What is it about the 80?

[les allam]

I'd never thought of it before, but you're right. The HW99 is the Austin Allegro of the airgun world.

Rhys, I know you never rush into things, but did you try Craig's HW80 in .25 at the bash?
That's what you want, that!

If it was the engraved.25 I think that gun was a 95 Nick, and I have 1st dibs on it .
Les..

[tinbum]

If it was the engraved.25 I think that gun was a 95 Nick, and I have 1st dibs on it .
Les..

I thought it was too cos it balanced so well. I'm sure he said it was an 80.

Hang on, I'll ask......

CRAAAAAIIIIIG!

[les allam]

I thought it was too cos it balanced so well. I'm sure he said it was an 80.

Hang on, I'll ask......

CRAAAAAIIIIIG!

Yeah it handles and points really nice, and shoots so smoothly. The best sub 12 .25 springer I have shot.
Les..

[Muskett]

The 80 is over engineered and a brick shooting 12ft/lbs, its design is really for 16 to 18 ft/lbs. Due to the weight its pretty forgiving and has that Rekord trigger.
I think the HW77 is the better rifle all things considered.

So a very well made, heavy engineered, "man's" rifle that handles and shoots very well. If you can manage the weight then lots to like, even love. But to me its far too much rifle for a hunting break barrel; the HW77 is a hunting and target rifle so that weight and bulk is justified. A HW95 is to me what a 12ft/lbs sporting hunting rifle should be, as is the FWB Sport, Webley Omega.

If it floats your boat have one. John Darling's was in .22 with a Supermoolighter scope and fully tuned; a brick and a half which ensured it stayed on target (he soon moved over to a Rapid 7).

[joffy]

I only have an 80 due to having one in the 80's

[tinbum]

Yeah it handles and points really nice, and shoots so smoothly. The best sub 12 .25 springer I have shot.
Les..

Wasn't it justM he told me what was inside it which is why I'm pretty sure t was an 80

[junglie]

the 80 is the best break barrel ever made.i bought a brand new 80 last year, it was a cracking gun BUT it weighs a ton.ive had hw35, hw99s,both were good but the 80 is better,these are built like tanks but same weight as a tank aswell lol.hw98 never had 1 but many say its best break barrel weirauch made.

the only reason I've never owned one really, the weight, exellent guns.

[C.V]

Apart from having a nicely tuned 80, one way you can improve them is to fit a 98 sleeve to them.

Adds about another half a kilo and looks great. (Subjective)

I've done this with a couple of mine and makes me feel even more manly. Especially when I'm waving the .25 about.


Grrrr.

[Geezer]

First off I think the 80 will be popular with shooters of a certain age. During the early 80s the 80 was the gun to aspire to, due in part to the fact that the 80 made power easily, and lets face it we were power mad back then.
The late John Darling shot one, and Venom were doing some wonderful things with them. When the 77 came along it did eclipse it to a degree, but it never really went away.
So in essence I think some well placed nostalgia is at work here, anyone serious about airguns should have at least one 80 (I have two), in the collection.

I think this basically answers the question. They are an iconic rifle for a certain age demographic.

Back when they were the latest new shiny thing, I rejected them, preferring the FWB Sport. I couldn’t see why you would want to lug around something which, with mandatory big scope was the length and weight of an L1A1 SLR in preference to the light, handy FWB.

In the US, the 80 (Beeman R1) caused a small sensation. The first rifle that not only exceeded 11-13 ft-lbs but that typically made 16-18 and could be tuned to 20. Fact is, a lot of those imported into the U.K. in the 80s were over the limit (or could be made so with a new spring) and the authorities didn’t seem to care much. I suspect that was a major factor in its success in the days when no-one bar ballistics labs owned a chrono. “Man’s gun; hits hard. Kills dustbins.”

This may sound like I don’t like the 80. Not so. It’s not my favourite. But it’s a historically important, high quality, and effective rifle. Personally, I think it’s a bit much at sub-12, but so is the Diana 52 or the Webley Tomahawk, and I quite like both of them in legal-limit versions. You could do a heck of a lot worse. And if you want a sensible pest control FAC springer, it remains a very good choice.

[Mach 1.5]

An HW80 with a vglide 25mm piston, walnut stock...nothing better. Mach 1.5

[I. J.]

While the HW80 is a legend but at U.K. power levels I much prefer a HW95.

ATB
Ian

[Rincewind666]

I have to point out the weight thing about the HW80 . . . On paper it's as heavy as a TX200, but when held the TX feels way heavier and the hw80 feels balanced, not once have I ever been out with the 80 and felt it too heavy, and I'm a slim guy too

[Craig-P]

If it was the engraved.25 I think that gun was a 95 Nick, and I have 1st dibs on it .
Les..

I thought it was too cos it balanced so well. I'm sure he said it was an 80.

Hang on, I'll ask......

CRAAAAAIIIIIG!

Yeah it handles and points really nice, and shoots so smoothly. The best sub 12 .25 springer I have shot.
Les..

Hello lads.
It’s a 95, well, the cylinder is.
I bought a scrapper 95, pre safety stamp and fitted a modern .25 HW80 carbine barrel to it. Then Shaun sleeved that as they benefit from some forward weight.
I’ll bring it to the October bash, all being well.
Cheers, Craig

[Roundshot]

Having owned an 80 from 1982-4 as my rabbit gun, unusually in that era .177" and excellent for the purpose both open sighted and later, Tasco scoped, then fallen as many did for the 77 and got rid, it didn't occur to me to have another, until....
Trumpetier produced for sale a mint 1981 .22" at Nov '16 B/Bash.

Handling one was a treat after 30yrs so I bagged it.

Not so mint now after thousands of pellets and many strip downs but what a rifle.

It became horrid to shoot after my initially effective strip, clean & moly.

Next, home made piston sleeve from Brut deodorant. Later, TbT kit which took a lot of fitting, then collapsing coils of spring the rifle came with.

Shoots really sweetly std stroke JSB 16gr, effortlessly precise, beats everything else I've got.

I think I've quite by accident and in stages hit upon an excellent set up, one I doubt I could reproduce in another gun, or even this if any parts go.

I never minded the weight as a lad either, it probably helps the shooting, and in summary a good looking, well made rugged workhorse that well merits its status.

[Geezer]

I have to point out the weight thing about the HW80 . . . On paper it's as heavy as a TX200, but when held the TX feels way heavier and the hw80 feels balanced, not once have I ever been out with the 80 and felt it too heavy, and I'm a slim guy too

I agree with you. Balance is a special thing. Unless you have to carry it in your hands for miles, a well-balanced heavy gun can be a very good thing, especially in a springer. The 80 has that, as does the 77K. Although I still prefer a well-balanced light rifle (eg Webley Longbow).