AIR RIFLE REVIEW: AIR QUALITY

Created on 26th May 2009

Mark Camoccio appreciates Weihrauch's superbly engineered PCP, the HW100KT

WEIHRAUCH'S FORAY into pneumatic airguns came fairly late in the day. The firm's reputation for superbly engineered, dependable spring/piston models is world renowned, yet for so long it resisted the temptation to jump on the PCP bandwagon. But how long can you sit back and watch others take the plaudits when your hat's not even in the ring? The Mellrichstadt company held out until about four and a half years ago, when it introduced the PCP HW100.

Since this rifle's introduction opinion has been somewhat divided - on a cosmetic level, I hasten to add. Weihrauch clearly had no intention of following the pack when it developed the HW100's styling. The Teutonic woodwork is classic Weihrauch signature work of old, with that distinctive slab sided thumbhole stock that harks back to the HW35 Luxus. It's eye-grabbing stuff. Of course options now exist, with Bavarian-style sporter stocks featured on other variants. But the thumbhole featured here does handle rather well.

Impressive

Like or loathe its looks, the HW100 is an impressive piece of kit. My test rifle is the latest KT version. It's a trimmed down ‘Karbine' model (hence the ‘K'; the ‘T' stands for thumbhole) and sports the very latest revision with yet more smoothed out edges. Just a little easier on the eye, then. With such a lot pinned on and based around one main pneumatic action, let's highlight the spec and see what's on offer. The HW100KT is a PCP offering an accepted barrel over cylinder configuration. This particular action, as stated, is housed in a thumbhole walnut sporter-style stock and comes complete with a match trigger and side-lever cocking arrangement. Surprisingly, Weihrauch has chosen to launch the HW100 complete with a rotary magazine. While this suggests a bias towards hunting, the sheer quality of engineering means the rifle is as equally suited to outdoor competition as to filling the pot.

The original model was well received, but shooter feedback included gripes about the overall heft of the damn thing and its slightly over-thirsty consumption of air. Further rumblings concerned the fact that the main air cylinder needed to be unscrewed from the action to allow for re-filling (a crime manufacturers regularly commit when introducing new models). These complaints have been addressed and the new slimmer version handles like a dream. With over 1.25lb trimmed from the weight and around 3" off the barrel it's an altogether more pointable beast.

As for the cylinder, subsequent versions have had the quick fill facility installed, whereby a small probe is pushed into the inlet valve which double seals in one quick motion before an injection of air takes place. The valve is neatly plugged when not in use to keep out grit and foreign bodies (the bane of any pneumatic) and as it sits at the front end the cylinder remains in situ. This avoids any chance of a shift in zero - unscrewing parts of a rifle just to charge the system is never a good idea, after all!

Weihrauch has managed to retain the integral pressure gauge recessed into the front of the cylinder despite the valving revisions, so a quick glance at residual air reserves is still possible. This gives peace of mind but, as always, this style of gauge should only ever be treated as a rough guide.

Beautifully engineered

The side-lever cocking arm, which is a work of art, is similar to many match rifles, including that of the delightful fixed barrel Whiscombe. Exquisite in operation, it is extremely subtle and feels refined and beautifully engineered.

At around £724 the HW100KT isn't cheap, but when you consider it comes complete with Weihrauch's incredibly efficient silencer and two magazines the blow is softened somewhat. The barrel (Weihrauch's own, by the way) is supported mid way by a clamp that allows for some movement in the system. Admittedly it falls short of the ideal completely floating barrel set-up, yet in keeping with most popular makes the barrel is at least protected.

Weihrauch's own silencer (supplied) adds a nice amount of weight to the front end, aiding balance and poise. It's also hard to beat in the sound suppression stakes, rendering the report all but silent save for a muted hiss and the sound of the hammer striking the valve. This silencer is gaining something of a reputation for top performance, and on the strength of my tests I can see why. It's even well finished, with a smart matte grey surface to complement the main rifle.

All the HW100's metalwork is of the standard we expect from this famous German name, offering a rich deep lustrous chemical blueing on nearly every surface. The chunky breech block has dovetails cut into the top rim ready for scope use. My only criticism here is Weihrauch's annoying habit of stamping a lengthy panel of warning text in a prominent place on the action. Maybe it's our health and safety boys running rampant again, but it does seem a shame to spoil an otherwise refined product. Hammer to crack a nut?

This rifle is anything but bland and with character bursting from every quarter the walnut stock is simply in tune with the action. Like so many companies these days Weihrauch has opted for an ambidextrous handle, yet performance doesn't seem to be overly compromised. The raked and stippled pistol grip feels comfortable and gives great control in the aim.

The 14-shot rotary magazine keeps things simple. It consists of a circular metal drum with an ‘O' ring to retain the pellets, unlike many other designs which feature plastic casings, often requiring awkward procedures. No such nonsense here. Just pull the cocking lever back; push the mag-retaining button back; and remove the magazine. It can now be filled with pellets, pushed home and locked into place: the action can now begin.

After each shot the side lever action automatically indexes the next pellet and in test conditions the operation was smooth and faultless. One area that did surprise initially was the trigger: a plastic blade, of all things! As many top target rifles take this route these days it's irrelevant really, yet on a Weihrauch the plastic blade somehow jarred. Leaving my pathetic bleatings aside, let's just say that in practice the trigger was superb. Fully adjustable and capable of super-light settings, it is supremely crisp and positive. It also makes a big contribution to this gun's amazing accuracy.

Over 35 yards Daystate pellets tore a supreme one-eighth inch group centre to centre. This is about as good as it gets and just shaded out Weihrauch's own pellets (supplied for the test). Over 55 yards though, five-eighths inch groups were recorded with the Weihrauch ammo before prolonged bad weather meant I had to stop. Weihrauch deserves credit for concentrating on quality and the HW100KT is a serious contender for HFT competition as well as hunting trips. Suffice to say this rifle is top class in what it's built to do.

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