Home Blog  
Education / Training Lookalike airguns: Part 2

Lookalike airguns: Part 2

Haenel 28
The Haenel 28 from the 1930s sort of resembles a P08 Luger.

Part 1

History of airguns

This report covers:

  • The not-so-lookalikes
  • Haenel 28
  • Marksman 1010
  • Daisy 179
  • Erma ELG-10
  • Hakim
  • Summary

Every airgunner knows that lookalike airguns are popular. Today we will look at some of them are different.

The not-so-lookalikes

When does a “lookalike” airgun cease being a real copy? This is a question I have wondered for years. 

Haenel 28

The Haenel 28 shown above has a profile that’s a little like a Luger, and so unknowing people have invented a universe in which the German Army used them to train their troops to shoot pistols. There are a couple problems with that. First, beyond the general shape of the pellet pistol there are very few things about it that are Luger-like. When it cocks it looses all resemblance to the iconic P08.

Haenel 28 cocked
The Haenel 28 breaks open in this way to cock the mainspring.
Don’t look like no Luger now, does it?

The second reason the German army didn’t use the Haenel 28 to train its troops is because armies typically don’t train their soldiers to shoot handguns. They “familiarize” them, which means a dusty truck ride to a dusty range and a given number of shots at an indiscriminate target that never gets scored. This is done with handguns the soldiers have never seen before and may never see again. That’s followed by a dusty ride back to the barracks and a rubber stamp on your training records. For those in the air force the ride might be in a bus and that’s about the biggest difference. You’re a guy, hence you must be able to shoot a handgun. It’s in your DNA.

Yet the Haenel 28, along with the repeating 28R and the smaller 26, are considered Luger lookalikes by many, simply because they share the same ergonomic grip of the Luger. Where else does this occur?

Marksman 1010

The Marksman 1010 has been called a lookalike 1911 air pistol. The 1010 is a weak smoothbore BB pistol that can also handle darts and even pellets, to some extent. When they work they are okay as plinkers, but 1911 trainers they are not. They cock by pulling back on a slide that compresses the mainspring.

Marksman 1010
Marksman model 1010.

Marksman 1010 cocked
Marksman 1010 cocked.

It seems that the Marksman 1010 and the model 2000 that was supposed to be an upgrade have both left the market in recent years.

Lookalikes that are closer

Then there is a group of lookalike airguns that resemble a firearm more closely than these, but still have important differences. I will nominate the Daisy 179 as the first of them.

Build a Custom Airgun

Daisy 179

Daisy’s 179 was the first or second “Spittin’ Image” airgun in their line. Spittin’ Image as in it was supposed to be a copy of a Colt SAA. It was made from 1960-1985 without a safety and from ’85 till 1996 with a safety. And, about 600-700 boxed sets of parts that had been returned from South Africa were discovered, assembled, put into special historical-themed boxes and sold by the Daisy Museum in 2005.

Daisy 179
Daisy 179.

Why do I say the 179 is closer to the firearm prototype but still has differences? Well, it looks like an SAA but the cylinder doesn’t revolve. The gun is fed through a 12 shot linear magazine. And the 179 is a catapult gun, not a real airgun. As a result, the BB exits very slowly, like 150-160 f.p.s. at the muzzle. You have to cock the hammer against a powerful spring, and with the light weight of the plastic gun, it bears little similarity to the Colt SAA it is supposed to mimic. A Colt SAA firearm hammer cocks with fluid ease. Let’s look at another.

Erma ELG-10

I could have chosen the Daisy 1894 for this next one, but the Erma ELG-10 is an even better example of a close but not quite lookalike.

Erma ELG-10
Erma ELG 10.

The Erma rifle looks a lot like an 1894 Winchester lever action rifle, except the Erma is a single shot. But it’s the cocking that really throws it off.

Erma ELG-10 cocked
The finger lever is just part of a longer underlever that cocks the Erma. It’s pretty hard to pull forward like this. At this point it looses all resemblance to the Winchester.

