Ronin Posted October 2, 2009 Report Share Posted October 2, 2009 Not sure if anyone will be interested, as the forum is predominatly centerfire orientated. Ive not owned an air rifle for literally years (probably 15) When I had them, I had Weihrauch springers and moved to Daystates when PCP came in. Over the years I shot them, I had HW35's, a few HW80's and finally a couple of HW77 underlevers. I was at a mates shop last month and looking through the racks (as you do) I spotted a very tatty HW80 in .22 The barrel and cylinder were well pitted and the stock was pretty worn with use. Having a soft spot for old girls like this, I made my pal an offer and walked out the shop with a smile as I now had another "project" Anyway once home took a few pics, pitting was pretty much over ll surfaces exposed to air... I stripped it down and cleaned it thoroughly, removing probably 20 years of accumulated grease. Once done, I re-assembled, reoiled and tightened the barrel joint. Then ran a vareity of pellets I had left over through the chrony in the back garden "range" Accupels gave me a healthy ME of just less than 12 ft lbs and grouping (with iron sights / diopter) of a 10 p piece at 25 yds. The old girl was worth doing something with. I spent a while sifting through some airgun forums and the airgunnBBS site about how to go about tuning the internals, but to be honest, I didnt see much point spending on something I could do myself... So having stripped the 80 down to componant parts again, I set about striking back the cylinder, end plug and barrel so that they could be re-blued and also contacted Custom Stocks in Sheffield to order a CS800 walnut stock to clother the old girl in once the main parts were returned from the bluers. Two weeks later the stock arrived - nice, but the oil finish was dull, so I spent the next 7 days re-finishing it with Tru-oil (not seven full days I hasten to add) The bits arrived back from the blueing place yesterday - nice even colouring. So I set about making a "top hat" and spring guide from delrin bar so that the spring would not make the aweful groaning noise on cocking and "twangg" on release. Took about 15 mins to fab these parts, then another 5 to re-assemble to find the mech would not cock, .....i'd made the end of the spring guide too thick by .100" so machined it back and re-assembled and it worked perfectly and more importantly pretty much silently. Once i'd assembled it (yet again) and lubed I shot 50 or so pellets to settle in the new parts and then chrono'd it. Had to take it apart again and remove a small length of spring and once re-assembled I had a healthy (and consistant) 11.8 ft lbs. I then dropped the action into the CS800 and added a one pice BSA mount and Leup Vari X 111 3.5-10 x40 I had "lying around" End result Have a few roosting pigeons and crows to take care of on a permission I have, should do the trick nicely Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alycidon Posted October 2, 2009 Report Share Posted October 2, 2009 I never found an air rifle effective against pigeons unless head shooting them. I also cut my rifle teeth on air rifles at about the same time and used .177 mainly. Looks like you have done a good job there Andy, you must be well satisfied. A Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dwight Posted October 2, 2009 Report Share Posted October 2, 2009 looks great mate..you must be well pleased. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest varmartin Posted October 2, 2009 Report Share Posted October 2, 2009 Wow...now that brings back a few memories...... She looks stunning Andy....well done indeed. Now ...how about `Lazer Gliding` it ?...I did my old HW80..not to difficult.. I machined 5 flat bottom holes in the circumference of the front and rear of the piston, super glued in some delrin buttons and removed most of the material until the piston was a smooth fit in the cylinder....totaly transformed it ...with a piston seal and spring kit from Webly Venom it was light and smooth as silk to cock. It had a bit more than 11.8 ft lbs though to begin with and took quite a bit of work on the spring length to reduce the power. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
moses Posted October 2, 2009 Report Share Posted October 2, 2009 Interesting read and a nice end result. My first ever rifle was a HW77K in .22, I used to shoot pigeons and rabbits to feed the ferrets. Those were the days. ATB Moses Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TC Posted October 2, 2009 Report Share Posted October 2, 2009 looks great mate..you must be well pleased. Very nice! Do you know if they make a similar stock for an HW35? Dare I ask how much it cost ? Tony Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ronin Posted October 2, 2009 Author Report Share Posted October 2, 2009 Thanks for the replies chaps. Yep was a bit of effort, but worth it. Martin I am considering buttonin the piston and have the delrin set aside to do it, just havent done it yet. Tony I think they do make stocks with the HW35 inlet. This one was £205 delivered, which I don't think was too bad. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
skany Posted October 2, 2009 Report Share Posted October 2, 2009 my first real air rifle was a hw80 when i was 15 bought with my paper round money!(20 years ago today ill add:-) I was so skinny back then i could barely weild that damn thing! loved it tho! would of had a wet dream over one in that stock! looks awsome mate:-) cheers andy Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Elwood Posted October 2, 2009 Report Share Posted October 2, 2009 WOW, I think I know one young wee chappie that will enjoy breaking his teeth on that in a few years time. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rooster Posted October 2, 2009 Report Share Posted October 2, 2009 Lovely guns the Weihrauchs, had 80s and 95s, best springers by far. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ronin Posted October 3, 2009 Author Report Share Posted October 3, 2009 Thanks guys, a bit different from the norm of composite and custom actions. Ian, it is destined for "the boy" one day, he's still a bit small, but in the meantime, daddy gets to play with it Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kip270 Posted October 3, 2009 Report Share Posted October 3, 2009 Oh the HW80............. One of the best air-rifles ever built, had mine for over 25yrs, but fired so many shots the cylinder was worn out, and shot everything from mice upwards, there wasn't much that got away once the cross-hairs were on it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
