HW95 / 98 MK1 Barrel superiority

[Mach 1.5]

Considering how many HW must have produced it's getting hard to find a nice 95 MK1 or a 98 MK1 these days. Mach 1.5

[Travis299]

My HW95L specs are, Rifle was received on 8/11/2020 from AoA.
Moderator weighs 4.32 oz, 122.6 g, 1892 gr. Barrel length = 15.75” from end of moderator to end of breech block. Barrel without moderator = 12.188”, (12-3/16”, 309.575 mm), from thread end to breech block end. Moderator is 6” long. Female threads start 2.1” in from beveled end of Moderator. Rifle length = 41.875” from end of moderator to butt center. 29" from moderator end to compression tube end. Thread is 3/4" long & 1/2" diameter with 20 threads per inch.

I can sometimes shoot MOA from 25 yards using a table & bags with FTT 14.66 gr 5.53 mm pellets BUT not always.

[TonyL]

My HW95k is a 2018 model in .22, I bought it second hand but it had hardly been used. However I think someone had been in it as it had axle grease on the spring & the spring was undersized (short). It Only did about 9.5 ft/lbs.

It's now running a TBT maxi kit (short stroked) set at 10.6 ft/lbs and has a slimtech style metal silencer, it's comparably better than the standard ones they hire out at my local range, but doesn't seem especially accurate compared to my HW97k (.177 , Welsh Willy kit ) or .25 Sirocco, but I think it's better than the standard TX200 I had a go on the other week.


.

Have you tried the Field Target Trophy through it yet?

[Waddy]

Have you tried the Field Target Trophy through it yet?

That is it's pellet of choice, although it's not actually that pellet fussy.

Bisley magnums are good, it's just the extra weight makes it seem like a quarterbore, same with Barracudas.

[look no hands]

I was told by Tony Wall at SFS many moons ago that the 98 barrels where made by LW, how true that is, I don't know.

[evert]

Myth or Reality? Over the years in our sport I've heard rumours that the HW95 / 98 MK1 barrels were the best produced by HW?.Mr Pope even told me this but I never did ask, Why Steve? Over the years ive seen 80' wearing 95 barrels. Well this weekend I picked up a 1996 95 MK1 in .177. The rifling on mine is deep and more protruding than my 80's, 99's 30's etc. Question is why would HW just put better barrels on just these models and not the rest of the range? Mach 1.5

I have a 87-88 HW85, which is essentially the same barrel as the 95/98/80.
It seems better made than the later AND earlier HW barrels I have, the breech taper is good and there are no tight spots in the breech like you often find on HW breakbarrels.

[BTDT]

I was told by Tony Wall at SFS many moons ago that the 98 barrels where made by LW, how true that is, I don't know.

When I ordered a .20" barrel for one of my HW95s, I was told that they were special order because Weihrauch did not make them: LW did.

When the barrel arrived, the rifling looked for all the world to be Lothar Walther, as did a later .177" barrel HW95.

[BTDT]

Yes, I seem to remember back in the day (the "Sporting Air Rifle era") that some used the FWB barrel on HWs to try and achieve even better accuracy. Did some also try the Anschutz 335 barrel?

WBPS fitted the 335 barrel and breech block to the HW95 and sold the rifle as the Marauder, Tony. More recently, I fitted a 19" 335 barrel to one of my HW95s, and it's superb.

[PCPShooter]

20 cal barrels were definitely made externally at one time, though I thought it had gone in house now, but in batches as might be expected

I think there was a Golden age of HW barrels, probably when old fashioned values met really good CNC machines

Then people leave / retire / die etc , skills get lost, and bean counters have more say (it's not new news right) _ ?

Around the time of the 95 and barrel weighted 16 inch barrels, a good HW barrels would shoot almost any pellets with little FPS variation, most noticeable in 22
(The lightweight 7.9 jsb's were't around then, first in UK as Wembley Mozzies I recall)

All the 20 cal barrels with modern pellet manufacture shoot great

The latest (and some old HW barrels) are definitely not in 'The Golden age' period

I'm sure like most manufacturers, at time outsourcing, off days, equipment problems, QC guy who doesn't give a a fart about shooting etc have all played their part.

I wouldn't want to not have my good HW barrels _ it's not so easy to make definitive statements I think about when / which, and you do have to be able to shoot to a standard to know if a barrel is good or not etc etc _

[BSFNUT]

WBPS fitted the 335 barrel and breech block to the HW95 and sold the rifle as the Marauder, Tony. More recently, I fitted a 19" 335 barrel to one of my HW95s, and it's superb.

Jim

I know memory fades with time but I thought the Marauder was the WBPS synthetic piston seal conversion with Walnut stock of the Anschutz 335 and the HW 80 was used to have a 'grafted' Anschutz barrel and lock to become the 'Maraudermax '. These pre -dated the HW95 surely ?

To answer the original question I was told that the Hw98 Mk1 barrels were from the HW 55 (makes sense in that the HW55 was available with two different weight barrel sleeves)

happy to be wrong

[TonyL]

WBPS fitted the 335 barrel and breech block to the HW95 and sold the rifle as the Marauder, Tony. More recently, I fitted a 19" 335 barrel to one of my HW95s, and it's superb.

I can imagine, Jim.

Bizarrely, my memory must be playing tricks and if anyone had asked me, I'd have told them that the Marauder was a tuned 335 in a custom stock. Silly me. Must get my SARs out for a fondle sometime.

I hope you're keeping well. I'm missing not getting my monthly fix of Technical Airgun as, I'm sure, are many others.

[TonyL]

Jim

I know memory fades with time but I thought the Marauder was the WBPS synthetic piston seal conversion with Walnut stock of the Anschutz 335 and the HW 80 was used to have a 'grafted' Anschutz barrel and lock to become the 'Maraudermax '. These pre -dated the HW95 surely ?

To answer the original question I was told that the Hw98 Mk1 barrels were from the HW 55 (makes sense in that the HW55 was available with two different weight barrel sleeves)

happy to be wrong

Oops. Sorry. Hadn't read this before replying to Jim's post.

[dair]

Is it possible that HW made the early 95/98 MK 1 barrels on BSF machinery they purchased in that time period? I don't know if a barrel machine was included but I can say that I have one of the Marksman 56 FTS models of that time period and one thing that really stands out is the very clean machining on the entire rifle. Probably the nicest work of any of my HW rifles. I've had other people make the same observation. I assumed it was just one of those rifles that was made on a "good day" possibly using new cutters. It really is outstanding and shoots extremely well.

[Mach 1.5]

Some interesting observations here I must say. Mach 1.5

[BTDT]

Jim

I know memory fades with time but I thought the Marauder was the WBPS synthetic piston seal conversion with Walnut stock of the Anschutz 335 and the HW 80 was used to have a 'grafted' Anschutz barrel and lock to become the 'Maraudermax '. These pre -dated the HW95 surely ?

To answer the original question I was told that the Hw98 Mk1 barrels were from the HW 55 (makes sense in that the HW55 was available with two different weight barrel sleeves)

happy to be wrong

I can imagine, Jim.

Bizarrely, my memory must be playing tricks and if anyone had asked me, I'd have told them that the Marauder was a tuned 335 in a custom stock. Silly me. Must get my SARs out for a fondle sometime.

I hope you're keeping well. I'm missing not getting my monthly fix of Technical Airgun as, I'm sure, are many others.

You're both right, of course; the 335 barrel and breech block were fitted to the Maraudermax, and the Marauder was a 335 with a PTFE piston seal.

Note to self; think before typing.