Hakim

I like the Hakim pellet rifle that was supposed to be a copy of the 8 mm Hakim battle rifle. At first glance it may look similar but upon examination you discover that it doesn’t come very close. It was made in 1954/55 by Anschütz for the Egyptian army, and, from the condition in which I have seen some of them, this is one airgun trainer that was actually used. I have cleaned out piles of sand from many of the Hakim pellet rifles, not to mention pellets and small nails embedded in the piston seals. Hey, I guess soldiers are just airgunners in the making!

Hakim pellet rifle
The Hakim pellet rifle.

Hakim firearm
The Hakim 8 mm battle rifle is very large. Other than its size it doesn’t look that much like the airgun trainer.

The thing about the Hakim pellet rifle is — it’s quite accurate and fun to shoot. Even if it weren’t a military trainer there would be plenty of reason to want one. If fact, Anschütz made a sporting version of the rifle and sold it commercially.

The firearm, on the other hand, isn’t worth the effort, in my opinion. It has several different features like the ability to adjust the gas flow to balance the action for military cartridges of different power, but it also has a brass deflector that damages brass cartridge cases, making them impossible to reload. It is accurate, but it kicks quite hard for a semi. You may want to read my report on the rifle.

Summary

There you have it — a small selection of “almost” lookalikes that missed the boat in one way or another. With the beautiful lookalike airguns on today’s market, these vintage guns from the past give us cause to wonder what our fathers and grandfathers must have thought when they saw them.

27 thoughts on “Lookalike airguns: Part 2”

  1. Yogi,
    The barrel ‘breaks’ open and you load the pellet just like a normal break barrel gun.
    My dad had one and it was very hard for me to cock (until I got older). I let it get away after he passed, and have kind of had a desire to get another one.
    Bill

  2. BB,

    Considering the time some of those airguns were introduced they were probably based on what marketing considered as possible demands by the market (specifically the Daisy 179 and the Erma ELG-10). The Haenel 28 and Marksman 1010 were because the Luger and 1911 were popular. The Hakim was actually produced to as a trainer upon request by the Egyptians as you stated before: /blog/2016/02/hakim-egypts-pellet-rifle-trainer-was-better-than-the-firearm/

    Siraniko

  3. B.B.,

    Thank you for the laugh. “They “familiarize” them, which means a dusty truck ride to a dusty range and a given number of shots at an indiscriminate target that never gets scored. This is done with handguns the soldiers have never seen before and may never see again. That’s followed by a dusty ride back to the barracks and a rubber stamp on your training records. For those in the air force the ride might be in a bus and that’s about the biggest difference.”. I guess that is done in Boot Camp” for enlisted training. I recall having a 25 yard, pistol and rifle range in our Naval Science Building’s basement where we qualified with .38 caliber revolvers. We also shot air pistol and air rifles for fun quite often. When I got to Pensacola for Flight Training the Ensign Vette was a favored mode of transportation to the ranges when we had Qualifications on Colt .45, M-16, and M-14, along with 12 Gauge Shotgun. When wecould talk one of the Marines at the Range into opening the range for practice hours we could shoot weapons from the Armory or bring our own. Once I got to a Fleet Squadron sidearm carry was based on mission type/environment and aircraft considerations. Most US Navy pilots didn’t carry sidearms unless in or near a declared war zone even though your survival vest had a built-in holster.

    shootski

  4. B.B., good morning. In your intro, you say, “Today we will look at some of them are different.” Something about that sentence is not quite right. OK, time to make some coffee. Have a great day!

  5. BB,

    Hey, I like the looks of the Haenel 28! It looks quite comfortable to hold and does not look as “clunky” as so many of the old sproinger pistols. I would like to have one of those.

    Of course you can go on and on about almost lookalikes. The Walther LP53 / Predom Lucznik KL is a prime example. The Schimel, etc. Having a toy gun that resembles a real one has always been the fantasy of kids. Then we grow up and we can afford them.

    In some it is form follows function. Those are the airguns that I like. Many of those are the older ones. Aesthetics was not a prime concern. Some of them were b’ugly, but they functioned beautifully.

