Scans of a minty HW brochure from 1959. Note the “received” stamp on the cover: HP White Labs did all the velocity testing for WHB Smith’s famous 1957 book “Gas, Air, and Spring Guns of the World.”
Points of interest: only three basic models (HW 30 and pistols not invented yet)...note descriptions at the bottom of each page, of model variations which are not illustrated...two styles of very nifty match sights...Rekord trigger on the 35 and 55, but not yet the 50...awesome detail drawings on the last page.
I have to put in a plug for Postimage: the first photo-hosting site I’ve found since The Great Photo*****t Debacle, that lets me work easily from the iPad.
Interesting that they apparently had different diopter sights for the 35 and 55. Target and sport models maybe?
Very interesting front sight they list for the 35, too. Don't think I've ever seen front sight inserts like those before.
Cool stuff, Mike. Thanks for posting it. (Makes me wish I could read German, lol.)
Jim, the sights are an interesting snap shot of evolution in action, LOL.
The diopter shown on the HW 35 is an older style, every bit of it made of milled steel; the HW 55 sight is the first version of their later “square” diopter, though it too is slimmer and has more steel than the all-alloy version more familiar from later years. The early style had been used on earlier HW 55’s, so I think you are seeing old stock being cleared out here.
Same with the front sights. The nifty HW 35 front with the gorgeous little milled interchangeable posts, had at one time been seen on the HW 55. The sight seen in the brochure on the HW 55 is their first style to use sheet-metal inserts. The sight looks quite different from later ones, but the inserts are the same still used today.
I’d give a pretty penny for an OEM set of those milled posts! That being said, the same general type and size of gadget seems to have been used on other brands, and they turn up pretty regularly on Ebay...search there for “Anschutz” and you will probably see some.
Thanks for the info about the sights. Interesting how some things change while others remain pretty much the same thru time. The Rekord trigger in those parts illustrations looks pretty much the same as today's version.
Thanks once again for the terrific info, Mike. I always learn something when I read your posts! I would love to see you put all your knowledge of these old spring guns and their accessories into a book (or two or three) with your lovely photos to illustrate them.
Scans of a minty HW brochure from 1959. Note the “received” stamp on the cover: HP White Labs did all the velocity testing for WHB Smith’s famous 1957 book “Gas, Air, and Spring Guns of the World.”
Points of interest: only three basic models (HW 30 and pistols not invented yet)...note descriptions at the bottom of each page, of model variations which are not illustrated...two styles of very nifty match sights...Rekord trigger on the 35 and 55, but not yet the 50...awesome detail drawings on the last page.
I love seeing old air gun (and other 'toy') catalogs. I also love the idea of aperture sights, but unfortunately, my eyesight isn't good enough to use them in the real world.
I put a nice Williams finger-adjustable rear sight and front sight inserts on an R1 once, and tried them out to see how using them compared to the use of a scope. I was actually extremely-impressed at how well I was able to hit targets and shoot groups out to 50 yards or so (the rifle was a known good one I previously had scoped, so the testing was all about seeing what the sights could do, not the rifle).
Just one problem: with my nearsightedness and astigmatism, it often took at least half a minute of painstaking concentration to clear the blur in the sight picture before I could take a shot. Had I been hunting something like a tree squirrel (or anything that wasn't already dead and motionless), like I used to do, the opportunity for taking a clean shot would have long-expired. Somewhat sad at what might have been, the aperture sight was removed and I went back to using a scope on the thing.
There's a bit of good news in my opinion at what's transpired since the 1950's: shooting optics, that is quality telescopic sights, have improved and gotten more affordable even if you correct for inflation. I seem to remember looking through some scopes on high-powered hunting rifles when I was a kid--or at least seeing photos of both the scopes and the views through the occular lens--and not being very impressed. But, now I can buy a decent Tasco model for less than a hundred dollars that will stand-up to moderate springer abuse, and get good accuracy and repeatability in the way of adjustments. Other models go up in price and quality from there.
BTW, in case someone thinks I'm needlessly missing out on an obvious fix for my vision problems as they affect open sights of any description, I'm dead set against getting any cutting of the lenses of my eyes to supposedly fix the problem. I know a lot of people have had it done, things like RK and Lasik surgery, and although the chances for problems are supposedly very-small, it's just not worth the risk IMO. For those few people who have had a bad outcome, the nature of the bad consequences can be terrible. I mean, they're my eyes! So, I have regular glasses for driving, wear magnifiers for reading small print, and have no problem with the idea of using a scope. I decided long ago that I didn't want to bother with contact lenses--too much trouble in my opinion. Still, I wish I was one of you fortunate folks who still had 20-20 vision (or whatever the right number is) at my age. If I did, I'd have at least one nice air rifle with aperture sights on it.
