Walther LGV Master Pro

I’ve always appreciated fine engineering, be it guns, cars, motorbikes or even old Desoutter drills etc.; in fact, anything really, as long as it has been well designed, made and finished. My love of Land Rovers might be at odds with my appreciation of quality engineering however, as they are rather basic compared to more modern vehicles! However, in the field of shooting, I’ve been very spoilt over the years, as I’ve owned and have reviewed all sorts of quality rifles and pistols. The basic spring piston air rifle still appeals to me; even though I own quite a few quality pre-charged pneumatics (PCPs) I still love to shoot these rather ‘old school’ guns, as they have a completely self-contained power source and there’s no heavy dive cylinder to lug around or stirrup pump to sweat over! Being able to just pick one up and cock it by pulling down a barrel or underlever is such a simple thing to do, even though effort is required; modern springers are very well designed and made compared to some of those from my youth, so cocking effort is much smoother these days.

One of my all-time favourite air rifles is the Anschutz 335 that featured a barrel latch, not one on the side of the breechblock, like another favourite, the Weihrauch HW35, but one that pivoted under the barrel. This now discontinued rifle is still highly regarded and I used to really enjoy shooting the one that my brother bought back in the 1970s from a shop in Chatham in Kent. You might be wondering why I’m getting all misty eyed about an air rifle from my youth but there’s a very valid reason I assure you! This is because there is a current air rifle that uses a similar latch and that is the subject of this review, the Walther LGV Master Pro

Ancient and modern

Walther have a fine history, as they first started making firearms at the end of the 19th Century, when they made sporting rifles but it is their range of semiautomatic pistols that made them famous throughout the world and their PPK and P38 models were cutting-edge technology. There have been many changes to the company’s fortunes over the years, due to two World Wars and being forced to move when the Russians took control of the area where their factory was located. Modern Walther airguns are made at their current headquarters in Arnsberg, as part of Umarex and I’ve been to the factory and have seen their state of the art production facilities.

I still consider the LGV to be a ‘new’ airgun but it’s actually been around since its launch in 2012, when ‘The new sound of silence’ was used as the advertising slogan. The original ‘LG’ series stems from 1955 and the LG55 (as it was so cleverly called!) was a very sought-after target rifle but this new version is far removed from the original, as it has some rather trick internals that help dampen out the felt recoil and noise usually associated with spring piston airguns. ‘Super Silent Technology’ and a ‘Vibration Reduction System’ are at the heart of the action and the piston is allowed to rotate, which reduces torque and recoil felt in the shoulder.

The piston runs on synthetic bearings, rather like those used by tuning companies to smooth the firing cycle of production guns. Walther has pretty much given their customers a ‘custom tuned’ air rifle, straight out of the box and having spent time with one, I really think that airgun tuners and customisers would really struggle to improve an LGV. An internal spring and pistol obviously have weight, so people more used to PCPs, that are essentially empty air tubes, might find this rife rather weighty at just over 9lb. I don’t mind the heft myself, as it steadies the rifle when shooting but bear in mind a scope will be needed.

Lock up

The under-barrel latch ensures that the barrel returns to battery exactly the same way every time and I’m sure that with this system the LGV is as accurate as its stablemate, the fixed barrel LGU. As the lever is pressed up, a linkage pulls the barrel locking detent forward. I own an LGU Varmint and it’s incredibly accurate and consistent, just like this beak barrel model.

The trigger used is Walther’s ‘XM’ unit, which is an adjustable, two-stage affair and can be tweaked for first stage travel and second stage weight. The unit on the test example was set okay, so I left it alone for the majority of the test, only altering it slightly later on. On the rear of the action, behind the compression cylinder is the automatic safety catch, which is pushed forward to the FIRE position; the trigger is also resettable, which is nice and the rifle can be de-cocked if required.

Quality tube

At the other end of the rifle is a Walther (what else!) barrel and it’s very short at only 15-inches long. A barrel weight is fitted, which extends the rifle to a total length of 43-inches and has a ½-inch UNF thread, so it’s possible to fit a silencer should you wish but I really don’t think that’s really necessary, as the firing cycle is very quiet, thanks to all that clever technology inside the compression cylinder.

To cock the LGV, that allimportant barrel locking catch is simply pressed upwards to disengage it, which then allows the barrel to be drawn down in the usual way, compressing the spring at it travels down. The cocking piece is articulated, so that the slot in the underside of the stock is shorter than it would be if a single-piece cocking lever were fitted, which makes the stock’s forend stronger and more pleasant to hold. The barrel needs to be held at all times during cocking and loading, as if the safety were to be disengaged and the trigger pressed, the barrel would fly up and could cause injury to the user and also the rifle’s barrel; this is not a criticism of the LGV, as many spring guns share this risk but if you keep hold of the barrel at all times and leave the safety and trigger alone, it can’t happen! Loading directly into the bore allows you to feel how the pellet enters and if things aren’t quite right (too tight or too loose) then the pellet can be fired safely into the ground and another pellet used. The top of the compression tube is grooved for a scope and there are arrestor holes drilled into the top, should the user wish to use mounts with this feature. However, the LGV’s civilised firing cycle should make such fitments unnecessary! The fit and finish of all the metal components is perfect and the bluing is gorgeous! That’s the steelwork out of the way, what’s the stock like?

Timber!

Well, the LGV Master Pro’s beech woodwork is very nice indeed and compliments the action well. Starting at the front, there’s an attractive tip with just a hint of Schnabel and that short cocking slot I mentioned earlier. The forend is attractive and hand-filling, with flutes along each side and it gently swells as it travels rearward to the fairly upright, chequered grip. I like the cheekpiece, which ambidextrous by the way, as it’s nice and high, perfect for scope use, which is just as well as no open sights are fitted to this model. What’s really welcome, is the height adjustable buttpad that is altered via a single Allen bolt.

Shooting time

Once cocked, the trigger mechanism holds the piston rod securely and automatically sets the safety catch and a pellet can be loaded and you’re ready to return the barrel to battery, but you don’t need to press the catch first. Push the safety catch forward and take the shot! When you do, you notice how little recoil there is, but you still have to let the rifle do its own thing. I was holding it too firmly to begin with and my groups were nothing to write home about, but I then slipped back into my old ‘over the arm’ FT position and my groups started shrinking. I was using .22 H&N FTTs to begin with, but they were very tight and difficult to load; when I changed to 5.52mm JSBs everything fell into place and loading was much easier and accuracy improved. It just goes to show that not all pellets work in all rifles even though they are well made; all guns are different and trying a few different brands and head sizes is well worth the time.

Conclusion

I loved shooting the LGV Master Pro, you can feel and hear the quality as you cock it and the firing cycle is quick and super smooth; it’s beautifully made and the barrel latch works perfectly and instills confidence. If I didn’t already own a Walther LGU underlever, I’d be tempted by this lovely airgun and it’s highly recommended.