Rare 'German' Rifle

[Mr D]

I have had some experience with air-rifles other than the BSA Airsporter (self-opening tap), namely the Weihrauch 'Export' rifle with which I was extremely impressed, although my close relationship with my own arm precluded an unpatriotic lapse.

The Frenchman, recently returned to the Cross Keys with his trademark onions and striped Breton jersey, has been regaling me with stories of a rare 'German' air rifle, made by the very Weihrauch foundry as made the Export.

Apparently there are only three in existence, and have the rare quality of complete accuracy. The margin of dispersion is 0.0, group sizes being the same size at ten paces as they are at 40. Of course striking-power reduces with distance, and regrettably they were only made in .177 (No.1 bore) due to the 'German Nation' causing such trouble with small-arms in their brief history.

The rifle is called a 'Weihrauch HW 01 Meisterluftwaffenstutzenshutzenperfektstrafenleibe nsfrausubermaussparkassenleiter'
It is a break-barrel with the lock of a HW55, but all other parts are handmade, hand-ground and hand-baked.

Apparently, the wife of a Weihrauch worker complained that he was always 31 minutes late on Thursdays and Fridays. He explicated that he was making sure the foundry equipment was in 100% perfect condition, so that the products were made to a recognised standard of perfection.

She retorted that perfection was 'not attainable in this world'. He retorted by secretly manufacturing the HW 01, the perfect 'air-powered lead-slinger'.

Further production of the 01 was suppressed as it would destroy the market for any other airgun, ever. And also it took 2000 hours of hand-work to produce each one, thus making it cost over $120,000 per unit.

Allegedly, NASA were planning to take one to the Moon , as one pellet fired 2m above the lunar surface would return to the firer a few inches lower sometime later, thus giving a more accurate circumference measure of the Moon than has been previously available.

Only three HW 01s were made. If anyone has seen them, at least give report of them, as all in the Cross Keys think the Frenchman is a mendacious liar-fish. According to him they were stolen by a pack of Alsatian dogs in the winter of '56.

Yours in Sport

Mr D