Weihrauch/RWS/Cometa Quality

[krh]

I am new to Air rifles and have finally researched enough products to come to a conclusion about the above brands and models. I was down to the Weihrauch Hw77 or hw90 gas ram, Cometa Fusion or 400, and RWS 34 or better model RWS. I've seen posts regarding lack of quality control on the RWS brand, reviews of high quality Cometa products (but no customer support), and most of all...exceptional quality of Weihrauch.  It appears RWS rebrands some of Cometa's product. I just want an all around .22 air rifle with exceptional quality control for  general target shooting and rabbit hunting. You get what you pay for...I bought a Martin D18 acoustic guitar in 1976 for $400, a nice sum of cash for me at the time. But I had the guitar 25years and sold it for 900 and never had a problem with it. What manufacturer and model can you advise? And what are your take on these three manufacturers? Thanks

[grumpy]

Any brand can have an occasional problem. With that said, in my opinion, an HW will last you a life time, and your kids, with the correct maint.

[JimL911]

RWS does not make the 34. It is a Diana made by Mayer & Gammelspacher. It is a fine choice, I have a couple with a third on the way. If you want quality, go with a Weihrauch. The 77 is an excellent rifle. I chose it over the 97 because it has sights. The 90 has the ability to adjust the power level by letting air pressure out or in but requires a pump for this. I have a 95 that is also very good. If you want more power than a 95 I would go for the 80. You can change springs with just a spring compressor.

[Kailua]

Weihrauch would be a level above all in spring air rifles.  In under levers Air Arms would be a toss up.  Just by my research.  If money is not a factor.  There would be many advising PCP.

[Tpatner412]

Of the guns you listed the HW77 would be the best choice. The others are good but the HWs are a cut above the rest

[daveshoot]

All 3 are quality brands. Cometa is the least well-known but is the best of the Spanish brands. RWS used to label some Cometa rifles (RWS-94, 93, and 92), but that stopped several years ago. The only down side to this brand is the lack of regular US distribution. Parts and repairs or tunes are harder to come by.

I don't think there is enough difference between Diana and Weihrauch to make a decision on the brand alone. You can find complaints on Weihruach quality too, as you can on almost every product, but they are relatively rare. I would settle on a configuration and power level and see who has the best match for my needs.

You have listed both underlever and breakbarrels. I would sort that out first. In underlevers, you might also consider Theoben/Air Arms. Do you need magnum power, or just well-behaved accuracy with adequate power for rabbits (which don't require much)?

From your list, I personally would want the HW-90, but I already have good ones in the other categories (including the Diana RWS-34 and Weihrauch R-7). The HW R-9 might fit your needs well, and would be more comparable to the 34 in power, with nicer finish. The 34 is a lot of rifle for the budget, however. Personally I just never got into underlevers but that is your call.

[VAFarmer]

All are good quality, and can shoot good.

HW has the edge above all in fit and finish, though.  HW guns balance really well.  Nice wood.

God bless,

Farmer

[Mark 611]

the RWS and Cometa are not even in the same solar system as the HW/Beeman gun's from Germany! I have owned several models of all of these rifles and the HW's are hands down the clear winner's here! IMO the Air Arms and HW/Beemans gun's are the only AG's on to days market worth having in a spring gun! nothing wrong with the other 2 mentioned here but their not the same quality, no where near close! IMO if you can afford to buy a HW/Beeman German made gun it will be worth the investment JMHO

[TOM aka critter99]

RWS Quality not worthy....I say this because RWS is UMAREX now

The Diana rifles are worth what they cost.  The D34 is one of best value rifles out there.

just don't expect much from UMAREX after the sale....sales is what they do best...SERVICE NOT SO MUCH   

[gby2k6]

Yes, HW/Beeman German made are by far more superior in quality and build, and I have a few to prove it.  I've had, and have my share of RWS and I can say that the RWS are not the same quality as the HWs.  And don't forget, resale value.  The HW will retain more value and possibly even gain some in the future.  The D34 is the best bang for your buck, so if money is a concern, then that would be a good choice. 

