Other Rare production airguns?
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The HW 55 was based on the HW 50 sporter action of the day. As KWK noted, the "F" variant retained the HW 50's auto-detent breech. Never common, but available for quite a few years. Sometimes the F appears in the breech variant stamping (i.e., "HW 55SF", "MF," or "TF"), but - like this one - not always.
The "TF" is certainly rare, and that one is beautiful!
Here are four F-action HW 55's from the late Frank Korn's amazing collection. The TF on top with double-set triggers (!) must be the rarest HW 55 variant of all.
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Mike,
I have had several of these at recent Hickory AG shows. Unfortunately a couple are needing some work to be in shooting condition. Due to circumstances at the house right now a couple are "difficult" to get to. I can definitely bring the Diana 58 and Haenel V to the next Hickory show this fall.
Paul in Liberty County
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Yes. Very simple. BSA were getting a bit more serious about sights around the same period.
just had to remember your small screwdriver and a hammer/punch to zero in
Have another interesting one in pieces on the bench.
I’m sure you’ll be able to guess what it is from this one piece. No 126
Might need some advice about what to do with the stock. It’s a bit scruffy!
I saw a bsa break down for sale a while back . Thought about it but didn’t end up going after it. Perhaps I should have?
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Well that’s interesting because I do also have a 90 and it also was a victim of an enthusiastic stock refurbishment…..
Took off the etching also.
Upside was it had the diopter and open sight included.
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Yeah many of the Early AIrsporters, Club version, Mk1 and Mk2 lack the BSA logo on the L/h cheekpiece due to stocks being sanded down over the years. These would have gone the same way.
A good Airsporter MK1 with the logo in the stock make high prices.
A good Airsporter MK1 with the logo in the stock make high prices.
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On the Falke 90 the etching/impression is painted in gold; maybe a wood carver could duplicate it? I don't think Falke have serial numbers. The numbers on the tap lever and on the breech are fit or assembly numbers so that the hand lapped tap pivot will be correctly matched to the breech on final assembly? Similar fit numbers are found on the early HW55.
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Danny Garvin's old Falke forum is now part of his Vintage Airguns Gallery site, and functions as an informal database of Falke serial numbers.
Veering sideways a bit, since you mentioned HW 55's!
Older ones (serial on rear receiver) do carry all or part of the serial number in several different spots as an assembly aid. I recently discovered that newer ones (serial on the barrel), do the same thing with a 3-digit number, unrelated to the serial - photos from no. 878276.
Veering sideways a bit, since you mentioned HW 55's!
Older ones (serial on rear receiver) do carry all or part of the serial number in several different spots as an assembly aid. I recently discovered that newer ones (serial on the barrel), do the same thing with a 3-digit number, unrelated to the serial - photos from no. 878276.
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The post is about Rare Production airguns (AGs). In my opinion the 25 Imperial Air Rifles are not a "Production" airgun. That said, I am glad you posted the info - I always want to learn more about airguns. The pics of the HW55 and the M50 too, made me want one of each and I am an air pistol collector, again thanks for posting.
My example would be a Frank Clark Warrior pistol that is pictured on page 16 of the "Encylopedia of Spring Air Pistols" 2nd edition. This book quotes, "A particular rare and select group of Warriors . . . . " This air pistol was imported by Abercrombie & Fitch of New York. This air pistol usually comes as .177, but my A&F Warrior is in .22. This airgun was imported around 1932. I shoot this air pistol regularly. I have Acceles & Shelvoke collection of the only two models ever produced which, a Warrior and an Acvoke .
A newer, maybe kind of rare model is the Daisy powerline 41, which I just bought because it was only produced for 1 year. The pistol is stamped with a "D" indicating it was returned to Daisy for the 'drop fire recall' repair. I am not serious about co2 guns. I collect concentric spring pistols so the 41 is just a shooter, no box, no manual a for fun gun.
Maybe we such start a thread post about non -production rare airguns.
Best,
Andy
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My example would be a Frank Clark Warrior pistol that is pictured on page 16 of the "Encylopedia of Spring Air Pistols" 2nd edition. This book quotes, "A particular rare and select group of Warriors . . . . " This air pistol was imported by Abercrombie & Fitch of New York. This air pistol usually comes as .177, but my A&F Warrior is in .22. This airgun was imported around 1932. I shoot this air pistol regularly. I have Acceles & Shelvoke collection of the only two models ever produced which, a Warrior and an Acvoke .
A newer, maybe kind of rare model is the Daisy powerline 41, which I just bought because it was only produced for 1 year. The pistol is stamped with a "D" indicating it was returned to Daisy for the 'drop fire recall' repair. I am not serious about co2 guns. I collect concentric spring pistols so the 41 is just a shooter, no box, no manual a for fun gun.
Maybe we such start a thread post about non -production rare airguns.
Best,
Andy
Hy-score
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One of the Chinese guns you hardly ever see is the XS B7 sidelever. It's a sporter version of the XS B-3 with the side folding stock. I picked mine up @2003 from Golden Toller airguns in Maine. I never see them so I assume they are pretty uncommon. Here's mine with a bad camo paint job on the stock which I am in the process of redoing.
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I wish I’d had the foresight to pick up some of the oddball Chinese guns when they were cheap and plentiful. Another that I remember seeing was an mpp with a collapsible stock and a revolving magazine.
I thought a number of them were intriguing, but I never purchased any simply because I didn’t see myself shooting mediocre low end guns very much. It never occurred to me that they would become collectible in the not so distant future.
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I have an old Krico LG1 in .177, but it's a bit of an oddball in that it's a smoothbore. I couldn't find any other mention of one on the internet. If you have any info or input on it I'd love to hear about it. They are neat old guns and very well built from what I've seen.
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I guess this counts? Definitely not as rare as most here. I've been told from a couple credible sources that there were only 25 Beeman imported HW55Ts. Still not sure if I believe that, but anyway they don't seem to turn up super often.
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My LG1 is a .177 smoothbore also. The most interesting thing is that the trigger is different than the dialog in the Smith book. I need to make a piston sleeve because the cocking arm drags across the spring when you close the barrel. Absolutely hate that sound.
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Some amazing airguns here, but this ARH HW30S-X is only an unusual version of a very common one. This was marketed with a specific Williams sight to fit the 13mm dovetail, and a special Lyman front sight, no rear sight. This one unfortunately no longer has either of those original sights: only a standard Williams AG sight and the standard front sight...maybe sold to folks who wanted a very accurate airgun but who could not afford a HW55 or a match rifle? 
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Gecado (Diana 65) LH stock.
https://www.airgunnation.com/threads/gecado-diana-65.225819/
Not sure if you would consider Whiscombe a production gun and not sure how many he made but they are still rare air. There are a few on Ebay now. asking $7500
https://www.airgunnation.com/threads/gecado-diana-65.225819/
Not sure if you would consider Whiscombe a production gun and not sure how many he made but they are still rare air. There are a few on Ebay now. asking $7500
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Another super collectible turd is the Larc M19A. I used to have one of them back when you could still buy them new along with the cans of freon they ran on and man what a piece of junk it was. We're talking literal Hasbro build quality. Just super cheap plastic and a barrel that could have been cannibalized from a set of rabbit ears. I'm pretty sure they're only collectible because so few of them survived.
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