Best Tuners For Spring Rifles?

[zini 1,939]

Shame if this is a norm now from Weihrauch and they are letting their manufacturing standards drop.

 

I was lead to believe that the AA TX200 was designed to try and compete with the HW77 in the earlier days when the HW77 both straight out the box and tuned ruled FT.

 

Now it seems after quite a few peoples views that the AA is the best quality workmanship and Weihrauch have been left hehind.

 

I wonder why this is? Could it be new management who want more rifles produced rather than less at best quality or could it be new machines that are not set to fine tolerances?

 

Whats others opinions in this? As I see it at the minute, if you want a HW to shoot as good as a TX or Pro Sport you need to get it tuned.

 

Si.

[trenchfoot 4,243]

Anybody tuning Prosports? or is it that good already?

[Mawders 595]

Trench the way I've heard it from several people who know their thing in the airgun world is that the prosport is like a tuned rifle from the box, hence the high price for one. There are a few minor tweaks I've heard can be done but really most people love them straight from the box.

 

I have heard once the warranty is up on them they benefit from a degrease and relube. They really are a sweet firing rifle straight out the box and that goes for the tx as well.

[pianoman 3,587]

Air Arms are bang on beautiful straight from the box. I believe many a good and honest tuner would tell you, these Air Arms TX200 and Prosport spring rifles need no tuning work to improve on what you buy off the gunshop shelf.

 

I think you do have to get a new Weihrauch tuned to get it shooting right. There are definite quality issues with Weihrauch now. Possibly due to poor management smugly thinking they don't have to spend money as once the company did on parts/component quality? It certainly seems like corner cost-cutting has been implemented at HW Weihrauch.

 

I've been a devotee of their wares since the mid 1970s' with an HW35 Export .22 that was amazing for the day, and a first of the HW80 when it was just introduced here. The HW77 ruled the roost in HFT and Air Arms went all out to build a rifle that could take it on. But now?

 

My HW97KT was second hand when I bought it and it was absolutely mint new condition. The lads at Red Beck told me the previous owner had it for barely three months before he'd changed it for a PCP. I thought its rough feel on firing was down to storage, oils not working after a while...any excuse to convince myself this was just a little thing that frequent shooting and running would cure. They took my FAC TX200HC .177 in exchange for it and, to be honest, I do feel more than a twinge of regret for doing it that way. I thought, with the experience I have of Weihrauch before, I was getting a masterpiece of accuracy and reliability. God knows so many top shooters have sung the HW97s praises!

 

Now Andy tells me it's down to basically poor component fit of the guide and the spring is poorly cut and finished. That is found in a basically brand new rifle that hasn't been anywhere near run-in.

 

Air Arms have not been without their moments of build and other quality issues with their spring rifles. But they have, at least addressed them and put them right it seems.

 

It really is painful for me to say this. As for buying a Weihrauch right now, I can only say either look for an older model made around 10 or more years past; OR buy it new but be prepared to spend extra cash tuning it. In either case you will get a beautifully accurate, sweetly smooth air rifle. But be wary of buying a brand new one.

 

And that cannot be right. Not for a gun maker with such a legendary pedigree.

 

Edited to add.

Right now, if I was to buy an all-round, supremely reliable and accurate spring rifle for serious spring rifle HFT, target competition and hunting, without fuss or bother.....

 

I'd feel my money was safer on a .177 Air Arms TX200HC.

 

The real winner for me should be an HW77K .177 or HW97 .177 but who knows what you'll get inside those two guns now!

 

But we'll see what Tony Wall and Andy can do together with my HW97. It's GOT to be a beauty when those two chaps have finished their magic on it.

 

Simon.

Edited February 7, 2013 by pianoman

[trenchfoot 4,243]

Air Arms are bang on beautiful straight from the box. I believe many a good and honest tuner would tell you, these Air Arms TX200 and Prosport spring rifles need no tuning work to improve on what you buy off the gunshop shelf.

 

I think you do have to get a new Weihrauch tuned to get it shooting right. There are definite quality issues with Weihrauch now. Possibly due to poor management smugly thinking they don't have to spend money as once the company did on parts/component quality? It certainly seems like corner cost-cutting has been implemented at HW Weihrauch.

 

I've been a devotee of their wares since the mid 1970s' with an HW35 Export .22 that was amazing for the day, and a first of the HW80 when it was just introduced here. The HW77 ruled the roost in HFT and Air Arms went all out to build a rifle that could take it on. But now?