So, this all started at your post showing photos of the match sights that came on the HW rifles in your catalog. It reminded me of how nice they really work if your vision is good enough to use them.
Ed, FWIW I am well north of 60 and also am near-sighted with astigmatism, but can still use aperture sights just fine. The secret, in my case, was to play with different aperture opening sizes. A German match sight combined with a Gehmann adjustable iris can handle about any shooting I do; the irises can offer additional help with colored filters, polarizer, and magnifying lenses as well, in any combination. There is even a model that can correct for vision issues (though at a frightening cost).
https://gehmann.com/english/products.php?id=1705&kategorie=20
The OEM disks that come with most match sights have an opening around 1.0 mm. That does require good eyes, good light, and holding the disk close to your face! I need a bigger hole for most things.
Oh and on those magnifying readers...if you haven’t already, have your optometrist write a prescription for magnifiers that include your astigmatism correction. I did that, picked up a couple cheap pairs at a local discount place, and absolutely could not believe the difference they made!
Ed, FWIW I am well north of 60 and also am near-sighted with astigmatism, but can still use aperture sights just fine. The secret, in my case, was to play with different aperture opening sizes.
I knew the apertures were available with assorted sizes and even an adjustable iris, but never knew they might improve my ability to see with my stated vision problems
Oh and on those magnifying readers...if you haven’t already, have your optometrist write a prescription for magnifiers that include your astigmatism correction. I did that, picked up a couple cheap pairs at a local discount place, and absolutely could not believe the difference they made!
And I also never even heard of readers with astigmatism correction.
Thanks on both counts! This is a great example of why it pays to visit a forum, as well as post (as opposed to merely lurk, although I for one have nothing against lurkers and lurking).
Ed, just the basic adjustable aperture iris is a HUGE help, even without the lenses and stuff, and is not too expensive. Again, the basic OEM tiny-fixed-opening disks are useless for us old guys, outside of a well-lit target range!
On the magnifiers, my optometrist started with the prescription for the close-up part of my progressive glasses lenses. I got one pair at that power for reading, and another with 2 diopters of magnification added for close-up work (I build 1/72 scale model airplanes when not playing with airguns). If you skip the extra features these can be cheap, paid about $70 for both pairs together at Eyeglass World.
Ed, just the basic adjustable aperture iris is a HUGE help, even without the lenses and stuff, and is not too expensive. Again, the basic OEM tiny-fixed-opening disks are useless for us old guys, outside of a well-lit target range!
On the magnifiers, my optometrist started with the prescription for the close-up part of my progressive glasses lenses. I got one pair at that power for reading, and another with 2 diopters of magnification added for close-up work (I build 1/72 scale model airplanes when not playing with airguns). If you skip the extra features these can be cheap, paid about $70 for both pairs together at Eyeglass World.
Thanks for all that about the iris eyepiece and the glasses. That is a good price on the glasses. And, now I'm definitely (even more) educated about both.
Last I checked, when it comes to eyeglasses, the selection and prices are also pretty incredible (maybe even better?) at an online place one of my tuning customers and all-around air gun friends told me about a few years back. He said the prices are so low, he orders 2 or 3 pair at a time and doesn't worry if the frames on one of them aren't a perfect fit--he still comes out on top compared to what he's found anywhere else in the way of pricing. They're low enough that I've wondered if eyeglass shops might be using them as their source, then marking them up and selling to you, still at a nice profit.
I'll put the link here in case you want to browse. They explain how to measure the dimensions of your face to, hopefully, get a good fit. Obviously, you'd need to know your prescription.
Ed, thanks for that link, looks like an interesting place! Will give them a try in the future.
I will say the one advantage of a local vendor (by freakish luck, I live within walking distance of no less than three discount glasses stores!), is that you do have recourse if something is not right, which my optometrist tells me is fairly common! Again mine came from “Eyeglass World,” who make their own lenses on-site and did a good job for very reasonable money. The glasses were ready later on the same day I took my prescription in.
