This HW55S has a serial number on only the barrel. It’s not from Beeman. It’s from ARH. The receiver is not numbered. It’s as new in condition. Not exactly sure how to date it. Thank you 
HW/Weihrauch HW55 Standard date-of-manufacturing
- Thread starter Bear-of-Grayling
- Start date
No problem.
Be sure to register your HWs on the database, it helps expand the knowledge available to all.
Be sure to register your HWs on the database, it helps expand the knowledge available to all.
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I highly recommend Weihrauch owners registering their airguns ONLY if they have a receipt and/or they're the original owner and actually know when it was purchased.
Using the HW DB to date a Weihrauch, then entering that same Weihrauch into the DB using the date the DB gave you, can potentially introduce errors. That's because the dates given by the DB are often approximations based on previous, more reliable data.
The database will only get more refined and accurate by new and accurate data, not by looping its output back to it.
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That's very interesting - it's the oldest 55 I've seen with serial on the barrel, so very helpful to date that transition. Does it have 13mm or 11mm scope grooves?
The serial makes sense, as ARH was in business into the early 80's and thus overlapped Beeman several years. The oldest Beeman 55 I've seen is no. 594774, an "M" from 1975 with serial on the receiver and older 13mm scope grooves.
As an aside, HW 55's have an assembly number stamped several places on the action. On older guns with serial on the receiver, they used all or part of the serial number. Newer ones with serial on the barrel (applied after the gun was complete?) continued the practice, but with an arbitrary 3-digit number. These shots are all from the same gun, a Beeman-marked HW 55T.
The serial makes sense, as ARH was in business into the early 80's and thus overlapped Beeman several years. The oldest Beeman 55 I've seen is no. 594774, an "M" from 1975 with serial on the receiver and older 13mm scope grooves.
As an aside, HW 55's have an assembly number stamped several places on the action. On older guns with serial on the receiver, they used all or part of the serial number. Newer ones with serial on the barrel (applied after the gun was complete?) continued the practice, but with an arbitrary 3-digit number. These shots are all from the same gun, a Beeman-marked HW 55T.
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Excellent point, BUT...the database contains other interesting information, and the original purchase date is just not something you can know for the vast majority of vintage guns. Since the list is careful to distinguish unconfirmed dates (they are shown in red), it seems a shame to leave interesting oldsters off the list for lack of one unobtainable smidgen of data.
Also, serials of vintage HW rifles, at least, appear to all fall in the same sequence (i.e., the OP's rifle does not indicate that over 730,000 HW 55's had been built by 1979 - but that many air rifles in total). In my opinion, any dating errors from extrapolation off the list wouldn't be much greater than, say, the gap between manufacture and retail sale dates; you have no way to know how long even a brand-new gun sat around at the factory, distributor, or retailer.
And Weihrauch pistols were numbered separately from rifles, which is a point of confusion when looking at the database.
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I'm looking for some info on the HW55 Custom Match: the one with the lookalike FWB300S stock.
Does someone (Mike! : ) have an idea of the range of years of production, and how many were made?
I assume that they didn't make too many.
Thanks!
Does someone (Mike! : ) have an idea of the range of years of production, and how many were made?
I assume that they didn't make too many.
Thanks!
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I have had three HW 55 CM's - including a doubly-rare left-handed one - and long story short, none arrived here with their original action! So it's hard to give definitive dates, but I believe that the CM stock was introduced in the mid 1970's, and continued into at least the early 1990's. I have a friend who has an all-original one - its serial is 5948xx dating from 1975 or 76.
The French brochure below likewise has no date, but apparently the CM was new when it was printed. The other stocks shown also date to the mid to late 70's; I know the "Monte Carlo" HW 35B/L style was new then. Another tell-tale detail is the accessory rail, which appeared on the HW 55 M stock at about the same time. The oldest M I've seen with a rail is no. 5947xx, also 1975-ish.
I suspect you are correct that not too many CM's were made. Although a regular catalog item, my hunch is the majority were bought by shooting clubs, schools, etc. (both of mine were obviously club mules). The stocks were probably made in small batches and varied over time. My two CM's in the photo below, if you look closely, differ subtly in almost every dimension and angle, and the older one has a longer "pull" dimension. The newer one is shorter - by about the length of an Anschutz butt spacer. Note the older one has a 400g sleeve and a rare double-threaded front sight.
Despite the bulky FWB-ish styling, the CM is surprisingly light, and pleasant to handle. But for serious match use, you can bulk it up near the ISSF max of 5.5 kg (12 pounds) - the void in the fore end is for an optional factory weight of 350 grams, and barrel sleeves of 400g and 900g were also made. The buttplate base is a standard Anschutz no. 4709, for which different pad shapes are made.
