Weihrauch HW77K - Unlikely to disappoint!

I’ll never forget the time when I arrived at Dave Welham’s house. Airmasters were in full swing, and it must have been around 1985. I saw one of the first HW77s standing in the corner, which had been lovingly tweaked, tuned, and lubed with Dave’s trademark ‘copperslip’, and it was ready for me to collect.
Up until that point, we had been using the Airmasters tuned and rebuilt Mastersport FWB, and whilst that was a devastating rifle, winning me my first main event and plenty of silverware along the way, its Achilles Heel, the breech jaws themselves, were prone to wear over time. My Mastersport, after a good run and heavy usage, began to let me down, and the worn breech was the issue. Airmasters devised a ‘breech lock’ system, which worked, but I never did get my gun modified.

The fix
The arrival of the fixed barrel HW77 couldn’t have been better timed. Indeed, it’s no exaggeration to say that the ‘77 really was a game-changer, and instantly became the gun to have for Field Target shooting. I had my most successful period in the sport with Airmaster’s rebuilt versions of this rifle, in one guise or another, so it’s no surprise I retain a soft spot for the Weihrauch brand. In fact, the HW77 made such an impact that Air Arms introduced their TX200 in direct response, under the expert guidance of the much-missed, Ken Turner. Both guns still hold sway in today’s top-level ‘Spring Class’ events, within FT, and latterly HFT, still representing as they do, the pinnacle of spring gun manufacture.

HW77 or HW97?
So, hold on a minute, what about the HW97? Well, Weihrauch originally launched the HW97 as a custom version of the ‘77. The breech chamber was machined and relieved further, instead of the rather restricted early ‘77s, and of course, the muzzle came pre-fitted with what Weihrauch terms a muzzle weight assembly. But otherwise, they are mechanically identical. Customising companies such as Airmasters and Venom Arms were producing silencers to fit the ‘77, so it made sense for Weihrauch to get in on some of the action. I had several HW77s and ordered a couple with a full-length barrel, and no silencer, as I was always paranoid about fittings working loose.

Latest spec
On test here is the latest version of the 77’ - the HW77K, and whilst it is now only available with a ‘K’ length 14.5” barrel, the same performance can be expected from this classy model. Curiously, it’s starting to look very keenly priced against some obvious rivals too, which won’t do it any harm. Looking at Weihrauch’s specification sheet, it’s clear they have refreshed each of their models in turn, jazzing up the stocks and adding detail here and there, although I’m not quite sure why they produce a fractionally different stock for the ‘77 against the HW97K, with the difference so slight.
As it stands, this latest ‘77 gets an ambidextrous beech sporter, which can only be described as extremely attractive. The ‘97 specifies a high comb, yet the comb here on the ‘77K is very supportive. The Weihrauch name now gets cut out neatly along the forend, set inside the extensive panels of sharp, laser-cut chequering. Equally pleasing panels adorn the angled pistol grip, and with just enough grain showing through the lacquered finish, the result is an exceptionally classy piece of woodwork for a production factory stock. I love the angular forend, and this now gets the thinned-down tapered tip that Weihrauch uses on other models, and it works so well in the aim.

Fit and finish
Of course, build quality and finish are all synonymous with the Weihrauch name, and this latest HW77K is a shining example of just what sets this German brand apart. The all-metal construction is unsurprising, and the rich chemical bluing applied to the barrel and cylinder assembly is just the icing on the perfectly machined cake. The wood-to-metal fit is spot on, and everything looks refined and precisely made.

