Break Barrel HW50S

[BanjomanMI76]

My first break-barrel was Gamo Wildcat Whisper .177 initially with a Gamo scope and latter with a Hammers with a one piece mount, which I had mixed results and feelings about compared to my other air guns.
I was spoiled by my Marauder and Discovery, not to mention my backyard guns the Daisy 880 and Diana Chaser. All accurate rifles. My view was/is the GWW was an embarrassment.
I have been researching for another break-barrel. My initial dream rifle was a Diana 48. Then several threads came up on several boards about Weihrauch rifles.
I narrowed my search and desires to either a HW-30 or an HW-50S in .177 or .22 and kept reading.
Last night I decided on the HW-50S in .177... It will be here Friday, just in time for the weekend. I will attempt to tame this break-barrel at first with iron sights.
Any insights or thoughts?

 

[oOmpH]

HW50S is a fine break barrel. My history is a bit rusty but i believe the HW50 was Weihrauchs first ever air rifle? A solid sub12 performer (known in the UK nowadays as the 99S) and a lot of fun to shoot with the iron sights. Think you made a good choice choosing .177 if thats how you want to shoot her. HW50S as i know it does not have the sublime Rekord trigger, think they call it the Perfekt trigger?

 

[Peyton]

My first break-barrel was Gamo Wildcat Whisper .177 initially with a Gamo scope and latter with a Hammers with a one piece mount, which I had mixed results and feelings about compared to my other air guns.
I was spoiled by my Marauder and Discovery, not to mention my backyard guns the Daisy 880 and Diana Chaser. All accurate rifles. My view was/is the GWW was an embarrassment.
I have been researching for another break-barrel. My initial dream rifle was a Diana 48. Then several threads came up on several boards about Weihrauch rifles.
I narrowed my search and desires to either a HW-30 or an HW-50S in .177 or .22 and kept reading.
Last night I decided on the HW-50S in .177... It will be here Friday, just in time for the weekend. I will attempt to tame this break-barrel at first with iron sights.
Any insights or thoughts?

I have all three in .22 cal. The HW30s is my favorite but the HW50s is a very close second, I love them both. The 48 is a powerhouse but it is very heavy and may be difficult for some to cock. Hopefully your 50 won't have as much barrel droop as mine, I had to get my barrel bent to remove the droop just to be able to scope it. Tuning it was quite the journey too, but it is so worth it. It's shooting 12.3 ft lbs with an es of 4 and sd of 1 over 15 shots.

 

[Eric Brewer]

Hi Peyton, What did you go through to tune your HW50?

 

[Peyton]

Sorry so late getting back to you, I've been tied up for the last to days. Mine came a little hotter than I liked, 13.3 fpe. I tried the PG4 spring only and it went to 9 fpe, wth. I put in the seal with it and it went to 14.5 fpe. There's not enough blue locktite in the world to keep the stock screws in, and it even vibrated my turret screws in my scope loose. I cut one coil, 13.8 fpe, cut 2 coils 13.3 fpe, then cut 3 coils to get it to 12.3 fpe. I haven't checked it lately but I expect it to drop to 11.5 with the shorter spring. I can completely disassemble and reassemble a HW 50s with my eyes closed, but it is a very sweet shooter now and it cocks really easy. It produces lower ES and SD numbers than my expensive PCP's. The first time you pull out the piston you will have to file, sand and re-blue the cutouts in the cylinder, which is kind of a pia but it only has to be done once. After the first time you can change springs and seals in 10 minutes.

 

[Hateful McNasty]

" i can completely disassemble and reassemble a HW 50s with my eyes closed, "

Ya, a hw can be that way .. but i dont mind if it makes it a tad better then the last ...

 

[Peyton]

" i can completely disassemble and reassemble a HW 50s with my eyes closed, "

Ya, a hw can be that way .. but i dont mind if it makes it a tad better then the last ...

Yeah, didn't realize I was responding to the moderator. Thought I was giving the new guy some good information but couldn't delete for some reason after I realized who was asking the question. It is a very freaking sweet shooter now, and was definitely worth all the hassle. Good to see you on here, we need a springer section on here.

 

[TallCoolOne49]

What I like about my HW50S (.22 cal) is that it's medium.

Medium weight, medium power, medium cocking force.

It is said that HW rates their rifles velocity conservatively, however I think they rate their rifles velocity with (relatively) medium weight pellets.

