VALUE FOR MONEY
The Weihrauch HW95 air rifle is a “quality first” spring/piston-powered break barrel air rifle. It’s been available for many years and sits solidly in the middle of the manufacturer’s range. In fact, it’s no mistake to describe it as a classic break barrel airgun.
The HW95 makes no attempt to compete with other products claiming “Zillion FPS” Muzzle Velocities or with a marketing name – and acronym – for every part of the gun. However it is available in four calibers up to .25 caliber. If you want a .20 caliber air rifle, the HW95 is one of the few choices currently available.
And yes – at a Street Price of $500 plus scope – it’s not exactly cheap. Quality never was. The Luxus model that’s the subject of this review has an upgraded buttstock with checkering on the pistol grip and fore end, a raised cheek piece and soft rubber butt pad.
This traditional, dare we say old-fashioned, approach still has plenty of fans. However they will be those who are experienced airgun shooters who know what to look for and feel no need for the “latest and greatest”.
This means that the Weihrauch HW95 is targeted at those wanting an understated, mid-power, “quality first” spring/piston air rifle. And for those who have the skill to shoot it well, this is still a great choice.
HAM Tester Eric Brewer commented “I’m impressed by the entire thing. There’s nothing to fault!” That’s a great recommendation, right there.
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Weihrauch HW95 Luxus
SPEED AND ACCURACY
The Weihrauch HW95 air rifle tested by HAM in .177 caliber produced a maximum Muzzle Velocity of 1125.86 FPS when firing light, 5.0 Grain, Predator GTO alloy pellets.
The maximum Muzzle Velocity with lead pellets was achieved, of course, with the 7.0 Grain RWS Hobbys. This was an average of 957.76 FPS over 10 shots.
As expected, FPS steadily declined with increasing pellet weight. However, the heaviest – 10.65 Grain – H&N Baracuda Match pellets still produced an usable Muzzle Velocity of close on 750 FPS.
In this HAM test, the HW95 air rifle developed Muzzle Energies between 13.3 and 15.5 Ft/Lbs.
| Pellet | Average Muzzle Velocity | Average Muzzle Energy | Accuracy |
|---|---|---|---|
| Predator GTO 5.0 Grain | 1,125.86 FPS | 15.50 Ft/Lbs | Very Good. |
| H&N Field Target Trophy Green 5.56 Grain | 1,100.27 FPS | 14.97 Ft/Lbs | Very Good. |
| RWS Hobby 7.0 Grain | 957.76 FPS | 14.28 Ft/Lbs | Poor. |
| Crosman Premier HP 7.9 Grain | 893.34 FPS | 14.02 Ft/Lbs | Good. |
| JSB Exact Diabalo 8.44 Grain | 874.85 FPS | 14.37 Ft/Lbs | Excellent. Best Tested |
| H&N Field Target Trophy 8.64 Grain | 842.68 FPS | 13.65 Ft/Lbs | Excellent. |
| H&N Baracuda Match 10.65 Grain | 748.69 FPS | 13.28 Ft/Lbs | Good. |
The gun tested by HAM demonstrated the best accuracy using 8.44 Grain JSB Exact pellets. So, HAM Tester Eric Brewer set out a target at 25 Yards range and was very pleased with the results.
That’s a less than 1-Inch CTC group for 10 shots at 25 yards.
TRIGGER AND COCKING EFFORT
The Weihrauch HW95 air rifle is fitted with the famous Rekord trigger. This two-stage trigger is adjustable for first stage travel and trigger creep by removing the stock. However that prominent screw behind the trigger blade allows the user to adjust pull weight.
Due to the design of the Rekord trigger, both first and second stage pull weights are adjusted at the same time by the same screw. As always, we tested this HW95 with the trigger as set by the factory.
Average trigger pull weight for the Weihrauch HW95 air rifle tested by HAM was just 1 Lb 9 Oz. That’s definitely the lowest pull weight that HAM has ever recorded for a breakbarrel air rifle, yet it still displayed an easily-detectable second stage.
HAM Tester Eric Brewer described this trigger simply as “wonderful”!
Cocking is smooth and quiet. There’s none of the roughness that sometimes afflicts springers. In fact the cocking action itself is actually very pleasant. There’s no whip or flexing in the action and the ball bearing lock-up is very positive and solid.
The cocking effort of the HW95 tested by HAM peaked at about 28 Lbs. This was lighter than we had expected and would definitely be considered manageable by the vast majority of shooters.
Cocking the gun causes the automatic safety to engage. This then needs to be disabled before being able to fire. It also is simple and effective.
It has to be said, however, that the safety button of the HW95 tested by HAM initially exhibited a tendency to stick slightly in operation. However, it loosened-up over the course of the test.
COMPARISON TO MAKERS CLAIMS
In line with most “quality” manufacturers, Weihrauch makes few claims for its products. The company website claims that the HW95 delivers excellent accuracy. HAM agrees.
The manufacturer’s web site give the maximum Muzzle Velocity of the Weihrauch HW95 air rifle as 950 FPS in .177 caliber. The FPS of the test gun using 7.0 Grain RWS Hobby pellets just exceeded that at an average of 957.76 FPS. It was far exceeded by the the lighter, 5.5 Grain, Predator GTO alloys at 1125.86 FPS.
So, the Weihrauch HW95 air rifle meets or exceeds the manufacturer’s muzzle velocity claim.