 

My HW97KT was second hand when I bought it and it was absolutely mint new condition. The lads at Red Beck told me the previous owner had it for barely three months before he'd changed it for a PCP. I thought its rough feel on firing was down to storage, oils not working after a while...any excuse to convince myself this was just a little thing that frequent shooting and running would cure. They took my FAC TX200HC .177 in exchange for it and, to be honest, I do feel more than a twinge of regret for doing it that way. I thought, with the experience I have of Weihrauch before, I was getting a masterpiece of accuracy and reliability. God knows so many top shooters have sung the HW97s praises!

 

Now Andy tells me it's down to basically poor component fit of the guide and the spring is poorly cut and finished. That is found in a basically brand new rifle that hasn't been anywhere near run-in.

 

Air Arms have not been without their moments of build and other quality issues with their spring rifles. But they have, at least addressed them and put them right it seems.

 

It really is painful for me to say this. As for buying a Weihrauch right now, I can only say either look for an older model made around 10 or more years past; OR buy it new but be prepared to spend extra cash tuning it. In either case you will get a beautifully accurate, sweetly smooth air rifle. But be wary of buying a brand new one.

 

And that cannot be right. Not for a gun maker with such a legendary pedigree.

 

Edited to add.

Right now, if I was to buy an all-round, supremely reliable and accurate spring rifle for serious spring rifle HFT, target competition and hunting, without fuss or bother.....

 

I'd feel my money was safer on a .177 Air Arms TX200HC.

 

The real winner for me should be an HW77K .177 or HW97 .177 but who knows what you'll get inside those two guns now!

 

But we'll see what Tony Wall and Andy can do together with my HW97. It's GOT to be a beauty when those two chaps have finished their magic on it.

 

Simon.

Cheers, for the honest feedback. The mention of Redbeck brings back old memories of the cafe across the way!

I am down at the Shooting Show on saturday, you may see me wandering around with a long box !

[davyt63 1,845]

hi

personally i think weihrauch has slipped!

when i bought my 97 .22 it was low on power to 8.5ft/lbs i took it back to the shop i bought it from,and wilf bless him sent it back.

where a guy called Gary fixed it,well that was the name on the chrono sheet from weihrauch.

 

i dont know what he had done,but wilf tells me it was the piston seal had split! this was the answer from weihrauch regards to the 97 low power,

so i think Quality control has been breeched (pardon the pun)

 

seals & O rings may look fine to the naked eye,but once they are put under a certain amount of pressure/load/tension,the tiniest split will cause a problem.

i would of thought a company like weihrauch will by O rings/seals by the thousands,so its pretty much like a lucky dip as the parts go through its assembly

 

its a real shame really because i love my weihrauch's they are lovely to shoot and are bloody accurate

 

 

in regards to the prosport:

 

after warranty is up then you can open up as said above,de-grease check the spring for burs,buy running your finger over the end of the coil,if there is!

then simply take them away by the way of a file,dremel,wet n dry and polish the ends of the spring with some wet n dry and a tad of oil,polish the piston & cylinder,with duraglit basically brasso-polish,then re-grease (liberally) and put it all back together sounds easy doesn't it.

 

i have never done one yet,but inside they are pretty much like the TX,and i have had mine opened a few times"TX that is"

 

if its had a lot of use through out the year,check the O rings & seals,i would recommend for spring piston air rifles a service once a year.

and for PCP's every 2 to 3 years due t it not having as many moving parts as a spring rifle and less recoil.

 

just a guy in his man cave who like to fettle

[pianoman 3,587]

It's a bloomin' devil when you have to fork out further cash expenditure on expert tuning skill and/or kit just to get a Weihrauch spring rifle to perform where it ought to be. A strongly worded post on Weihrauch Owners Club Forum is in order methinks.

 

They might actually read it.

 

Simon

[andyfr1968 772]

I totally agree with all the above comments about modern HWs not being as well finished and built as the older ones but it's not an issue that's exclusive to them. I did a service on a TX last year that was only a couple of years old and had never been stripped before, took the thing to bits and it was totally dry inside. Not a trace of grease or lube on anything. Very poor.

[Elliott 436]

I need a Pro Sport!

[davyt63 1,845]

jeez

[pianoman 3,587]

I need to be right handed or I'd buy one too!

 

Was that my TX by any chance Andy?

[moxy 617]

Where are the modern HW's actually manufactured and assembled? For sure and not what is says on the box?

[andyfr1968 772]

I need to be right handed or I'd buy one too!

 

Was that my TX by any chance Andy?

 

Yup!

[andyfr1968 772]

Where are the modern HW's actually manufactured and assembled? For sure and not what is says on the box?

 

That's a very good question and one I'd wondered about too.

[pianoman 3,587]

Mallestracht Germany is where Weihrauch's HQ and factory are Mick. Andy. They make every part and, as far as I know, final assembly there. It's there where the rot must lie.

 

Hull Cartridge stockhold and distribute here.

 

Simon