Weihrauch HW77 (.22, full-length)

[ac509]

Introduction
This review is my opinion based on my personal experience with one rifle. I paid for it with my own money, having bought it nearly-new (the previous owner had fired less than a tin of pellets through it before deciding he wanted the same rifle in .177). In the six months that I have owned it, I have put nearly 2000 pellets through it and have had no work performed on the rifle in terms of servicing, repairs or modifications. I have found a variety of things to report on, and some of these things are purely a matter of personal preference and are by no means intended as gospel. This review is divided into five parts: specification, overview, shooting, complaints and summary.

Specifications
Weight: 4.1 kg (~9 lbs)
Barrel length: 18.5" (470 mm)
Overall length: 44.1" (1120 mm)
Length of pull: 14.25" (362 mm)
Sight radius: 25-30" (635-762 mm)

Overview
The Weihrauch HW77 is a weighty airgun, but it is well-balanced and stable on aim. Its weight lends it a sense of purpose and quality, which it mostly lives up to. It is a full-size, full-power rifle; over a chronograph, my specimen delivered a 5-shot average velocity of 570 ft/s with JSB Exact 15.89 grain pellets, resulting in an average muzzle energy of about 11.5 ft/lbs. The JSB pellets are the only ones I have run through the rifle, and I have found them to perform well. The length of pull is comfortable for me when standing at an angle to the target as I usually do, and I found that the pad of my finger could comfortably reach the trigger, and I am short with small hands. I moved the rear sight as far forward as it would sit to reduce the size of the rear notch in comparison to the front post, and this setup works well for me. I don't have a scope on hand to attach to the HW77, nor do I have the budget to outfit the rifle with a suitable optic. As a result, my specimen has remained un-scoped, which is no bother to me as I don't hunt and I rarely shoot past 25 yards. The rifle is fitted with a non-resettable auto safety and an anti-bear-trap mechanism which locks the trigger until the compression tube is fully forwards. The trigger is an adjustable 'Rekord' unit and I have not bothered to adjust mine; I found it to be perfectly serviceable as it was. The stock is beech with pressed chequering and a high comb for use with a scope. The underlever is positively locked by means of a ball and spring, with a release button in the front of the block and a rubber o-ring to soften its contact against the barrel.

Shooting
The HW77 is easy to cock, with no discernible graunching over the lever's travel. A loading port which is 180º wide means that loading is equally easy for right- and left-handed shooters. The safety disengages with an audible click and a red pin indicates that the rifle is ready to fire. The rifle comes to aim quite naturally and stays there on account of its balance. The sights are clear, with a square front post and the rear sight block is adjustable for elevation and windage with four different notches available - two square notches of different widths, a U-notch and a V-notch. Changing the notches is best done with the sight off the rifle as it is a fiddly and difficult process otherwise. The pressed chequering provides a modicum of grip with dry hands, but this is likely to deteriorate in wet conditions or with excessively sweaty hands. The trigger blade is unremarkable but the trigger pull on my specimen is excellent, with a light take-up, a definite 'wall' and a crisp, light break. Other people have 'guest-fired' my rifle and have commented on its ease of cocking and smoothness in firing, and I find myself agreeing with them. Accuracy of my HW77 is good with the JSB Exact 15.89 grain pellets, with the best groups of five pellets coming in at under an inch at 25 yards when I play my part (and have the assistance of a soft rest). I have used the rifle at distances exceeding 25 yards, but with limited success due to my reluctance to scope the rifle; I am sure that with a decent optic it would be quite capable out to 40 yards or more.

Complaints
Inevitably, the HW77 is not a perfect rifle. There are some flaws with it, and again I must stress that what follows is my opinion based on my experience and my use case. I find the pressed chequering to be poor and would prefer stippling or cut chequering to improve traction. On my rifle, the underlever has some lateral slop and does not always return smoothly to its block; some wiggling is needed to find its recess. The rear sight unit feels cheaply-made; the spring-steel leaf which provides the tension for elevation adjustments is not secure and the rear sight is prone to shift laterally during transit, and the comb is set high for use with a scope, which makes using the sights more difficult, although I appreciate most users will mount a scope onto their rifle.

Summary
The Good:
- Accurate
- (Mostly) well-built
- Easy to cock
- Ambidextrous
- Well-balanced
- Usable out of the box

The Bad:
- Some janky parts which cause needless frustration
- Some shooters may find the rifle too heavy to be comfortable
- High comb not good for open sights

The Ugly (unaesthetic features but minimal functional effect):
- Pressed chequering
- Thin bluing
- Beech stock
- Large safety warning
- Non-resettable safety

Overall, a solid rifle fit for purpose, if slightly disappointing in parts. 8.5/10

[Goatofmendez]

Great review - however with a gun such as the HW77 it would be handy to know how old the gun is. I know you mention you have owned it six months, but I bought a 1984 HW77 six months ago, so I have owned a HW77 for six months as well. Like I say the gun has been in production a long time and a major difference on the older ones are the 25mm internals, which many people claim to be superior to the new 26mm version.

I tell you one thing I have never seen, as review of an early HW77 against a new version.

Again - great review, thanks

[ac509]

According to the site http://www.weihrauch-database.eu/dywp, mine was probably made in 2016. It has an engraved safety warning and the ambidextrous beech stock.

[mark williams]

I use the older full length mk2 version ( 1986 ) .177 cal.
It has the 25mm cylinder and has a Sandwell Field Sport stage 2 tune.
The build quality is superb, as a static hunting rifle,- boy does it deliver.
I could never part with it, they are outstanding rifles .

10/10 for my older 77.