If you're looking for a break barrel, then a Beeman R9 would be a fine choice.  It's light, quicker to load than underlevers, and very well balanced.  If you're looking for an underlever, then either the HW77, HW97, or Air Arms would be good choices.  It is true that the Air Arms TX200 feels like a tuned airgun out of the box, and it's got a really awesome setback trigger, so that may be something to consider.  The HW97, is just as good, except it's twangy out of the box, but I prefer the loading port of the HW over the TX. The HW77 is a good choice too, but I have no experience there.  As far as the HW90, that's something that I'd like to have in the future.

Good luck, and let us know what you go with.

-GB

[lucky me]

I agree with gby2k6, with beeman-hw R series you can't go wrong!

[robert w]

i like wilrauch and diana but you can have issues with anything human made but less so with those 2 brands. diana 34's are my pick .

[Motorhead]

Search high and low for a used FWB 124 (.177) or the 127 (.22) .... best beeman/german barrel break springers ever built !!
Yes, one family of air rifles worth more today than what we paid for them 25-30 years ago !!

But seriously ... The RWS/Diana 34's comes in @ 4 versions and are the best bang for the buck in a german manufactured rifle IMO as other too have said.

[krh]

What is the difference between Diana and RWS?  I see RWS as the manufacturer and Diana as a model type.

[daveshoot]

Diana (DIANA Mayer & Grammelspacher GmbH & Co) is the manufacturer. http://www.diana-airguns.de/index.php?id=2&L=0&width=1280&height=800

RWS is/was an importer, often mistaken for the brand itself. Umarex is a distributor.

Diana makes very good stuff. It's good that Hermann Weihrauch fans feel passionately about the brand (which was mostly introduced to the USA under the Beeman name, but now has a life of its own). Some folks are passionate about Dianas, too.

And FWB, or Feinwerkbau (http://www.feinwerkbau.de/ceasy/modules/cms/main.php5?setActiveLanguageId=2&cPageId=143), is another very high quality German manufacturer that used to make more affordable sporting break barrels, held in even higher esteem because they are no longer made  .

[krh]

Ok...much clearer now. How did Cometa become a highly rated subcontractor for...RWS or Diana?

[daveshoot]

RWS wanted to hit a price point at the lower end, and couldn't do it with German prices. They had their own runs made of the Spanish Cometa 400 (RWS-94), 300 (-93), and the 220 (RWS-92). They also had the springer pistol, RWS-9 (N or B, for nickel or blue), otherwise known as Cometa Indian.

The RWS-94 is by far the sweetest, and was relatively cheap in the early 2000s (around $165, I guess?), only a little more than the better Chinese springers today. If you find a good used one they are an excellent rifle for the money with outstanding balance and handling.

The Cometa Fenix that is/was sold today in the USA is basically the same action, but with a lot of premium jazzed up trim and wood (really nice wood, actually). The Fenix and its cousin the Fusion were sold at much higher prices than the RWS-94 was.

Anyway, it wasn't a Diana deal, but an RWS arrangement where Dianas were the higher end, and Cometas were the lower end of the line. The RWS-94 trigger may not have been the equal of the better Dianas, but it wasn't bad, the accuracy was all there, and the handling characteristics are better than a Diana RWS-34, IMO.

RWS-92 was a youth, or entry level gun, and a very decent one. Of course Diana had the Diana 24 at the time and that is hands down a better rifle in the category, if you don't consider price.

I don't have an RWS-93 but someday I'll probably jump on a used one just to complete the line.

[krh]

Excellent. Very informative.  That connects the dots very well thru all the manufacturers. It appears Weihrauch doesn't sub out their production nor try to have someone produce an entry line for them. That or stick with a Diana rifle. Thanks!!

[daveshoot]

No prob, but just to keep the record straight, HW was quite happy to make private label versions under the Beeman brand. The R-1, R-7, R-9, P-1 and others were offered with Americanized features and Beeman engraved right on them. They are pretty much all highly desirable guns. Many are more highly checkered than the HW originals, and had fiber optic sights, or what have you. Search up the equivalent model tables in the GTA Library to cross-reference them.

[RedFeather]

I think the Diana guns are still more than "a little better" than the Chinese guns.  The wood, alone, is a superior grade of beech (if beech is, indeed, what the Chinese use).  The current 34 has been refined with a new trigger/piston.