dilemma hw35 or bsa lightning ?

[Gareth W-B]

I currently own a hw35 and have bagged a few rabbits. but im toying with the idea of moving onto a bsa lightning what are your views

Oops! Sorry for the hi jinx thread hijacking anthxix . To re-cap then, keep the HW35 and maybe buy a second hand HW80 or HW95 to support it . Atvb: G.

[Hsing-ee]

The HW35 is a very fine rifle, my old Export even with its standard spring and leather piston washer, would do 10.5 ft/lbs and shoot a 1/2" group at 30 yards with ye olde pellets.

The 35 needs to be in a good state of tune though, best thing is to strip it, fit a Bonnie & Clyde kit, relube and test. If it is old and untuned it might be putting out only 8 ft/lbs or something.

Just as good as a 95, lighter and better balanced than a 80 and really a very nice gun, easy to maintain and lasts a lifetime.

Modern BSA breakbarrel is no comparison in quality or trigger pull etc.

[Punchsteve]

i currently own a hw35 and have bagged a few rabbits. but im toying with the idea of moving onto a bsa lightning what are your views

Keep the HW35. Good quality, it'll already be broken in, and it's a classic. What more could you want?

If you feel like modernising, then go for a HW95 as suggested.

Bought a Lightning Xl in a Walnut stock a few years back. Couldn't stand it personally.

[Nikkormat]

HW35 all the way. I spent an enjoyable morning shooting the Japanese Snowballs off the Japanese Snowball bush with mine. I have much preferred it since degreasing the trigger and replacing the yellow gunk with SM50.

Matt

[robstat]

Keep the HW35. Good quality, it'll already be broken in, and it's a classic. What more could you want?

If you feel like modernising, then go for a HW95 as suggested.

Bought a Lightning Xl in a Walnut stock a few years back. Couldn't stand it personally.

Did the same bought a lightning xl kept it a month thought it was crap traded it for a hw98 keep the hw35!

[mallyally]

Having had both, regarding speed etc, think we'll have to agree to disagree there ... But yep, that is a mighty fine Bantam, so maybe the photo I should've posted would've been better off being the one below ???

http://is02.thegumtree.com/image/big/25409842.jpg
.

GAS RAMMED ^
the 35 is a classic the lightening will never be one

[TopDog]

Horses for courses my friends. There were some references above to getting HWs sorted so why not allow sorting BSAs too!

I just sold one which when I bought it, I hated it. Nice and light and pointable but leapt about like a thing possessed. Tested it over the chrono; a shade under 10 ft.lbs with Accupels (use SuperDomes now!) with a velocity variation of 20.1 fps over a 10 shot string. After applying my Mk3 fettle, it does my design target 11.1 ft.lbs (11-11.2) with a variation of 4.9 fps and a SuperStar carbine was made to perform even better.

So if you want a gun for pigeon blatting in and around farm buildings or a rifle which you "take it with you just in case", the XL is a very good choice. OK, why did I sell mine? In a nutshell, I found the Stingray Express does the same task but on steroids!

For more serious more static situations a good Brum Webley Tommy or Longbow or a HW95 or 80 are all contenders - I shoot them all!

So my variation on the advice is, keep the 35 and look for an XL to fettle and try out. You may decide to keep them both and add a 95 or an 80 or a 77/97. You would enjoy it I'm sure! Probably only trying to rationalise my own addiction here!!

Good luck (won't get many bunnies with a motorbike!)

ATVB
David