HW97K moderator removal ?

[Gertrude]

ok , so I messed up a little bit and I need to fix it.
Many of you here remember our dear friend Stefan aka "Benjihunter" and his pride and joy "Gretchen".
"Gretchen" is his finely tuned and modified HW97K , and she has provided us with countless stories of precision ratting expeditions in the jungles of Stefan's backyard. She is somewhat Legendary in her own right with the many hundreds of rats she has eliminated.

A couple of years ago, when Stefan moved back to Sweden, He asked me if I would look after, and take care of Gretchen while he was away. I was both humbled and honored that he would ask me to take care of his beloved girl, and I graciously accepted his request.

I had been keeping her wrapped all snugly and warm in a lined soft case, and was careful to make sure she never got banged around or abused. She is a beautiful lady, and deserves to be cared of in the highest regard.

Well, I screwed up !
Several months ago, I had her out for a little exercise.
 The soft case was on my tailgate , and apparently somehow got some moisture in it at the muzzle end.

The next time I took her out of the case, I was Horrified to find that there was some rust spots all over the moderator.
 Fortunately that was the only part of her that was affected... and no other rust or damage happened.
 I immediately cleaned and removed the rust spots, gave her a full inspection, and oiling.

The rust did not do any major pitting, but the blueing on the moderator is ruined and needs to be reblued.
 I want to remove the moderator and have is professionally stripped, polished, and re-blued to original condition.

I have found th hex grub screw under the cocking lever, and I have removed it in an attempt to remove the moderator.
 But even with the grub screw removed, the moderator still feels rock solid to the barrel.
I do not know if it is a threaded-on moderator (?), or perhaps a very tight slip-on fit (?).
Maybe,... possibly,... it is installed with lock-tite (?)
I dont know.

I do not want to put any undue force on it and risk any further damage, so I figured I'd come here and ask for some advise from those of you who are more familiar with the specifics of such a high end springer.
 I need your help.
 I need to make her "whole" again !
 I hang my head in shame over letting this happen.

any help/advise in getting the moderator off will be greatly appreciated.
Cheers, Ron

[Stinger177]

Ron

From whom did you purchase your 97K? Did it come with the moderator attached, or did you put it on afterward?

If it came from AoA, and was attached originally, it was most likely glued on as per US requirements or some such B/S.

I'm actually surprised that it had a grub screw, as when I installed a Weihrauch LDC on my 97KT, it was threaded on, with no grub screw.

If yours is glued on, a bit of careful heat with an industrial heat gun (high temp - not a hair dryer), should loosen up the glue.

I have even heard and seen pics of someone using a MAP torch to loosen their LDC from an AoA HW30K Urban Pro.

Finally, is it an actual Weihrauch silencer (aauugh, yes, I said that word) as in this pic, or the original moderator as in the lower pic?





 

[Stinger177]

Sorry Ron

I think I now understand your dilemma.

If you are speaking of the "muzzle brake" that came with the basic HW97K, I believe it is a permanent part of the barrel/cylinder assembly.

In looking up parts for an HW 97K on TW Chambers, they show all of those components as one item (for a .177: part # BRL201); https://www.gunspares.co.uk/products/24576/HW97/



 

You may have to send the whole assembly to the person who will re-blue the muzzle, but I would think that a competent gunsmith could handle that.

I feel your pain. These things happen.

[Gertrude]

From whom did you purchase your 97K?

If it came from AoA, and was attached originally, it was most likely glued on as per US requirements or some such B/S.



 

Thanks for the quick reply

It MAY HAVE been purchased at AoA but I'm not sure about that.
I actually  live about 6 miles from AoA and know most of the folks who  work there.

Maybe I can go there and ask if they know whether it is glued on or not.

The Moderator is the same one in the lower pic you posted.

[Gertrude]

If it makes any difference,  this one is a .20 caliber.

[Stinger177]

From whom did you purchase your 97K?

If it came from AoA, and was attached originally, it was most likely glued on as per US requirements or some such B/S.



 

Thanks for the quick reply

It MAY HAVE been purchased at AoA but I'm not sure about that.
I actually  live about 6 miles from AoA and know most of the folks who  work there.

Maybe I can go there and ask if they know whether it is glued on or not.

The Moderator is the same one in the lower pic you posted.

I'm sure the good folk at AoA can help you out.

Good thing that I don't live that close to them. I'd be even ($$$) poorer in my A/G funds than I am, LOL.

If it makes any difference,  this one is a .20 caliber.

I really doubt that yours being .20 cal. will make any difference, unless they want to find/sell you a replacement assembly.


Keep us informed.

 

[Mark 611]

Those end pieces are epoxied in place! u will have to heat up with a propane torch before it will come off! this takes some heat for a few minutes before the epoxy will break free! and it may take a block of wood and a few taps with a hammer to remove it

[Yogi]

Sorry Ron,

But putting a soft cased air rifle in a tail gate is a recipe for disaster.  That beauty needs a quality hard case!

-Y

[chemclay]

Last July, AoA told me to use a 7 mm L-wrench if I ever wanted to turn it off; have the wrench but haven't done that.

[Lostkiwi]

As above I've heard it's a 7mm Allen wrench down the barrel to remove it.

[Gertrude]

thanks for all the replies so far.

Well it figures,
I have 3 different sets of allen keys,... and not one of them has a 7mm ! 
 They all have a 6mm, and next size up is 8mm !  grrrrr !

  Amazon, here I come !

[Mark 611]

The the 7mm allen wrench is only to remove the end cap!!! it will not remover the end piece that looks like a moderator! when u get the end cap off all ur gonna see is a hollow cavity with nothing there but empty space!  now if u have the screw on can that go's on the end piece that's a different matter! a factory rifle with no extra screw on can is removed like I said before!

[Gertrude]

The the 7mm allen wrench is only to remove the end cap!!! it will not remover the end piece that looks like a moderator! when u get the end cap off all ur gonna see is a hollow cavity with nothing there but empty space!  now if u have the screw on can that go's on the end piece that's a different matter! a factory rifle with no extra screw on can is removed like I said before!

Yep, yep, and yep.
 I ran over to Home Depot before heading out to work and picked up a metic set that had a 7mm. Went home, pulled the end cap to see exactly as you describe EXCEPT, it does have a shorty slip-in (aftermarket? ) 2 chamber baffle in it.

Called AoA and Kip confirmed the muzzle break is a TIGHT, press fit , with locktite/glue.
High heat, wood block, and hammer required for removal.
Going to need to fab a proper hardwood block before proceeding.