Break-Barrel vs Fixed-Barrel

[Lt. Dan]

I agree with Josh when he said, "I think it comes down to quality first over simply one design over another."

I, like so many others,  couldn't vote. I own both fixed and break barrels.  It would be like comparing a wadcutter with a hollow point. 

It a matter of preference as to which one someone may prefer over the other rather than which is better.

[north country gal]

Our break barrels see significantly more use than our under levers. Much of that is the weight issue, since I'm another one who loves offhand shooting. Even when sitting at the bench, I more often shoot the gun unsupported, instead of using a rest. I definitely prefer loading a break barrel, too. As for accuracy, I do just as well with either type for the type of shooting I do. When I start to get hysterical about group size, I just go to one of our PCPs till the urge passes, anyway.

[Bill_in_TR]

Our break barrels see significantly more use than our under levers. Much of that is the weight issue, since I'm another one who loves offhand shooting. Even when sitting at the bench, I more often shoot the gun unsupported, instead of using a rest. I definitely prefer loading a break barrel, too. As for accuracy, I do just as well with either type for the type of shooting I do. When I start to get hysterical about group size, I just go to one of our PCPs till the urge passes, anyway.

Aaaaaaaw. You just had to throw in that last sentence and ruin your whole reply.

[Lt. Dan]

Our break barrels see significantly more use than our under levers. Much of that is the weight issue, since I'm another one who loves offhand shooting. Even when sitting at the bench, I more often shoot the gun unsupported, instead of using a rest. I definitely prefer loading a break barrel, too. As for accuracy, I do just as well with either type for the type of shooting I do. When I start to get hysterical about group size, I just go to one of our PCPs till the urge passes, anyway.

Aaaaaaaw. You just had to throw in that last sentence and ruin your whole reply.

Yep, I agree. But I understand that some just can't hit anything with a springer,  for them there is the PCP.    Hehehe

[Earl]

I can't shoot springers accurately.
However, I can do fairly good with the Browning Leverage .177 at times.

[Lt. Dan]

I can't shoot springers accurately.
However, I can do fairly good with the Browning Leverage .177 at times.

I bet you can shoot my Parrus accurately.  I shoot it with an artillery hold but I  catch myself gripping the from forearm.  It's not hold sensitive at all, reminds me of shooting a powder burner.

[nced]

Our break barrels see significantly more use than our under levers. Much of that is the weight issue, since I'm another one who loves offhand shooting. Even when sitting at the bench, I more often shoot the gun unsupported, instead of using a rest. I definitely prefer loading a break barrel, too. As for accuracy, I do just as well with either type for the type of shooting I do. When I start to get hysterical about group size, I just go to one of our PCPs till the urge passes, anyway.

Aaaaaaaw. You just had to throw in that last sentence and ruin your whole reply.

Yep, I agree. But I understand that some just can't hit anything with a springer,  for them there is the PCP.    Hehehe

" I understand that some just can't hit anything with a springer"
I've had more than one PCP shooter give me the same response to the "why don't you shoot a springer" question on the field target course. Must be true since I was the sole hunter class piston shooter at a national field target match in Heflin, AL a few years ago and (evidently) the PCP is so easy to shoot accurately that most shooters have abandoned the "hard to shoot" piston guns!

Anywhoo... hunter class field target shooting isn't much fun (for me) anymore since I'm not good enough of a ft competitor to score well (or even mediocre) on the current field target set-ups! I'm guessing that IF I coughed up the coin for a PCP, hand pump, (or buy the required life support system) and count shots, I MIGHT shoot better scores, however I prefer to keep the simplicity of my HW95 setup and not mess with the hassles/expense of a blow up gun.

[north country gal]

Hey, don't hold shooting PCPs against me. Okay, when shooting s PCP, I wish it was a springer. Does that count?

[Blowpipe Sam]

I love under lever guns.  I've never had an opportunity to shoot a side lever.  Break barrels tend to be cheaper and lighter for a given power level.  That's why I own a bunch of break barrel guns and only one under lever.  Maybe fixed barrel springers are more accurate or at any rate, more consistent than break barrels.  I think the quality of manufacture has more to do with accuracy.  Now will a break barrel gun eventually wear out at the pivot?  I think so.  I've got a 30 year old B-3.  Stone hammer simple.  Not very powerful but it will shoot anything you feed it and it just runs and runs and runs.  I don't expect any of my Chinese break barrels to last 10 years!

[Eddie_E]

The barrel type isn't one of the top factors for me. Barrel quality, second stage trigger creep, pellet match to the barrel and barrel weight on the fore grip for off hand shooting matter much more to me. Unlike the top WFTF shooters that have fancy hamsters to lock their elbows in, I need a light barrel, even on a springer.

[fwbsport]

Untuned out of the box I'd recommend the R9.

I am just now shooting it as accurately as Hector's rifle, the D54.  It seems the right pellet found this rifle after so many years of owning it: AA Express Diablo (.177, nced!)

Now this rifle is getting shot most of the time, and in reality it has been shot more than the newer HW95Ls in .22 and .25 to date. 

This whole set-up has very little cost considering, with a Beeman (made in China) 4X scope and sports match rings I know it costs less than a PCP and yet it's a break barrel that's easy to "know" over the years.

So I voted!

[Bayman]

I have both. Only my fixed barrel is for sale. Not because it's not as accurate. It just not my preference. It's like chocolate and vanilla. Ones not better than the other except to the person who prefers one over the other.

[Bowtieguy_66]

My hw77 is a beast with accuracy, as long as it was on a bench. Like many others have said, “the weight is a killer.”

Accurately shooting freehanded is far easier for myself with a 34 or 95. I sold both to get a 77 against advice here, cause i wanted a under-lever, BIG! mistake on my part.

Since then, I rebought a break barrel hw50s, and am currently in trade for 95L hunter for the 77.

But I carry and plink, the only time i shoot paper is sighting in.

[festis77]

Does anyone else have a Gamo Accu?  Under lever that only weighs 6.6 lbs un-scoped. Most accurate non-PCP air rifle I have.  Better than my R9.  No need for artillery hold - shoots off bags very well. I have two in .22 and one in .177 and all 3 are very accurate.  I converted 2 of them to gas ram which did not impact their accuracy but did get rid of the springer twang.

[north country gal]

This thread and all the shooting I've done this summer has me thinking of selling off at least some of my under lever HWs and AAs.

As I mentioned, most of my shooting is sans rest, either from a standing position or even just sitting at the bench and forgoing the rest. As I've also stated in other posts, I find the issue of springer consistency and consequent changes in POI to be almost a non-factor in my offhand shooting, but I definitely do notice it and have to deal with it more when trying to shoot springers off a rest. Sorry, no offense folks, but when I want to shoot off a rest, I just give myself a break and go PCP.

The problem with the HW and AA under levers for me and my shooting is the weight and all the more so now that I just turned the big 7-0 over the summer. The more manageable weight of my beloved HW break barrels is the main reason my springer shooting is now almost exclusively with the break barrels. In fact I 'm am quite happy and content doing all of my shooting without a rest just with my break barrel springers. Those I will never sell.

Anyway, just a heads up, if I do sell off some of those HW and AA break barrels, I will post in the classifieds, here.

[fwbsport]

It all came down to simplicity for me.  Started simple with a break barrel and now finally feeling an R9 is what I should have bought next!