I've noticed in 2 separate HAM tests/reviews, one an HW30S in .177 and one an HW50S in .22, the velocity results obtained by HAM using H&N Field Target Trophy pellets, that HW's quoted velocity for these rifles in each caliber, come extremely close to the results obtained by HAM, stated in mps by HW but an easy conversion to fps.

Therefore I use that pellet and velocity figure as my yardstick.

You can't go wrong for the money my friend.

Edit: for spelling and clarity.

 

[Peyton]

What I like about my HW50S (.22 cal) is that it's medium.

Medium weight, medium power, medium cocking force.

It is said that HW rates their rifles velocity conservatively, however I think they rate their rifles velocity with (relatively) medium weight pellets.

I've noticed in 2 separate HAM tests/reviews, one an HW30S in .177 and one an HW50S in .22, the velocity results obtained by HAM using H&N Field Target Trophy pellets, that HW's quoted velocity for these rifles in each caliber, come extremely close to the results obtained by HAM, stated in mps by HW but an easy conversion to fps.

Therefore I use that pellet and velocity figure as my yardstick.

You can't go wrong for the money my friend.

Edit: for spelling and clarity.

I use FTT’s in all my HW’s but even with those they all still came in much hotter than advertised. Maybe because I’m so close to sea level? My 50 came stock at 637 fps average, 13.15 fpe. Advertised up to 600 fps.

 

[TallCoolOne49]

I use FTT’s in all my HW’s but even with those they all still came in much hotter than advertised. Maybe because I’m so close to sea level? My 50 came stock at 637 fps average, 13.15 fpe. Advertised up to 600 fps.

Interesting. I'd think so close to sea level air density would be high and someone in Denver would see higher velocities.

I have 20 tins of recently arrived FTT, I'll probably chrono them first.

Good to know your results tho.

 

[fderry]

I live at 7126ft in Colorado and can verify springers shoot slower at altitude. The lower air density means there is less air available per cubic foot of air. This means there is less air to compress when you cock a springer. I saw, on one of the forums years ago, a chart that an airgunner put together by shooting over a chrony at 1000ft increments from sea level to 6000ft demonstrating a corresponding reduction in pellet velocity.
For FT this means if you setup your springer at sea level you will need to recalibrate it at the altitude of a match if it is at a significant higher altitude.

 

[TallCoolOne49]

I live at 7126ft in Colorado and can verify springers shoot slower at altitude. The lower air density means there is less air available per cubic foot of air. This means there is less air to compress when you cock a springer. I saw, on one of the forums years ago, a chart that an airgunner put together by shooting over a chrony at 1000ft increments from sea level to 6000ft demonstrating a corresponding reduction in pellet velocity.
For FT this means if you setup your springer at sea level you will need to recalibrate it at the altitude of a match if it is at a significant higher altitude.

Ah, I'm so used to centerfire rifles I never gave that a thought!

Thanks for the input.

 

[Hateful McNasty]

Ah, I'm so used to centerfire rifles I never gave that a thought!

Thanks for the input.

Load adjustment for altitude

Going from sea level to 1800 above at 1000 yds. How much speed will my load pick up!? 260AI. 140 hybrids at 2950. Could use a lil insight or help..

forum.accurateshooter.com

(This not posting a link is a joke)

That redriect thing is the link pb load adjustment for altitude thing

Another

Chamber pressure changes with altitude

I do my load development at close to sea level. When I go up in altitude my velocity increases. Does this increase my chamber pressure?

www.longrangehunting.com

 

[Hoppalong Doc]

Yeah, didn't realize I was responding to the moderator. Thought I was giving the new guy some good information but couldn't delete for some reason after I realized who was asking the question. It is a very freaking sweet shooter now, and was definitely worth all the hassle. Good to see you on here, we need a springer section on here.

I 'm jumping up and down at the thought of an active gas ram/springer section here on these forums. Let's talk springers guys. Orv.

 

[Bladebum]

I was a springer fanatic a handful of years ago. I've had the pleasure of owning hw30s and hw30s deluxe in .22, a beeman R9 in .22, hw95 deluxe in .20, 3 hw50s in 177, 22, and 20, diana 34 in 22, diana 460 mag in 22 and diana 48 in 22.

All were tuned to beautiful shooters through spring kits, seals, moly lubed, deburred,custom MBs, triggers etc.

