"Full size" easy to cock Weihrauch?

[Winston]

Allow me to weigh in with my thoughts and comments. I have several Weihrach springers (30, 35, 50, 85, 95, 98, R10) that I shoot on a regular basis, always offhand (standing). For my frame 6'-2", 36" sleeve, 210 lbs, age 71, none are difficult to cock. The HW30 of course is by far the easiest. The HW85 with its longer barrel is one of the easier ones to cock. I have no way to measure actual effort, just a seat of the pants feel. It is also the most powerful, 8.4 gr pellet averages 920 fps, 15.8 fpe. The HW30 of course is much less powerful , 8.1 fpe. I like the smooth mechanical feel of the cocking cycle of the HW35 but find there is substantial weight far forward, I think due to the mass of the forearm. It is not as well balanced for offhand for me as my other HW rifles. I used to shoot NRA Highpower with M1 and M1A so have experience with weight and balance offhand. For a full-size HW I would pick the HW85 as the best, for my usage anyway, which is informal target work and plinking to 25 yards. It is definitely full size, relatively easy to cock, very accurate, and good power. However, looking down the road, the HW30 will probably be the last one I am able to handle in old age. Yes, it is smaller, but it sure is easy to cock. But it is not so small it feels like a toy. It is accurate too, like all the HW's. For me "accuracy" is defined as being able to hit empty 12 ga hulls at 25 yards offhand if I do my part. All the HW's have sufficient accuracy for this. Your results may vary. 

[MDriskill]

Back to the original question...ALL HW rifles are "full sized" in terms of the important "pull" (trigger to butt) dimension, running right around 14 inches. The welterweight HW 30 does NOT have a cramped kid-size stock.

Re: "double jointed" cocking linkage, the HW 30, HW 35, and HW 50 have this; all Weihrauch's other barrel-cockers use a single link design.

The two-piece design is a more complex and expensive detail, often seen on older designs (the 30, 35, and 50 have early-1950's ancestors). The longer rear link stays horizontal when cocking, so there's only a short slot under the fore end, and a single stout front action bolt in a steel seat. Other things being equal, the lessened leverage slightly INCREASES cocking effort compared to a single link - but I prefer the solid "real gun" feel of this arrangement.

The single-piece link hinges down when cocking and thus needs a much longer "tuning fork" slot in the wood, with separate smaller action screws in the fore end sides. I don't own any of the newer single-link HW's, but these two older classics illustrate the point (arrow indicates the joint between the links on the HW 35).

[Yogi]

Great explanation Mike!
I feel the shorter cocking slot really tightens up the front end.

-Y

[Toxylon]

BB has commented in his blog on several occasions on how the long cocking slots in the stocks of guns with single link cocking arms increase vibration during the shot cycle, as opposed to guns with short cocking slots. Probably a solid reason for why my long-slot guns are so shaky to shoot (mostly, but not limited to magnums, as my D34 is really lively too).

The only active short-slot gun of mine, the BSF, has a very smooth cycle with minimal vibration. But, it's a wet fart compared to a hefty breeze in the energy department, too. Murky waters, that someone with a bunch of similar-power / mass guns with long and short slots might clear up some.

[lowpwrplnkr]

The HW98 Match from Mundilar with its 5.5 fpe and long barrel are easier to cock than a HW30 

[Rot05]

I ended up with buying a Weihrauch HW85 Luxus and purchased an adjustable strength tune kit from ARH "New HW95-77-97 GSX OS UK Kit -Adjustable Power"

I just haven't gotten a chance to use the rifle yet. My life got crazy the day after I ordered it.