I do like the HW57, however the front sight do not look like it can be replaced with a globe sight. Correct me if I am wrong. I definitely like the loading "gate?" In the HW57. Seems like a better design?
Gamo only made the CF a few years and dropped it for a reason.
Quote from: KWK on August 13, 2023, 11:53:31 AMGamo only made the CF a few years and dropped it for a reason. Gamo actually made the CF for around 30 years, longer than almost any model. What they did, though, was switch the pop-up breech to the BSA rotary breech. I have no experience with the former, but some with the latter (and I hate the Tub-o-Chance...) And rotary breeches, taploaders etc. rob some serious power, as well as accuracy. I'm a fan of fixed barrel guns, myself, and only look for them these days to add to my collection. Breakbarrels are basic, humdrum, and with a bunch of issues of their own. Other than my LGV, I shoot the fixed barrels better, easier, more dependably.
Just my views on the 77/97 bear trap,….I'm still not sure how it worked (wasnt worth the time to study it more), but I removed mine specifically so I could de-cock the rifle. I am a right handed lefty shooter so holding the cocking arm is a non issue for me. I Cock it with my right hand then hold the cocking arm muzzle down with left hand and load the pellet with my right hand. Return the cocking arm and etc etc. And yes Rot05, the non-interchangeable front post sight on the 57 is the biggest downside to this rifle. Every gun has its Achilles heal I suppose. With regards to the HW 57 pop up breech, I believe what messes with people a lot of the time is the sequence in which we operate our underlevers rifles. There is a learning curve and a change up with the 57. With most UL’s and SL’s, you cock the rifle, load the pellet, and return the underlever to its home or battery () position. The 57 uses a different sequence where you cock the rifle, load the pellet, then return the lever to home position, and then depress the gate into its firing position ( or simply cock return load and depress)It takes a bit of getting used to and believe me there have been a few times that I have forgotten to depress the breech and inadvertently dry fired my 57. You must pay attention until you get used to it,….much like the 35 where you have to release the barrel lock before breaking open the barrel. For me it was a love hate relationship with my 57, but with patience and diligence, it has quickly become one of my fav air rifles in my collection. I have Zero regrets buying the 57. I would recommend the .22. For all the bad flack the 57 has received, Weihrauch still produces it so there must be a loyal following across the pond that still purchases them. One day I may do a YouTube video on the HW57. But getting back to the 77/97 bear trap issue, it seems to be just another lawyerized attempt to avoid liability for a product often mishandled enough by folks that don’t practice good safe handling of their airgun. In all honesty, I’ve never been real keen on the idea of loading my 77 with my thumb within the confines of the compression tube, but safe operating procedure does kind of make it a no brainer. It wouldn’t bother me if they removed the bear trap mechanism and simply installed the ratchet lock type mechanism Diana uses in their side levers.
I have only seen one person on YouTube do this, but it seems the safest method of loading a break barrel is to open the action, place the pellet and then proceed to cock the rifle. This way, their is no spring tension to worry about when ones fingers are in the loading zone / "half digit maker"....The reasons, I assume most don't do it this way is, more time consuming (not much, but some), smaller area to load the pellet into the barrel and the slight possibility of the pellet moving inside ones barrel when cocking the rifle (higher risk of a dry-fire / damaging the piston seal if their is not enough/ any (falls out completely) backwards pressure exist to "soften" the pistons violent forward action of thrust to propel said pellet.)Thoughts?
Quote from: Rot05 on August 28, 2023, 11:07:00 AMI have only seen one person on YouTube do this, but it seems the safest method of loading a break barrel is to open the action, place the pellet and then proceed to cock the rifle. This way, their is no spring tension to worry about when ones fingers are in the loading zone / "half digit maker"....The reasons, I assume most don't do it this way is, more time consuming (not much, but some), smaller area to load the pellet into the barrel and the slight possibility of the pellet moving inside ones barrel when cocking the rifle (higher risk of a dry-fire / damaging the piston seal if their is not enough/ any (falls out completely) backwards pressure exist to "soften" the pistons violent forward action of thrust to propel said pellet.)Thoughts?Just hold the barrel after cocking while loading. Do not make a mountain out of a molehill!-Y[/quote I place my fingers in such a way that IF the sear let go it won't smush my fingers. The breech will slip away from them and not drag them in. Not even a mole hill.
