Weihrauch HW97 Blackline
Printed From: Kiwi Airgunners
Category: Technical
Forum Name: Reviews
Forum Description: Rate your airgun or pellets here
URL: www.kiwiairgunners.co.nz/forum_posts.asp?TID=982
Printed Date: 22 Nov 2024 at 11:50pm
Software Version: Web Wiz Forums 10.14 - http://www.webwizforums.com
Topic: Weihrauch HW97 Blackline
Posted By: kruzaroad
Subject: Weihrauch HW97 Blackline
Date Posted: 12 Mar 2024 at 5:51pm
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I picked it up today, won't get to test properly for a while, but will add as I do. First impressions. Bloody heavy. Totally comfortable to hold and naturally cheek wields, steady. It is cut away either side of the breech for easy left hand loading. Which for me missing half my trigger finger and middle finger on right hand will make loading so much easy. A feature I wish the tx had. Has three solid holes alond reciever for scope locks. Nice. Has deep thumb and shooting finger grooves. Roomy pistol grip thumb space. Due missing fingers this is a huge bonus, I can put some of the weight on my thumb directly, and area under the stock. Lifting my next finger full, to the trigger it sits just in the end of the trigger finger groove and lines it up for the trigger awsome. Would be a deamy hold with a trigger finger. The end of groove where the lever comes too, sits right where my pointer finger touches the stock on the fore end . Going to make the same hold much easier with a tactile marker point. Gold trigger is bit blingy, but sets the gun off. Has built in suppressor. Thats about it. Haven't shot or put scope on it, even cocked it. I'm happy as with how it feels to hold and looks. More next week when I a scope on it and test it.    
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Replies:
Posted By: Pauly5
Date Posted: 12 Mar 2024 at 9:10pm
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Nice one Kruz. Yes, they are solid guns, but they handle well I reckon. You can take the end cap off and install wadding or baffles. I never did it, but it might make a difference. I think it's an 8mm allen key to undo it. |
Posted By: Pauly5
Date Posted: 12 Mar 2024 at 9:15pm
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Trigger mod I did on mine. http://www.kiwiairgunners.co.nz/forum_posts.asp?TID=237&PN=1 |
Posted By: kruzaroad
Date Posted: 13 Mar 2024 at 7:43am
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Oh is it just an expansion chamber? I haven't even looked at the manual, let alone fired it yet. Joys of my job. Just want sleep and get things done on night off. I'll get probly have to install some sling studs on it as weight will become an issue as the it was with the tx. Need to buy another chrono to for testing as well. |
Posted By: RangerPete
Date Posted: 13 Mar 2024 at 3:55pm
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They are beautiful guns, the 97KT is my one day springer, my holly grail. I’ll be interested to follow your progress with it, keep us posted 👍🏻 ------------- Walk quietly, but carry a big stick. |
Posted By: kruzaroad
Date Posted: 13 Mar 2024 at 9:03pm
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I've got cometa exact jumbo for it at 15.90gr. I asked David (Airguns NZ) what he would recommend by what his customers were getting for the hw97. He came back with ftt or the above. I've found that the 16gr weight approx pellets have been what I've ended up with all of my .22 so went for that weight. I've had good results with ftt but think they are a bit light. So I'll be keen to see how the exact go and fpe produced. using them. Hopefully next 24 hour break, I'll get the wulf scope on and I'll buy a chrono this week do a bit of intial breaking in and chrono testing during the process next tuesday. Be a while till get out hunting with I think. |
Posted By: RangerPete
Date Posted: 14 Mar 2024 at 8:24am
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JSB exact have always been my go to for most air rifles, so I was surprised when the wildcat prefered hades. I see there is now also a monster hades, but it seems extreamly heavy. By all accounts H&N should be good, I have a lot of faith in the Germans, so the FTT or the baracuda should be 👌🏻 ------------- Walk quietly, but carry a big stick. |
Posted By: kruzaroad
Date Posted: 23 Mar 2024 at 12:34pm
