If I could only have one air rifle it really would be the HW80. With a short stroke it will run beautifully at sub 12 with a pleasurable and reasonably accurate cycle. Come the zombie apocolypse knock off the short stroke, sharpen the muzzle and it's a survival tool with no equal!
Better to admit you walked through the wrong door than spend your life in the wrong room
I wondered about that, I think it is nonsense. More likely to stretch the bolts. The 11 mm section of the cylinder isn't going to crimp up like that.
HW had just bought out BSF and probably just fancied having a go with a BSF type sight mount, maybe one of the BSF staff had something to do with the origin of the Old School 85?
It's really a nostalgia thing. When the R1(HW80) came out it was the most powerful thing around, supposedly. I liked my R1 with open sights and it was accurate enough and not heavy at all. One day, back in 1998, I found out what computers are for. Works of the devil that make you lust after all manner of airgun. I spied this thing called a Pro Elite and had to try it. Beautiful and it put out 22 ft. lbs. of power more accurately than the old R1 did at 16-17. I know there were some problem PE's, but mine was very good. 10 Crosman Premier 14.3 gr. pellets straight from the box and the spread was a high of 834 and a low of 829. The standard deviation was 1. Then I went and got bitten by FT and all other guns have left to be replaced by 8 venerable old TX 200's. Nostalgia is powerful, if you don't believe it look at the following the FWB 124 has. Except for ease of cocking, the HW95 stomps all over the 124. It's just nostalgia. I just hope something better doesn't come along to beat my TX's, or I may become nostalgic about them and not move on.
Owned two 80's including a mint mk1, sold them both as they got little use. Strangely I prefer the 90, enjoy shooting them much more, must be the gas ram?
I agree the 99/95 at UK power can equal the 80 if you just think of your guns as just tools but for me the 80 is a pleasure to own and I would have thought that on a airgun forum guns were more than just tools.
My keepers are a combination of things that I like not just practicality
The TX is something different but is also a airgun legend and a must have for a airgun enthusiast
I think people who think an 80 is heavy, long lazy shot cycle etc need to look at some stats! 80mm stroke is not long, shorter than a 95, hence a shorter cylinder and hence again a shorter gun! Weight wise yes heavier than a 95 but in k form not too bad especially by under lever standards. My own 80 in walnut stock 10" barrel is only marginally heavier than my 95k in similar spec but holds on aim much easier. I have shortened the stroke to 60 mm and it shoots lovely using falcon a plus. Basically, an 80k in a walnut sporter stock with a sensible sized scope is a difficult gun to beat in my opinion.
Plinkerer and Tinkerer
80mm is long when it’s a 30mm piston weighing as much as a small child.
Standard ones can be shot perfectly well with practice & the right technique, but I’m of the same opinion of some of the other comments, why ‘learn’ to use something so ill suited to uk limits when there are lots of other guns which are lighter, better suited etc etc.
Have to say, I like them, I have a .22 mk1 80 that was in a state when I bought it, Dead rusty!
Also have another mk1 that's .177 on a lefty walnut stock, It's actually fine to shoot left or right handed though!!
John
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Very nice Ian !
“An airgun or two”………
Hello, well I don't and to be honest I really don't think I am going to, a rather different kettle of fish ( wonder where that comes from?) but I bought an HW 57, new, and it was dreadful a real mechanical mess, should Never have left the factory. Unusable.
Sorry.
Cheers.
Geoff.
Agreed. Although there is history of this kind of thing reportedly happening. The ally cylinder from the Webley Eclipse, for example.
Another obvious advantage with the solid milled steel trigger block of the big HW80, is (with a bit of engineering), you can have a proper fixed spring guide in there. If you want to.