Weihrauch’s HW97 is one of the best spring piston air rifles you can get your hands on. Not only is this airgun extremely accurate, it’s also very sturdy and durable. The HW97 is a true classic piece of top-quality German engineering.
Please meet the Weihrauch HW97
The Weihrauch HW97 can been seen as the redevelopment, or spin-off if you like, of the HW77. The latter was a great success in the Field Target airgun shooting discipline and the HW97 seamlessly took over, filling the highest ranks before PCP’s became the norm. As in said discipline a rifle scope is the norm, HW77's often were stripped from their iron sights, which is why you won’t find those on the HW97. And as it’s a scope-only air rifle, Weihrauch altered the stock for pure scope use too, which meant raising the cheek piece. The HW97 really has evolved in the field so to say.
And to be honest, when it comes down to it, the HW77 being suitable for both a scope and iron sights and the HW97 purely being a scope air rifle is all there is to it. The advantage of the HW97 for scope users lies in the fact that, for most, the stock is better suited for the job. This is because of a better eye-alignment and thus a more comfortable shooting stance. As the front sight is obviously missing, Weihrauch needed to change the design of the underlever holding mechanism a bit. Weihrauch has opted for an elegant solution with a sleek looking mount that has a bit of a moderator vibe going on.
The Weihrauch HW97 series mostly consists of short barrelled carbine versions. The K-version, as the short models are often indicated, have always been the most popular because of their balance and handling. There is, however, also a long barrel variant. The stock of the HW97 can be made from wood or synthetic material and there are both traditional sporter and thumbhole versions available.
This makes an HW97 so good
An HW97, as we previously mentioned, is one of the best springer airguns you can buy. It’s a combination of factors that make it so great and one of them is the extremely high quality of Weihrauch’s products. There’s no batch control, Weihrauch actually checks each and every component and assembles by hand. The tolerances are kept minimal, while the design is quite over-engineered to guarantee accuracy, reliability and durability.
Weihrauch has made quite a name for itself for being able to produce accurate high-quality barrels. And when an HW97 is readily assembled, it’s thoroughly tested on the shooting range for accuracy and consistency before it’s sent to our shop. Being an underlever, the barrel is rigidly attached to the action. Where a break barrel is resting against a slightly elastic breech seal, the barrel of an underlever won’t change position, which helps consistency.
We’ll be the first to admit that the Weihrauch HW97 is a hefty airgun. Its size, and of course the underlever mechanism (not to mention the over-engineered robust parts) make it… well, not heavy but nevertheless substantial. And that’s a positive thing, as the weight does a lot in terms of accuracy too. Firstly, it slows down your movement when aiming. Especially those almost uncontrollable muscle spasms when aiming with a high magnification. In short, your aim will be more relaxed and stable. Secondly, the mass inertia dampens a lot of the recoil and vibrations, giving the HW97 a very smooth shot cycle. Needless to say, this also aids accuracy. A lot.
Last, but certainly not least, we need to mention the legendary Rekord trigger, with which Weihrauch established a match grade quality in a ‘consumers trigger’. This 2-stage trigger has both stages very refined adjustable, as is the trigger pressure. The Rekord trigger can be adjusted very light while still having an extremely crisp break. Many regard the Rekord trigger as the best trigger available on a springer air rifle.
This is why you want a Weihrauch HW97
You’ll buy a Weihrauch HW97 when you simply want one of the best air rifles available. Since long, it’s one of the select few that can match a PCP air rifle in accuracy, even at 50 metres. For many, the spring piston mechanism is actually the reason to choose (again) for the HW97. The system has its own charm and the skill needed to shoot accurately with a springer is often the challenge. We see lots of PCP owners wanting a HW97 on the side. Partly to polish up their skills by refining them with a springer and partly for longing for something uncomplicated without the hassle of carrying around air cylinders, et cetera.
