Pistol??? Help please...

[christy]

Had a quiet interest in owning a pistol for some time, not sure why but it won't go away. Best do something about it then. Done a little research and found Weihrauch 45 or maybe 40 and BSA 240 mag are good things. Want to do some rats and possibly HFT. Seen a 45 silver star-cor. So what to go for. Any advice welcome. Cheers Christy...:)

[Phil G]

Hi, I an only speak on the Weihrauch 45, I've got one in .22 running at 5ftlb. Although I don't do any hunting I'm sure at close range it would send a small mammal to the promised land. With the 177 barrel fitted it's about 4ftlb ish. Maybe a Co2 single shot would suit your needs. I beleive some of these run to the top end of power, good luck in your search :)

[cptman]

hi i have both a bsa magnum 240 and weihrauch 45, both are good but the 45 is the one for rats, also the build quality is better.

[Snooper601]

Be very careful guys!

Read the stickys about this section, mentioning hunting with pistols is a BIG NO NO!

Your thread and accounts may be forefit:eek:

Cheers

John

[Rob M]

The 45 isn't the supergun that some reckon it to be, it's well-made, but ugly, shoots well but for me, personally, it's just not that much fun to shoot, I don't find shooting a tight group with the 45 anywhere near as satisfying or enjoyable as a good session target shooting and plinking with my Webley Tempest. I'd choose a BSA Scorpion, Webley Tempest, BSA 240 Magnum, Cometa Indian, any time over the 45. It is powerful, but not as powerful as people seem to think, I have seen a bunch of these over the years and have never seen one doing more than around 4.5 foot/pounds, they have to be running on the oily side and deisel a bit to get above that, then even so, I have seen BSA Scorpions running more powerful, with more consistency and sweet to shoot. Maybe it's just personal taste but I have never really taken to my HW45, if it hadn't been left to me in somebody's will I would have sold it before now.

[eredel]

The 45 isn't the supergun that some reckon it to be, it's well-made, but ugly, shoots well but for me, personally, it's just not that much fun to shoot, I don't find shooting a tight group with the 45 anywhere near as satisfying or enjoyable as a good session target shooting and plinking with my Webley Tempest. I'd choose a BSA Scorpion, Webley Tempest, BSA 240 Magnum, Cometa Indian, any time over the 45. It is powerful, but not as powerful as people seem to think, I have seen a bunch of these over the years and have never seen one doing more than around 4.5 foot/pounds, they have to be running on the oily side and deisel a bit to get above that, then even so, I have seen BSA Scorpions running more powerful, with more consistency and sweet to shoot. Maybe it's just personal taste but I have never really taken to my HW45, if it hadn't been left to me in somebody's will I would have sold it before now.


I have to agree with Rob here....the 45 I had was a nice pistol with 2 barrels but I couldn't take to it and that's why I sold it.
For a springer I much prefer shooting my HW70 or my Mod 6 at the moment....:)
It's all a matter of taste though...some folks love 'em!!
Eric.

[skychaserltd]

Hi guys i have both versions of the hw45 ive had one since 1991 .177 twin power nickel i do like them and wouldn't part with them i do agree it doesn't suit all its big and a little or depending on perspective a lot top heavy! the standard grips don't really support the gun in hand very well houge replacements are a good cheap option tho they are a bit of a hand cannon!:D
i tend to use the 45s for a bit of target shooting if iam wanting tighter groups i use a gamo compact if i want to plink i use record jumbo if i want police swat team to turn up i get the makarov out and start cracking away:D:D:D:D:D:D:D:D:D

[skychaserltd]

p.s i want a 240 magnum if any one has one;)

[harvey_s]

my tuppence worth on HW45 and BSA 240......

My HW45 in .22 was....
a) Bleedin' huge - it might look like a 45, but it's a lot bigger.
b) Quite a heavy-weight in comparison to the 240.
c) Beautifully made and will last forever.
d) Awkward and fiddly to load.
e) Not nice in the hand - the chequering on the grips was very sharp.
f) Not as powerful as I hoped - in .22 mine would'nt penetrate the thick bottom plate of a coke can from 5 yards.:mad:
g) All black paint, there no bluing anywhere.
h) Ideal for mounting a scope or red dot.