HW77 / HW97 Underlever Safety Mechanism?(Regarding underlever air rifles in general)I'm relatively new to high-quality airguns, so please bear with me. I've been researching this topic for the past couple of weeks and I'm curious if there have been any updates or third-party innovations to make new air gun enthusiasts feel more confident about buying an underlever air rifle, without worrying about injuring their thumb while operating these finely crafted wooden and steel masterpieces.Initially, I discovered that the earlier versions of these rifles didn't have an "anti-bear trap" feature (which is crucial for safely de-cocking the gun without risking harm to one's thumb). In my opinion, this wasn't a wise compromise.Now, with the modern versions of the HW77 / HW97, they do come with a sort of "anti-bear" mechanism. I say "sort of" because many have noted that it only prevents the sear from engaging. Sounds good, right? However, further research revealed that the old HW77 had issues with the cocking arm to piston "shuttle" (I may have the part's name wrong) becoming loose or detaching, completely bypassing the sear and causing a sudden and painful accident involving one's thumb.Frankly, that terrifies me.I would have assumed that Weihrauch, at least for liability and legal reasons, would have developed a more effective way to physically prevent (block) the bolt from closing even in the event of a mechanical failure, as they did in the initial design. For instance, they could use a cross bolt pin that could be held in place by a detent or even a cable attached to the action that could be slid in to obstruct the forward movement of the bolt while loading. On further reflection, an automatic "lockout" engaged when the rifle is fully cocked would be even more ideal.A simple, though less robust, non-permanent modification could involve a 3D-printed "breach block" that can be inserted and removed easily after loading the gun. This could be a half-cylinder with tabs on either side, designed to slow down and hopefully halt the full motion and closing of the bolt in case of a mechanical failure. Below is a rough concept sketch, not to scale, since I don't yet own one of these rifles. I say "yet" because I'd love to own one, but I tend to think in "worst-case scenarios" (yes, that book traumatized me as a kid – I realize that now). So, I always find myself thinking "What if," and given my "luck," it might just happen to me.Thank you all for your time, consideration, and forthcoming insights on this matter.-Ryan
A HW77K, but not in .177 cal, would be my next purchase and likely a lifelong companion, but it ain't that easy. Present-day HW77 stocks are incompatible with open sights use, which is critical to me. So, I need to buy an older gun, which is my preferred method, anyway. But 90%+ of the older HW77's even remotely available to me are in .177 cal. I just don't care for those tiny, gnat-like 4.5mm pellets that are iffy to handle, at the mercy of the elements, and make tiny holes in things. My experience, and that of many others, is that .22 cal HW barrels range from inusably loose to accurate only with the largest-head pellets on the market. Also, I think the HW77 is a little too weak for the .22 cal, only approaching usable velocities with the lightest, not-so-usable pellets.So, I need (and want) a .20 cal HW. I like the caliber, already having a gun in it. Very few HW .20 cal shooters have had issues with loose, inaccurate barrels. The .20 cals have been around for a long while, but at the same rate, I've never seen a remotely available-to-me second hand HW in that caliber. Unlike breakbarrel HW's, the fixed barrel HW's don't have a replacement barrel program going, for obvious reasons. So, I need to find an actual .20 cal HW77K from days gone by, preferably a Mk II from the mid-90's. Pickings are slimmer than slim.People with vast experience on the HW's, such as British 40-year-veterans in the game, and J. Maccari, illustrate how buying a new HW runs the risk of getting a gun with an out-of-round, or even leaky cylinder that no tune kit can fix. Some people have recently gone through 10 HW97 receivers to get one working well! So, I wouldn't want a new HW, at any rate.
Buying a new 77, at the helium-high today's price, and then ordering an "assembly line custom" stock from overseas for it is about three times more than my budget for yet another springer. Much better second hand 77's with perfect stocks are to be had at around 300 e as we speak, but getting something other than full-length .177 cal isn't easy.
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