Just unwrapped a virgin HW95

[Zippy]

I own 3 HW guns a R1 (1983) R9 (1997) R7 (2012). Been inside all of them the R1 has the best build quality of the three. If that was my gun I would send Hans Weinrauch an email with those pictures and ask him what's up with that Hans. I personally love my HW's and would not part with any of them. Sorry for your troubles sir.

[nced]

"Why is it puzzling?... I already explained why. My HW95 example is NOT a decade old gun, so I assume it was manufactured under different conditions (and perhaps by different equipment, by different employees than your 'old' Beeman). Dunno."
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Puzzling to me because my pic of the removed barrel is from my newest R9 bought last spring.......NOT  over 20 years ago. Perhaps your gun is the "new norm", however my newest R9 works really slick after a few thousand pellets down the tube!

By the way, my newest R9 also has "grooved receiver fork milling", here is a pic..........

Just like the milling of the receiver fork for this decades old R9 receiver fork........

Anywhoo.......I'm of the notion that the "rough milling"  is beneficial for the reason mentioned previously and I haven't had any negative issues due to the "fork milling" of ANY of my R9s and HW95! 

Oh well.....I've been very pleased with my R9s, even my latest, and they are my favorite springers so we'll just have to agree to disagree! No harm/no foul!

[Trigger man]

Puzzling to me because my pic of the removed barrel is from my newest R9 bought last spring.......NOT  over 20 years ago.

What's the first 3 digits of your serial # on your newest R9? PM if you wish

-kenny-

[Nikoman]

I don't have any R9's, Kenny.
But I just checked 3 Weihrauch rifles I have on hand here. Two of them have those same milling marks like yours and one of them doesn't.
None of these are "new" guns by any means. One of them is about 9 years old, another is almost 20 years old and the oldest one is over 30 years old.. The oldest one is the smoothest but it may have had some work done it to smooth it out since it's been beautifully refinished in a high gloss blue.
I have a feeling the older Weihrauch rifles are smoother and have better fit and finish on them overall from metalwork to stock. But that's how most things were back then, they certainly dont make them like they used to.

[nced]

Puzzling to me because my pic of the removed barrel is from my newest R9 bought last spring.......NOT  over 20 years ago.

What's the first 3 digits of your serial # on your newest R9? PM if you wish

-kenny-

Serial number on barrel.........1835218
Interesting is the stamping on the receiver......
BEFORE USE READ OWNERS MANUAL
AVAILABLE FREE FROM AIR VENTURI
WARRENSVILLE HEIGHTS, OH 44128 USA
ano on the other side of the receiver tube....
BEEMAN MODEL R9
MADE IN GERMANY-DE

My couple decades old R10 has this stamping on the end cap
BEEMAN MODEL R10
Made in Germany
BEEMAN PRECISION ARMS INC.
SANTA ROSA, CALIF. 95403
This gun has long been "parted out" and the barrel was used on a R9 I assembled from parts and then sold so I don't know what the serial number of the R10 was.

Hummmm....it's interesting that the a warning was stamped on the newest R9 receiver and that the source was Air Venturi in Ohio.

[nced]

I don't have any R9's, Kenny.
But I just checked 3 Weihrauch rifles I have on hand here. Two of them have those same milling marks like yours and one of them doesn't.
None of these are "new" guns by any means. One of them is about 9 years old, another is almost 20 years old and the oldest one is over 30 years old.. The oldest one is the smoothest but it may have had some work done it to smooth it out since it's been beautifully refinished in a high gloss blue.
I have a feeling the older Weihrauch rifles are smoother and have better fit and finish on them overall from metalwork to stock. But that's how most things were back then, they certainly dont make them like they used to.

I generally agree with your assessment since my newest R9 did indeed seem to initially cock rougher than I remember my older R9s did. While they certainly don't "make then like they used to", I personally LIKT the changes made to the newer R9.

Preferred R9 changes are the bolted on bracket that incorporates the stock mounting screw holes and fixed barrel latch chisel.

In years past I had to replace a complete R9 receiver tube because the pressed in fixed chisel was quickly worn away by a burr on the harder metal of the spring loaded detent (replaced by Beeman under warranty). I never really understood the HW design where the expensive to replace receiver tube had a chisel with softer metal than the spring loaded chisel! Also, the tapped holes in the bracket is thicker than the "welded on tabs" of the older R9s so I don't expect them to strip out as easily. LOL.....my old R10 currently wears threaded inserts for "stock bolting" due to stripped out threads and I've done the same for a couple "customer guns".
Uploaded at Snapagogo.com
 I found some commercial inserts from McMaster Carr like these that worked a treat. Here's a pic............
Uploaded at Snapagogo.com

I also like the redesign of the cocking shoe (so far after about 10,000 shots) that eliminates the need for a piston liner since the shoe ride the edges of the cocking shoe slot. Another thing that I've replaced on a couple of my R9s ( plus made a few for customers) was new piston liners, made of .015 thick steel instead of the roughly .012 thick used by HW.

