HW35 Export?

[TonyL]

I think it's pretty fair to say that, back in the 70s / very early 80s, some may not have performed as some hoped. But mainly as regards power. This may have been down to the well-documented porous breech issues. But may have been due to guns not making 11.999999 ft.lbs that was so lusted after by some. Maybe some needed to just be properly run in? However, they've always been very solid and reliable. And dependably accurate. To the point where, in my book, it's far more than a "yard gun". Multi-purpose, too. Scoped up, a "longer range" tack driver. But fabulous at bell target and paper target shooting disciplines with its superb open sights / option dioptres.

Did I tell anyone that I love them?

[Mach 1.5]

A collector friend of mine had a venom 35 from 1983. It was doing a comfortable 14.6 ft lbs before he took a few coils off the spring to bring it down to 11 ft lbs. Mach 1.5

[Muskett]

The 80's "power craze" where lighter fluid down the transfer port was le rigour But so was sniffing glue.

Farmyard is more than a backyard. Backyard was for Cadet Majors.

I suspect some of the power thing was getting the .22 dustbin to get beyond 30m with a little less loop. Everyone bought .22 for vermin as few ever tried to go beyond farmyard ranges. With the new fangled Jap inexpensive scopes everyone could see the critters better
A big rifle like the 35 should have got right out there, but didn't quite....177 there wasn't enough oomph either.
Heck a Webley Vulcan MK1 had more whack on Dinky Toy tanks than an expensive 35.

So the wonderful hobby of tuning went ballistic to get better ballistics.

Then, 40 years ago, I just bought a FWB Sport, which was better

[Mach 1.5]

My old FWB Sport ran at 14.8. Comfortable..again it was detuned years ago. Back in the day these old classics were designed for the USA with no power limits. Amazing to see the HW35 still in production after all these years. A timeless classic. Mach 1.5

[Muskett]

My old FWB Sport ran at 14.8. Comfortable..again it was detuned years ago. Back in the day these old classics were designed for the USA with no power limits. Amazing to see the HW35 still in production after all these years. A timeless classic. Mach 1.5

You mean you ran out if lighter fuel and too young to buy more?

Some imported rifle did run a bit hot. The old sledge pendulums for testing power weren't that reliable.

[tinbum]

That Moonlighter demanded that 35m was a tac driving reachable range. If it has the BDC then circa 1984 onwards.

The Moonlighter has BDC but no AO. It currently resides on my very spoilt HW80

[T 20]

A collector friend of mine had a venom 35 from 1983. It was doing a comfortable 14.6 ft lbs before he took a few coils off the spring to bring it down to 11 ft lbs. Mach 1.5

Hi Paul.

The HW35 is one of my favourite platforms to play with, I found my 1972 HW35 was very easy to get upto 15ftlbs with a piston head change and a longer stroke --- I should point out that this happened accidentally after I sealed the porous breech.

The earlier leather sealed HW35s normally had a 65mm stroke and a 4mm transfer port, Hw35s after serial number 843636 had a lighter synthetic sealed piston and a stroke of 69mm and a 2.8-3mm transfer port.

Starting with the earlier leather sealed piston it's very easy to alter them to take a synthetic seal and alter them to a 71mm stroke for a calmer firing cycle.

Venom used to advertise the early HW35 at 15ftlbs at FAC power, from the few pictures I've seen of the internals of these guns they used an O ringed piston head with a longer stroke.
Once the synthetic seal was introduced in 1981 Venom seam to have ditched using O rings as the factory seal was efficient enough to get the job done.


I'm presently rust bluing a .177" HW35k barrel to fit to my .22" HW35 with rotary piston in order to bring its power back under 12ftlbs --- I'd rather swap barrels than mess with action, and .177" pellets are cheaper than .22".




All the best Mick

[tinbum]

The earlier leather sealed HW35s normally had a 65mm stroke and a 4mm transfer port, Hw35s after serial number 843636 had a lighter synthetic sealed piston and a stroke of 69mm and a 2.8-3mm transfer port.




All the best Mick

That's interesting Mick, this one is serial no. 854636, maybe it's a little earlier than I thought? Perhaps it was bought with the Moonlighter as a kit? I'll start scouring the mags to see where it could've come from

[T 20]

That's interesting Mick, this one is serial no. 854636, maybe it's a little earlier than I thought? Perhaps it was bought with the Moonlighter as a kit? I'll start scouring the mags to see where it could've come from

It could have come as a complete kit from Optima, Nick.

From memory, Optima were the biggest importers of HWs after Hull Cartridge.


All the best Mick

[tinbum]

It could have come as a complete kit from Optima, Nick.

From memory, Optima were the biggest importers of HWs after Hull Cartridge.


All the best Mick

Found it! It would have cost £275 if it was bought in 1992. Working on s/h price being approx 2/3 of new, I got a bloody bargain!

[Muskett]

The Moonlighter has BDC but no AO. It currently resides on my very spoilt HW80

My Moonlighters are the same. I reparallaxed mine to 25m for x9 magnification by winding out? the front lens. Factory they came parallaxed either 50m or 100m. Well, not anything air rifle range useful.

As glass goes the very first, no BDC, I think were the best, but I might be wrong as they could all be the same. I only have an early 4x40 to compare to. The glass isn't the brightest if compared to say Leupold in its day, and certainly showing its age now. Some Tascos were brighter as were the odd other branded, though Optimas were better than most. No one else did the 45 objective size which was super cool
In those days we didn't know better, and to us they were the bee's knees. They certainly gave a great sight picture for hunting to air rifle ranges in the early morning and at dusk.
I prefer the scale of the Moonlighter to that of the Super Moonlighter, especially on the HW 35s, Sports, and Original 45. John Darling's HW80 had the Super Moonlighter. I've had one in the past and, to my eyes, for all the added bulk it didn't pull in any noticeable "more light".
Lastly, Apel one piece mounts always finish the vintage look.

Mid 1980's more power and bigger scopes were the fashion. They didn't actually add anything, and if anything cause a lot of grief. Better was just practice, practice, practice, with what you had, and get familiar with it all. Range was what you could hit a Polo mint at consistently in all weathers and positions.

I know you know all this, but its all a blast from the past and I thought I'd put it down for the younger readers
The HW35E was heavily promoted packaged with a Moonlighter. Even the weaved sling is very much of its day. A two piece scope mount was usual, though these would break if over tightened; they barely held the scope solid enough so were regularly over tightened.

[T 20]

Found it! It would have cost £275 if it was bought in 1992. Working on s/h price being approx 2/3 of new, I got a bloody bargain!

I reckon that yours was bought in about 1982, Nick, as Weihrauch serial numbers hit 1000000 in mid 1983.

[tinbum]

I reckon that yours was bought in about 1982, Nick, as Weihrauch serial numbers hit 1000000 in mid 1983.

As early as that eh? Maybe I'll have a go at smartening up the stock and find a nice, shiny scope for it, though the optima is the right age.....

[Muskett]

The Moonlighter is so "right'" for its vintage.

[T 20]

As early as that eh? Maybe I'll have a go at smartening up the stock and find a nice, shiny scope for it, though the optima is the right age.....

As a double check, pre 1986 guns only had two scope arrester holes in the back block.

The three arrester hole back block was introduced when the MK2 HW77 was introduced in the Autumn of 1985.



All the best Mick