Interesting to see AGW October 79 advert from Norman May stating that the Vixen de luxe action with 19 1/2 inch barrel now fitted with selected E model stock. Mach 1.5
The 35 was available with the long or standard barrel with choice of stock . I think it was HC who were responsible for the Export being known as having the 22 inch barrel when in fact it refers to the stock style .
I have a short rail 35S in .177 with the long barrel , it also has matching serial numbers on barrel , action and block .
They also advertised the 'final batch' of Vixens with numbering 1-100 and a Vixen's head engraving - never seen one and I am not sure if the 100 was a realistic figure ?
I would be interested to know how many they actually produced as shortly after they were launched when everyone was power mad the Webley Vulcan mk1 cost £32.99when the Vixen was well over £100.
I have a HW35E Vixen 22" barrel in .177 with Air Logic adapter and moderator which allows the use of the original open sights.........It is Long !!! (think drey poking poles)
I bought a Vixen tuning kit which didn’t work. It comprised a PTFE block piston ‘washer’ which you were supposed to ‘cold-form’ by repeatedly dry firing it (felt like airgun abuse), and a very thick steel liner which you were supposed to super-glue or epoxy inside the piston to reduce the inside diameter, and then what looked like an Airsporter spring. I don’t think there was a different guide or top hat…. I think it was before top-hat and guide theory was invented.
The liner detached, the seal didn’t and I returned the rifle to stock which was definitely the best tune for a leather seal 35. Cost a fair bit of money that ‘tune’. Todays kits are so much better, you youngsters don’t know you’re living…
December 1979
Standard - £135
De Luxe - £159
Export - £170
Mach 1.5
I bought a Hoffman earlier this year
Stock is really good, as £25 was a weeks wages back then, would probably go for the std stock….
![]()
Who would buy a standard model? Not too many shooters could afford those prices back in 1979 and we went aware of the advantages of a tuned rifle over a standard one I dare say back then. Mach 1.5
The Sport was probably the best - most accurate and most powerful in .177 - of that era but it was lightweight and had an adequate but inferior trigger … both aspects making it more difficult to shoot accurately than something like a Vixen. It’s very much cheaper though so the Vixen was really very exclusive … or rather excluding.
I see the last 100 where advertised May 1981 AGW. Mach 1.5
Never seen one I must say. Had four over the years and all mine have been 1979 vintage. Mach 1.5