By the way, as a side note, for DECADES I was over tightening my stock mounting screws which caused stripped tapped holes and even the wood was compressed. Here's a pic of a patch of hard hickory inletted into the stock of an older R9 to restore the compressed wood condition (done on both sides)...............
Uploaded at Snapagogo.com

[Trigger man]

Serial number on barrel.........1835218

Mine is 1884XXX  (there's a handwritten AoA inspection doc with the date 5/12).

[Trigger man]

Lastly,... let me clarify

Late 1970's through about late 1980's, my nephew participated heavily in air matches. He was Calif and Nev state champion, and successfully participated at Camp Perry.  Suffice to say, he has enough trophies to fill a sizable U-Haul. Most of his 'tools' were Feinwerkbau's, but he also massaged a few Beeman sporters. I shot most of them, many times, favoring the Model 65 pistol.  My elder father had an earlier Beeman rifle that was stolen 3 years back (don't remember the model). I used it several times, and to the best of my knowledge, it was never opened up.  He now owns a used Gamo Vulcan which I gave him.  I also own a new Ruger Blackhawk (purchased 2 years ago). None of these examples ever required disassembly, including my nephew's.

So, when I say this virgin HW95 was very difficult to cock, that assessment was based on reasonable experience. And now that it's reassembled, the cocking effort is easily close to half... and MUCH smoother.  I bought this rifle NOT to punch paper, but solely for pest control and occasional table meat. Reliability and parts availability were high on the list of requirements.   

It also amazes just how many HW owners purchase brand new... then immediately dissect them, or send'em off to a Pro for "tuning". I first thought that they were just being picky and they had $ to burn. Now I know, first hand... why.  I expected my $400 purchase would be ready to use, out-of-the-box - clearly it was not.  And it's disturbing to think that this virgin example not only left the factory passing inspection.... but was allegedly "inspected" a second time, and deemed satisfactory from an authorized HW distributer who sold it to me. Go figure.

Much gratitude to those who participated in this thread and shared. Thank You All

-kenny-

[Marc]

So - I was pondering selling my Wisconsin made Silver Streak.  But this thread is making me appreciate it's quality more.  I am going to have think on it a little longer now, as the quality of that gun seems to be getting really hard to find.

[nced]

"It also amazes just how many HW owners purchase brand new... then immediately dissect them".

Yep......I'm guilty of immediately "dissecting" my HW springers because I don't like the "twang/vibration" in factory trim and I have a specific pellet velocity that I tune to. Initially it wasn't this way and back then I simply relied on shooting to "smooth up and deburr" the things.

Talking about harsh shooting guns when new, my latest R9 was "smooth" compared to a friends Gamo "something" 1000 that I TRIED to zero for him with a twang and vibration that would shake the molars and a trigger like dragging a nail on concrete. I literally couldn't shoot a 30 yard group any tighter than 1" ctc with that gun so I really don't know if it was zero'd or not. Then I bought a Crosman Quest 1000 and the tightest group I could shoot with that gun was 1.5" ctc at 30 yards. After MUCH rework, custom modding, and a trigger insert  I was able to get the group size down to an unacceptable can rolling 30 yard accuracy of 1" ctc. Funny thing about the Quest was the way the spring would drag under foot of the cocking arm when cocking giving a "bumpty-bump" feel. Then I bought a for real Gamo 440 (the Quest was a Chicom copy of the Gamo220) hoping to have an inexpensive springer with satisfactory accuracy. Again, the best grouping I could get at 30 yards with the 440 and it's horrible trigger was a can rolling 1" ctc. I ended up literally land filling both the Crosman Quest and Gamo440 out of frustration never to look back!

Point of all this is that EVERY springer I've owned needed to be reworked to shoot to my satisfaction no matter if it was a Gamo440 bought on sale for $100 or my HW77, or my latest R9 bought for $450. The difference is that the R9 can be made satisfactory with about an hour of deburring and minor modding to shoot under 1" ctc at 50 yards, however the other cheapies NEVER shot a satisfactory group after a few DAYS of messing with them. IMHO....you do get what you pay for!

LOL....here is a pic of one of my Gamo field targets with a 3/4" killzone homemade reducer shot with the previous R9 and sold to another ft shooter. Notice that 15 out of 20 pellets went through the 3/4" killzone outdoors at 50 yards shot hunter class field target style (sittin' on a bucket restin' the gun on cross sticks).......
Uploaded at Snapagogo.com

Now compare this target shot with my newest R9.........
Uploaded at Snapagogo.com
Five consecutive shots in a variable breeze (notice the 1/2" high x 1" wide group).

While these groupings aren't exactly PCP groups, I'm satisfied with them, especially considering how little modding was required. LOL.....even in "factory twang mode" straight from the box after a few dozen clearing shots I've never had a new R9 that shot over 1/2" ctc at 30 yards untuned!

