Weihrauch HW-98 vs RWS Diana 54

[BigBadJohn]

I've been having a lot of fun with my tuned, reworked stock 0.22 Super Streak, but now I'm really jonesing for a high quality German gun. I'm torn between the two guns in the topic title. Has anyone used both? Or either one? There seems to be a lot out on the web on the RWS 54, but not too much on the HW-98. What do you guys think the pros and cons are. Thanks! LM

[Mark 611]

Well their 2 different class's of rifle! what do you plan to do for the usage of the gun?

[s10gto]

Well I got a 54 and I can tell you the recoiless system is awesome. Very accurate. It you go with the 54 I recommend a .22. stock shoots high 800fps with 14 grain. Hope this helps.  Dustin

[BigBadJohn]

Mark611: What do you mean by "two different classes of rifle"? As far as usage of the gun, it'll be primarily a hunter, so I'm leaning toward 0.22 caliber and a bit of target shooting thrown in just for fun. It'll pretty much be an all-around rifle for me. I know the HW-98 is a recoilless system as well and was wondering how it stacked up against the RWS 54...other than the 98 being a break-barrel and the 54 being a side-lever. LM

[Bullit]

If you are gonna use it for hunting, I'm sure others will tell you that the Diana 54 recoil system isn't the best when pointing up, or down, very far.  They can be adjusted, but have limits.  The 54 recoil system shines in level / shallow angle shooting or benchrest shooting.  You can get a Diana 48 (essentially the same AG without the 54 recoil system), for a lot less.
 You're on the right track with the Diana sidelevers though.....Posted by happy owner.....Best of Luck!!!!!!!!!

[powdermenot]

Almost sure the 98 is not a recoiless gun, its a R9 with a barrel sleeve and a FT style stock.  thought still very capable of being a hunter.

[s10gto]

One thing you should know too is the 54 is around 10 pounds scoped. Sure is a sweet shooter though. 

[Mark 611]

What I mean is the build quality of the HW is a whole lot better than a Diana! The 98 I don't believe is a recoiless system, like the Diana, They are both nice guns for what they are but if I wanted a hunting gun for all around hunting I'd go with a .22cal which you would have an advantage with the Diana their allot more powerful then the HW will ever be! but the 54 is HEAVY where the 98 isn't and IMO the 98 is best suited to a .177cal and is gonna be allot lighter and easier to shoot than the 54 especially off hand hunting, as mentioned if I were to buy a Diana for a hunting gun it would be a 48 or a 460mag in .22cal I've had them and they are good field guns and good enough for target shooting, theirs allot of pros and cons to each of these 2 guns to compare that's what I mean.

[BigBadJohn]

According to YouTube videos and what descriptions I can find, the HW98 IS recoilless. See the link to a YT video:



This made me wonder if there was some shared manufacturing between HW and RWS on these two guns. I like the stock on the HW better, but the Diana does seem to be more robust. I'm leaning towards the RWS just because I've seen and handled one or two of them. Never seen the HW98 (or any HW model for that matter). I know the 54 is heavy, but I'm used to that with my Super Streak. It's over 11 lbs with the scope and mount. LM

[Mark 611]

I think what your seeing is a recoiless system that's after market that can be added to the rifle, if you go to gunmart.net they have a live review of the HW98 and it doesn't look recoiless to me! does HW claim its recoiless?

[thekid]

If I remember correctly that  seerhan recoilless system,  was used on several different rifles

There was a post of a video showing this recoilless system and I believe mark is right.

[Tpatner412]

The HW 98 is not recoiless. As it has been said, it's an r9 in a nicer stock and with a barrel sleeve. The gun is only marketed in .177 by beeman because it is mainly for ft. HW makes them in all calibers though.

You can bet that there will never be shared design between Diana and Weihrauch. They have been competitors since their inceptions and to be honest there will never be any true competition between the two. Weihrauch/beeman is in a whole other league that Diana cannot touch with their current rifles

[RedFeather]

If the HW98 is, indeed, an R9 in a target stock, it is apples and oranges to the 54.  While the 54 might not have the Rekord trigger and a bit less polish than the HW, it has tons more power.  If you find you want the HW, and are looking for a hunter, go with the standard stock.  Unless you come across a real deal, and I do like the looks of that stock, the 98 might not be the best choice for the woods.  Both the R9 and 54 come with iron sights, too.  I haven't tried shooting up with my 54 (can't shoot up anywhere around here) but, if the sled has to be tightened to the point where you are feeling a lot of recoil, I can see that it may not serve well as a squirrel rifle for high tree shots in the woods.  And I'm not sure how much you can adjust the tension, it being a spring-loaded ball bearing holding the action forward.  But for near-horizontal shooting, the 54 is hard to beat as a springer approaching PCP power levels.