Although there’s no manufacturer’s specification for cocking effort, the HW95 tested by HAM cocked with around 28 Lbs of force. This is significantly less than the 35 Lbs that’s commonly listed as required. Plus, the trigger pull weight was extremely light at just 1 Lb 9 Oz!
CONSISTENCY
The Weihrauch HW50 air rifle tested by HAM demonstrated superb consistency of Trigger Pull Weight. Not only was the pull weight very light, but the test results varied by no more than 4 Oz from shot-to-shot. That’s really an imperceptible difference!
The average Standard Deviation – shot to shot variation across a string – was 6.32 FPS across the standard range of HAM test pellets. It fell to just 3.16 FPS for the 8.44 Grain JSBs and heavy H&H Field Target Trophy pellets. That’s PCP-level consistency!
It’s also notable that the stock screws did not loosen at all during the course of this test. That’s something that can happen with springers and we always look out for it.
NOISE LEVEL
As a traditional, un-silenced air rifle, the Weihrauch HW95 air rifle still gives a fairly quiet report, less than the HAM testers expected for its power level.
Note that the ultra-light, 5.0 Grain Predator GTO alloy pellets were distinctly LOUD, however! This is because they traveled at greater than the Speed of Sound (around 1,100 FPS) and so produced a sonic boom.
No silencer or shroud would make any difference to this noise level, it’s simply a function of the velocity achieved by the ultra-light pellets from this magnum air rifle in .177 caliber.
All the lead pellets tested did stayed under the Speed of Sound and so were much quieter. And, of course, this issue would not apply to larger calibers where the maximum Muzzle Velocity would be less than 1,100 FPS.
SIGHTS AND SCOPE
Weihrauch is one of the few airgun manufacturers which remain truly committed to open sights.
There are plenty of airgunners who like to shoot using iron sights. For these people, the Weihrauch HW95 air rifle is a joy because it’s fitted with a serious set of traditional open sights. There’s not a piece of fiber optic to be seen!
The front sight comprises a hooded housing with interchangeable elements. In fact, the manufacturer includes no less than six different interchangeable elements. These are easily interchanged and give the owner a wide variety of options for open-sight shooting.
The rear sight has the expected click adjustment capabilities for windage and elevation. But look closer and you’ll see that this rear sight actually has a choice of four different sighting notches!
By pulling out and rotating the rear sight notch plate, you’ll find a choice of wide and narrow square notches, a V notch and a U-shaped notch. These are the perfect compliment to the interchangeable front sight elements – no less than six of them! – which are also provided with the HW95.
Naturally, the Weihrauch HW95 air rifle can also be fitted with a scope. The rear of the compression tube is machined with standard airgun rails and there’s no less than three deep scope stop holes. These allow for flexibility in scope mount positioning based on scope size and the user’s eye relief requirements.
For this HAM test review, we mounted a 4-16 x 60 Hawke Airmax 30 WA SF scope.
This Airmax scope balanced well with the HW95 and is an ideal compliment to the air rifle in size, style and performance.
The Weihrauch HW95 air rifle tested by HAM displayed no tendency for barrel droop and was easy to sight-in. Very good!
SHOOTABILITY
The Weihrauch HW95 air rifle has a simple, classic design. The stock is simple yet comfortable. Although there’s no modern touches such as an adjustable comb to the stock, it was comfortable for the HAM testers to shoot.
The ambidextrous stock is fitted with a comfortable rubber recoil pad and this aids in taming the manageable recoil of the Weihrauch HW95 air rifle.
Like most springers, we found that the HW95 tested by HAM shot best with a loose hold, particularly under the forend.
The all-up weight of this gun and scope combination was 9 Lb 11 Oz. That’s a solid, yet not unreasonable weight for this type of air rifle. But the HW30S would be a better choice if lower weight, size and cocking effort were required.
For carrying in the field when hunting, particularly in the rain, HAM would like to see some sling swivels and a more aggressive finish to the “gripping” parts of the stock. However Field Target shooters and plinkers will manage just fine without them…
APPEARANCE AND FINISH
The Weihrauch HW95 is an air rifle that exudes quality!
Metal finish is exemplary, bluing is deep and even. The stock is gracefully-shaped and has panels of sharply-executed checkering in the Beech wood, both around the wrist and forend.
Even looking up under the stock to the cocking mechanism, we see the beautiful finish continued. Weihrauch obviously does not cut corners, even where it’s unlikely that people will be looking!
Overall, the HAM Team feels that the HW95 is a great-looking breakbarrel air rifle. It’s a clean, simple design that’s a classic in its own right.
BUYING AND OWNING
You’re not going to walk into your local big box sporting goods store and find a new Weihrauch HW95. But they’re readily available online from Airguns of Arizona.
As the HAM Team found during this HW95 test review, accuracy was excellent with most of the HAm standard test pellets. This means that – even if you run out of your favorite .177 pellets – the Weihrauch is likely to shoot well with many other pellets. That’s a big benefit!
Oh yes! The “USA” you’ll see stamped into the underside of the barrel is confirmation that this gun was produced specifically for sale in the United States.
The HW95 is supplied with Weihrauch’s “omnibus” user manuals that apply to all their spring-piston guns. This comprehensive documentation is in English, German and French.
It also benefits from an outstanding limited lifetime warranty that’s fulfilled in the USA by Airguns of Arizona. That’s a huge benefit that shows that the quality impression is not just skin deep!
10 YARD TEST TARGETS
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Weihrauch HW95 Luxus
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The post Weihrauch HW95 Air Rifle Test Review .177 Caliber appeared first on Hard Air Magazine.
. I'd shoot one ..
