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Airguns by Make and Model => Weihrauch Airguns => Topic started by: buellm2 on May 25, 2025, 07:08:39 PM

Title: HW 35 questions
Post by: buellm2 on May 25, 2025, 07:08:39 PM
I just picked up a 1968 HW35.   I've only test fired it a few times.   Should I be using the barrel release lever when closing it or just when opening?  Power is very low and I'll probably reseal it or install a spring kit, depending on how it looks when I take it apart.  Whats the best spring/seal kit that I should use?   Much more interested in smoothness and accuracy than power.
Title: Re: HW 35 questions
Post by: Frank in Fairfield on May 25, 2025, 08:35:47 PM
No.
Just use the lever to open the action.
I tried the 12fpe VORTEK kit.
Didn’t like it.
Ordered factory spring from AOA.
Perfect.
Most people use a scope.
I do not ..
Title: Re: HW 35 questions
Post by: buellm2 on May 25, 2025, 10:51:31 PM
When I first shot it, I was hoping I could use the open sights.   No chance, my eyes are way too bad.    I'll probably have to scope it and get a mount that can compensate for the barrel droop.   
Title: Re: HW 35 questions
Post by: Toxylon on May 26, 2025, 06:11:55 AM
To ward off receiver face wear, the barrel latch on a HW35 should be used both when opening and closing the barrel. However, with my 1981 HW35, if I employ the latch when closing, the barrel doesn't always close all the way, and needs a confirmation push, which is a drag. So I snap the barrel shut without touching the latch, and take the receiver wear that comes with it.

A 1968 HW35 will have a leather seal, and most likely lubing rendered completely useless by time. Just taking the piston out, cleaning it and re-oiling the seal, and cleaning and relubing the compression chamber can increase velocity by a bunch. The leather-sealed HW35's shoot the sweetest, and can be very consistent, just not as powerful.

I'm going to use a Titan #4 mainspring for my 35 next. They are the best aftermarket springs by far.

Peep sights can make old eyes work like new, they are lightweight and esthetically fit an old girl like a 35 much better than a scope.
Title: Re: HW 35 questions
Post by: buellm2 on May 26, 2025, 09:52:39 AM
Who makes a peep sight that is tall enough to compensate for barrel droop?
Title: Re: HW 35 questions
Post by: Frank in Fairfield on May 26, 2025, 10:23:07 AM
Barrel Droop?
Never seen it.
But the Williams sight will be fine regardless.
I have shot my HW35 about 10,000 times (I am at least the 2nd owner) and I have no wear marks on my receiver from the latch.
I have an HW35 Pamphlet (I am not supposed to tell you) if you would like it.
Send your email to me via PM..
Title: Re: HW 35 questions
Post by: Frank in Fairfield on May 26, 2025, 03:58:49 PM
Email sent
Title: Re: HW 35 questions
Post by: Motorhead on May 26, 2025, 07:45:41 PM
At 1968 vintage, it quite likely is running a Leather seal.
The tuning and part you should stay with are of that vintages of rifle specs .. as in another leather seal if needed and only a modest spring ( No Vortek )
Title: Re: HW 35 questions
Post by: Frank in Fairfield on May 26, 2025, 09:25:24 PM
I sent him the book..🤔
Title: Re: HW 35 questions
Post by: north country gal on May 27, 2025, 11:17:59 AM
I've always snapped the barrel shut on my 35E and have seen no issues as far as wear on the latch. Probably a good idea to keep that latch bolt greased, though.

Back when I was shooting the 35E indoors in the basement, I used the Williams peep on it and did fine. That long barrel with a peep on the receiver makes for a very long sight radius.

Outdoors is a different story, though. I really need a scope on my air guns to be able to shoot whenever I want, thanks to being surrounded by forests that cast shadows on the range and that's on sunny days. Up here in the north woods, we get long stretches of dark, cloudy days that make it tough to use iron sights.
Title: Re: HW 35 questions
Post by: Rick67 on May 27, 2025, 11:44:02 AM
I've always snapped the barrel shut on my 35E and have seen no issues as far as wear on the latch. Probably a good idea to keep that latch bolt greased, though.

Back when I was shooting the 35E indoors in the basement, I used the Williams peep on it and did fine. That long barrel with a peep on the receiver makes for a very long sight radius.

Outdoors is a different story, though. I really need a scope on my air guns to be able to shoot whenever I want, thanks to being surrounded by forests that cast shadows on the range and that's on sunny days. Up here in the north woods, we get long stretches of dark, cloudy days that make it tough to use iron sights.


I remember seeing some of your springers sporting a Leupold EFR 3-9x33, Miss.

They’re now discontinued said Optics Zone, one of my favorite optics sellers.
Title: Re: HW 35 questions
Post by: north country gal on May 27, 2025, 03:48:40 PM
What? Oh, no. What is going on with Leupold? I better go hunting for another one ... or two.
Title: Re: HW 35 questions
Post by: Rick67 on May 27, 2025, 04:19:36 PM
Optics Planet seems to have some in stock still.

TOZ11 or TOZ 13 would have given you an 11% to 13% discount at Optics Zone with no tax and free shipping but they don’t have them anymore.

Jon, the owner, announced it about a week ago.