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So I got the wulf fireball mounted. Still looking at other scopes, but the wulf is a good scope and if it works out may keep it on. .1° off dead center, but just couldn't it to sit perfect as I tightened it. Sport match scope mounts. There was a hell of a lot space in the recoil pins holes and I was surprised how much I could move the back mount with the pin inside the hole. Still it's sitting tight against the back wall of the middle hole. There are no level surfaces along the piston cylinder or barrel mount to put a level, so had to settle for the level area on the stock at the back of cylinder. The sig has a flat area above where the pellets go into the barrel. It's a marvellous place for leveling the rifle and you know your setting the sight to the barrel. Shut my eyes lifted the gun to a comfortable shooting position, then opened my shooting eye, till I had the scope retical presenting a full round circle every time. I cannot get over how comfortable this rifle is for me to shoulder. Leaves the tx and the sig for dead. Best cheek wield of any rifle I had so far. Really well balanced. Feels nose heavy when carrying one handed, but once that other arm goes up and sits the fore stock in my hand the ballance is perfect in a standing position. Took it into the house and and pointed at the white wall and adjusted the retical till the cross hairs and mildots were sharp and crisp. This took a few lift and raises to get it so it was crisp as soon as I put it to my eye and my eyes didn't have to adjust to get the sharpness. Thats when the torn muscle in my arm reminded me I have an injury. So that's it for now. Totally bummed perfect day for sighting in but I need this heal well. As I said boss when suggested I just drive a auto truck instead of manual instead of taking time off. You can get f#*ked, this is my shooting arm and I'm not risking it for anything. So probly put it away for the day. Sigh. But so far ( having never shot or even cocked the gun) I'm very happy with its ergonomics and ballance. Looking forward to the feeling the trigger action and what its cycle action is like through the firing process. Still good things take time. 😕 
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Posted By: Pauly5
Date Posted: 23 Mar 2024 at 2:23pm
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It's looking good. I'm even excited for you to fire it. You can take trigger block out and do adjustments on the trigger by cocking and firing just the trigger block. The anti bear trap mechanism stops you from being able to de - cock the 97, and it is simple to remove. I've had 3 separate 97's, removed them on all and never had an incident. If you do take trigger block out, it's just 2 pins, but look out for the safety and it's spring, along with a nut that the trigger guard screws into behind the trigger blade. And you need to have the trigger cocked when reinstalling the trigger block back in.
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Posted By: kruzaroad
Date Posted: 23 Mar 2024 at 2:40pm
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Couldn't resist and clean barrel, fired 3 shots. I found the push button lock and cocking arm easy to use and no real effort. The whole cocking motion is pretty smooth strait from box. Should get better as it wears in. Doesn't feel as smooth and fluid as the tx did. Still a nice action, no bear trap is a bonus. Ability to load from left hand side made process so much better(for me) Easy to locate pellet and press it in by finger. Trigger was set sweet on factory. Precise and crisp and very predicable. By the third shot I had the travel and break sussed. Absolutely love the trigger. It hit the post at about 30m and the tree stump at about 60 with an audible whack. No idea exactly where they hit, scope was still zeroed for sig. Hidious twang. Absoulty gawd aful and will have to be sorted if it hasnt settled down after break in. Over all first are positive. See what smooths out as it wears in. Happy so far. Oh and it seems to have a very short sharp piston stroke on firing. |
Posted By: Pauly5
Date Posted: 23 Mar 2024 at 5:17pm
| Excellent! You will find it has a bear trap, but it means it won't fire when the cocking arm isn't in the locked position. |
Posted By: kruzaroad
Date Posted: 23 Mar 2024 at 5:37pm
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Thought it just had a trigger block. Either way it doesn't ratchet like the tx. No sound and not having to hold release button down to stop the sound. |