Sighting up
Open sights are supplied but given the quality and potential of the ‘77, as a refined adult sporter, any prospective owner won’t wait long before removing them, as they realise just what this airgun is capable of. In short, the sheer class of the ‘77 warrants a scope at the earliest opportunity, and that’s not something I would normally rush to endorse. There’s a generous run of over 8.5” of dovetail rail to play with, and with the usual Weihrauch pre-drilled arrestor holes on the receiver, it means a scope can be bolted in place securely.
When I shot spring guns competitively, back in the mid to late ‘80s, I always fitted a one-piece mount without a moment’s thought, for a belt and braces approach. But with this setup, twin ring mounts fitted with an arrestor pin, or/and an arrestor block, would suffice, potentially saving a shred of weight here and there. Talking of weight, I was surprised to see Weihrauch list the ‘77 and ‘97 as identical, as I would have thought removing the muzzle weight would trim a few ounces for the ‘77, but hey.

Range feedback
On the range, it was time to get a feel for the action. Weihrauch went through several designs of under-lever catch with the ‘77, and the final design that they arrived at is easily the neatest and easiest to use of the lot, with that spring-loaded dummy barrel tip so easy to operate. Press to release the lever, keeping a firm grip on the lever at all times. Next, pull down through an arc, compressing the mainspring, until the action is cocked, and the trigger is set. The cocking effort, for the record, is wholly acceptable, especially given this is now ‘karbine’ specification, with a shorter barrel and lever, and that classic Weihrauch ‘crunch’ is heard as the auto safety and mechanism are set. The sliding action now exposes the breech, and (still keeping a firm grip on that lever) chamber a pellet flush into the lip of the barrel. This classic configuration allows for an overly loose or overly tight pellet to be detected and safely fired off, if necessary, which is another great feature for competition-minded shooters. Look to the tip of the under-lever, and Weihrauch fits a small ‘o’ ring to cushion the connection too, so no rattling around the barrel here.
Of course, the famous Rekord trigger is here, and it offers a multi-component design which has great potential, but it can prove tricky to adjust for a fine setting. The adjuster bolt, just behind the blade, is a good place to start, and often enough to achieve something near to acceptable for the uninitiated. I trod this path and was rewarded with a very pleasing and predictable release point, after a half turn with a lengthy screwdriver. Finer adjustment is about tweaking and counter-tweaking to balance one element against another, but without the talent for such dark arts, it really is an area best left to those who know what they’re doing. Suffice it to say, that this unit can be set to perfection and remains the benchmark for ‘sporting’ (non-match) triggers.

Range stats
So, what’s it like to shoot? Well, as mentioned, the cocking stroke is fair and exceptionally smooth. However, my test rifle did fire with plenty of spring twang and resonance, which is a sign that a judicious lubrication routine would pay dividends. That said, despite the noisy firing cycle, the actual felt recoil is modest, with more of a bounce than anything. Sheer mass always helps, so with weight a shade under 9 lbs, physics is in our favour. As for results down range, using Rangemaster Sovereign pellets in .177, my test gun produced some groups sub ¼” c-t-c over 30 yards, which is excellent. The ‘77, of course, has nothing to prove, but that sort of accuracy is immensely satisfying, nonetheless. As for the chronograph check, the Sovereigns returned a 10-shot string with just an 11 fps total velocity spread, and an average of 781 fps. Again, pretty textbook, equating to 11.4 ft/lbs.

Conclusion
This is a hefty springer and not for the faint-hearted, and if you want a lightweight hunting rifle, then look elsewhere in Weihrauch’s line-up. However, for competition work or a stationary hunting scenario, this model is about as good as it gets.
It has been great to reacquaint myself with the HW77, and seeing the very latest incarnation up close has reminded me of just what a landmark rifle the original was. Admittedly, it’s the HW97 that hogs the headlines these days, but the differences are minimal. So, for a piece of airgun history, I would say the HW77K remains a classic option. Still among the very best airguns available, and every bit as capable as its stable mate. As with most Weihrauch spring-powered models, the potential is huge for tuning and customisation, and it’s no surprise that these models dominate this sector of the market, as they respond so well to some fine fettling and expert lubrication. As it stands, performance is unlikely to disappoint straight from the box!

Thanks to Range & Country Shooting Supplies in Sleaford, Lincs., for the kind loan of this rifle.