Hammerli model 4

[Graemevw]

Are these any good?
Had a look at one today. I like that it's side lever, its light, and quite small.
I bought an original 75 today for some informal target shooting. My girlfriend has expressed an interest in this too but the original is too big and too heavy for her.
I thought maybe this hammerli might suit.
Dealer wants £165 for it. It seems in very good condition.

Things I don't like are the stock looks a bit cheap and the loading tap has some plastic.
Is it just the knob on the tap that's plastic?

I read somewhere they are pretty accurate though.

Thinking it may make a good Christmas present. Maybe I could put a diopter on it to make it a bit more targety.

What kind of power do they put out? More than 6ftlb? If so, can they be de tuned a bit? Might be a bit much for indoor target work.

[Geezer]

http://www.airgunbbs.com/showthread....mation-request

This is a good old thread.

I’d strongly highlight the safety issue with the sidelever mechanism.

[Graemevw]

http://www.airgunbbs.com/showthread....mation-request

This is a good old thread.

I’d strongly highlight the safety issue with the sidelever mechanism.

Thank you, very helpful.
Seems they are how I figured, decent but with a few small issues.

I can't put my finger on why, but for some reason I liked it but even just in the 2 mins it was in my hands I could tell I liked it despite it feeling a little cheap on the build quality in places.

[I. J.]

Good quality and very accurate rifles but the early ones didn't have an anti bear trap.

HTH
Ian

[Graemevw]

For my own use, I'd put up with that. But for an inexperienced shooter, that may be a problem.
If the tap is set ready to load a pellet it shouldn't be able to do you any harm, but I assume the tap needs to be closed to allow it to draw air into the cylinder, so that's not much help.

[Hsing-ee]

Downside

Sear wear. Make sure the trigger unit is snug to the cylinder and all tiny little allen headed screws are tight but not over-tight. Otherwise the stamped sear will wear on the piston.

Very low comb. Cut an flip flop sole to suit and gaffer tape it on.

No butt-plate or recoil pad. Stick on a recoil pad.

Fragile side-lever. Over enthusiastic cocking will bend the stamped side-lever near the hinge - the design is flawed and should have been more robust. Gently pull the piston into battery, don't slam it back like a shithouse door.

Side-lever latch needs regular greasing or will wear.

Spring is very long, you will definitely need a spring compressor or you will take a chunk out of the plaster.

Very ugly.

Upside

Excellent triggers, very sweet.

Superb barrels.

Very nice pistol grip, upright and good for smaller hands. Deep fore-end also good.

Extremely accurate for a recoilling rifle.

Easy to cock and load.

Not pellet-sensitive.

Removeable barrel weight so slighter people can heft it.

The loading tap is not plastic as far as I know, never seen a plastic one.


Power is 7-9 fpe in .177. Rumour has it that you can put a 77 spring in it for more, and there were claims in the 80s about 11 fpe. But it probably runs best at 8 fpe, you could detune it to 5.5 fpe for indoors with a clipped spring.

You could also replace the cocking lever with one from a 400 series like a 401 or 402 which has a integral lever latch. I cannot remember precisely but I think the rearsight bolt goes all the way into the cylinder so that needs blanking off if you're not going to use the rearsight.

[Graemevw]

Downside

Sear wear. Make sure the trigger unit is snug to the cylinder and all tiny little allen headed screws are tight but not over-tight. Otherwise the stamped sear will wear on the piston.

Very low comb. Cut an flip flop sole to suit and gaffer tape it on.

No butt-plate or recoil pad. Stick on a recoil pad.

Fragile side-lever. Over enthusiastic cocking will bend the stamped side-lever near the hinge - the design is flawed and should have been more robust. Gently pull the piston into battery, don't slam it back like a shithouse door.

Side-lever latch needs regular greasing or will wear.

Spring is very long, you will definitely need a spring compressor or you will take a chunk out of the plaster.

Very ugly.

Upside

Excellent triggers, very sweet.

Superb barrels.

Very nice pistol grip, upright and good for smaller hands. Deep fore-end also good.

Extremely accurate for a recoilling rifle.

Easy to cock and load.

Not pellet-sensitive.

Removeable barrel weight so slighter people can heft it.

The loading tap is not plastic as far as I know, never seen a plastic one.


