Gave in to my desires and picked up another old Fraulein

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r1lover

r1lover

Member
Aug 11, 2018
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CA, United States
Good friends are enablers. When they decide to sell something they present it to other friends they know will have a hard time saying no to an opportunity to buy. Such was the case this weekend when my friend and occasional shooting partner Mark brought a lovely HW55CM to a local field target match for my inspection. Of course the Fraulein jumped into my back seat and came home with me. Mark, BTW, also sold me the beautiful HW55 Tyrolean dubbed Ugly Betty which appeared in this forum a year or so ago, again, at a field target match. There must be something about matches he knows puts me in a buying mood.

This gun is in excellent condition and, like Ugly Betty, wears a hard to find 400g barrel sleeve giving it a nice weight forward balance which make the gun "hang" on target longer than lighter guns. Additionally the HW diopter sight is equipped with a period correct 1.5x magnifying Hensoldt Wetzlar iris with 3 aperture settings and a choice of clear or yellow filter.

Much appreciation to my buddy and HW55 mentor MDriskill for information on the sight and a "thumbs up" on the acquisition.

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Hensoldt (and Seibert and Leitz) were manufacturers of optical equipment, lens, microscopes, Leica, etc, located in Wetzlar, cute little prewar town never bombed because they wanted to liberate the technology after the war. I think Hensoldt (and Seibert) are defunct?
The Seibert magnification/iris seems more common than the Hensoldt?...both are usually fogged but can be carefully cleaned.
 
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specie said:
Hensoldt (and Seibert and Leitz) were manufacturers of optical equipment, lens, microscopes, Leica, etc, located in Wetzlar, cute little prewar town never bombed because they wanted to liberate the technology after the war. I think Hensoldt (and Seibert) are defunct?
The Seibert magnification/iris seems more common than the Hensoldt?...both are usually fogged but can be carefully cleaned.
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I was thinking that the sight reminded me of a microscope ocular.
 
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Oh that's a beauty! The CM stock is rare and really great to use.

In the course of chatting about these guns, we discovered there are at least two distinct variations of this stock. R1lover's is the nicest example of the earlier one I have seen. Weihrauch sold this stock for several years beginning in the mid 1970's, probably the best HW 55 stock for 10-meter target. The adjustable buttplate (an off-the-shelf Anschutz no. 4709 base, which can take different shoulder pads) is an especially useful accessory, and the fore end accessory rail can be big fun.

I have a similar "Hensoldt Wetzlar" eyepiece, and another labeled "Carl Zeiss." As far as I can tell, they are identical except for how the rear cap attaches (Hensoldt is threaded for a flat cap, Zeiss has a rim to snap on a rubber hood). Every one of these I've ever seen has a 1.5x lens, I guess that was "match legal" in those days?

The grip treatment is called "stippling." Very effective, and common on target guns of all kinds.
 
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r1lover said:
Good friends are enablers. When they decide to sell something they present it to other friends they know will have a hard time saying no to an opportunity to buy. Such was the case this weekend when my friend and occasional shooting partner Mark brought a lovely HW55CM to a local field target match for my inspection. Of course the Fraulein jumped into my back seat and came home with me. Mark, BTW, also sold me the beautiful HW55 Tyrolean dubbed Ugly Betty which appeared in this forum a year or so ago, again, at a field target match. There must be something about matches he knows puts me in a buying mood.

This gun is in excellent condition and, like Ugly Betty, wears a hard to find 400g barrel sleeve giving it a nice weight forward balance which make the gun "hang" on target longer than lighter guns. Additionally the HW diopter sight is equipped with a period correct 1.5x magnifying Hensoldt Wetzlar iris with 3 aperture settings and a choice of clear or yellow filter.

Much appreciation to my buddy and HW55 mentor MDriskill for information on the sight and a "thumbs up" on the acquisition.

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Wow. That is a true gem. I guess I need a good “enabling” friend. Congratulations!
 
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Yeah, I would have had an easy time walking away from that one.

It is NOT left handed.

If it was a lefty, I would have gotten peeled hard for that specimen, it's a beauty!
Finding those primo specimens is getting harder and harder every day, and what is out there keeps appreciating. Folks like Mike D keep things grounded with their knowledge of the variations amongst the different models, and when a guy like that gives you the nod, you are wise to listen.

Congrats on the beautiful rifle!
 
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Left handed HW55s in nice shape continue to elude me in any configuration.
The few that have popped up have either been too chewed up for my taste, or priced a bit higher than I felt like reaching.

I bought a Champ because it was ambi, and the HW55 delirium took full hold......
Oh well, there is always tomorrow, and I still hold out hope!
 
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