Underlever or Break Barrel?

[Chastiser]

although i usually shoot an AA S200, i am getting tempted towards getting a springer. not because i dislike the pcp, but for a change. also, my early shooting years airgun wise were spent with a springer and want to go back to that - yay nostalgia.

so, and this is not meant to start any sort of posting war etc, which is best, break barrel or underlever? i remember uban myths about wear around the area where a barrel breaks affecting accuracy etc and the other one about damage to a barrel due to constantly pulling on it when cocking.

obviously, using either type means removing yourself from poa to recock the gun, so in this area no difference.

are there other advantages to the differing cocking mechanisms?

[Peche]

If nostalgia is important I'm guessing a break barrel is the order of the day. Fixed barrels are probably more accurate over years of use but todays break barrels are certainly accurate enough for a bit of plinking or hunting. I use a break barrel brummie stingray and it is certainly accurate enough for short range hunting around the farm sheds. Break barrels are easier to load and not much chance of loosing a finger but then again I've never actually met anyone who has lost a finger loading a fixed barrel air rifle.

I'm sure this is of no help, it's the same old answer to many questions on here. It's a personal thing and it's what ever you prefer.

Cheers

Dave.

[tinbum]

If its for hunting the break barrel has a faster rate of fire. The (usually) added weight of underlevers can help with target shooting. Theres nothing in it with accuracy as long as its a decent gun, the B3 is an underlever after all!

On a personal note, I really dislike putting my fingers in a guillotine.

[rhyslightnin]

On a personal note, I really dislike putting my fingers in a guillotine.

Or a tin of .177 pellets lol!

Oh & break barrel., lighter & easier to load

[TonyL]

I know it's that old cliche, matey, but, honestly, just go for the gun that you prefer in terms of how it shoots, its accuracy, balance, weight etc.

With a quality break barrel, wear issues really are buried in the past.

There will be no difference in terms of performance between the two formats.

The break barrel has the advantage of fumble free loading, as stated above.

Looking at the Weihrauch range, for example, a HW98 will be every bit as accurate as a HW97. It'll be quicker and easier to load.

But you might find that the 97 suits YOU better, so you'd choose the 97.

Also, generally it would be accepted that a lighter springer is nicer to carry around your shoot but that it won't be as forgiving to shoot accurately. BUT you will sometimes see posts on here that, for example, some peeps can shoot more accurately with a HW99 than they could with a 97, going against the generally accepted "given".

Just goes to show......ignore the format......Choose the gun based on how well you think it's going to suit you.

Cheers.

[Barryg]

are there other advantages to the differing cocking mechanisms?

As have already been said its what type you personally like

Although the break barrels are older technology when it come to transfer ports, I suppose that could be called a advantage with sliding breeches, and it would be more easy to fix a out of round compression tube, plus only sliding breeches have rotating pistons (apart from the Walts)
Also I did have to change the Frankenstein hinge bolt on my HW80 once in 12 years with slight wear

[oliver13]

With a break barrel it's handy to have ready access to the bore from the breech, for cleaning etc.

[DaveC_24]

As people have said already, it's personal preference. I've got a TX200HC and an HW95k - both are great, well-built rifles and very accurate, and good hunting tools at the sort of ranges I can comfortably shoot. However, the TX200HC gets my vote because it's much smoother to shoot (my HW95k is pretty lively by comparison) and so I find it easier to be accurate with, plus the blueing on the TX200 is just sublime and the stock is a work of art in its own right, but these latter reasons are of course purely cosmetic. The 95k is the newcomer to my collection anyway whereas my TX200HC is the rifle I learned to hunt with, so I'm probably a little prejudiced anyway - just goes to illustrate the point about it being preference.