FALKE AIRGUN

The authors and publisher wish to thank Mr. Trevor Adams for assistance with the following information for this section of the Blue Book of Airguns.
In February 1949, Albert Föhrenbach founded the engineering firm of Falkewerke in Wennigsen near Hanover, Germany. It provided maintenance for conveyer belt machines, a service vital to the industrial recovery of post-WWII Germany. Very soon their conveyer belt expertise was extended to making shooting arcade games. By mid-1951 it started production of a variety of air rifles and one air pistol under the brand of Falke (German for Falcon). The rifles were superior copies of guns made by Dianawerk, Haenel, BSA, and Will. The one air pistol, the Falke 33, apparently was a Falke original. Despite the excellence of Falke products, the firm failed to prosper. The advertising and marketing strengths of larger manufacturers such as Mayer & Grammelspacher, BSA, and Webley prevented Falke from becoming a well-known brand. Financial difficulties led to the cessation of production in 1958, and in 1961 Falkewerke went into airgun history. Due to their very limited production run during only seven years and their special quality of manufacture, Falke airguns now are of considerable interest to both collectors and shooters.
The production period of each model isn´t known. An early 1953 catalog describes all models and Smith´s Encyclopedia of Air Gas & Spring Guns, published in 1957, notes the full range of models as available – just one year before the end of production. Special Reference: John Walter, Guns Review April 1988.