You have probably seen Tom Gaylord's blog posts on the CM. Many interesting notes...but no serial number I can find!
The French brochure below likewise has no date, but apparently the CM was new when it was printed. The other stocks shown also date to the mid to late 70's; I know the "Monte Carlo" HW 35B/L style was new then. Another tell-tale detail is the accessory rail, which appeared on the HW 55 M stock at about the same time. The oldest M I've seen with a rail is no. 5947xx, also 1975-ish.
I suspect you are correct that not too many CM's were made. Although a regular catalog item, my hunch is the majority were bought by shooting clubs, schools, etc. (both of mine were obviously club mules). The stocks were probably made in small batches and varied over time. My two CM's in the photo below, if you look closely, differ subtly in almost every dimension and angle, and the older one has a longer "pull" dimension. The newer one is shorter - by about the length of an Anschutz butt spacer. Note the older one has a 400g sleeve and a rare double-threaded front sight.
Despite the bulky FWB-ish styling, the CM is surprisingly light, and pleasant to handle. But for serious match use, you can bulk it up near the ISSF max of 5.5 kg (12 pounds) - the void in the fore end is for an optional factory weight of 350 grams, and barrel sleeves of 400g and 900g were also made. The buttplate base is a standard Anschutz no. 4709, for which different pad shapes are made.
You have probably seen Tom Gaylord's blog posts on the CM. Many interesting notes...but no serial number I can find!
The HW 55CM target rifle: Part 4 | Blog | Pyramyd AIR
by B.B. Pelletier Part 1 Part 2 Part 3 Is this Custom Match the best HW 55 ever made? Read the report to find out. In the last report, I tuned the rifle and got rid of the objectionable firing cycle. It's always a great pleasure to return to a classic air rifle like this
www.pyramydair.com
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My HW55 is stamped 870701 on the bottom of the barrel and in a ambi plain stock , Made in west Germany . San Rafial , Beeman .177
Shoots fairly smooth but i think it is just stock as it came in the box . .
EDIT , think i will go shoot it now .
Shoots fairly smooth but i think it is just stock as it came in the box . .
EDIT , think i will go shoot it now .
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"Go shoot it" is ALWAYS a great idea where the HW 55 is concerned!
(For what it's worth...no. 870701 was made in 1980.)
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Great info and insight, Mike. It's incredible that a recoiling rifle like the HW55 could survive as far as the 1990's, given that by 1984 almost everyone was shooting a Diana 75, Anschütz 380, Walther LGR, and even the FWB 300S/SU was being dumped in favour of the new 600. I'm sure you could've picked up a good 300S for less than a new HW55.
Tomorrow I will bring this HW55 home. It's been on a gunshop website for at least a year, maybe 18 months, and is listed as a *parts donor"! From the single photo it looks to be complete, still has the diopter rear sight, and it seems in decent shape. They wanted 100 bucks for it, but since I knew they'd had it for so long, I asked if they'd accept 80 just to be rid of it....result! Worst case it has no piston in it, but I'm optimistic that it's something fixable....like the gun won't cock.
Tomorrow I will bring this HW55 home. It's been on a gunshop website for at least a year, maybe 18 months, and is listed as a *parts donor"! From the single photo it looks to be complete, still has the diopter rear sight, and it seems in decent shape. They wanted 100 bucks for it, but since I knew they'd had it for so long, I asked if they'd accept 80 just to be rid of it....result! Worst case it has no piston in it, but I'm optimistic that it's something fixable....like the gun won't cock.
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I think that officially makes you a...thief!
Very cool, please post details (and serial number) when you get it. It looks like it has a barrel sleeve too?Walther and Weihrauch springers would not have been seen at high-level matches past the 1960's, but the great popularity of the sport in Germany must have kept them viable for clubs, schools, local shoots, and pleasure shooting beyond then. It's also likely that HW 55's sold late in its run had been sitting in store for a while!
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Just back from my trip out to collect the HW55! 4-odd hours on 5 trains, with some walks with the dog in between. Thankfully the dog never reveals the reasons for these weird trips around the country to my other half! I take the train because I have a yearly pass, so it's no stress and no extra cost. Saw some sunshine too which was a nice bonus!I think that officially makes you a...thief!
Walther and Weihrauch springers would not have been seen at high-level matches past the 1960's, but the great popularity of the sport in Germany must have kept them viable for clubs, schools, local shoots, and pleasure shooting beyond then. It's also likely that HW 55's sold late in its run had been sitting in store for a while!