[gapi]

Dragging this post back up, I am reading because I own a B26 and just want to research what it was copied after. Thats that.

I want to comment on two things. Not ranting, just talking, reserving the right to be disagreed with. And I do agree, that rifle should have never left the factory like that.

(1) As a machinist of 30 years, the rough cut in the forks are magnified images for one, and its personal preference I guess but if a grain of sand gets in between close fitting polished & mated surfaces it has no place to go and you will have a nice arced scratch in your bluing. A few strokes with a good stone (if needed) will tame any existing issues with that finish, if there is one. Even with the grooves sand will do its thing eh?

(2) I read the comment on current quality control issues, "We all know how the younger generation is today".

That's just wrong. I am 60 years old and train our youth all the time and have seen them come and go and its no different than it has ever been, if not, it is or can be better than it ever has been.

Its the people doing the training, and providing tools and methods and guide lines. Modern cost cutting management types of all ages affect the bottom line. If management says thats good enough its nothing to do with the age of the employee. If a youth or elder is doing shoddy work its managements responsibility to correct the issue.

To lump all of today's youth into such is just wrong! Today's youth put us in orbit, design and build cars that run better, longer, faster and so on. Old timers like us don't live forever! You could not give me a 1957 Chevrolet. I drove a stock 1959 Corvette a few years ago and hated it.

Done   

[Jimsc]

With so many things wrong that you shouldn't have to fix why don't you put it back together and send it back? 

[Charles Outdoors]

  I remember looking at the German and Spanish springers in an Air rifle Headquarters catalog back somewhere @ the late 70's. Even back then they offer a service I think called accurizing I think. Was claimed that it would let you by-pass the 1000 shot break-in period required to get the best velocity and and accuracy.
  I can understand a little break in for the moving parts, but never have understood how anyone the gave a &^^& about what they are doing could shove pistons and seal past all the machining burrs like it was ok to assembly something that way. Seems like common sense yet they do it and possibly have been doing it that way for a long time.
 If I ever buy a high quality springer it will most likely be made in England. They seem to really care more about their air guns and take them very seriously.   

[Sfttailrdr46]

  Todays youth is pretty much us old farts just 50 years younger . Back when I was a kid I was the one everyone brought their broken whatever to for repairs. Which is not to say I was an angel. As stated the quality of the workmanship is dependent upon personal pride and intelligent management

[ptpalpha]

This is an interesting turn for this thread.  I'm of the school that prefers the rifles made in Germany and England in the 80's and 90's, mostly due to the fact that I enjoy wrenching on them and usually find that they're made with more attention to detail than the rifles being produced today.  I also greatly prefer the stocks of the older rifles (especially the old Beeman wood stocks).
When I opened up my 1989 HW-made Marksman 56, the cross-hatching in the chamber was absolutely beautiful.  Same goes for my old RWS-marked TX200...the machining is incredible.
Not slamming the new guns, just giving a shout-out to all those old classics that are still floating around.  Something about them just calls to me. 

-Paul

[mista meener]

Hmmm, I bet that gun shoots like a dream though.  My Diana 56TH rachets like a hand cranked winch but shoots like a tack driver!  Just have to get use to it I guess.

I think the sound you here is the clicking of the notches on the beartrap

[gapi]

I wish this forum would find a way to keep images from disappearing because the original posters used services like Photo-Bucket and have removed, changed, or deleted them from their hosting account.
I feel like its rude or inconsiderate being this is a place to share information and its basically supposed to be permanent.

At least get the place holders out of our faces. UGH! Rant! Whine!

[nced]

I wish this forum would find a way to keep images from disappearing because the original posters used services like Photo-Bucket and have removed, changed, or deleted them from their hosting account.
I feel like its rude or inconsiderate being this is a place to share information and its basically supposed to be permanent.

At least get the place holders out of our faces. UGH! Rant! Whine!

I have to agree here! The issue is that with the PhotoBucket account I was running out of "free space" and to add more images would have required buying a "premium account". To compensate with my free account I would delete old images so I could add new images and stay within bandwidth limitations. A while back I found a free photo hosting site called Snapagogo which has no limits on images so I've been using that site for a while now and even migrating images from PhotoBucket to Snapagogo rather than deleting them.

I really don't know but it seems that if this site were to archive the images from posted links then the extra band width necessary would be "cost prohibitive"..........but then I'm only guessing here!

[QVTom]

Actually members can setup an album on the GTA.  I think it's done on the members profile pages.  Not sure what limits and restrictions may be imposed.


Yes under media in your profile.

test - click to enlarge
[smg id=3332]

[gapi]

Sorry for the tears on your shoulders guys,

I get disappointed when I cannot see some of the stuff, especially nced's that were up at one time. I get all pulled in till the end of the drum roll and its ??