Posted By: Pauly5
Date Posted: 23 Mar 2024 at 6:53pm
| My mistake, I just always called it a bear trap. It is basically a trigger block, so you are right. |
Posted By: kruzaroad
Date Posted: 23 Mar 2024 at 9:53pm
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I'll probly see about taking it out some stage in future. It's of no advantage to me not to be able to decock the gun without firing it. Definitely one advantage a gas ram has, it can stay cocked without damage. A positive advantage walking the farm. |
Posted By: Declan
Date Posted: 24 Mar 2024 at 9:07am
| Congratulations on your 97. I enjoy shooting mine, although is has a 12ftlb mainspring which makes it easier to cock as well as reducing kick and vibration. |
Posted By: kruzaroad
Date Posted: 08 Apr 2024 at 11:56am
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Beautiful still day. Put around 70 pellets through gun. Started with 5.54mm head. Shot around 30 at various weights. Figured a tighter head would lay a better layer of lead in the barrel. At ten meters all touching. Tightened it after that. Dave at airguns nz had warned the 97 had a habit of initially the screw behind trigger, holding the stock to cylinder coming lose during break in, and to tighten it after 20 shots or so. He was right, it was loose as well as one scope screw and a small tweek on the right hand barrel screw. 26m zeroed it. Started shooting spinners as are breaking in. Around 50 shots went out to 35m and once had drop sorted plinked away spinners. The action is smooth and easy. My arm never got tired cocking. I cock with my right arm and load with my left hand. The loading port is clear and spacious and I had zero issues loading. Auto saftey is a massive pain in arse. At least you can look at it while you have the rifle shouldered before cursing it. It is smooth and crisp. Technique will solve leaving it on. It does have a quick fire cycle. Not hold sensitive. Twang has quietened down quite a bit. Gun isn't that loud. I'm really happy with it this far. No chrono as haven't got one yet. |
Posted By: kruzaroad
Date Posted: 08 Apr 2024 at 1:47pm
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55m unsorted heads 1.01grm Patchy breezes, left to right. 4.5 mildot hold over! Might be some adjusting when get to sorted pellets. But for now breaking in and mucking around, it will do. Inch circle. 
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Posted By: jwabfrog
Date Posted: 09 Apr 2024 at 11:06am
| Nice shooting Kruza! |
Posted By: Pauly5
Date Posted: 09 Apr 2024 at 10:09pm
| at 55m that's impressive. Shooting, and the gun. |
Posted By: kruzaroad
Date Posted: 09 Apr 2024 at 11:05pm
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I don't think it's as tight as it should be. Might lighten the trigger a tad. Turns out it's an inch and a half circle on that target. |
Posted By: RangerPete
Date Posted: 10 Apr 2024 at 3:19pm
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Thats a very respectable group for 55m, almost a one hole group. Well done. ------------- Walk quietly, but carry a big stick. |
Posted By: kruzaroad
Date Posted: 10 Apr 2024 at 4:22pm
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Nah it will go tighter than that. I'm going to back the trigger off a tad. I rezeroed it to 32m. The gun is capable of tighter groups. I had 4 tighter than that then I pulled one, and a three tighter than that till stuffed a shot up. That was the most as I good as I got, group wise,but it's proven it will pull tighter. |
Posted By: Declan
Date Posted: 11 Apr 2024 at 9:38am
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My experience with the 97 is that it was challenging to achieve very tight groups when full power. However when I reduced the power to about 12ftlbs there was a significant tightening of groups at all distances. |
Posted By: Billbobnz
Date Posted: 29 Apr 2024 at 10:10pm
| Golly mate, been meaning to catch up on your new toy. 55m unsorted pellets... Heck that's a fantastic group! |
Posted By: kruzaroad
Date Posted: 30 Apr 2024 at 12:02am
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Hell I don't think so, but thanks. It will tighten. Thats what I'd accept at 70 to 80m. |
Posted By: Myson
Date Posted: 30 Apr 2024 at 6:13am
