stokie Posted November 8, 2012 Report Share Posted November 8, 2012 What is the best break barrel air rifle available Got a mate who's looking for one . He wants something he can pick up and shoot the odd crow or magpie around his farm yard . Doesn't want to be bothered with precharge. Wants to spend around £200 ish for gun and scope . Located around Leek / Stoke Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Albert 888 Posted November 8, 2012 Report Share Posted November 8, 2012 Bought a hw 95 springer for £150 years ago s/h with scope and mod,and its still going strong.Would recomend one. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jgguinness Posted November 8, 2012 Report Share Posted November 8, 2012 I would go for a HW80, cracking air rifle. One of the best break barrels ever made. I always wanted one, got one a few years back, but sold it to finance a 22lr purchase. Should never have sold it. Kind regards Jonathan Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MM Posted November 8, 2012 Report Share Posted November 8, 2012 tell him to buy a lightning. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
foxnet22 Posted November 8, 2012 Report Share Posted November 8, 2012 choose from the hw models ie 80 90 95 etc Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
timmytree Posted November 8, 2012 Report Share Posted November 8, 2012 tell him to buy a lightning. That's the one gun I would avoid like the plague, I looked at one last week for an unhappy owner, Abysmal quality for the price, lousy grouping and a firing cycle like trying to ride a rabid kangaroo with whooping cough. BSA? Bloody Spanish Abortion. He'd be better off buying a cheapie Chinese gun. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bleeh Posted November 8, 2012 Report Share Posted November 8, 2012 There is a guy selling a SMK 17 right now in the for sale section for £75. Don't let the purists get to you, it's a fine rifle and very good value for that money, plus he can post it to you in the male. I've shot dozens of rabbits with mine. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gimlet Posted November 8, 2012 Report Share Posted November 8, 2012 Anything that begins with HW. They don't get any better. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
njc110381 Posted November 8, 2012 Report Share Posted November 8, 2012 HW80 would be my choice. They're bomb proof and very accurate. If he doesn't want one of those the main thing I've found is that weight is good in a springer. Every light gun I've had I've struggled to group well... My HW80 on the other hand is nearly as accurate as my old S200 pre charged gun - not quite but very nearly! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
whitehackle Posted November 8, 2012 Report Share Posted November 8, 2012 Hello from leek. I dont have an air rifle though Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HDAV Posted November 8, 2012 Report Share Posted November 8, 2012 HW95K if you can find one for the money 3-9x40 scope job done............... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kent Posted November 8, 2012 Report Share Posted November 8, 2012 Second hand HW80, no shadow of doubt in my mind. Preferably .22, perhaps mildly Fac around 18ftlb Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MM Posted November 8, 2012 Report Share Posted November 8, 2012 That's the one gun I would avoid like the plague, I looked at one last week for an unhappy owner, Abysmal quality for the price, lousy grouping and a firing cycle like trying to ride a rabid kangaroo with whooping cough. BSA? Bloody Spanish Abortion. He'd be better off buying a cheapie Chinese gun. each to their own. i had one, and never had a problem. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Amexian Posted November 8, 2012 Report Share Posted November 8, 2012 HW95K if you can find one for the money 3-9x40 scope job done............... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
robbiep Posted November 8, 2012 Report Share Posted November 8, 2012 Old BSAs were pretty decent. the quality has taken a huge drop in recent years though. Terrible trigger/release mechanism, badly machined metal. I really wouldn't recommend one to anybody these days. However, there a lot of very good quality HW guns out there. I recently bought a 3rd (or even 4th) hand HW77K in .22. Heavy, but it shoots perfectly. 1987 build too. That's an underlever though Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
aga man Posted November 8, 2012 Report Share Posted November 8, 2012 another vote for hw 80 long lasting and reliable. a friend used to have a bsa lightning for feeding his ferrets. the ferrets never went hungry Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
karpman Posted November 8, 2012 Report Share Posted November 8, 2012 tell him to buy a lightning. Not if you want to stay his friend lol. hw 80 gets my vote a bit of shopping around and ya will get a nice one Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gimlet Posted November 8, 2012 Report Share Posted November 8, 2012 Old BSAs were pretty decent. the quality has taken a huge drop in recent years though. Terrible trigger/release mechanism, badly machined metal. I really wouldn't recommend one to anybody these days. However, there a lot of very good quality HW guns out there. I recently bought a 3rd (or even 4th) hand HW77K in .22. Heavy, but it shoots perfectly. 1987 build too. That's an underlever though Does it have to be a break barrel? I have an HW97K and its lovely to shoot. I agree with njc110381 about weight and the 97k is very well balanced and pointable. Good for off-hand shots and easier to cock when lying down than a break barrel. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
timmytree Posted November 8, 2012 Report Share Posted November 8, 2012 each to their own. i had one, and never had a problem. I should qualify my earlier statement by saying the Lightning I looked at was a relatively new one, that's the ones that are not as good as the Chinese guns even though they are twice the price. Older Birmingham made guns are fine although still not up to HW standards. I advised the owner to take it back to the gunshop and get his money back, the thing was unfit for purpose, the best group I could achieve at 25 yards was about 3 inches across. Regards Tim. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Big Al Posted November 8, 2012 Report Share Posted November 8, 2012 I dont know alot about air rifles but I recently bought an anschutz .22 break barrel and have been very impressed by power and accuracy. My advice would be to choose your pellets carefully. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Marc Z Posted November 8, 2012 Report Share Posted November 8, 2012 love pigeonwatch. So many people just queueing up to knock stuff. I've got a BSA lighting XL (first xl version, wooden stock) and it's proven its worth. Can't speak for it against the HW's, but its never let me down and accounted for hundreds of squizzers, rabbits and birds. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
robbiep Posted November 9, 2012 Report Share Posted November 9, 2012 love pigeonwatch. So many people just queueing up to knock stuff. I've got a BSA lighting XL (first xl version, wooden stock) and it's proven its worth. Can't speak for it against the HW's, but its never let me down and accounted for hundreds of squizzers, rabbits and birds. If you have a look through, I think you'll find that those of us who are knocking BSA are having a pop at the more recent guns. Go have a good look at the metal on the cocking mechanism on a new Lightning (including how the mechanism is assembled), and compare it to a gun from 30 years ago. They have cut back on quality to a terrifying degree. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
caeser Posted November 9, 2012 Report Share Posted November 9, 2012 You can probably see a trend here. Weihrach HW seems to be the way to go. Doesn't matter which one. Doesn't matter how old it is either. A thirty year old HW still performs like new. I have a Weihrach HW80 by the way, and a BSA Airsporter Mk6. The Weirach is quality. Airsporter is a nice gun, but I only really bought it for nostalgia. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
krugerandsmith Posted November 9, 2012 Report Share Posted November 9, 2012 If you have a look through, I think you'll find that those of us who are knocking BSA are having a pop at the more recent guns. Go have a good look at the metal on the cocking mechanism on a new Lightning (including how the mechanism is assembled), and compare it to a gun from 30 years ago. They have cut back on quality to a terrifying degree. robbie. Have to agree the HW80 is a fantastic gun ........having said that your old Lightning is still shooting really well. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jgguinness Posted November 9, 2012 Report Share Posted November 9, 2012 H&N Field Target Trophy's in my HW80K worked a real treat. Amazing grouping and plenty of power. Jonathan Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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