Is it a Venom?

[rapidshot]

Luckily I have paperwork and a receipt signed by Mr.Pope.

[HW777]

Don't forget some of these rifles are coming on for 38 years old so some parts would / have been replaced over time. Not all mine have their paperwork but I know their history and that they are genuine. Being friends with the team from 1983 help me gain some knowledge. Mach 1.5

Mach 1.5, Having shoot more than a few Venom/V mach tuned rifles over the years, I doubt a stated but non tuned Venom/V Mach rifle would pass your test

Atb

HW777

[look no hands]

I sort of had this dilemma the other year when I bought that Venom BSF Bavaria, it had the Venom stock and silencer and was obviously tuned but it was old and didn’t shoot overly well in my eyes, at the time it was the question of do I open it up and refresh the innards, which could have caused problems with collectors, it was swapped in the end for a lovely Longbow.

[JMH123]

The HW77 I’m looking at has the original 80s stock (which I love), blued transfer sleeve, set back trigger, top end blueing, brass safety, correct period scope etc. etc. I’ve followed these rifles since the mid 80s and this looks the nuts to my eye. Claimed Venom tuned….tbh it looks good and triggers the nostalgia enough that maybe it doesn’t matter (subject, as ever, to price!).

Takes me right back to being a young lad reading and re-reading Airgunner, making mix tapes off the ‘Top 40 show’, tinkering with my BSA Mercury and wondering what I had to do in life to buy a Venom 80/77 like the poster on my bedroom wall. John Darling syndrome……never leaves you.

[Craig-P]

Does the gun have other other modifications that sets it apart like transfer port adjustments, cylinder honing, deburring etc, that sets it apart from a standard rifle? Or was that not part of the stage one package?

No idea, mate. But to be fair, who’d turn up with calibration equipment when buying a second hand air rifle?
What I’m trying to say is some rifles have been maintained over the forty odd year period and as a result may not have original Venom parts inside - but they were still purchased from those hallowed premises all those years ago.
Paperwork is also extremely rare in these early cases. I’ve had three rifles purchased direct from Venom Arms, including a Relum Tornado I had tuned at Venomac. Each came with a piece of A5 notepaper, written onto a carbon copy sheet. I doubt many people kept that paperwork.

[Geezer]

No idea, mate. But to be fair, who’d turn up with calibration equipment when buying a second hand air rifle?
What I’m trying to say is some rifles have been maintained over the forty odd year period and as a result may not have original Venom parts inside - but they were still purchased from those hallowed premises all those years ago.
Paperwork is also extremely rare in these early cases. I’ve had three rifles purchased direct from Venom Arms, including a Relum Tornado I had tuned at Venomac. Each came with a piece of A5 notepaper, written onto a carbon copy sheet. I doubt many people kept that paperwork.

A Venom Relum is surely a rare bird, and kind of cool?

[Abu65]

The serial number on a rifle tells me alot about a so called venom, well that's if a serial number is available. The extras on the rifle should be correct of that period of course and also the sticker of the time. Yes Theoben and BSA did some blueing for a short while for Venom before they returned back to Webley. Mach 1.

I had a sharp inova that was a venom but sold it unfortunately the sticker was missing and only way you could tell I was told is because it was a bull pup and very few built

[Craig-P]

A Venom Relum is surely a rare bird, and kind of cool?

It was my uncles rifle and one of the very first air rifles I ever shot. It was given to me after my uncle passed away. I had it tuned at Venom Arms and reblued by Shaun.
It’s still nothing special (as it’s a Relum) and it’s still a dog to shoot - but it’s one of my most treasured possessions. My uncle was very special to me.

[Craig-P]

Even the chequering that is done today tries in my opinion to be an exact copy. So that is not a guide to authenticity.

I'm not sure I agree with the chequering comment. I've had dozens of of original Venom Arms stocks through here for refurbishment or repair one the years and the 'original chequering', especially that done at CS when they used powered chequering tools, has been at best, abysmal. If I wanted to replicate that I'd get stuck into a bottle of whisky before I commenced..
Even some of the later, hand cut work that was done at Webley Venom, (of which one of the guys who used to do it is a friend of mine and have a couple of his cutters here, so I'll choose my words carefully), hasn't been brilliant. A few examples of both can be seen here:







Multipoint chequering patterns which appear on Venom stocks are just that, there's nothing 'Venom' about this pattern as the design spans decades on shotgun and full bore stocks. It's impossible not to 'replicate it', when laying out certain patterns on certain stock areas.

[Round]

What is it about the name Venom that makes me hard ..

[gtfreight]

Don't forget some of these rifles are coming on for 38 years old so some parts would / have been replaced over time. Not all mine have their paperwork but I know their history and that they are genuine. Being friends with the team from 1983 help me gain some knowledge. Mach 1.5

Hi Paul,

I bought a 1966 HW35 and after I got it refurbed I was told that it could have been a Venom. The serial number is 149888. Do you know if is one?

Thanks,
Gary.

[Mach 1.5]

A 1965 HW35. So you would need to take it apart and have a look at the piston as it might be an O ring conversion but depends at what point the previous owner had it tuned. I haven't a record of serial numbers and guns tuned but full custom rifles serial numbers will give an indication of the period tuned
Venom Industries, Venom Arms, Venomac, Webley Venom.
Mach 1.5

[lightning22]

Hi Paul,

I bought a 1966 HW35 and after I got it refurbed I was told that it could have been a Venom. The serial number is 149888. Do you know if is one?

Thanks,
Gary.

I asked Steve Pope the same question and he said there were no records kept. The good news from that exchange was that he was happy that the action I had sent him was a genuine lazaglide.

[Mach 1.5]

Venom Conversions -Trapshot - Lye - 1981 - March 1984

Venom Arms Company - Gun Barrel Works - Cradley Heath.
24th March 1984 - 1995

Venomac Ltd. - Mucklow Hill - Halesowen.
1st August 1995 - September 1998

Webley Venom Custom Shop - Frankly Ind. Est.
October 1998 - 23rd December 2005

V-Mach - Stourbridge
10th April 2006 to 26th November 2020

[Thegreg]

I'm not sure I agree with the chequering comment. I've had dozens of of original Venom Arms stocks through here for refurbishment or repair one the years and the 'original chequering', especially that done at CS when they used powered chequering tools, has been at best, abysmal. If I wanted to replicate that I'd get stuck into a bottle of whisky before I commenced..
Even some of the later, hand cut work that was done at Webley Venom, (of which one of the guys who used to do it is a friend of mine and have a couple of his cutters here, so I'll choose my words carefully), hasn't been brilliant. A few examples of both can be seen here:



Multipoint chequering patterns which appear on Venom stocks are just that, there's nothing 'Venom' about this pattern as the design spans decades on shotgun and full bore stocks. It's impossible not to 'replicate it', when laying out certain patterns on certain stock areas.

Wow. The pistol grip panel in that first pic is arguably the worst example of checkering I’ve seen in my life. I’m aware that may sound like sacrilege when spoken about a Venom stock, but I’d question the soundness of mind of anyone who tried to defend it.

Cheers
Greg