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

[HW777]

No not target....what the common man would be using for vermin control, informal target and back garden plinking.

The criteria

Accuracy

Build quality

Power

Acceptable trigger ( no creepy critters )

And I think it's already a given that Eley Wasp were the best pellet

[T 20]

HW35.

And no that's not because I'm a Weihrauch fanboy --- it's based on the HW35's Rekord trigger, sights, accuracy, build quality, ease of maintainance and potential power output.

It's no surprise that the HW35 is still on production after 71 years --- a good design is always a good design.



All the best Mick

[I. J.]

HW35.

And no that's not because I'm a Weihrauch fanboy --- it's based on the HW35's Rekord trigger, sights, accuracy, build quality, ease of maintainance and potential power output.

It's no surprise that the HW35 is still on production after 71 years --- a good design is always a good design.



All the best Mick

/\ /\ /\ /\ /\ /\ /\
What he said.

[Farsight]

Surely the Meteor has to be a contender ? More than adequate in all the prescribed aspects and actually affordable by the masses. Light and handy as well.
Were 35s that available and cheap enough to be in reach of the common man at the time ; does anyone know how they compared in those respects ?

Atb
Mark

[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 .

[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

[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

[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

[wints]

Still got Dads mk1 Airsporter. He died many years ago, and when I asked Mum if she remembered what had happened to the rifle she denied all knowledge of it.
When Mum passed 10 years ago the rifle turned up squirreled away at the back of her wardrobe. Still remember Dad coming home with loads of rabbits, and the occassional hare. It's just missing a front sight, but I do have a plink now and again, tin cans only. It's so much lighter than my TX200.

Allen

[45flint]

Two answers: I shot these two and if I had one I wouldn’t give up it’s the Webley MK3!

In the US I would have to say the Crosman 160 with a Williams aperture is one of the best airguns of the era in question.
CO2 means no recoil or cocking, don’t underestimate this rifle. Here it is scoped. This example is from the 1950’s. I believe during its heyday these couldn’t be imported into the UK.

[HW777]

HW35.

And no that's not because I'm a Weihrauch fanboy --- it's based on the HW35's Rekord trigger, sights, accuracy, build quality, ease of maintainance and potential power output.

It's no surprise that the HW35 is still on production after 71 years --- a good design is always a good design.



All the best Mick

That is some testament to a rifle Mick.

The Hw35 that has even been speculated to have been on the drawing board before the second world war.

Details are somewhat vague as to when Weihrauch's did start appearing in the UK and as some of us know, even when they did they got called Werehawks

If by some quantum leap I found myself back in the 1950's.

The first thing would be, a real pint of Ale, second, fish n chips wrapped in newspaper and then a trip to Germany to see what our Germanic cousins would let this old boy take back to blighty.

A Hw50, Falke 80 if I could find one and the third rifle, I don't really have to say it do I ?


All the best

John

[AC99]

From the mid-50's to mid-60's I owned a Cadet Major, Webley mk3 and Airsporter mk1, in that order and my mate next door had a Meteor mk1. All these satisfied the criteria in the original post for vermin control, informal target shooting and back garden plinking.

Back then in rural Essex we had never seen, let alone shot, any 'foreign' airguns including the HW35 but I am sure if I had been aware of its positive attributes - Rekord trigger etc - I may well have been tempted to buy one.