PS - That fellow in the video has also done an HW77 or 97 and is a bit of a mechanical wiz.  Even so, I think any of the sled-type anti-recoil mechanisms suffer when shooting at extreme angles.

[gby2k6]

I guess I'll chime in too.  I don't have a HW98... yet.  My Beeman R-11 is on its way to me.  I should have it Monday.  It doesn't have a recoilless system and it is a very suped up R9 with a shrouded barrel, adjustable butt pad and cheek rest.  But I do have a collection of R9s, all with Vortek kit and trigger work.

I use to have a RWS 54 and I had it for about 2 years.  It was a .22 caliber with the T01 trigger and I sold it about a year ago.  

So I'll compare the R9 to the RWS54, as I don't have the R11 just yet.  

My 54 was dead accurate.  I like to say that it was "stupid accurate".  It was not hold sensitive and shot almost every pellet I put through it very well.  It was untuned and was never opened, but this thing was very heavy.  I never once, or even thought, of taking this thing out to go hunting with.  Every time I used it, it was from a bench.  Now this is not to say that you can't take it out hunting.  I'm a tiny guy (5'4", 150 lbs), so I dare not haul it with me on a hunt.  This was the main reason I sold it.  Add a scope and the weight goes up.  Powerwise, the 54 packs a whole lot of power.  It's a magnum, and it's nothing short of amazing.

My R9, all I can say is... wow!  Mark is right, HW is in a class of its own.  You can tell and feel the quality difference when you pick it up.  I was never much of a break barrel guy until I held my first R9.  The R9, with the Vortek kit, is just so fun to shoot.  It is stupid accurate too, but it is much more hold sensitive than the 54.  On good days, I can stack pellets on top of each other from 30 yards.  And on not so good days, I would spray a size of a quarter on my pellet trap from the same distance.  It's light, at 7.5 lbs dry weight and add a scope and you're looking at 8.5 lbs.  It is balance and shoulders very well.  It feels like it was made just for me.  Powerwise, it is not a magnum and does not have the same power as 54, but that's expected.

Keep in mind that the R11 adds another pound because of the shrouded barrel and stock, so it weighs in at about 8.5 lbs.

Now, Pyramyd Air is selling .20 and .22 Beeman R-11, with limited stock.  AoA carries the HW98 in .22 as well. I would love to add another R-11, or two, to my collection, but I promise the wife that I would be good and not buy something for a little while... just a little.  

If I had to choose between a Beeman R11 (based on my R9 experience) and RWS 54 in .22 caliber.  I would go with the Beeman R11/HW98 for hunting with, without even hesitating.  

Good luck with your purchase.


-GB

[Mark 611]

gby, well said!!!!!!

[AirScopes]

Can't speak to the 98, which looks like an awesome gun, but the RWS54 is outstanding from the shooting perspective. No recoil absolutely changes the shooting experience. I had a RWS 48 and RWS 350 and RWS 460, and these did not compare at all to the 54. "had" is operative as I got rid of the other three.

Also in the recoilless arena are guns like the Tech Force BS4, which is an outstanding copy of the Feinwerkbau 300. of course, it is Chinese and not German... but if you were blindfolded, you'd never know. The TF BS4 is one of the most pleasant rifles I have ever shot, from the easy-cocking mechanism to recoilless action to outstanding trigger and super accuracy. That, and I can play with it on the short range in the basement.

Richard

[Bullit]

According to YouTube videos and what descriptions I can find, the HW98 IS recoilless. See the link to a YT video:



This made me wonder if there was some shared manufacturing between HW and RWS on these two guns. I like the stock on the HW better, but the Diana does seem to be more robust. I'm leaning towards the RWS just because I've seen and handled one or two of them. Never seen the HW98 (or any HW model for that matter). I know the 54 is heavy, but I'm used to that with my Super Streak. It's over 11 lbs with the scope and mount. LM

I remember seeing that video last year!  Hey, that was some good "Home Cookin'" and engineering!

[Bullit]

Lucas McCain,
I just thought I'd go off topic and tell you. Since I saw you post, I have thought back to when I was a kid.  I had a "The Rifleman" Winchester 1892 gun.  It was a pass-down from a cousin, but buddy,,,I was walking tall with that sucker...as nobody in our neighborhood had one. 
Thanks for the Memory...and Thanks for Endulging Me Guys