Power is 7-9 fpe in .177. Rumour has it that you can put a 77 spring in it for more, and there were claims in the 80s about 11 fpe. But it probably runs best at 8 fpe, you could detune it to 5.5 fpe for indoors with a clipped spring.

You could also replace the cocking lever with one from a 400 series like a 401 or 402 which has a integral lever latch. I cannot remember precisely but I think the rearsight bolt goes all the way into the cylinder so that needs blanking off if you're not going to use the rearsight.

Thanks, very helpful.

Not my pic, but it's only the knob on the tap I thought was plastic. Didn't look too close though.



I've always been curious about bsa merlins too. There is room in the collection for a small rifle for nieces and nephews to use, and for my other half who is quite slight.

The hammerli's draw is it's side lever. Shame it's potentially weak.
I thinknive probably go for it if it was less money, but £165 seems a bit more than it's worth to me, considering.j

Edit... a little reading tells me a Merlin is probably TOO small. Maybe a cadet major then.

[Geezer]

Cadets and Cadet Majors are good.

German Diana (“Original” over here 1950-1985ish) models 25, 25D, 25DS, 27 and 27S are worth looking at. And the inevitable HW30S and 50/99. And things like the Haenel 302 and 303.

[Graemevw]

Cadets and Cadet Majors are good.

German Diana (“Original” over here 1950-1985ish) models 25, 25D, 25DS, 27 and 27S are worth looking at. And the inevitable HW30S and 50/99. And things like the Haenel 302 and 303.

I have a liking for older bsa, the barrels seem very good. Even on open sights my mk1 airsporter is very accurate and my mercury s is better than any weihrauch I've owned!

Sort of feel a little like I should expand my horizons a little though.

I suppose it's not so much the size, as the weight. No way she can shoot my original 75 standing and free hand!

I'll look into the other options, but as these things normally are, it will depend on what comes up and happens to take my fancy.

[gc93]

i have something very close, but its marked up lg mod1 it hasn't got the grooves on the fore stock like the above but everything else is same or very close .the loading tap is steel. it looks to have been a cabinet queen or a rare sunday morning every now and then gun . i wonder where it was ranked compered to others at the time of production .have to say the bluing is a very good finish indeed.

[Hsing-ee]

Thanks, very helpful.

Not my pic, but it's only the knob on the tap I thought was plastic. Didn't look too close though.



I've always been curious about bsa merlins too. There is room in the collection for a small rifle for nieces and nephews to use, and for my other half who is quite slight.

The hammerli's draw is it's side lever. Shame it's potentially weak.
I thinknive probably go for it if it was less money, but £165 seems a bit more than it's worth to me, considering.j

Edit... a little reading tells me a Merlin is probably TOO small. Maybe a cadet major then.

The tap is steel, just the knurling and the little metal direction sticker might make it look like plastic. I don't think there is any plastic on the rifle, its steel, wood and leather. Oh, maybe a washer inside the leather piston washer is plastic.

The side-lever is fine as long as no-one hammers it.

The BSA Merlin is a most disappointing air-rifle. The idea of it is great, but the reality is that it is toy-like. It has a horrible trigger and the cocking lever rides in slots of the wooden stock.

An old-school HW25 would be a good alternative, or maybe one of the smaller Original Diana break-barrels. An Original 27 is something which is often praised in the USA but I have never had one.

[Graemevw]

The underlever riding in the stock completely kills the Merlin for me.

[Geezer]

maybe one of the smaller Original Diana break-barrels. An Original 27 is something which is often praised in the USA but I have never had one.

The yanks aren’t wrong, the 27 is very good.

For target use, including by a novice, go for the 27S. Semi-target stock, ABT, and an articulated cocking link. It’s a very nice little rifle indeed. Rare, but no rarer than the Hammerli, and probably a touch cheaper to acquire.

[Hsing-ee]

The yanks aren’t wrong, the 27 is very good.

For target use, including by a novice, go for the 27S. Semi-target stock, ABT, and an articulated cocking link. It’s a very nice little rifle indeed. Rare, but no rarer than the Hammerli, and probably a touch cheaper to acquire.

Theres a standard 27 for not too high a price here

https://www.guntrader.uk/guns/air-ri...11008162533006

Doesn't appear to have scope rails so standard open sights only, unless you rig something up. Looks rather pretty and I fancy it myself!