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Once you've shot about 500+ pellets, your HW97 will suddenly "settle in". Mine's shot about 3,000+ AA Diabolo Field 8.4gr 4.52 pellets and she's humming at around 16fpe. Yesterday, at 70yds, using the Artillery Hold on beanbags, I put 8 shots in a 19mm group, then knocked 4 golf balls off their perch in a row, at the same distance. The HW97 is superb! Give her time....  She's a rare and beautiful wine! ------------- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eq7jVyBfFqE" rel="nofollow - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eq7jVyBfFqE Air Arms S510 US .22 Air Arms S410 .22 Weihrauch HW97KT .177 Weihrauch HW95 .177 |
Posted By: kruzaroad
Date Posted: 30 Apr 2024 at 5:17pm
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That's very positive. Cheers. Work season finishes Monday. Ban from shooting on arm finishes at same time. So might start on ranging for drop. That will get me closer to the 500 mark. Seems a solid number 👍 |
Posted By: kruzaroad
Date Posted: 18 May 2024 at 7:58pm
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So the with 15.90 grain Cometa/exact jumbo the average fpe came out at 657 fps (only about 3 or 4 shots. Dropped one shot as it was unusually lower than others) That gives an fpe of 15.24 Didn't really do much shooting with it. Bb was impressed with weight distribution. Run facts through chair gun at some stage and get a flight curve for it and throw it up here, then do real life testing to verify it. |
Posted By: kruzaroad
Date Posted: 10 Jul 2024 at 12:30pm
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After a bit of break in period I'm really happy with the gun. It accurate, comfortable, heavy but a strap delt to that. Only issue has been with bluing. Cocking leaver. Doesn't worry me enough to want to not have it for as long as will take to get redone. Enjoying it totally. 
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Posted By: RangerPete
Date Posted: 10 Jul 2024 at 5:24pm
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U got sand paper hands? 😂 ------------- Walk quietly, but carry a big stick. |
Posted By: kruzaroad
Date Posted: 10 Jul 2024 at 9:54pm
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You'd think so looking at that. Seems to be the only place so far. |
Posted By: J-S
Date Posted: 15 Jul 2024 at 8:00am
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The underlever gets the most hand contact so will be affected quickly - really have to wipe down and oil after each shoot or rust will quickly develop. You could always get a cocking aid to cover it ------------- https://www.instagram.com/js_airguns/" rel="nofollow - J S Airguns Air Arms TX200('s) Theoben Sirocco HW77 FWB 300s Webley Patriot One or two others... Current projects: Too many.. |
Posted By: kruzaroad
Date Posted: 15 Jul 2024 at 8:46am
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Cheers haven't had any rust issues since took out of foam hard case and put in soft case. 1322 in hard case and has no rust forming but is totally painted in camo. Its bad blueing, no way it should have come off in amount of shots I've done. Tx never had the issue and had put through way more shots than 97 has. Almost like it was reblued over old wear. Espially as I'm missing 2 fingers and don't grip the cocking arm as wide as the wear pattern is. Still it's a working gun. It's going to get scratched and worn, but as long as its accurate and shoots well that's all I'm fussed about. Still bit disappointing considering the brand and limited amount of shots. |
Posted By: Pauly5
Date Posted: 15 Jul 2024 at 2:28pm
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Yes, it certainly seems to have worn prematurely. I know my first one wore in the same place, but it felt like it took longer. I do like the wear patterns and patina of a well used gun though.
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Posted By: kruzaroad
Date Posted: 10 Aug 2024 at 1:11pm
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So after a few months of use here's my view of this gun. It really is awsome. Have three issues with it. 1: the bluing on the cocking arm wearing. 2:The weight ( but was aware of that when purchasing) 3: The auto saftey catch. Biggest pain in the arse out of any rifle Ive had. Still forget to push it off. No complaints about rest and its proving it's hell accurate. Would recommend it anyone who is looking at this style of springer. Money well spent. |