To the gun: what did I get for just 80 notes: smash or trash?
? Well it's complete, it cocks, and the trigger works - I won't actually fire a shot until after checking the internals. It certainly needs a clean, there's some light rust the knurled diopter knobs, but that's easy to remove and clean up. Glue under the foresight seems to be because the locking bolt doesn't pull enough to lock it onto the dovetail. Stock is in good shape and it's a nice lump of walnut.
I'm not a thief but for 80 bucks I think I might have gotten away with daylight robbery at the gunshop!
Removed the 400g barrel weight and found the serial number 1320689, which maybe puts it at around 1993.
Crikey, it's the youngest gun I own by 7 years!
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Looks like you got a great deal! The trigger alone is probably worth 80 bucks.
Doesn’t look like it has been messed with too much. Other than the epoxy or liquid nails type substance holding on the front sight.
Should clean up nicely.
Congratulations on what appears to be an unbelievable deal.
Doesn’t look like it has been messed with too much. Other than the epoxy or liquid nails type substance holding on the front sight.
Should clean up nicely.
Congratulations on what appears to be an unbelievable deal.
Upvote 0
Mike D. I have a Hw 55 M with a accessory rail and its number 467914I have had three HW 55 CM's - including a doubly-rare left-handed one - and long story short, none arrived here with their original action! So it's hard to give definitive dates, but I believe that the CM stock was introduced in the mid 1970's, and continued into at least the early 1990's. I have a friend who has an all-original one - its serial is 5948xx dating from 1975 or 76.
The French brochure below likewise has no date, but apparently the CM was new when it was printed. The other stocks shown also date to the mid to late 70's; I know the "Monte Carlo" HW 35B/L style was new then. Another tell-tale detail is the accessory rail, which appeared on the HW 55 M stock at about the same time. The oldest M I've seen with a rail is no. 5947xx, also 1975-ish.
I suspect you are correct that not too many CM's were made. Although a regular catalog item, my hunch is the majority were bought by shooting clubs, schools, etc. (both of mine were obviously club mules). The stocks were probably made in small batches and varied over time. My two CM's in the photo below, if you look closely, differ subtly in almost every dimension and angle, and the older one has a longer "pull" dimension. The newer one is shorter - by about the length of an Anschutz butt spacer. Note the older one has a 400g sleeve and a rare double-threaded front sight.
Despite the bulky FWB-ish styling, the CM is surprisingly light, and pleasant to handle. But for serious match use, you can bulk it up near the ISSF max of 5.5 kg (12 pounds) - the void in the fore end is for an optional factory weight of 350 grams, and barrel sleeves of 400g and 900g were also made. The buttplate base is a standard Anschutz no. 4709, for which different pad shapes are made.
You have probably seen Tom Gaylord's blog posts on the CM. Many interesting notes...but no serial number I can find!
The HW 55CM target rifle: Part 4 | Blog | Pyramyd AIR
by B.B. Pelletier Part 1 Part 2 Part 3 Is this Custom Match the best HW 55 ever made? Read the report to find out. In the last report, I tuned the rifle and got rid of the objectionable firing cycle. It's always a great pleasure to return to a classic air rifle like thiswww.pyramydair.com
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Just back from my trip out to collect the HW55! 4-odd hours on 5 trains, with some walks with the dog in between. Thankfully the dog never reveals the reasons for these weird trips around the country to my other half! I take the train because I have a yearly pass, so it's no stress and no extra cost. Saw some sunshine too which was a nice bonus!
To the gun: what did I get for just 80 notes: smash or trash?
? Well it's complete, it cocks, and the trigger works - I won't actually fire a shot until after checking the internals. It certainly needs a clean, there's some light rust the knurled diopter knobs, but that's easy to remove and clean up. Glue under the foresight seems to be because the locking bolt doesn't pull enough to lock it onto the dovetail. Stock is in good shape and it's a nice lump of walnut.
I'm not a thief but for 80 bucks I think I might have gotten away with daylight robbery at the gunshop!
Removed the 400g barrel weight and found the serial number 1320689, which maybe puts it at around 1993.
Crikey, it's the youngest gun I own by 7 years!
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Wow, that's awesome! Thanks for the pics, it should clean up GREAT. I'm surprised by the late date - I wonder if the stock is original to the action, or maybe one HW had pulled out of storage on request? Probably a good story involved! A gun that late may have a plastic piston seal, too.
This confirms that you are definitely a thief.
Here in the US the barrel sleeve alone - even more rare than 55's in general - would easily bring over 100 dollars. It's like you got a bargain on the sleeve - with a FREE RIFLE tossed in...! Last edited:
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