    RG is right. Today we will look at some of them (that) are different.

  6. B.B.,

    Your “familiarization” scenario brings back to me the story of my father’s qualifying as Expert with a Colt 1911A1, the first and only time he ever shot a handgun. After his first magazine the instructor asked him who taught him to shoot. My dad answered, “You, Sir, just now.” The instructor never believed my dad, perhaps thinking he was some kind of “ringer” sent to play a practical joke on him.

    My father admitted to being terrible with long guns, barely qualifying for rifle, but apparently with a pistol he was a natural.

    Michael

  7. To FM, the Hakim air rifle bears some resemblance to the German G43/K43, while the firearm resembles the Russian Tokarev semiauto rifle. Then again, any resemblance is purely coincidental. 🙂

  8. B.B. what would recommend to a teenager who thinks she may be interested in air pistol target shooting?

    Would you recommend something different for her Dad to shoot with her?

Leave a Comment

Buy With Confidence

  • Free Shipping

    TEST Get FREE shipping on qualifying orders! Any order $150+ with a shipping address in the contiguous US will receive the option for free ground shipping on items sold & shipped by Pyramyd AIR during checkout. Certain restrictions apply.

    Free shipping may not be combined with a coupon unless stated otherwise.

    View Shipping Info

  • Shipping Time Frame

    We work hard to get all orders placed by 12 pm EST out the door within 24 hours on weekdays because we know how excited you are to receive your order. Weekends and holiday shipping times will vary.

    During busy holidays, we step our efforts to ship all orders as fast as possible, but you may experience an additional 1-2 day delay before your order ships. This may also happen if you change your order during processing.

    View Shipping Times

  • Shipping Restrictions

    It's important to know that due to state and local laws, there are certain restrictions for various products. It's up to you to research and comply with the laws in your state, county, and city. If you live in a state or city where air guns are treated as firearms you may be able to take advantage of our FFL special program.

    U.S. federal law requires that all airsoft guns are sold with a 1/4-inch blaze orange muzzle or an orange flash hider to avoid the guns being mistaken for firearms.

    View Shipping Restrictions

  • Expert Service and Repair

    We have a team of expert technicians and a complete repair shop that are able to service a large variety of brands/models of airguns. Additionally, we are a factory-authorized repair/warranty station for popular brands such as Air Arms, Air Venturi, Crosman, Diana, Seneca, and Weihrauch airguns.

    Our experts also offer exclusive 10-for-$10 Test and 20-for-$20 Service, which evaluates your air gun prior to leaving our warehouse. You'll be able to add these services as you place your order.

    View Service Info

  • Warranty Info

    Shop and purchase with confidence knowing that all of our air guns (except airsoft) are protected by a minimum 1-year manufacturer's warranty from the date of purchase unless otherwise noted on the product page.

    A warranty is provided by each manufacturer to ensure that your product is free of defect in both materials and workmanship.

    View Warranty Details

  • Exchanges / Refunds

    Didn't get what you wanted or have a problem? We understand that sometimes things aren't right and our team is serious about resolving these issues quickly. We can often help you fix small to medium issues over the phone or email.

    If you need to return an item please read our return policy.

    Learn About Returns

TEST Get FREE shipping on qualifying orders! Any order $150+ with a shipping address in the contiguous US will receive the option for free ground shipping on items sold & shipped by Pyramyd AIR during checkout. Certain restrictions apply.

Free shipping may not be combined with a coupon unless stated otherwise.

View Shipping Info

Text JOIN to 91256 and get $10 OFF Your Next $50+ Order!

* By providing your number above, you agree to receive recurring autodialed marketing text msgs (e.g. cart reminders) to the mobile number used at opt-in from Pyramyd AIR on 91256. Reply with birthday MM/DD/YYYY to verify legal age of 18+ in order to receive texts. Consent is not a condition of purchase. Msg frequency may vary. Msg & data rates may apply. Reply HELP for help and STOP to cancel. See Terms and Conditions & Privacy Policy.