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Weihrauch HW55
- Thread starter kingfisher61
- Start date
K61, your photo above from the Danny Garvin's fantastc Vintage Airguns site is from one that I sent him years ago.
These ten beauties are NOT my HW 55's (waaahhh!), but belong to an anonymous friend in Alabama. He is a pro-quality gunsmith who typically refinishes the stocks, and does some preservation / restoration work on metal parts (one is awaiting re-blueing in these shots). As you can see he also loves to outfit them with vintage accessories!
These ten beauties are NOT my HW 55's (waaahhh!), but belong to an anonymous friend in Alabama. He is a pro-quality gunsmith who typically refinishes the stocks, and does some preservation / restoration work on metal parts (one is awaiting re-blueing in these shots). As you can see he also loves to outfit them with vintage accessories!
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Mr. Driskill thank you for taking the time to write such an informative post. I'm grateful for your input.
When I first received my 55, I was kinda freaked out by the front site. Then I found out it was original. Glad I didn't get crazy and remove it.
The chronology of the sites is textbook material. Again thank you for participating. The pictures from VAG are also something special. Museum visit via the web. Where else will you see such a beautiful display of 55s? The added Vintage components are impressive. Those alone are rare and require a Safari hunt to find.
When I first received my 55, I was kinda freaked out by the front site. Then I found out it was original. Glad I didn't get crazy and remove it.
The chronology of the sites is textbook material. Again thank you for participating. The pictures from VAG are also something special. Museum visit via the web. Where else will you see such a beautiful display of 55s? The added Vintage components are impressive. Those alone are rare and require a Safari hunt to find.
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Thank you...and I totally forgot to mention how gorgeous your HW 55 DST is! Those are certainly very rare, and that is really an exceptional example.
The HW 55's longevity - going back to Weihrauch's earliest days - makes it quite interesting to collect. Most examples found in the US are ARH or Beeman imports from the 1960's and later, whose actions are all quite similar. But the early ones have many variations in details. For example three different standard trigger designs preceded the famous Rekord, plus two variations of the rare double-set trigger, and many tweaks to the Rekord itself. And the variations in match diopter rear sights far outnumber the front sight changes.
Y'all might enjoy this older AGN post on the 55's latter-day stock variations.
HW/Weihrauch - HW 55 stock variations
Having been a fan of the HW 55 for years, I've come to admire how each of the different stock designs is its own little masterpiece. + The 55S is a true dual-use gun - what the frugal German used to win the match, and then shoot dinner on the way home! Tough beech wood, clean smooth shape with...
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I soooooo want to own one of those 55s with the finger groove fore end.
I have heard repeatedly about how lively they are in hand, coupled with the accuracy the 55 is renowned for........... what is not to desire there I ask you?
Thanks as always to you fine folks that keep the history alive.
I have heard repeatedly about how lively they are in hand, coupled with the accuracy the 55 is renowned for........... what is not to desire there I ask you?
Thanks as always to you fine folks that keep the history alive.
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I have read your posts on different forums and really appreciate the history and photos that you contribute. Whenever I see your posts I want to hunt down a HW55 or older version HW50 of my own.The HW 55 was made for almost half a century starting in the early 1950's, and along with different stocks, etc., there were countless evolutionary changes. Kingfisher61's gun is a very early one. The fixed-post front sight is correct, and also note the much shorter threaded rear section, cast metal buttplate, side screws in the fore end, longer heavier barrel, and different trigger guard. And many other subtle detail diffs if you look close.
Here's a selection of HW 55 front sights. Left to right in order of age:
+ Fixed blade in transverse dovetail, same as in the OP. These came with a snap-on hood which often gets lost.
+ Later sight with interchangeable milled posts, this one still has its hood.
+ Another version of the interchangeable post version, again with a missing hood.
+ The first style of tunnel sight with flat metal inserts. There were some variations in height with these, but note the low rectangular mounting dovetail. They use the same inserts as later sights.
+ The taller tunnel sight with trapezoidal dovetail, standardized by the early 1960's and by far the most commonly seen today of course.
View attachment 349973
Here's a detail of the neat milled posts (note the retaining screw at the front). Other makes of guns at the time used these too.
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Thanks for the kind words gents! I should mention that those photos of my friend's HW 55's are 10+ years old. I haven't seen him in some time, and don't know where his collection stands today.
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Hopefully not standing. That's not good for HW55 butt pads. HA HA! I keep mine on their sides.
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Ha, I hear ya - my HW 55's are also stored horizontally.
But here's a super cheapie solution for curved rubber buttplates stored vertically, of which I also have a few. Using plain old corrugated cardboard, cut a base to fit the slot in the gun cabinet, and curved scraps that are a smaller radius than the gun's buttplate. Thus the weight rests on the buttplate's center, and not its "ears."
But here's a super cheapie solution for curved rubber buttplates stored vertically, of which I also have a few. Using plain old corrugated cardboard, cut a base to fit the slot in the gun cabinet, and curved scraps that are a smaller radius than the gun's buttplate. Thus the weight rests on the buttplate's center, and not its "ears."
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And I now own one.
1965 HW55S that is.
Purchased earlier today at the Findlay Ohio show from Mr. Driskill.
My expectations were exceeded, and this is exactly what a low powered Sporting/Match rifle is supposed to be.
Enough depth in the stock forearm to shoot accurately without the full on squarish match look, and light enough that it isn't burdensome to tote around the back yard popping the odd sparrow or pine cone.
The shot cycle is quite pleasant, and the rifle overall, is quite refined in manner.
