Weihrauch HW55 Tyrolean

[Hsing-ee]

Just got my greedy mitts on one of these beauties. It is the Loveliest Weihrauch Ever Made! The balance, build quality and super-comfortable stock make it so.

Apart from this, the purchase proved two things to me;

1. When you think you are 'finished collecting', there is always 'Just One More'.

2. Don't buy a rifle you are not happy with just because it is a rarity. I saw a HW55T at the Bisley gun fair a few months ago, with dull blueing, a scratched stock, a totally dry action and a general air of neglect. It was priced at a hefty £375. I dithered about it, went away from the stall and came back, thought 'maybe that's the only one I will see in the next couple of years' and dithered and finally left it alone, feeling that maybe I would regret not buying it. Then, a few months later this one turns up, with hardly any use and in well-looked-after condition with perfect finish on wood and metal .... and £75 cheaper.

Still, need to find some money now to make up for the 'investment!'

[Prewar]

Those 55's are lovely and great to shoot. Did yours have the sleeved barrel ?

[Garvin]

I foresee an FWB 65 on the market soon, Alistair...! The HW55T is certainly a lovely, graceful rifle. Congratulations! It does show it's worth waiting. Often when there's a buzz around a particular rifle the prices go up and at other times they fall. I sold a beautiful, almost mint early HW55T for around £340 IIRC a couple of years ago and it didn't go that fast.

[coburn]

Now you've got a 55T you'll want a 55MM, a 55SM etc, etc.

[Mattatack]

a bit too bulky looking for me the 55 range but the barrel locking system is i think excellent. what i want is a mint .177 '35E no older than 1977 ive got a max price in mind and that will it for me collection wise. i think.

Alistair what calibre is your 55T mate?

[Hsing-ee]

a bit too bulky looking for me the 55 range but the barrel locking system is i think excellent. what i want is a mint .177 '35E no older than 1977 ive got a max price in mind and that will it for me collection wise. i think.

Alistair what calibre is your 55T mate?

I think I'll be happy with just the one HW55; although the set-trigger version is very appealing, its also very expensive! The tyrolean stock is ugly but very very comfortable, and the modest compression cylinder and relatively thin barrel make it surprisingly quick-handling- mine doesn't have the shroud. The muzzle sits on target OK without extra weight or so it seems to me.

Matt - I think all HW55 rifles are in .177, pretty much a dedicated target rifle. Although there is the one model which does NOT have the barrel lock, but shares the ordinary-type detent with the older HW50 (NOT the new one marketed as the HW99S), so it would be possible to make up a .22 version.

I remember the adverts for them in AGW in the 1970s, something about 'the pellet leaves the barrel before the reduced recoil is felt' which must have been hogwash even though the rifles were nearly as accurate as the recoilless rifles.

I am also fond of the HW35 Export, but I always feel the design is inefficient, such alot of cocking effort for the power it produces, with its oversquare bore and heavy piston. I've got three 'keeper' HWs now, a HW30S, a HW85 (old type) and now the HW55T. I think those are the best of the vintage wineracks! Although an old-type HW50S would be nice ....

[MDriskill]

I remember the adverts for them in AGW in the 1970s, something about 'the pellet leaves the barrel before the reduced recoil is felt' which must have been hogwash even though the rifles were nearly as accurate as the recoilless rifles.

An interesting detail of older HW rifles is that the breech end of the barrel has a slight flare to it--this was a deliberate extra manufacturing step, done by tapping in a tapered mandrel. This does tend to make pellets "stick" less there, as you can well imagine, and may have something to do with the odd advertising claim that you mention!

These barrels can be quite particular in pellet preferences. Generally they go for ammo with larger skirt diameters. RWS pellets have about the largest skirts of any brand and are what I use pretty much exclusively in these guns.

In the late 70's Weihrauch decided this was not worth the trouble and stopped doing it.