New air arms break barrel rifle

[Telephonepete]

Three flawed rifles that impress me are the FWB Sport, Webley Omega and HW95. Right weight, right proportions, point beautifully, but all a bit hold sensitive.
A better built Omega with walnut and record trigger as smooth as silk. Still not sure with spring hold sensitivity its going to compete with the heavy less hold sensitive rifles as most shooters want the rifle to do the marksmanship for them; or despite lack of marksmanship still put the pellet on the bull. Don't think any springer will do that without the added weight.

My highly tuned HW95 is close, but still too light in 12ft/lbs. All my light weight rifle work within farmyard ranges but the break barrels struggle beyond 25m.

With the American market demanding more than 12 ft/lbs can't see AA doing one.

well the 99 in .177 does it easily. thats why problems or not it has this large following.

[Muskett]

HW99S for £200! Plinking and farmyard a plenty, then how is anyone going to compete with that? The next level up is over £300.
AA TX or Sport all walnutted up is three times that price. We know why. We know at these weights the spring system can deliver and compete with a PCP within certain limits. A break barrel brings their own particular problems and few would pay the premium for a rifle that wasn't able to print pellets as fine as underlevers.

Basically, break barrels are fast and fun, but keep them within farmyard ranges to deliver. I love them and if I want to go further grab something else... usually a .22LR or .17 HMR. For Air Rifle target disciplines then no one would choose a break barrel. For plinking great fun they few can beat them, but would the market pay £500?? Don't think so.

[charub]

HW99S for £200! Plinking and farmyard a plenty, then how is anyone going to compete with that? The next level up is over £300.
AA TX or Sport all walnutted up is three times that price. We know why. We know at these weights the spring system can deliver and compete with a PCP within certain limits. A break barrel brings their own particular problems and few would pay the premium for a rifle that wasn't able to print pellets as fine as underlevers.

Basically, break barrels are fast and fun, but keep them within farmyard ranges to deliver. I love them and if I want to go further grab something else... usually a .22LR or .17 HMR. For Air Rifle target disciplines then no one would choose a break barrel. For plinking great fun they few can beat them, but would the market pay £500?? Don't think so.

I disagree about the problems with break barrel bit.
I have a vmach sleeved hw80 and a AA pro elite - both are every bit as a accurate as any of my fixed barrel rifles. As long as they are maintained and cared for in the correct manner.

[les allam]

I disagree about the problems with break barrel bit.
I have a vmach sleeved hw80 and a AA pro elite - both are every bit as a accurate as any of my fixed barrel rifles. As long as they are maintained and cared for in the correct manner.

I totally agree with charub regarding b/ barrel accuracy and performance,I also have the Pro/ elite and hw80 and Webley Tomahawk glided with reduced cylinder conversion and they are as accurate as my tx200 and then some.All guns great out to 60 yards if I do my bit.
Les..

[Muskett]

No dout when done right they can tackdrive. Heck some of mine do. But they are harder to shoot and more to go wrong.
Given a factory or basic tune break barrel or the same in a fixed barrel and the latter will "keep it there" longer. They probably have the same barrel fitted.

[Barryg]

I totally agree with charub regarding b/ barrel accuracy and performance,I also have the Pro/ elite and hw80 and Webley Tomahawk glided with reduced cylinder conversion and they are as accurate as my tx200 and then some.All guns great out to 60 yards if I do my bit.
Les..

I agree with Muskett because even though a break barrel might be as accurate as a fixed barrel they wont stay like it long term because the barrel hinges every shot this means that the hinge bolt, shims and what ever stops the barrel when closing must wear in time, if you have a break barrel without barrel droop or rise one day it will have rise and not only will the accuracy change the transfer port bore alignment will change, it will take a lot of use though

Although break barrels are fast and fun and we like them, fixed barrels are the ultimate springer

[FPoole]

I agree with Muskett because even though a break barrel might be as accurate as a fixed barrel they wont stay like it long term because the barrel hinges every shot this means that the hinge bolt, shims and what ever stops the barrel when closing must wear in time, if you have a break barrel without barrel droop or rise one day it will have rise and not only will the accuracy change the transfer port bore alignment will change, it will take a lot of use though

Although break barrels are fast and fun and we like them, fixed barrels are the ultimate springer

The Pro Elite was immune to wear in the hinge area as it had replaceable bushes. They were driven into the breech block and were large with thick side flanges as well. The chisel detent was also very consistent with a large hardened pin that ran across the breech jaws below the breech block. There was a groove in the block that lined up with this pin and this was the stop. I shot my FAC .22 PE 15,000 times in one year, and I only adjusted the barrel tension after the first couple of tins. It stayed where I put it after that.

[Barryg]

The Pro Elite was immune to wear in the hinge area as it had replaceable bushes. They were driven into the breech block and were large with thick side flanges as well. The chisel detent was also very consistent with a large hardened pin that ran across the breech jaws below the breech block. There was a groove in the block that lined up with this pin and this was the stop. I shot my FAC .22 PE 15,000 times in one year, and I only adjusted the barrel tension after the first couple of tins. It stayed where I put it after that.