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Glad you got your dream HW55. That‘s a beauty.
Another way to store safely upright. The dowels are on the screws in the butt pad. Can be used with or without the dowels.
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Thanks Chuck, great to see you yesterday. Glad you like it (and had the diopter for it!), and hope you will continue to enjoy it. Best as I can figger, it dates from 1965.
I should mention that r1lover had a hand in that one - it came from a friend of his in CA that he put me in touch with. I never had it apart but it was obviously nicely maintained and shot quite well.
I should mention that r1lover had a hand in that one - it came from a friend of his in CA that he put me in touch with. I never had it apart but it was obviously nicely maintained and shot quite well.
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Always a pleasure to meet and talk to you sir.
I have to tell you that from the first shot with a RWS Hobby wadcutter, I was hooked. An immediate grin formed, and I just nodded my head in the affirmative because I was remembering all the talk that lead up to my desire to acquire this particular model of HW55.
What a shot cycle! So smooth and well mannered.
The 13mm Diopter that I had squirreled away, went right on and completed my vision of what I was after.
I do not know if you saw it or not, but a fellow on the opposite side of the room had a 1969 55S with a busted stock that had been repaired. I bought that one as well, and it is earmarked for disassembly this week. I intend to do a little refurb and resto on it, using it as a learning tool before I attempt to explore the inner workings of a much nicer example.
The 'fixer upper' 55 is still sporting all leather breech and piston seals and appears to be a virgin. There are no marks on the screw heads or other indicators that it has been apart. It is the test bed so to speak.
Outside of the stock broken at the wrist, the 1969 55s is not in hateful condition. I believe that some thorough care and cleaning, parts refurbishment or replacement, and acquiring appropriate sights, will see it back in service. If nothing else, it will have 'character' due to what appears to be honest wear through use over the years.
@r1lover PMed me earlier with some tips and tidbits of useful info.
Some stock options were brought up, and we shall see what I manage to come up with.
Regards
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I picked that injured one up a couple times - glad it's in your hands!
One interesting detail on older 55's (including the one you got from me) is that the breech leade has a subtle taper - done by actually banging a mandrel in there. These guns tend to prefer pellets with a larger skirt diameter, so I find the classic older RWS designs (Hobby, Meisterkugeln, S'dome, etc.) are usually best in them.
Not sure when they quit doing this, possibly 40xxxx serial range.
One interesting detail on older 55's (including the one you got from me) is that the breech leade has a subtle taper - done by actually banging a mandrel in there. These guns tend to prefer pellets with a larger skirt diameter, so I find the classic older RWS designs (Hobby, Meisterkugeln, S'dome, etc.) are usually best in them.
Not sure when they quit doing this, possibly 40xxxx serial range.
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Funny thing is, the only reason I knew of that peculiarity, was due to a post of yours some time ago.
I do not recall if it was the old Yellow, GTA or the Vintage Gallery forum.
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Well, the 'fixer upper' or beater HW55 that I picked up at Findlay looked like this
You can see that the stock was broken clear through the wrist at some point and repaired.
There were also remnants of epoxy or some other tenacious adhesive on the barrel at the front sight dovetail and the breech end at the block.
Between old lube and dust, a bit of crust, and accumulated grunge, there was very little freckling in a few spots, but no outright corrosion.
It is a 1969 HW55S model, serial #322796.
I bought this rifle so I could take it down into component bits to learn the inner workings of the platform, before attempting the same on a nicer example.
The leather breech and piston seals were reinvigorated with Neatsfoot oil. Why neatsfoot oil you ask? Because I imagine that is what one would have used in 1969, that's why.
The component bits,,compression tube, barrel etc., were all vigorously cleaned and descuzzed, epoxy residue removed, and stock reworked..........
It now looks like this
What is better at disguising defects in the grip area than stippling I ask?
That picture shows that I need to do a little touch up with the black on my borders, and in the stippling itself. Once that is done, I will knock the shine off of it and force a little patina on the reworked area, so it more closely follows the overall condition of the original stock.
The inspiration for the stippling move came when I was sitting in a chair pondering stock options. Raising my head, I looked straight at the nicely STIPPLED grip area on my HW55 Champ. A HW55 with a stippled grip is standard to type, this one is just 3 decades too early!
You can see that the stock was broken clear through the wrist at some point and repaired.
There were also remnants of epoxy or some other tenacious adhesive on the barrel at the front sight dovetail and the breech end at the block.
Between old lube and dust, a bit of crust, and accumulated grunge, there was very little freckling in a few spots, but no outright corrosion.
It is a 1969 HW55S model, serial #322796.
I bought this rifle so I could take it down into component bits to learn the inner workings of the platform, before attempting the same on a nicer example.
The leather breech and piston seals were reinvigorated with Neatsfoot oil. Why neatsfoot oil you ask? Because I imagine that is what one would have used in 1969, that's why.
The component bits,,compression tube, barrel etc., were all vigorously cleaned and descuzzed, epoxy residue removed, and stock reworked..........
It now looks like this
What is better at disguising defects in the grip area than stippling I ask?
That picture shows that I need to do a little touch up with the black on my borders, and in the stippling itself. Once that is done, I will knock the shine off of it and force a little patina on the reworked area, so it more closely follows the overall condition of the original stock.
The inspiration for the stippling move came when I was sitting in a chair pondering stock options. Raising my head, I looked straight at the nicely STIPPLED grip area on my HW55 Champ. A HW55 with a stippled grip is standard to type, this one is just 3 decades too early!
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