My 240 in .177 is...
a) A good looking gun IMO and as well made as the HW - but probably not as bullet-proof.
b) Much better to hold with its all walnut grip.
c) In a better calibre for pistols IMHO;), (.177 tends to penetrate things rather than just bounce back at ya!)
d) Not really suitable for optics - the rail is short and where you want to push down to close it up plus the rail is a quite a distance above the barrel and a lot of optics run out of elevation before you can zero them.
e) Obsolete - so not easy to find a really nice one.

hope this helps.........

[TCooper]

Here is another opinion :) This is not intended as a critique of the previous posting, although I did express my thoughts on a few of the items. We can all have differing opinions on a pistol's feel and shooting comfort.

My .22 HW45 weighs in at 2 lbs 8.8oz. A Colt 1911 .45ACP weighs about an ounce less when empty and likely a bit more than the HW45 with a full magazine.

The HW45 is 11" long while the original Colt 1911 model is 8.25". The upper frame on the HW45 is higher to accommodate the compression tube.

The HW45 frame is made from aircraft aluminum which doesn't take a bluing. Some sort of painted finish has been applied. If the HW45 was made of thick steel, it would sure weigh a lot more than 2.5 pounds.

The HW45 uses the same basic checkered walnut grip panels that come with a Colt 1911. These can easily be changed to any of the Pachmayr or Hogue rubber grips or custom wooden grips. I used the factory walnut for many years and then installed a Pachmayr wrap-around grip.

As for power, my .22 HW45 shoots 14.5gr pellets at 420fps. Pellets will blast through both sides of a metal soup can at 10 yards. At 20 yards, it will blast though one side of the can... or both.

Some shooters complain about the difficulty in loading the HW45. After shooting more than 30,000 shots from my HW40 and HW45, I have a system which isn't too difficult. I grab a pellet by the base, between thumb and index finger, and drop it into the barrel. A push with my index finger seats the pellet.

Complete review at
http://my.tbaytel.net/~coopers@tbaytel.net/HW45Review/

Tin cans at 20 yards
http://i36.photobucket.com/albums/e2/airpics7/image011.gif

MV with 14.5gr RWS Super-H-Points
http://i36.photobucket.com/albums/e2/airpics7/HW45vel.jpg

HW45 with Pachmayr grip
http://i36.photobucket.com/albums/e2/airpics7/HW45a.jpg

Cheers,
Todd

[ikarma70]

I find loading the 45 is very easy,i do as TCooper said but i load it before i cock the pistol.
Much safer loading an uncocked pistol.

[Maltoid]

Here is another opinion :) This is not intended as a critique of the previous posting, although I did express my thoughts on a few of the items. We can all have differing opinions on a pistol's feel and shooting comfort.

My .22 HW45 weighs in at 2 lbs 8.8oz. A Colt 1911 .45ACP weighs about an ounce less when empty and likely a bit more than the HW45 with a full magazine.

The HW45 is 11" long while the original Colt 1911 model is 8.25". The upper frame on the HW45 is higher to accommodate the compression tube.

The HW45 frame is made from aircraft aluminum which doesn't take a bluing. Some sort of painted finish has been applied. If the HW45 was made of thick steel, it would sure weigh a lot more than 2.5 pounds.

The HW45 uses the same basic checkered walnut grip panels that come with a Colt 1911. These can easily be changed to any of the Pachmayr or Hogue rubber grips or custom wooden grips. I used the factory walnut for many years and then installed a Pachmayr wrap-around grip.

As for power, my .22 HW45 shoots 14.5gr pellets at 420fps. Pellets will blast through both sides of a metal soup can at 10 yards. At 20 yards, it will blast though one side of the can... or both.

Some shooters complain about the difficulty in loading the HW45. After shooting more than 30,000 shots from my HW40 and HW45, I have a system which isn't too difficult. I grab a pellet by the base, between thumb and index finger, and drop it into the barrel. A push with my index finger seats the pellet.

