HW80...Your thoughts please

[Alamo]

Hi All,

I'm looking for a little help from you folk in the know if possible please?

Thinking about buying myself a Weihrauch HW80 in .22 flavour, but have been wondering how the latest models compare with the older ones?

Obviously I'll be keeping my eye on the 'Private Sales' ads here, but in the meantime if anyone out there has a very good specimen for sale and is within a reasonable distance of Bury, Rochdale, Manchester, then I'd be interested to hear from you.

Thanks in advance

Alan

[I. J.]

Personally I would more favour the HW95 or 85 if you can find a good un!. The '80 is a lovely rifle but is more suited to FAC energy levels or sleeving down the piston (i.e. Venom http://smg.photobucket.com/user/Airs...ml?sort=6&o=58) or shortening the stroke if you want it in sub 12ft.lbs. Why carry round that extra weight when the '95/85 does just the same job?

HTH
Ian

[barrel]

If you are going to be hauling it around all day then there might be an argument for the 95. In my opinion you don't need to spend much to get an 80 shooting sweet and that awful end block on the 95 really is a pain in the ass. Just a thought mate but have you considered a TX as they are just superb if weight is not a concern for you.

Kindest regards

Barrel

Kindest regards

[FattMann]

The HW80 is has IJ says more suited to fac power and yes like him I have and use the 80 and the 95. My 80 is 30 years old, its an Airgun Centre Custum made for my 18th, it still dose 11.7ft lbs with Accupells, its still amazingly accurate. Simply one of the best heveyweight sporters ever built. The 95 I have is the basis of the SFS Banshee 2, a custum HW95 which has been improvded by Tony Wall and stocked in a GINB stock, mines in .177 with Air Arms domes in 4.52 accurate, powerfull and a delight to use. Choice is yours but both are superb rifles. Enjoy.

[Dunk1302]

I'm with Barrel on this one..... I own both an '80 and a '95, and for me the '80 is the better of the two, largely because of the extra weight. I find it gives greater stability, and helps to keep the gun on-aim.

I really tried to like the '95 - fitting a tuning kit, fettling it and fitting it in a nice custom stock, but I just don't get along with it as well - the slightest gust of wind blows it off-aim. It takes a tornado to blow an '80 about (and if you're lugging it around all day...... buy a sling - simples!)

Real men shoot an 80

Dunk

[maximus]

I have both 80's and a 95. I have tuned all of them but the 95 rarley gets touched. The 80 is always considered a heavy weight but its not so bad by underlever standards
and the 95 is too floaty due to its light weight for me. Blackpool air rifles have an old Mk1 .22 for sale at not too much money.

atb

Max

[TonyL]

Personally, if choosing just the one, it's the 80 that I would go for.

Yes, as standard, the swept volume is more suited to FAC power levels, but they can still be very sweet with minimal fettling. At some point in the future, sleeving down or stroking would make it much sweeter, but these things can be very accurate and forgiving with the standard architecture. A big, solidly engineered beast that's built like the proverbial outhouse. It would be my Armageddon gun.

As regards comparing old v new. I have no personal experience of the new ones, with redesigned front stock mounting arrangement and detent. Both versions have their fans, so I'd say just jump in and enjoy.
Main thing is to check condition as much as you can.

[landymick]

I'm with the 80 on this one i do like the 95's but favour the 80 not so much because of the weight issue more i feel its robustness.A well fettled one old or new is a pleasure to shoot.Main difference in MKI & new version apart from stock is plastic guide,thinner spring & spring to stop cocking lever rattle on new type.
My favourite type of 80's are MKI action in cs500 or other custom stock with set back trigger all of which can be added later but a standard one does the job all the same.

[PCPShooter]

Hi All,

I'm looking for a little help from you folk in the know if possible please?

Thinking about buying myself a Weihrauch HW80 in .22 flavour, but have been wondering how the latest models compare with the older ones?

Obviously I'll be keeping my eye on the 'Private Sales' ads here, but in the meantime if anyone out there has a very good specimen for sale and is within a reasonable distance of Bury, Rochdale, Manchester, then I'd be interested to hear from you.

