Hw 57... getting there!

[Hft novice]

Hi, this is my first post,st. I've read many posts on the problems with the hw57, I've had mine for about a year. I tried several pellets in my .177, and to say it shot like a shot gun is no joke! I've tried all the types of hold, and found it needed to be restrained to get any form of a group at 25yds. I've also found the spigot below the loading port was very stiff, and I was not sure it was seated correctly. With use and lubrication, this seems to be more positive when pushed home. I've also found QYS 9.56gr streamlined pellets work best (to date).
I was lucky enough to bump into Nigel Woods at the weekend at a shoot, he suggested a moderator to give it a bit more weight upfront (not too heavy) so I purchased at 1/2 unf threaded moderator, fitted it, and re-tried the rifle in the garden, the fall of shot was slightly lower, but grouped well, and I did not need a 'death grip' on it to reduce the recoil.
I've read many reviews of this rifle in the past, not many of them positive. It's now starting to shoot as I hoped it would, but would agree the length of pull is a tad long, anyone else got any tips?

I do already have an hw77, hw97, tx200hc, hw99s, and not forgetting the hw30s, but I do enjoy a challenge!

[thisisdonald]

while a bit trickier to take apart than your regular HWs, they respond pretty well to a basic tune - I fitted a Tinbum kit to Valeboys a few years ago and it certainly tamed the twang out of it. If the gun has never been opened since factory, I would thoroughly recommend a strip, clean and lube. and while you are in there, it would be rude not to dress it up with some delrin!
Its never going to be a 77 or 97, but they are still nice little rifles and certainly capable of modest accuracy.

*edit - I just remembered I filmed the reassembly of Valeboys 57! I actually filmed the strip and fitting of the Tinbum kit, but youtube took it down because I had the radio on in the background !
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vEy0d0Qyu_0

[capt hindsight]

If the power drops be thankful

Recently had mine (2005 .177) serviced and its spitting jsb express out at 11.8 ft/lbs, bit snappy but it groups 2p coin size at 25 yards. Unfortunately i've not been able to get twin mounts or a red dot to stay stable. The kicks fast but i have no doubt a single mount would tie things down properly but Ive chosen to leave it on open sights. This seems to suit it, with good groups at 15-20 yards - most my other guns are better with a scope but not so with open sights.

Tinkering and/or a good kit would improve things but I don't think mine would ever hold consistent groups beyond 25 yards. Found a burr on the shaft of the pop up breech, this has been smoothed down but in all honesty I only got slight improvement of accuracy. The initial trigger contact is too far forward for my hands, but once the first stage has been covered the position feels fine for firing.

I accidentally fired it with the breech up and despite seals looking ok I could feel the breech had become slack as there was slight movement when it was in the recess. A change of seals remedied that, made the breech tight again and bought the fps variation back into single figures, I get around 9fps from JSB express.

I have a bit of a love-hate relationship with this gun , it does have an emotional attachment as it was a late friends but that said, I'm not sure I'd buy one. However I genuinely think its a lovely gun for open sights and similar with a red dot, its a quirky gun that's best kept light and is nicest running at 10-10.5ft/lbs imo.

[simesgee]

Had mine about ten years now!
Trigger position can be helped with (I think) a Rowan set back trigger. I think that's where I got mine.
Next I fitted a V-Mach kit. If you get the power down to about 10.5 things smooth out nicely.
Mine is a .22 and I think that is an advantage with this rifle.
No problem with scope mounts providing you use an arrester pin.
I previously had a HW95 which out of the box I found truly horrid and just couldn't get on with. Much prefer my 57 - but agreed I'd only use it for 25 yards, but that would be true for me with any springer
They are a bit different, and BAR did them no favours but they have a place in my heart!

[Black Beard]

When I Bubba'd my '57 I paid a lot of attention to the barrel found that the end of the .22 version was counterbored by about 5.8mm by about 10mm deep You can't fit a .22LR very far in the counterbore but I guess you might be able to put a CB cap in there. I have a suspicion that they may have used low power firearm barrels rather than airgun barrels, but fitted backwards. The counterbore really won't hep accuracy. Mine is pretty accurate with standard JSBs after being chopped by 4", recrowned and retuned. Doing this so I could fit a silencer was my lockdown project (a lot of work) but just taking 2cm off the cocking lever and barrel is a lot easier.

The .177 version doesn't have this but it still has a short 6.4mm wide section that the barrel exits into. It might be improved by taking off the foresight and drilling it out to 9mm so the air blasting out of the barrel is not redirected towards the pellet.

It is worth making sure there is nothing under the loading port. Any dirt, fragment of lead or bit of seal will misalign it.

BB

[capt hindsight]

When I Bubba'd my '57 I paid a lot of attention to the barrel found that the end of the .22 version was counterbored by about 5.8mm by about 10mm deep You can't fit a .22LR very far in the counterbore but I guess you might be able to put a CB cap in there. I have a suspicion that they may have used low power firearm barrels rather than airgun barrels, but fitted backwards. The counterbore really won't hep accuracy. Mine is pretty accurate with standard JSBs after being chopped by 4", recrowned and retuned. Doing this so I could fit a silencer was my lockdown project (a lot of work) but just taking 2cm off the cocking lever and barrel is a lot easier.

The .177 version doesn't have this but it still has a short 6.4mm wide section that the barrel exits into. It might be improved by taking off the foresight and drilling it out to 9mm so the air blasting out of the barrel is not redirected towards the pellet.

It is worth making sure there is nothing under the loading port. Any dirt, fragment of lead or bit of seal will misalign it.

BB

Well I take my hat off to you for putting that much effort in!

Got to admit I've decided not to invest anymore time and money into mine as I find shooting springers at distance a bit frustrating at the best of times. But for a garden gun zeroed at 15 yards, it's ideal. I should have grabbed it yesterday to dispatch an injured wood pigeon that we found floundering in the garden (from what looked like a past Sparrow hawk wound).

The 57 would certainly have been better suited for the 6 yard shot that i had to make, rather than the scoped gun that I had to hand. I'm going to leave my 57 out in future, an open sighted gun would have been really handy. So I've finally found a practical use for it!

[simesgee]

..ideal for bashing it over the head too

[capt hindsight]

..ideal for bashing it over the head too

Certainly the most accurate method available

[TonyL]

Welcome to the forum, Hft novice, and an excellent first post.

The 57 is one of the few Weihrauchs that doesn't grace my collection. Must make amends. Due to the similarities of the internals with the 99 break barrel, and the fact that the pop-up breech will cost some efficiency, I'd certainly go along with the consensus that these will run much happier at more modest power levels, and would be de-tuning. Also, as mentioned, paying attention to the integrity of the seals, finish and lubrication needs of the port will pay dividends.

[rapidresponse1]

good luck with it bud

[HW777]

The Hw57 could be so much more if Weihrauch revised the pellet loading port to direct barrel feed.

[ratbuster2240]

I had a Wonky donkey tuned 57 and it shot really nicely, it felt like mini 77k.
I'm pleased Weihrauch listened and added a threaded muzzle to the latest version because mine was very loud. But it's a shame they stopped there and didnt revise the pop up breech, I believe they'd become HW biggest selling springer.