Webley Stingray Hunter

The break-barrel action Webley Stingray is a solid, dependable springer, that’s been on the company’s roster for many a moon.

The original model has open sights and since its inception, other variants have been made available including a carbine with screw-fit QGS silencer and a polymer stocked open sighted option known as the Blackhawk and a ‘moderated’ Blackhawk XS. All were based on a very similar action – but eventually even this was modified to include a better trigger unit, amongst other laudable features. However, known as a company for development, it’s no surprise then that they’ve ‘added’ a few very tasty models to their roster; known as the Quantum Silencer series. This includes models in the VMX range of springers, the tactical ‘military styled’ Spector, the beech wood stocked Stingray II and of pertinence to the rifle here on test, the Blackhawk itself – even though it’s undergone a name change, as well as benefitting from the main major feature addition. That’s indicated by the ‘Quantum’ denotation seen after the rifle name, because it refers to the fact that these models feature a specially designed full-length barrel shroud cum silencer that dominates the front end. This feature I’ll detail presently but first a check over of the air rifle here on test – that being the very stylish and appealing Webley Stingray Hunter Quantum Silencer.

High Impact Polymer

The rifle might well be quite a mouthful to pronounce but at 7lbs un-scoped it’s a very lightweight hunter, thanks to the stock material used and due to its design handles just as sweetly. Even though it’s lost the ‘Blackhawk’ denotation, the black ‘impact polymer’ stock is the same design as seen on the afore mentioned gun. This ‘scope only’ rifle has a unique shape of right hand roll over cheekpiece, large thumbhole and a full black rubber buttpad. I say unique, as although the cheekpiece is well-defined and of a medium height, it only rises up slightly to form a relatively straight and low comb as it extends back from the metalwork. The steep drop down pistol grip and thumbhole configuration give a superb base for the shooting hand to operate the trigger and running up the right of the stock is a very generously sized thumb channel. Staying to the right, the stock has a generous amount of scalloping to allow for the palm of the shooting hand to almost morph into the stock and sit directly behind the large thumbhole. It’s here you appreciate that the thumb channel is ideally proportioned and positioned that it almost begs for you to adopt a thumbs up hold. Either way this is one very tactile and easy to hold and handle air rifle.

Deep chequering is impregnated into the build, seen as twin panels set on either side of the forend and a panel either side of the grip. The forend is quite deep and slightly tapers up and forwards to an angled back end tip.

Got the Power

In my opinion, the POWR-LOK™ mainspring technology employed in most of the company’s springer range still stands up alongside other major gun manufactures internal ‘secret ingredients’ for a smooth firing cycle. The cocking stroke of this very stylish hunter is smooth, with the Quantum silencer adding 6.75-inches extra length beyond the barrel, so acts as a useful cocking aid for priming a shot, giving the user enough leverage to make this a very easy rifle to lock and load. In operation it’s got quite a long cocking stroke, whereupon at the end of travel and the trigger sears engaging, a now familiar design of automatic safety pops out rearwards from the back of the air cylinder.

Thumb a pellet directly into the breech and swinging it back is met with a secure and solid hold. This is to be expected and of course required of any break barrel but on the Webley Stingray Hunter ‘Quantum’ the breech block is a very substantial ‘chunk of metal’ and the axis bolt is also fitted with adjustable breech jaw screws. Incidentally, when the safety is pushed inwards it shows a red dot on both sides of the action, visually indicating the rifle is in live fire mode.

Quantum Mechanics

With the new mod up-front, the rifle still only measures 41.75-inches from butt to muzzle and feels much shorter in use. So what’s so special about this new moderator? Well, despite it giving the rifle a very sleek and stylish appearance, the company claim it combines air rifle, rimfire and centrefire technology together to make this one of the most efficient of its type available. To be specific, the silencer design works by using the first chamber to back reflex excess air from behind the pellet into the cavity and silencer wall. This slows down the air following the exiting pellet, without loss of power, which in turn helps reduce sound. The remaining chambers incorporate extra baffles and two acoustic felt cages that absorb any build-up of pressure whilst the pellet travels through.

An additional ‘bleed hole’ is added underneath the unit to prevent any excess pressure and provides additional sound dispersion, which in turn equates to an even greater reduction in sound upon discharge.

For test, I scoped up with a AGS Cobalt 4 ‑ 16 x 50AO IR with Half-Mil-Dot reticle. Even set in high mounts, this quite substantial scope suited the rifle and that unique stock design still allowed me to attain perfect head-eye-scope alignment, while not disrupting the handling and balance of the rifle in the slightest. After setting a sensible 25-yard zero for the .22 calibre test rifle, the low recoil and quality trigger mechanism soon enabled me to make ragged ¾-inch hole groups out to 30+ yards. Incidentally, the air cylinder has quite a lengthy run of deep cut dovetails and features a removable, two position, double screw arrestor strap. Obviously I removed this for test, but even if I needn’t have due to an alternative choice of optic, I’m sure that when using quality scope mounts an arrestor strap isn’t needed but a nice addition should you feel more ‘secure’ using one.

Accuracy is also of course aided by the Powr- Lok mainspring, an internal spring dampener termed as a ‘Tuned Vibration Absorber’ and of course barrel quality. Not forgetting the thumbhole and palm swell of the non-slip, allweather, ergonomic stock design giving you a rock steady hold.

The Quattro earns and deserve praise as it’s a welldesigned unit, the gold-plated effect trigger blade is so well curved and set back that the pad of your forefinger naturally falls onto it. Also, that ‘pop-out’ auto-trigger safety is ideally positioned for thumbing on/off using the big digit of the shooting hand without adjusting your grip

Conclusion

Without a doubt, the Webley Stingray Hunter Quantum Silencer is my type of springer. It has all the features you could need and more, plus the allweather stock is by far one of/ if not the best of designs in this price bracket. Accuracy is on a par with more expensive springers and the handling sets it apart from a host of others that in many ways have tried to take on board its overall appearance. However, as is clear in the name, the icing on the cake is without doubt the superior and very efficient Quantum Silencer. This unique ‘hybrid’ sound moderator definitely elevates this air rifle to be amongst one of the quietest of mechanical action airguns currently available. Add to this its inherent handling characteristics, light weight, accuracy potential and sheer usability and you’ve got an air rifle that deserves such a long winded name…

PRICE: SRP £230.99
CONTACT:
Highland Outdoors
0845 099 0252
www.highlandoutdoors.co.uk