Complete review at
http://my.tbaytel.net/~coopers@tbaytel.net/HW45Review/

Tin cans at 20 yards
http://i36.photobucket.com/albums/e2/airpics7/image011.gif

MV with 14.5gr RWS Super-H-Points
http://i36.photobucket.com/albums/e2/airpics7/HW45vel.jpg

HW45 with Pachmayr grip
http://i36.photobucket.com/albums/e2/airpics7/HW45a.jpg

Cheers,
Todd

Thanks for the workmate target holder tip, it looks like it will do the job I need just fine. I was trying to work out how to do it.
Where did you get the grips, are they just a rubber insert then you add your own grips or are they complete?
Cheers Eric:D

[christy]

Many thanks chaps for all this info especially the review posted by TCooper...all much appreciated cheers. :)

[TCooper]

Thanks for the workmate target holder tip, it looks like it will do the job I need just fine. I was trying to work out how to do it.
Where did you get the grips, are they just a rubber insert then you add your own grips or are they complete?
Cheers Eric:D

Hi Eric,

The Pachmayr grip is a one piece complete unit with rubber molded over metal side plates and rubber finger grooves down the front. You can check the various versions by looking under "Pachmayr Pistol Grips" at this link. Click on the links under the pic of the Colt 1911.
http://www.lymanproducts.com/pachmayr/

Hogue has many options too (rubber and wood).
http://www.hogueinc.com/getgrip/merchant.ihtml?id=50&step=2

http://www.hogueinc.com/getgrip/merchant.ihtml?pid=4203&lastcatid=146&step=4

http://www.hogueinc.com/getgrip/merchant.ihtml?pid=4202&lastcatid=146&step=4

The various Hogue wood grips look nice too.
http://www.hogueinc.com/getgrip/merchant.ihtml?pid=705&lastcatid=147&step=4

I bought my Pachmayr grip from a local gunshop here in Canada.

The Black&Decker Workmate is one of the most useful purchases. I use it to hold my pellet trap and chrony when checking velocity. I use it as a heavy-duty table when working on guns. When I need more surface area for working, I clamp a 18"x48" table top into the vise. The table top has a wood bar screwed to the bottom that I clamp into the Workmate vise. Sometimes I use the vise feature to clamp CO2 airguns when checking accuracy. The portability is great when I want to take it outdoors.

Home-made duct seal pellet trap
http://i36.photobucket.com/albums/e2/airpics7/targettrap.jpg

Cheers,
Todd

[harvey_s]

Here is another opinion :) This is not intended as a critique of the previous posting, although I did express my thoughts on a few of the items. We can all have differing opinions on a pistol's feel and shooting comfort.

That's gotta be the nicest way anyone has told me I'm talking crap...:D:D:D
You sir, are a gentleman

[Phil G]

That's gotta be the nicest way anyone has told me I'm talking crap...:D:D:D
You sir, are a gentleman :) :)

Oh well, the harder the truth, the truer the friend :)




=

[Ranyhyn]

Jeez.

[Maltoid]

Thanks for the links Todd
The work bench is definately the best thing black and dekker have made, The one I have is the only B&D tool thats lasted me over 20 years so far.
Cheers Eric

[Target Bunny]

Does the NO HUNTING rule apply to small vermin?

I would not attempt to take a fox or marauding cat with any pistol, but that's related to the ability to make a reasonably guaranteed kill, and the legal limit for pistols is still enough to kill a human if you hit them in the right (wrong?) place.
I believe that the reason for the ban on handguns and the low limit on pistols is legitimate but these reasons, easy concealment, rapid coverage of an area etc, are the ones which would make a pistol a good tool for enclosed areas. A barn for example where the rifle barrel can become entangled or fouled is the sort of situation I mean. I would have no hesitation at taking a rat or squirrel inside five metres in a barn or loft. But the inherent inaccuracies of a pistol would simply make it the wrong choice outside of that range.

If the Moderators are unhappy with this post I will remove it. However, is there a legitimate case to have this discussion on its own thread?

For the record my pistols are Webley Nemesis 177, Webley Hurricane (Genuine) .22 and Smith & Wesson 686 .177.
No I DON'T shoot any of the above with them but my next door neighbour who has an aviary and is plagued with cats keeps trying to borrow them.

As far as recommendations go both the Webleys are powerful and accurate (assuming you dump the original sights) and the S & W (It’s actually made by Umarex) is great fun but none of them are serious target kit.

Target Bunny