The only one I still own is the hw50s in 177. Im not sure if I will hold onto it forever but it is the perfect spring piston airgun IMO and it is likely the last springer I will own. You made a good choice.

On that note, TUNE IT. Do not leave it stock. Pull every part out, debuur, relube and change to a spring kit from either vortek or ARH. Also, address the cocking arm galling issue. They have inserted a delrin shim to avoid it but this wears over time if the actual arm is not addressed. Also, out of the box break the barrel open and push your plunger wedge up against a work bench to check for free ungritty movement.

If you tune the gun and then find the pellet it loves (hint hint, jsb 8.44, 10.34 or crosman premiers) you will absolutely love it.

 

[Farmplinker2]

I was a springer fanatic a handful of years ago. I've had the pleasure of owning hw30s and hw30s deluxe in .22, a beeman R9 in .22, hw95 deluxe in .20, 3 hw50s in 177, 22, and 20, diana 34 in 22, diana 460 mag in 22 and diana 48 in 22.

All were tuned to beautiful shooters through spring kits, seals, moly lubed, deburred,custom MBs, triggers etc.

The only one I still own is the hw50s in 177. Im not sure if I will hold onto it forever but it is the perfect spring piston airgun IMO and it is likely the last springer I will own. You made a good choice.

On that note, TUNE IT. Do not leave it stock. Pull every part out, debuur, relube and change to a spring kit from either vortek or ARH. Also, address the cocking arm galling issue. They have inserted a delrin shim to avoid it but this wears over time if the actual arm is not addressed. Also, out of the box break the barrel open and push your plunger wedge up against a work bench to check for free ungritty movement.

If you tune the gun and then find the pellet it loves (hint hint, jsb 8.44, 10.34 or crosman premiers) you will absolutely love it.

That's the one thing holding me back from a WH; the insistence that I have to tune it like a$99 Big Box Special to really enjoy it.

 

[Hateful McNasty]

That's the one thing holding me back from a WH; the insistence that I have to tune it like a$99 Big Box Special to really enjoy it.

I just clean up the factory mess / clean , do the deburr, fresh proper lube and just shoot the stock stuff tiil it fails .. then worry about tuning kits or spring/ seal . My springs don't last a year anyway so it nuttin but a thing

 

[Bladebum]

That's the one thing holding me back from a WH; the insistence that I have to tune it like a$99 Big Box Special to really enjoy it.

I have this love hate for weihrauch. I hate them out of the box, much prefer diana or any other springer. But, a tuned hw is my favorite springer hands down.

I also have a very big beef with that exact point and have even tried contacting hw directly letting them know my thoughts. A $400 spring piston airgun should not come with blown piston seals (almost always) , spring twang that rattles your teeth and galling issues that wear out parts. If you want to be relevant in 5-10 more years at all against pcps , you'd better get that crap together.

ANYWAYS, sorry rant over OP. I just highly recommend at the very least a good debuur and lube tune. But if you want the gun to last forever and love it, putting in a little extra on a spring/piston kit and debuuring/lubing all parts you will enjoy it immensely more. JMO

 

[Bladebum]

I just clean up the factory mess / clean , do the deburr, fresh proper lube and just shoot the stock stuff tiil it fails .. then worry about tuning kits or spring/ seal . My springs don't last a year anyway so it nuttin but a thing

Definitely at the very least this will help. The funny part is, the current gun i have had to have a new reciever. I got it and thought "you know what, im just going to shoot this out of the box, no more tuning" . A month later and probably 2000 shots nothing smoothed out, except what did happen is the plunger wedge was siezed, causing it to gaul away the case hardened steel from the reciever wedge(which is machined as part of the reciever on the 50) i tried everything to remedy it after fixing the plunger wedge, it just kept wearing away the now exposed softer steel, even with moly lube. Ultimately I had to replace the entire reciever because of the severely worn wedge.

You get an HW for its heart, the trigger and barrel which are excellent. After that everything else could use some tlc.

 

[Bladebum]

Sorry OP not meaning to be a downer just want to pass off my experiences so that you can really get the full hw experience and not go through the "out of box woes" so many first time HW owners go through. They are truly great shooters.

Check all stock screws out of box and tighten check as you shoot.

Adjust the barrel pivot to allow the barrel to "just fall" when cocked.

I am happy to help with any tuning questions you might have, I have spent WAY more time tuning and messing with them than I care to admit lol. If you can learn from my mistakes it will save you frustration and money.