One for those of you who can remember

[pianoman 3,587]

Hi Malt.

The Webley Osprey was a sidelever, and very accurate, if not particularly powerful; around 9.8 to 10.3 ft/lbs on avarage. The Tracker followed it as a carbine sidelever. Webley maintained it was a seperate rifle but, it did share Osprey components.

 

The Webley Omega break barrel rifle appeared around 1984-85 as a direct competitor to the Weihrauch HW80 that came out a year or so before. I bought one purely on the rifle's looks and handling of the stock, which was truly lovely. The rifle even came supplied with sling swivells already fitted -imagine that with an air rifle today!

 

 

It featured a peculiar barrel positive locking device. To shoot this rifle, you had to manually push it in to unlock the barrel to cock it, load the pellet and as you returned the barrel to the cylinder it locked the barrel back into position, switch off the auto-safety catch and you were ready to shoot. It was, if memory serves, designed to combat barrel droop on firing and make a secure barrel lock-up. The breech piuvoted on a bolt rather than a usual pin, possibly, to comabat the type of fault Jasp's rifle suffered from(?), Very nice rifle to shoot with, the Omega, no problem but, the HW80 it was competing against had more grunt at the muzzle and reliable lock-up and accuracy without the faff of mechanical positive barrel locks.

 

I have had four HW80s at various times, all .22 and still, I own two today and, I have never yet had a problem with barrel droop or mis-alignment problems with prolonged use.

 

The Vulcan shared the Omega's powerplant and was another beautifully finished gun. The stocks that Webley designed for their spring rifles were among the best of any you could find on an air rifle at the time. To my mind Weihrauch's HW77 stock is the only one of theirs that comes up to the standard of detail, handling and finish that Webley set for their rifles.

 

If the HW97K beech stock had white spacers and grip caps I'd say that was a really beautifully finished stock. I love the handling it offers the 97s action

 

I've got some priceless memories from owning and shooting these rifles, and the FAC rated Webley Patriot, from those great years of the late 70s throughout the 80s and 1990s.

 

All the best.

 

 

Simon