Yes the PE is one of the best break barrels perhaps the best but the fact that it has replaceable bushes means BBs wear and change with time unlike fixed barrels.
Im not sure any other break barrel can boast what you mention about the PE.

[look no hands]

I disagree about the problems with break barrel bit.
I have a vmach sleeved hw80 and a AA pro elite - both are every bit as a accurate as any of my fixed barrel rifles. As long as they are maintained and cared for in the correct manner.

I have to agree with you regarding the Pro elite quote, I had a .22 a few years ago and on a 30 yard range with a crappy Chinese scope on it and only fired two shots, both pellets went through the same hole (as well as the following shots) and that was the first time I had ever used the rifle as I had just traded in a rifle against it in a gun shop I was passing on the way to the range, I honestly thought the second shot had gone off target, excellent rifle (apart from it's weight and length) and stunning accuracy.

Pete

[robs5230]

lets not get on the wrong track with the break barrel thing. The primary use of a break barrel is a field rifle. Whatever wear in the lockup may occur would only likely manifest itself years down the line.
What I was originally getting at was the production of a break barrel (hunter) more suited in size and performance to the UK sub 12 limit.
It would need to be smaller and lighter than the pro elite, 80 and such or definitely not worth producing as that market is already well serviced.

Its a real shame that a British manufacturer is ignoring the needs of shooters in this country but I do get why.

A break barrel rifle with the design but scaled down proportions of the pro elite would be a wonder of a rifle and i genuinely dont think it will happen, just wish it would.
i suppose ill have to buy a fenman and convert it to a springer

[rabbitwrecker]

i suppose ill have to buy a fenman and convert it to a springer

Noooooooooooooo...

[robs5230]

Noooooooooooooo...

I put a spring in a theoben scirrocco in the early 90's. Far better than it was as a gas ram

[Rapidnick]

lets not get on the wrong track with the break barrel thing. The primary use of a break barrel is a field rifle. Whatever wear in the lockup may occur would only likely manifest itself years down the line.
What I was originally getting at was the production of a break barrel (hunter) more suited in size and performance to the UK sub 12 limit.
It would need to be smaller and lighter than the pro elite, 80 and such or definitely not worth producing as that market is already well serviced.

Its a real shame that a British manufacturer is ignoring the needs of shooters in this country but I do get why.

A break barrel rifle with the design but scaled down proportions of the pro elite would be a wonder of a rifle and i genuinely dont think it will happen, just wish it would.
i suppose ill have to buy a fenman and convert it to a springer

I genuinely do not understand this worship of the Pro Elite. Even in FAC it is capable of only a little bit more power than the HW80 which is a better bet in virtually every way. In legal limit the PE is a great big lump and that is why it was a commercial failure and quite sensibly was withdrawn by AA.
As I wrote before AA don't offer a break barrel because they consider that the market is well served in this segment. I know a lot of shooters on here like the 99 but quite a few don't so for them there is always the HW95. For those shooters harking back to a different age there are the lovely Webley Longbow (made in Birmingham) and the Theoben Fenman (which for me is possibly the best self contained legal limit general purpose air rifle ever made). Especially in .20.
OK these are no longer made but there are plenty around for those of us who want one.

[robs5230]

I genuinely do not understand this worship of the Pro Elite. Even in FAC it is capable of only a little bit more power than the HW80 which is a better bet in virtually every way. In legal limit the PE is a great big lump and that is why it was a commercial failure and quite sensibly was withdrawn by AA.

The pro elite is a dinosaur introduced in the heyday where power was king. Take away its massive power potential (same design but smaller) and a very good quality sub 12 break barrel appears. The pro elite was a big money rifle. I bought my last one one in 2001 from CH Weston aat a cost of almost £400.
I have fond memories of the PE and wish I'd never sold my last one as it was a top quality rifle but way away from what is actually needed. Quality though is far in excess of anything produced by Herman.

[landymick]

I genuinely do not understand this worship of the Pro Elite. Even in FAC it is capable of only a little bit more power than the HW80 which is a better bet in virtually every way. In legal limit the PE is a great big lump and that is why it was a commercial failure and quite sensibly was withdrawn by AA.
As I wrote before AA don't offer a break barrel because they consider that the market is well served in this segment. I know a lot of shooters on here like the 99 but quite a few don't so for them there is always the HW95. For those shooters harking back to a different age there are the lovely Webley Longbow (made in Birmingham) and the Theoben Fenman (which for me is possibly the best self contained legal limit general purpose air rifle ever made). Especially in .20.
OK these are no longer made but there are plenty around for those of us who want one.

Agree with most of that,HW nearly managed it with the MK1 HW85,it was almost a baby HW80.They could do with re-releasing this model without the raised scope rail & bring back the screw in trigger block.