Longbow v Tomahawk

[English]

I have found myself a nice .177 Longbow

SWEET

I really like it but for something with the name Longbow I thought it was a bit er, well Short?

Really liking it thanks for all the guys who provided some info.

I guess I now need to look out for a TX QyangYong Tombow at the right price and we will all be laughing

[Murphy]

I’ve not shot mine in a while! Might put a few through it later in the week.

[Troubledshooter]

The Longbow was directly developed from the Tomahawk.
My Webley contact, who was involved in it's development, still has one of the Longbow prototypes.
I had a boxed Tomahawk and Longbow with several stocks, plus a Venom Longbow, all sold to a keen collector in 2014/15, and he still has them.

[Geezer]

If (as above) they were equivalents to the HW80 and 99, just with better stocks and a less annoying safety catch, it’s a dratted shame that Webley never made an HW85/95 equivalent of the design. 7.5lbs, 42” long, potential for 14-15 ft/lbs, but comfy at 11. The Omega was a great “Webley FWB Sport” but the Tombow/Longhawk could have been even better. Just that Webley was falling apart at the time, and almost no-one was buying quality springers as opposed to PCPs.

[TonyL]

I have found myself a nice .177 Longbow:

Excellent. Enjoy.

[Mach 1.5]

Webley never made an HW85/95 equivalent of the design. 7.5lbs, 42” long, potential for 14-15 ft/lbs, but comfy at 11..

Ivan and Steve wanted to build one but the webley management had other ideas. The venom team wanted to build a Springer bigger than a longbow and smaller than a Tommie but management wouldn't listen.

Mach 1.5

[HW777]

Webley never made an HW85/95 equivalent of the design. 7.5lbs, 42” long, potential for 14-15 ft/lbs, but comfy at 11..

Ivan and Steve wanted to build one but the webley management had other ideas. The venom team wanted to build a Springer bigger than a longbow and smaller than a Tommie but management wouldn't listen.

Mach 1.5

Webley could have been world leaders with the design team they had, which may have even shook up Hw into making new designs.

The spring gun world has become stagnant of new design quality rifles.

A mag fed Webley Eclipse is now nothing but wishful thinking/day dreaming.

And I've still yet to see even just as design drawing, Steve Pope's VM3R, I wonder who holds them now ?

[Troubledshooter]

Ivan and Steve wanted to build one but the webley management had other ideas. The venom team wanted to build a Springer bigger than a longbow and smaller than a Tommie but management wouldn't listen.

Mach 1.5

I can't see point in that as the Longbow was developed by Webley from the Tomahawk.
I know my Webley contact was accompanied by Steve to Hatsan in Turkey when a new rifle was being planned, but nothing ever came of it.

[Mach 1.5]

The idea was to build a longbow with a cylinder about an inch longer than the production version but Webley wouldn't listen and so hence Webley developed the Longbow that went into production, after all, what did Ivan and Steve know? To get the best out of a longbow TopDog and Steve longstroked it to produce a nicer shooting rifle in .177.
It took a shoot off in the Webley factory to convince the Webley management that LW barrels were better than Webley, hence the LW barrels used on later webley's as they admitted defeat on that one.
The VM3 is mentioned and featured in Airgunner November 2007. The VM3R would have shaken the Springer world up for sure..I had the pleasure of shooting it and it really would have caused a stir. Mach 1.5

[Troubledshooter]

Thanks for that, Paul.
I wonder if my Venom Longbow was a long stroked version ? I have photographs of it but can't find a serial number. It had one of the best stocks I've ever seen on a Longbow.

I've now found the serial numbers of my Longbows and Stingrays:

.177 Venom Longbow 929121
.177 Longbow 925693
.177 Longbow 933900

.177 Venom Stingray 898749

SFS 001 .177 Stingray 898788

[TonyL]

Webley never made an HW85/95 equivalent of the design. 7.5lbs, 42” long, potential for 14-15 ft/lbs, but comfy at 11..

Ivan and Steve wanted to build one but the webley management had other ideas. The venom team wanted to build a Springer bigger than a longbow and smaller than a Tommie but management wouldn't listen.

Mach 1.5

The idea was to build a longbow with a cylinder about an inch longer than the production version but Webley wouldn't listen and so hence Webley developed the Longbow that went into production, after all, what did Ivan and Steve know? To get the best out of a longbow TopDog and Steve longstroked it to produce a nicer shooting rifle in .177.
It took a shoot off in the Webley factory to convince the Webley management that LW barrels were better than Webley, hence the LW barrels used on later webley's as they admitted defeat on that one.
The VM3 is mentioned and featured in Airgunner November 2007. The VM3R would have shaken the Springer world up for sure..I had the pleasure of shooting it and it really would have caused a stir. Mach 1.5

So sad. Just think what may have been.

[archie]

I am lucky enough to have two Birmingham Longbows. One in .177 with a nice walnut stock and the other in .22 with a beech stock. Both really nice to shoot. I think the .22 is my favourite, but both have nice triggers and are pretty accurate rifles.
I have met and dealt with Topdog, he is a very clever chap and most helpful with any problems.

[Troubledshooter]

I've now found the serial numbers and added them to post#40.

[Mach 1.5]

The longstroked Longbow was a VMach conversion and not a Webley Venom. So unless Steve did the conversation then it will not be a longstroke conversion by him. Not many where converted to the 6mm stroke to be honest. Mach 1.5

[TonyL]

I have met and dealt with Topdog, he is a very clever chap and most helpful with any problems.

Just heard the very sad news my dear friend David has passed away. His knowledge on the science of airguns was second to none and it was always a pleasure to be in his company. He would blind me with science on how air rifles worked when ever we had a catch up.My sincere condolences go to his family and friends. RIP My dear friend. Hope God as a longbow cause with you and Steve he'll be in for a treat.
Mach 1.5

Very sadly, as above.