The Webley Valuemax .177 Partial Strip Down Guide And Introductory 'review'

[milegajo 595]

Taken from the blog AirgunAddicts,

 

I have to admit, I've grown just a smidgeon bored of Weihrauchs. They are superb; they're German, so they are tools for a job and they fulfill their role very well indeed. As most German things do. They're darn efficient!
But they are very popular. So popular there are no surprises, few challenges that have not already been undertaken, scant opportunity to learn or tread a path that is not already very well trodden.
I fancied a change, and the marketplace is bulging with offerings and temptations. No, I couldn't really afford the indulgence, but you try telling a smoker his money is better spent on organic food/given to charity/on the car and see how far you get!
So off I went to my 'dealer'! This time, it was to R&B Sporting in Ross on Wye. Rob, the proprietor, sat as patiently as a psychiatrist as I blurted out my troubles and woes, my needs and desires and finally demanded he hand me a .177 Webley Valuemax from the rack.
When I turned the label I was startled!
£125 for a full power, adult rifle in a synthetic stock. VERY interesting! Now lets not beat about the bush, it says Webley on the gun, it says Webley on the box. It is NOT a true Webley, certain not a Webley 'as was'. In reality, I believe it is a re-badged Hatsan imported and distributed by Highland Outdoors. Time for another observation, them Turks are getting jolly hard to ignore! Superb marketing, competitive pricing, seemingly acceptable quality. All aided by clever features and additions such as adjustable cheek pieces, slings, bipods, stock options such as wood/plastic to colour and camo!! Ingenious, ruthless and eye catching sales ploys, all credit to them.

Lets roll on to the pics;

That's quite a claim on the box!

What's in the box.

Read and adhere to if you wish to preserve this warranty!

Arrestor block and resettable safety catch

2 Stage Adjustable Trigger

Read the small print and find a 1 year warranty.

A traditional, and tested method of ensuring main pins and pivot points don't shift. A nice touch.

Not a silencer, but an effective cocking aid.

'TRU-GLO' Iron sights are a pleasant and welcome feature.

The low cheek comb suggests that iron sights are what this rifle is designed to be shot with.

Well out of the box, this rifle was best described as the Webley 'Twangtastic'. Not uncommon for any spring rifle to behave as such as they are often very dry inside as can be expected, the manufacturer cannot risk deterioration and certainly cannot know how long the rifle will stored.

For the purposes of this article, I did not wish to engage in 'tuning' or anything in depth, so I limited myself to the manufacturers guidelines.

Main Stock retaining screw located inside the rear of the trigger guard.

Loosened (by me!) left stock screw.

Loosened right stock screw.

What star washers will do to plastic! (And wood for that matter).

Action separated from the stock.

Trigger unit.

Anti-Beartrap mechanism, another unexpected and welcome feature.

Cocking linkage

Mainspring is not devoid of grease, I've seen drier Weihrauchs, but more is required in my experience to combat 'twang'.

Rear of action displaying main stock screw, trigger assembly and resettable safety.

Note dab of manufacturers 'grease'/wax?!

We will follow Webley's guidelines, for now...

Relatively inexpensive molybdenum grease for the mainspring and cocking linkage.

Ideally, a full strip down would ensue and this expensive Molykote 33 Medium low temperature ball bearing silicone grease would be sparingly applied just behind the piston seal.

Best get messy! Wipe off the excess.

Few dabs of grease on the fulcrum pins as per manufactures instructions.

A potentially high impact, stress and wear point so best to keep well lubricated.

A lubricated anti-beartrap should keep 'noises' to a minimum when cocking.

Difficult to safely access, but carefully grease the breech detente to help keep a smooth, positive lock up.

 

So after some grease on the spring, she has quietened down a bit.

As I got some lead down the barrel to wear her in and adjust the irons, I couldn't help but hum Johnny Cash's "A Boy Named Sue" specifically the line where he describes fighting his dad as: "He kicked like a mule and bit like crocodile"! The plastic stock does the gun no favours on the recoil front, nor probably the noise. I had a HW 97 synthetic once that was loud too. That said, I do like synthetics for their 'knockabout' nature.

Bottom left was my best grouping

Now this barrel is tight. All german brand pellets bar RWS Superfield, even Webley's own Accupell were hellishly tight around the head, resulting in shotgun groups and a very sore forefinger! The only pellet to fit and therefore perform?

Get ready.


JSB Exact. How dull. Every darn gun I seem to shoot likes JSB/AA fields. I think the thin flared skirt and fractionally smaller head diameter is a winning formula.

I had the ValueMax over a friends F1 chrony, but as I only had RWS Hobbies on me, the 8 ft/lb reading could be on the low side owing to how damn tight they are in the barrel. The gun also needs to bed in, but if she doesn't smooth herself out, I will be forced to take this exploratory mission further into her belly and show you fellas a few tricks you can do at home to get your air gun shooting as sweet as a nut.

Til then my fellow addicts...

Edited April 22, 2013 by milegajo

[Matt Cottrell 23]

Was in gun shop other day an pest control firm came in a brought all there stock off webley value Max's they had he reckoned there the best for the job

 

Gun shop also said they have had a lot detuned as there coming in at over 15 lb

 

Nice post matey

Edited April 22, 2013 by Matt Cottrell

[milegajo 595]

Was in gun shop other day an pest control firm came in a brought all there stock off webley value Max's they had he reckoned there the best for the job

 

Gun shop also said they have had a lot detuned as there coming in at over 15 lb

 

Nice post matey

 

Thanks Matt,

 

Hmmm, I suppose he could be right, best for pest control (close range blatting) certainly not best for hunting in my view. BUT I'm also not going to want to spend £300-£400 for each of my blokes on an AA or Weihrauch. Nor am I only going to spend just £40 on a glorified cricket bat! So yeah, I can see what he means.

 

I do hope mine rises a touch, but not THAT much!

[secretagentmole 1,701]

Miles, I thought that the Valuemax is the second Chinese Webley in the range, same as the AGS Valuemax, which I understand is an XS19 platform based gun?

Edited April 24, 2013 by secretagentmole

[milegajo 595]

Thanks mole. If thats the case, I'd guess the Raider pcp is Chinese too.

What you say also makes sense as I believe Edgar Brothers are the sole importers/distributors for Hatsan in the UK.

 

Boy those chinese have upped their game!

[secretagentmole 1,701]

The Rebel is Chinese (aka the Chinnova), but the Raider 10 shot is the AT44, which is made by Hatsan!

[stealthy1 3,964]

Think I'll keep my HW's

[milegajo 595]

I mention the Raider 10xs only because the breech markings are very similar...which is what threw me into believing the valuemax was turkish.

[milegajo 595]

Think I'll keep my HW's

Plenty of HW35's knocking about for similar money