Title: Re: HW 35 questions
Post by: nced on May 27, 2025, 09:46:20 PM
I bend the barrel when adjusting the pellet point of impact with the point of aim at my zero distance using a home made "barrel tweaker" of construction lumber, eyebolt & flange nut...........
(https://i.imgur.com/rsK0loX.jpg)(https://i.imgur.com/nppgPMC.jpg)(https://i.imgur.com/hCUutJR.jpg)(https://i.imgur.com/9M6gXwN.jpg)(https://i.imgur.com/mfVQ9Q4.jpg)(https://i.imgur.com/a3A9W5a.jpg)
(https://i.imgur.com/yXJd6eC.jpg)
Title: Re: HW 35 questions
Post by: Rick67 on May 27, 2025, 10:59:03 PM
Now I see Don Ed’s instruments of torture once again 🥴
Title: Re: HW 35 questions
Post by: buellm2 on May 28, 2025, 11:00:21 AM
I was fiddling around with the HW35 this morning.   There is a tiny amount of side to side play at the receiver/barrel junction.  While looking for up/down play, I found that it will break open without using the barrel latch if you put enough pressure on it.   Is this normal?   Also,  I put a few drops of silicone oil down the air hole but then it occurred to me that it might have previously been lubed with non-silicone oil.   Now I'm thinking I should just take the whole thing apart for more careful study. 
Title: Re: HW 35 questions
Post by: north country gal on May 28, 2025, 02:43:38 PM
That doesn't sound right at all, Ernie. My 35E has no wiggle at all and it certainly won't open without working the latch.
Title: Re: HW 35 questions
Post by: splitbeing on May 28, 2025, 08:39:44 PM
Take pics if ya do!
Title: Re: HW 35 questions
Post by: MDriskill on May 29, 2025, 07:12:53 PM
What Toxylon and Frank-I-F said: the 35 begs for an aperture sight in my opinion! With that sewer-pipe-size receiver tube it's not exactly a lightweight to begin with, and an old cuss like me would need a cart to carry it around with a big scope on it.

For a '68-vintage gun, about the only match diopter that will work is HW's own for the 13mm scope groove spacing of the day. But the Williams FP-AG sights will work fine too, and are trimmer and lighter.

Here's my 1966 35E with an even older Weihrauch diopter match sight...

(https://i.postimg.cc/3N7K8fQS/877-B1-B8-F-55-C0-4-AE6-AF68-C639-BD3-B1956.jpg) (https://postimages.org/)
Title: Re: HW 35 questions
Post by: buellm2 on May 29, 2025, 09:01:56 PM
I'm pretty sure my 35 has  an incorrect front sight scabbed on.   It's way too tall for the stock rear sight.   I'll have to find a lower front or a really tall rear peep sight or scope it.  Scope might be the easy way out.  There's a chance I have a mount and scope someplace in my collection of gun stuff.
Title: Re: HW 35 questions
Post by: MDriskill on May 30, 2025, 02:09:35 PM
It would be great if we could see pics of this gun! I'm a little mystified by the sight mismatch issue in particular.
Title: Re: HW 35 questions
Post by: nced on May 30, 2025, 05:21:46 PM
Interesting concerning a field target shooter (offhand class) and that scope from about 3 decades ago when most shooters were shooting piston guns before the "lane difficulties" were adjusted so PCP shooters wouldn't "clear the course" easily.

Well, there was one offhand class shooter that used an old HW77 with a Leupold 3-9x33 EFR with a "forearm and cheek riser duct taped on the stock". His trigger blade was a bent strip of aluminum screwed to the original trigger base. The 9X max power and 33mm objective wasn't competitive with the scopes at that time but he would shoot OFFHAND SCORES that would place high in open class if they were combined!

That was when I first started shooting field target and I was amazed how he could consistently knock down targets from 10 yards to 55 yards with that scope's rangefinding ability. Perhaps he had shot that course so often that he had the ranges and holdover of the lanes memorized! The first field target match my brother and I shot we were squadded with this fellow who was supposed to show my brother and me "the ropes". After the match we were given the following help  "You boys know how to shoot and I can't help because you just don't shoot too good!  YuckYuck  >:(
Title: Re: HW 35 questions
Post by: buellm2 on May 31, 2025, 04:30:34 PM
I just threw in the patch to shim the sight a little bit so it wont fall off while I'm working on the rest of the gun.   Hopefully, a more elegant solution is in the future
Title: Re: HW 35 questions
Post by: buellm2 on May 31, 2025, 04:55:08 PM
I took the HW35 apart today.  It came apart quite easily and I'm pretty sure no parts flew off into the dark recesses of the gunroom.   Here's one of the pins that hold the trigger assembly in place.   Might have to fit a new one. 

I have a feeling that this is the first time the gun has been apart.   The amount of grease and dried out grease inside was more than adequate to prevent rust.   It's reminiscent of a deep storage Soviet gun being stripped and cleaned for the first time in a few decades. 

The spring looks fine to me so I probably wont replace it unless the experts tell me it should be replaced.  At first I thought the seal was plastic with the burnished in black grease concealing the leather so well.   I like the idea of having a leather seal so I'll see if I can figure out how to clean and recondition the leather.   Maximum power is irrelevant to me compared to consistent velocity and hopefully accuracy.

I'm thinking of hitting it with some brake cleaner before re-greasing and assembly.    I thought there was some side to side play at the barrel/receiver junction but the barrel pivot bolt was just a little loose.

The stock is in pretty good shape although the finish is dull and faded.  Anybody know what kind of finish and type of wood on this 1968 model?