Calling all weihrauch experts!!

[RustyBuzz]

Digging around in my loft, I came across a rifle I’d forgotten all about. Seeing it, both jogged my memory and raised a question you lot might be able to answer.

It’s an HW85 that was given to me in, I think ‘86, to test. It’s unusual for an 85 as it is stocked in a Hw77 pattern stock, just like the Beeman version of the HW80, is it the R1? It’s not the deluxe model as I also have one of those too and it’s stock pattern is unique to the 85.

Anyway this particular 85 came with a 77k for the purpose of testing them both with new choked barrels, LW I would guess. The results were good making the rifles less pellet sensitive in general and with superdomes, which were king at the time, they were as good as anything I’d shot up to that point. So I drew up a geeky report and sent my findings off to the nice man at Hull that had given me 2 such sweet rifles. He made the right noises about introducing choked barrels across the range but soon after that, I lost all interest in air rifles and never bothered to check.

Introducing them would have hit their margins and as all we ever sold in that period was 77ks and 85s anyway, they didn’t need to raise their game. For the shooter though, at that time when ammunition was poor, the results would have been really worthwhile.

So my question is, did Weihrauch actually introduce the choked barrels? If so was it 1985/86?

ATB

Richard

[premierpistol]

I'v eheard a few different sides to the HW choked barrel or not and so did some measuring, I have had a .22 hw95 which was deffinately choked as when i cut the barrel weight off to fit a 1/2" unf the diamater of the barrel end opened up .3 of a mm. I've had a hw80 which was not choked (tested in the same manner via cutting of the barrel and i have a 97 which is not choked.

But i also have a HW35 in which both barrels have a slight choke. which i tested by making up some brass rods of exactly 4.49mm and 5.49mm, these slip into the breech end easily and are to tight to fit the muzzle end.

Maybe not the most scientific way of measuring them but it got the answers i wanted.

The 95 i chopped (as mentioned above) was useless afterwards and the accuracy was US. 20mm groups at 25yds. before it was 15mm at 35yds You live...... you learn

ps, nice loft find there bud! the 85's stock was a lovely shape with a proper montecarlo cheekpiece and the grip cap as in a 35E and 77.

PAUL

[Hsing-ee]

Sounds like a lovely rifle. Cue feeding frenzy ....

[RustyBuzz]

I'v eheard a few different sides to the HW choked barrel or not and so did some measuring, I have had a .22 hw95 which was deffinately choked as when i cut the barrel weight off to fit a 1/2" unf the diamater of the barrel end opened up .3 of a mm. I've had a hw80 which was not choked (tested in the same manner via cutting of the barrel and i have a 97 which is not choked.
PAUL

That's interesting Paul. I'd always assumed that the choked barrels had been introduced across the whole range but if you had a 97 that's unchoked clearly that's not the case, How old was the 35 you measured?

Clearly there's nout wrong with accuracy on the 97, so maybe these days, with all the decent ammo available, a choke really isn't necessary - Heresy, burn the witch!!

ATB

Richard

[RustyBuzz]

Sounds like a lovely rifle. Cue feeding frenzy ....

Hi Ali,

Yep it's a really, really nice little rifle. Just needs a bit of a spruce up. If you ignore the agricultural build quality, IMHO, with the record trigger, it's as good as a sport - Heresy, burn the witch!!!

[premierpistol]

Hi Richard, the 35E i have is around 1982 but the spare .177 barrel is a bit later by the serial number. re the 97, it could be that the choke is so small that its not easily measured too, unless you have very exacting measuring facilities

PAUL