Your perfect sporting breakbarrel?

[Geezer]

What happened to the longbow? It was a pretty decent shooter, nice size and weight, good trigger, miss mine

I’m enjoying my 98 atm

Webley went bust.

Some Longbows were made by Hatsan in Turkey for a while, but they generally were not as good as the originals. Some of these (the SE) had a nice walnut thumbhole stock, though.

The Tomahawk names survives, but is (or until recently was) simply a rebadged Hatsan.

[TonyL]

Thank you Tony, the Boinger Bash seems just to be the right place to visit pfor all springgunners whereever you live
A visit there would be a great memory to put on my airgun CV. Thanks!

Per

It really is a unique event, Per. Very relaxed and enjoyable and with many of the characters from here present, including some of the very knowledgeable tuners.

If we were to have a small contingent from Norway there, it would make it memorable for us also.

[TonyL]

Webley Longbow - Longstroked.
Webley Venom HW95 Hornet. 20 cal
Mastersport FWB.
Venom HW55T
All the above are near enough. Mach 1.5

Yummy!

[evert]

I have dreamt up a lot of "optimal springers", and gathered a lot of spares/project air rifle actions that are possible candidates for the project:
.
-Cometa 300 action with a new piston and rekord trigger.

But I havent gotten around to doing any of these projects, modfications like these require more work than people realize.

Finally some of my theoretical dream guns are starting to become reality!
The cometa 300 is my first candidate, this is the work I have done so far:
-sleeved up a Bam B26 rear block to fit the 26mm cometa tube.
-Started converting an old CZ631 piston to fit the rekord trigger.

The goal is a medium size breakbarrel with 26mm HW seal, 84-85mm stroke, one piece cocking linkage and rekord trigger.

[TonyL]

Finally some of my theoretical dream guns are starting to become reality!
The cometa 300 is my first candidate, this is the work I have done so far:
-sleeved up a Bam B26 rear block to fit the 26mm cometa tube.
-Started converting an old CZ631 piston to fit the rekord trigger.

The goal is a medium size breakbarrel with 26mm HW seal, 84-85mm stroke, one piece cocking linkage and rekord trigger.

That prescription sounds very spookily like a HW95, evert.

Congratulations on the progress and inspiration.

[evert]

That prescription sounds very spookily like a HW95, evert.

But with the option to change piston rods and reduce stroke length if needed ;-)

[TonyL]

Nice.

[evert]

That prescription sounds very spookily like a HW95

What on earth was my mind doing yesterday??
It was +/- 80mm that has been the plan all along, I just somehow confuse myselfd with the stroke I'm using in the TX at the moment.

Now, a shortstroke piston in the HW95 would probably be a better gun, but I enjoy the tinkering.

[Pro7dave]

As it stands a lightly fettled 98, with a well sorted trigger would do just nicely I think.

[evert]

As it stands a lightly fettled 98, with a well sorted trigger would do just nicely I think.

My HW95 has a steel barrel sleeve, so quite close to a 98.
I have tried a lot of different springs, piston weights and piston seals, but somehow never get along with the rifle in the long run.
New setups tend to feel good, but after some shooting I go back to other guns.

A 95/98 with a shortstroke piston, that could be something!

[TonyL]

What on earth was my mind doing yesterday??
It was +/- 80mm that has been the plan all along, I just somehow confuse myselfd with the stroke I'm using in the TX at the moment.

Now, a shortstroke piston in the HW95 would probably be a better gun, but I enjoy the tinkering.

I think wonkydonky once posted a detailed instructional on a short stroke / lightened buttoned piston on a 95, evert. Be worth searching out.

Out of interest, my CZ634 - 25mm and 77mm stroke was very enthusiastic to make power and required calming. The firing cycle was very calm. Now even more calm - many who have tried it at Boinger Bashes guessed it might make 7 or 8 ft.lbs as opposed to the high 11s output.

[Travis299]

I don't have a lot of experience with break barrels and my first was a Benjamin Trail NP which I replaced with a HW95L and upgraded the scope on the Weihrauch. The 95 is an excellent air rifle and such a joy to shoot. I would have to vote for the 95 as the best break barrel as far as I am concerned. Good luck to all and stay safe during these horrible C-19 times. I forgot to note my HW95L scoped weighs 9.2 lbs.

[Geezer]

How do you define “sporting”?

There’s a big difference between range time with a rifle weighing around 9+lbs unscoped, or shooting pests in the garden from the black door with it, and lugging something around the woods for hours.

You want different characteristics for rabbit sniping, ratting, squirrels in trees. Etc. Either have different ones of a Jack of all Trades.

I know that many of us have successfully used, say, an HW80 as an all-rounder. But that’s a bunch of gun.

As an effete individual, back in the day, my choice was instead an FWB127.

I honestly believe that once you get over 8lbs unscoped (and I prefer 7-7.5), you start losing the sense of an all-rounder that is as useful for rats at 10 yards as for rabbits at 30.

For those reasons, if I had one springer and a variety of quarry, it would be something like an FWB Sport, sorted 99, Longbow, Diana 34/36/38, or Tomahawk (preferably walnut).

The lighter carbine stuff is great for short and fast stuff. The heavy stuff is great for longer-range stuff. But the sweet point is 6.5-7.5 or 7-8 lbs unscoped.

[les allam]

How do you define “sporting”?

There’s a big difference between range time with a rifle weighing around 9+lbs unscoped, or shooting pests in the garden from the black door with it, and lugging something around the woods for hours.

You want different characteristics for rabbit sniping, ratting, squirrels in trees. Etc. Either have different ones of a Jack of all Trades.

I know that many of us have successfully used, say, an HW80 as an all-rounder. But that’s a bunch of gun.

As an effete individual, back in the day, my choice was instead an FWB127.

I honestly believe that once you get over 8lbs unscoped (and I prefer 7-7.5), you start losing the sense of an all-rounder that is as useful for rats at 10 yards as for rabbits at 30.

For those reasons, if I had one springer and a variety of quarry, it would be something like an FWB Sport, sorted 99, Longbow, Diana 34/36/38, or Tomahawk (preferably walnut).

The lighter carbine stuff is great for short and fast stuff. The heavy stuff is great for longer-range stuff. But the sweet point is 6.5-7.5 or 7-8 lbs unscoped.

Most of the guns you have mentioned I have (no Diana’s) and I would agree 7-7.5 ish is a nice comfortable weight,especially if you are shooting off hand.
My favourite b/b is a AA Pro/elite but they are a hefty gun and the weight is front heavy on them for unsupported shooting for any lengthy shooting session,for me anyway (getting older).
FWB got it about right with the sport,fitted with a nice low scope.
My Tomahawk in walnut is my favourite for unsupported shooting,great balance and weight combination.

The heavy guns don’t move about as much ,recoil wise but you still have to lug them about with you.
Les..

[evert]

How do you define “sporting”?

.......

For those reasons, if I had one springer and a variety of quarry, it would be something like an FWB Sport, sorted 99, Longbow, Diana 34/36/38, or Tomahawk (preferably walnut).

The lighter carbine stuff is great for short and fast stuff. The heavy stuff is great for longer-range stuff. But the sweet point is 6.5-7.5 or 7-8 lbs unscoped.

For me, its s mid-weight gun like the Hw95, BSA supersport, Hw99, Webley Vulcan etc. Big enough to be accurate with power somewhere around 10-11 fpe, but to so large that it becomes to heavy to carry.