So I bought a vintage HW35….

[IanC]

I have posted on here a bit, I love the heavy shooting HW’s and Diana’s……but I don’t have an easy recoiling basement plinker which I have been thinking about for a while. A friend of mine who is an online gun seller posted this and I figured I might as well take a look. The photos don’t do it justice, the stock is pretty but the metal is fugly. Lots of staining and pitting and nastyness. He let me borrow it for the weekend not caring if I bought it or not. Turns out it’s presumably made in 1968 ser no. 300094 pre safety leather seals that have actually been maintained. Velocity is 630 fps in 177 puts out a slight smell the barrel shows brown but no smoke. I have been shooting in the basement off hand for 30 or so rounds keeping inside a 1.25” circle and took it to work today and shot a pop can for a while in the yared not missing at 30 yards. Not sure I could have done better for $300 CDN. BTW I added the Williams which I had on hand.
After a day of shooting it I figured I might as well buy it a someone who doesn’t know airguns would probably mess up the smooth shot cycle.

[Bayman]

Velocity is a little low unless you're shooting heavy 177 pellets. It should be in the mid to high 700s with mid weight lead pellets.

There will always be an oil smell from a leather sealed gun. I little more oil might swell the seal and restore velocity. More importantly sealing. Accuracy suffers with compromised sealing.

It looks good in pictures. Enjoy

[Frank in Fairfield]

PM sent IanC

[IanC]

Frank in Fairfield, check your email…..By the way if it was not expressed well in my original post I am quite excited with this old find and would like to keep it as orignal as possible. I love its character and the leather smell. I have a HW95 already with all the vortex bells and whistles and optical doo-dads.

[Yogi]

Frank in Fairfield, check your email…..By the way if it was not expressed well in my original post I am quite excited with this old find and would like to keep it as orignal as possible. I love its character and the leather smell. I have a HW95 already with all the vortex bells and whistles and optical doo-dads.

Well then, keep the leather seal lubed.  Wipe it down with Ballistol after every session, find it's favorite pellet, and not worry about velocity.  ENJOY!!

-Yogi

[Sqwirl57]

I think you did great for $300 CDN. Those old 35s can't be easy to come by up there and they are some of the nicest shooting guns when tuned right. Congrats!

[WD Feese]

Try the JSB 8.4.  Being a bit heavier they seal the skirt a bit better and give better velosity, about 660.  This is my experience with a simular hw35.

[Frank in Fairfield]

My recent numbers with a new factory spring from AOA:

[MDriskill]

That's a beauty! Do check the breech seal. It may be worn out leather or crumbled plastic on an old one, but a current HW seal still fits.

[IanC]

MDriskill, I do have a couple of seals on hand. I was going to replace the breech seal this weekend and have some fun at the club with the boys this fathers day. Will bring the chronograph and a few different pellets and see if I can get a little more speed out of it. I first tried RWS superdomes. Looking around online I read another thread of someone getting lower velocity with them vs other pellets. Will pick up a 177 cleaning kit too. So far its a pretty nice rifle. I dont know why I never looked into the 35 before. Although its difficult to handle one before buying.



Also Frank in Fairfield thanks for your insight and tips. Heck….thanks to everyone!

[IanC]

I ended up changing the breech seal which jumped up the fps from 630 to 695 fps with RWS superdome and 740 fps with RWS Hoby so feeling a bit better about it now. May look into the piston in a few weeks when I get the time but for now its working a lot better so will enjoy it as is. The little smoke is gone now too and it sounds better.

[MDriskill]

Wow, that sounds about perfect speed-wise for a 35. I wouldn't rush to change anything else (but I am a bit of a coward in that regard, LOL)!

Another advantage of the older RWS pellet designs (Hobby, Superdome, Meisterkugeln, etc.) is that they have about the biggest-diameter skirts of anything out there. Some older HW's have a slight flare at the breech leade - they did this by hammering a tapered mandrel in there - and those typically love RWS ammo.

[tjk]

Not sure what kind of cleaning kit you have mentioned, but I would advise against most cleaning kits unless it’s a simple pull through patch kit or felt pellets with lead in tow.   Very nice rifle!!! How is the trigger? 35’s are sweet guns. Glad you found a classic. 🙂
PS: it will spoil you.

[IanC]

My local gun shop only sells RWS pellets but they have the whole line as well as some JSB so thats what I shoot. The trigger is just as good as the one on my 95. Luckily I am not finding many faults with this old girl except muscle memory is making me thumb in a safety that isn’t there. Since my rifle was made before barrel shims I ordered a set, they should be in next week. Glad things are going well velocity wise, I really dont enjoy taking apart springers but am quite capable if I have to. At least it un screws vs messing with pins and tight springs like my Diana 34.