Quote Originally Posted by BTDT View Post
The HW50 piston weighs 186 gm, the HW55 163 gm. The HW55 piston head is aluminium, and extends back into the piston, giving available length for the compressed mainspring of 95.6mm in the 55, against 108mm in the 50.

I suspect that if Venom used the HW50 piston in their 55, it was as much for the extra spring room as the mass.
Quote Originally Posted by T 20 View Post

It appears that the HW99 piston is 156mm long and not 146mm as I'd expected, after further reading it turns out that ONLY the external dimensions of the HW99 action are the same as an Old School HW50 action.

When Weihrauch changed from the Old School 50 to the HW99 they increased the cylinder bore from 25mm to 26mm, they increased the piston stroke from 65mm to 71mm, but more importantly to my search for a suitable piston Weihrauch shortened the transfer port from 26mm to 16mm --- a full 10mm.
This explains why the HW99 piston is a full 10mm longer than I expected as the internal length of the cylinder is 10mm longer than the Old HW50.

All the best Mick
Some excellent information applicable to the "old school" HW50, newer type HW50/99 and HW55 from another thread of Mick's.