Donation

Airguns by Make and Model > Vintage Air Gun Gate

HW 35 with lots of rust. What to do?

(1/11) > >>

Redharris:
Hi Everyone.... I am new to the Forum and only recently got into the airgun hobby with any seriousness.
Long story short. A friend of mine handed over an HW 35 that was owned and loved by his Father who had passed away a couple years ago. The rifle was then stored in the Garage and got Rusty :(. He Hopes I might be able to get it working.

The rifle works, but the velocity is low. I'm guessing that the seals are toast. The barrel LOOKS ok. Its a bit Dusty but I see no pitting or rust inside the barrel.

I THINK this is a pretty old gun,,,,,1970's, and maybe even older.
Are parts available for this rifle?
Is there a Manual with I.P.B  available?
Is this gun Salvageable?
Here are some pics.

lizzie:
The best place to look for parts is probably Gunspares in the UK. They may be a little slow in getting back to you via email, but I have found them to be very helpful. http://www.gunspares.co.uk/

I know I've seen a couple of members here suggest using some Ballistol on the metal parts to help get rid of the rust. Iirc, they suggest spraying it on, letting it sit for awhile, wipe down, and repeat.

That should be a great gun if you can get it restored back to good working condition. Sounds like a fun project to me. :)

airnutz:
Hello Redharris.

Parts for this wonderful gun are readily available. 

The rust is unfortunate, but can be removed with chemicals.  It appears however, that the rust has become "pits" (I think this is the terminology).  Hence, it appears to have eaten it's way somewhat into the metall.  This cannot be made pristine.

You may however, remove the rust, sand the metal smoother (many tips online) and re-blue.  The pits will for the most part still be visible, but the metal will look altogether at a glance as if the gun is up-kept.

I would, if you don't mind my opinion, do this;  Keep the gun, repair it, and keep your Grandfather in the best of memories.  He apparently had good taste, and a true sense of quality.

My old Diana 35 was purchased by my Grandfather in 1954,  I am refinishing it and it still shoots like a champ.

Greetings.

Smackey54:
It's a complete Wreck! Send it to me and I will melt it down and make something useful out of it!
Just kidding. They are very easy to work on. I have an article that someone in England wrote on tuning the gun. I also have instructions on making a leather piston seal (if it has not been upgraded). If you are interested, I can send those to you. Personally, I prefer the leather seal. Very consistent...and replacing it with synthetic will require an adapter. Springs and rear spring guides are available through PA (look under Beeman parts), and also ARH. Jim even has a drop in tune kit...and the adapters. The record trigger is very nice. If you can get it to shoot about 740-750 fps with CPHPs, you will have about all she can give.
Is the stock beech or walnut?
You can also find the front globe sights and the inserts for it.

Redharris:
Thank you all for the advice. I do indeed intend to restore this gun as best I can. It looks like it will be a fun Project and a good Test of my skills.
What I need most at the present time is to learn how to disassemble the gun in a safe manner, so that I can evaluate any wear/damage. I have searched You Tube for disassembly videos, but have found nothing for the HW35. This gun is different from all the Springers I have seen, in that the Spring is not removed from the Rear of the receiver tube. It LOOKS like the spring is removed from the Front of the receiver, after the barrel and hinge assembly is removed. Not Sure if I need a Spring Compessor,,, and I dont want to find out the hard way, and have the Spring shoot out and put a hole in my wall  :o.......

I am mechanically inclined and good with Tools, but I am in-experienced with air guns. I have a couple Crosman Pistols (1377 and 2240) that I have worked on and modded, but that is about the extent of my air gun knowledge......I will appreciate all the help I can get!!!

@ Smackey......I would very much appreciate you sending me that Tuning Article and instructions on how to make a leather seal. Would you be sending the Articles via E-Mail or do you need my postal address?.....I do not know how to tell the difference between Beech and Walnut, so I'm not sure what the stock is, lol.

I googled  "Balistol" and found it to be a lube/cleaner. It looks like it will not attack the Blueing, but I am not sure if it will remove my rust...... I know that "Naval Jelly" will remove the rust, but it also completely removes the Blueing, and leaves the steel bare. If I use Naval jelly,,,,,It would be best to refinish the gun immediately to stop any new rust from forming.

Navigation

[0] Message Index

[#] Next page