A look at the Record Model 77

[Iain K D]

Although at one time regularly imported into this country, the range of Fritz Barthelmes ‘Record’ brand air pistols have rather faded from the scene more recently. Production of at least some of the range continued, albeit under different ownership; appreciating a single-shot for the odd bit of plinking I finally took the plunge and ordered one from Sch ... you know where.

The gun comes in a rather attractive card box, which also shows the Record Model 68, a larger break-barrel, and smaller Model 1. Inside there is a single sheet of foam folded around the gun, and a very sparse instruction leaflet.

http://i301.photobucket.com/albums/n...Record/001.jpg
http://i301.photobucket.com/albums/n...Record/008.jpg

The gun itself is a fairly conventional break-barrel, albeit with two distinctive styling features – a ventilated rib and the bar in front of the grip. The action is held in the grip/frame by two screws either side, with these removed the entire action can be slid out forwards and upwards, necessary due to the grip coming up to enclose the rear of the air cylinder.

http://i301.photobucket.com/albums/n...Record/002.jpg
http://i301.photobucket.com/albums/n...Record/003.jpg

The grip is shaped for right-handers only, with a thumb rest and, on the opposite side, a slight swelling to fit the palm. A woodgrain effect is moulded in overall, with the addition of a patch of rather insipid stippling on the left. Overall, I find it rather comfortable – shooting it one-handed, anyway – and certainly find the bar less of a problem than a trigger guard which feels, on first picking the gun up, rather cramped. The interior of the trigger guard isn’t very neatly finished, either, although once up on aim it doesn’t seem to be a problem.

http://i301.photobucket.com/albums/n...Record/010.jpg

Record had a reputation for their largely alloy construction and once dismantled the 77 displays this quite clearly – an alloy piston with an alloy guide rod sits in an alloy cylinder/trigger housing; an alloy trigger blade acts on an alloy sear, and a steel barrel liner lies within an alloy barrel casing – very obvious at the muzzle.

http://i301.photobucket.com/albums/n...Record/004.jpg
http://i301.photobucket.com/albums/n...Record/009.jpg

Having said that, the sear and piston each have a ball bearing set in them to act as bearing surfaces - between them that’s only one less than Diana used in their ball sear, isn’t it? - and the steel barrel detent engages with a brass (it looks) pin through the breech jaws.

Unlike the Record Model 1, which has a barrel block that fits over a bar projecting from the air cylinder (a design perpetuated in the Umarex Buck Mark), the 77 has a conventional barrel block fitting between two breech jaws; the pivot is a threaded bolt with a tapered lock screw in the end. The barrel lock is a conventional detent, held in place by a circlip on its tail.

http://i301.photobucket.com/albums/n...Record/005.jpg

The intermediate cocking link is steel, attached to an alloy link that largely just slides into the trigger mechanism and pushes the piston back, guided by the pin joining these sections also passing through slots in the trigger housing. A simple safety interlock is provided by the linkage blocking movement of the trigger – note the projection on the top of the blade – except when the barrel is closed.

http://i301.photobucket.com/albums/n...Record/006.jpg
http://i301.photobucket.com/albums/n...Record/007.jpg

So far, I’ve only had the one brief session with it at the club to try it out. It zeroed at 10 metres with no real difficulty – the click stops on the windage adjustment are a bit vague, and a screwdriver is needed to make elevation adjustments. The sight picture didn’t quite suit my eyes – the rearsight notch could be wider – and I found the foresight hood something of a distraction: probably I’m so used to open, unhooded sights on a 10 meter pistol card that it felt a bit cluttered and in the way.

Unfortunately the simple trigger doesn’t do the gun any favours, being a little too stiff with an uncomfortable trigger blade, and then feeling like it suddenly breaks. There is no adjustment, in spite of what appears to be a readily accessible adjustment screw behind the trigger: “Its trigger is perfectly well adjusted ex-works” to quote the leaflet and it is neither possible to give it a first stage (or even a pseudo first stage) or wise (I suspect) to reduce the sear engagement.

The gun undoubtedly has potential, being comfortable to handle and not overly heavy, long or unwieldy. On the other hand, the finish isn’t perfect (it is about half the price of a HW70, though) and the plastic used for the grip doesn’t inspire much confidence, feeling rather cheap and liable to crack. I’m happy to be proved wrong – there must, after all, be some of these around already – but I suspect gentle handling and not overtightening the grip/action screws may be worthwhile.

Iain

[TonyL]

Cheers for talking the time to put together this very detailed review.

Nice one.

[coburn]

I ordered a Rekord Model 3 from the same source over a year ago. Its fun but i was slightly disappointed that mine came with black target grips and not the Brown shown on the website. Its also as you state a completely different design to the 77.

Don't think that the HW70 at twice the price is not prone to its grips cracking. I've already replaced mine once and the second set are cracked already. a problem the earlier 70's with the brown grips didn't have.

Good review.

[magicesperanto]

I finally took the plunge and ordered one from Sch ... you know where.

I ordered a Rekord Model 3 from the same source over a year ago.

How quaint.