baldie Posted October 4, 2009 Report Share Posted October 4, 2009 Thats real nice Andy. That rifle is one of the very first 80,s....it has , or had, the square sided forend.That didn,t last more than a year, and they rounded it off. I was in customstock, only the other day, for a slab of walnut for an anatomical grip for a pistol i,m making. They are a great firm to deal with, and are always willing to find you a nice piece of wood if you visit. You need a length of brass rod now, for some bits like a safety catch etc. The old venom customs were in that vein, and beautiful. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Andrew Posted October 4, 2009 Report Share Posted October 4, 2009 Beautiful rebuild.~Andrew Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ejg223 Posted October 4, 2009 Report Share Posted October 4, 2009 Real nice work Andy. can be proud of that. edi Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Andrew Posted October 4, 2009 Report Share Posted October 4, 2009 A thought hit me while I was out in the garage digging around in my parts bin... are you sure the Leupold is rated for spring piston air rifles? I ruined a very good Redfield scope on my RWS 45 .177 many years back. The "forward recoil" of the piston unhinged a lens that was supported for rearward recoil from a conventional cartridge rifle. Just a concern... ~Andrew Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ronin Posted October 4, 2009 Author Report Share Posted October 4, 2009 Dave I hadn't realised it was that old, I may check with the Weirauch company to see when it was imported - I understand they can tell on sn's Edi thanks, believe it or not it wasnt too much effort to do. Martin ive buttoned the piston this morning (sunday am) and re-assembled, will chronograph tommorow, just to be sure its still near 12ft lbs. Initial shots out the stock show an even smoother firing cycle - it has definately removed any piston vibration, I machined the delrin to - .002" of compression tube diameter. Pics to follow. Andrew thanks, I hadn't even considered the recoil effect on the leup. It has been on a few centerfires over the years (270's, 25-06 etc for a while), now that ive "tuned" the internals of the 80 there isnt really much "percieved" recoil, maybe its fast shock over thump with the spring guns? I'll keep my eye on the glass anyway, I had thought about putting a Simmons WTC on it, thats on my .22RF, maybe I should swap it over before I start using it in earn'st? Thoughts? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Andrew Posted October 5, 2009 Report Share Posted October 5, 2009 The folks at Redfield chewed my a** off for using the scope on an air rifle -at least a spring piston gun. They told me that there was a reason that there were air rifle scopes for air rifles. They said that the lenses were supported in a way that protected them from a sharp rearward recoil and that the scope snapping forward with the piston's abrupt stop dislodged the works. Sounded reasonable to me. I should warn you that the scope worked fine until it suddenly didn't. I think the Simmons would go to Heck faster than the Leuey! Good luck with it.~Andrew Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ejg223 Posted October 5, 2009 Report Share Posted October 5, 2009 Andy, just turn the scope around it'll be fine at those distances edi Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
eldon Posted October 5, 2009 Report Share Posted October 5, 2009 good idea Edi now Andys got a 500 yd range in his back garden Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ronin Posted October 5, 2009 Author Report Share Posted October 5, 2009 Did the "buttoning" yesterday and chrono'd again - had to remove a coil in the spring to keep it sub 12ft lbs with the air arms 16g pellets. Buttons Assembled spring, piston and delrin guide Borrowed one of the missus Next catalogues (she spends too much there anyway) and tried a few groups with the scope the right way around; Typical 30 yd group off a bag Happy boy.. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest varmartin Posted October 6, 2009 Report Share Posted October 6, 2009 Thats looking Very nice ! I see your spring is nice and straight still !...or is that a new `Power Lok` type ? Its interesting to note you had similar results to myself with regard shortening the spring...proves it worked I guess ? You will have way to much fun with that....God Dam...wish I never sold my last Air rifle now...A `Theoben Scirocco 2000`...never mind ! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Finman Posted October 6, 2009 Report Share Posted October 6, 2009 thanks, I hadn't even considered the recoil effect on the leup. It has been on a few centerfires over the years (270's, 25-06 etc for a while), now that ive "tuned" the internals of the 80 there isnt really much "percieved" recoil, maybe its fast shock over thump with the spring guns? I'll keep my eye on the glass anyway, I had thought about putting a Simmons WTC on it, thats on my .22RF, maybe I should swap it over before I start using it in earn'st? Thoughts? Ronin, I have had a Simmons WTC 3.5-10x50 on my HW97 Lazaglide for the last 8 years. I zeroed it once when I put it on and then again when I removed it and put it back on after a short stint on my .17HMR. It has not shifted its zero in 7 years, and has suffered no ill effects from the recoil. I'd recommend you swap them, it'll be a lot more expensive to repair the Leupold! best wishes, Finman Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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