mid 60's onwards Milbro started importing Diana? Recall seeing Original pistols in local gun shop, pricey, target models