Thanks in advance

Alan

No difference in age that is SIGNIFICANT. HW95s are better in 22 imo , 80s are great in 177 and 20 cal. 80s without a fair bit of jiggery pokery , basically aren't great in 22, the bit more spring for 177 and 22 works well
I wouldn't be without an 80, though I do not take shots I'd have had on squirrels with a lighter rifle, as although lovely when 'aimed', takes longer to shoulder up due to mass. My favourite 80 is an old mk11 one rebelled by Collin Molloy with a new style 20 cal 12 inch screwcut barrel, ph ally mod, v mach kit, Nikon EFR scope. It's about the 'lightest' 80 I've had, in that format, the stock is a particularly light one too, which vary a good few oz's, as stocks do ..hope this helps

[Alamo]

Thanks everyone for the info so far.

I've never really got into the technical aspects of airguns such as sleeving and stroke shortening etc, so much of that kind of stuff unfortunately goes straight over my head at the moment.....but I'm working on that one!

I have owned 2 HW80's in the past and can honestly say I like the extra weight. I feel comfortable with a rifle which has a bit of weight to it so maybe thats just me being 'Old School' and resisting change, or perhaps it has something to do with me spending almost every weekend for the last 40 years shouldering a 12 bore or the occasional .243 ? I have friends who own rifles such as the S400 and Rapid 7, but my own personal choice is a springer - for now at least!

I have both 80's and a 95. I have tuned all of them but the 95 rarley gets touched. The 80 is always considered a heavy weight but its not so bad by underlever standards
and the 95 is too floaty due to its light weight for me. Blackpool air rifles have an old Mk1 .22 for sale at not too much money.

atb

Max

Yes I spotted that one too and had intended to go take a look at it last weekend. Fortunately a friend saved me the trip as he'd been over to Blackpool Air Rifles earlier in the week and mentioned it wasn't a particularly good example.

Alan

[Binners]

P M sent

[bigtoe01]

A sleeved to 25mm 80 is the ultimate tool sub12, however its no longer a HW80, it would be best to call it a HW87 lol or something similar.

If you facny a 30mm piston gun why not try the Wather Century, it shoots nicer than a sub12 new 80 right out the box, its more like a hw35 with a better breech lock up imo.

[capt hindsight]

Hi Almo,

Personally I wouldn't be bothered about the age provided it was in externally good condition - and I wouldn't worry about the internals at all as I'd strip them out and chuck them in the bin.

If you've never taken one apart it is very easy provided its spring is standard power. V Mach and Welsh Willy (Woodfield gun care products) sell great tuning kits that are straight forward to fit with only a little patience and some basic garage tools.

I bought mine which is an early 90's model, off a friend who thought hated it, and to be fair it twanged terribly.

But It was in nice condition and obviously not had much use. A V mach kit was all that was needed, it shoots lovely now and I sincerely prefer it over my previous TX200 - most people would think I'm mad but for me the HW80 is a delight to shoot.

atb

Ed

[Barryg]

Hi All,

Thinking about buying myself a Weihrauch HW80 in .22 flavour, but have been wondering how the latest models compare with the older ones?


Alan

Alan, the difference between the old and the new is that the new type the have a strange star breech, a screw on cast metal barrel stop and stock screw yoke, but the new type does have a interesting cast metal cocking shoe that could be better, but it can also be fitted to the old type, also don't forget that the the old type have had a lot of time testing

[bigtoe01]

80's in .177 and .25 you can get away with, reason being they need more spring so shoot nicer, in .22 get a hw95 or even better a 99s.

If you want a nice (really nice) 80 with a 30mm piston, you need to lighten the piston by around 70g, shorten the stroke by around 15mm, and take the TP out to 3.3 to 3.5mm....then they can be nice.

You will then be able to spring it with a hw77 spring, much smaller than an 80 spring, it will need new guides and a ptfe sleeve to bring the piston ID down.