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Education / Training Walther Lever Action – Part 1

Walther Lever Action – Part 1

by B.B. Pelletier

Last week someone asked if I would report on this rifle. I thought I had already, but a search turned up nothing. If ever a CO2 rifle deserved a report, this one does. Today, I’ll begin to correct that situation.

When I first heard about the Walther Lever Action, I knew it would be a good one. Made from all wood and metal with American-penny accuracy at 20 yards and 8 fast shots with the flick of a finger lever, what’s not to like?

I saw the first rifle just as I was starting the premiere issue of Airgun Illustrated magazine, so naturally it became a feature article. The rifle delivered on all its promises and then some. The accuracy was wonderful, the lever worked easily, the trigger was a good two-stage trigger – a little heavy on stage two, but crisp, nonetheless.

A good copy
The Walther Lever Action is a copy of Winchester’s model 1894 rifle. Just like the Winchester, the top cover of the action slides backwards when the lever goes forward. That pushes the hammer back into lockup with the sear, and the hammer that’s visible is what actually fires the gun. However, you can’t thumb the hammer back to near-sear lockup and let it go to exhaust the gas. The way this rifle is designed, the trigger must be positively pulled for the gun to fire.

06-04-08-lever-open

When the finger lever goes forward, the rifle is cocked and loaded.

06-04-08-breech-open

The top action cover (which would be the bolt in the firearm) slides back with the lever to cock the hammer. Round button is the crossbolt safety.

One additional comment about the action. If you’ve never owned a Winchester 1894, you may not know that you have to pull the finger lever up with the firing hand while you squeeze the trigger, otherwise the sear won’t release the hammer. This mechanism is called the trigger stop mechanism, and it’s there to ensure that the action is fully locked before the gun can fire. The Walther Lever Action does not have this feature, so it’s a little easier and faster to fire than the Winchester.

Safety
The Walther has a crossbolt safety that’s very similar to the one used in some of the Winchesters. It works well, plus it allows dry-firing without gas loss.

The carbine
When the Walther was initially offered, it was as a rifle and a carbine they called the Lever Action Short. They also offered rifle combos with either a scope or a red dot. The carbine was the first one to hit the U.S., so Walther had it shipped to me for the review. As a consequence, I never reviewed the rifle, though the difference between the two is simply a matter of barrel length. In a CO2 rifle, however, barrel length can make a difference in velocity, so when I test my carbine for you, we’ll see how close it is to the full rifle. It won’t matter much, though, because the carbine has been discontinued for over a year.

Wells Fargo
The other model you can still buy is the Wells Fargo. It came out a year after the rifle was launched, and I don’t know how much longer it will be around. It has an engraved brass-plated receiver and darker wood for an attractive western look reminiscent of the 1866 Yellowboy Winchester.

06-04-08-wells

Wells Fargo model is stylishly western.

CO2
Walther really produced a strange CO2 holder for this rifle. It’s a removable tray that holds two powerlets completely out of sight when closed. The opening catch is in the buttplate and hidden from general sight. Speaking of CO2, I’ve kept my carbine charged for three years now, so don’t tell me how CO2 guns leak. If you’ll just use Crosman Pellgunoil on each new CO2 cartridge, you’ll have the same kind of experience.

06-04-08-co2

CO2 is housed in this removable mechanism. It takes two cartridges to power this gun.

Loading
This rifle accepts standard 8-shot Umarex clips, so lay in spares when you buy the gun. This also means you can use the Air Venturi speedloader to fill the clips. To access a clip for loading, press in on what looks like the cartridge-loading port on the right side of the action.

06-04-08-walther-mag

Press in on the cartridge-loading port and the magazine holder pops out.

What we have is a very realistic .177 caliber, 8-shot repeating rifle. It’s quite realistic and a joy to operate. Next time, we’ll see how fast she goes.

author avatar
Tom Gaylord (B.B. Pelletier)
Tom Gaylord, also known as B.B. Pelletier, provides expert insights to airgunners all over the world on behalf of Pyramyd AIR. He has earned the title The Godfather of Airguns™ for his contributions to the industry, spending many years with AirForce Airguns and starting magazines dedicated to the sport such as Airgun Illustrated.

37 thoughts on “Walther Lever Action – Part 1”

  1. b.b.

    This is a report I am glad to see. I have been eyeing this rifle for some time now and was wondering how well it shot. You will be counting the number of shots you get for one fill right?

    I recieved my talonss last week and I must say what a gun! I am quite pleased so far and it looks like it will definately out shoot my ben 392. Is there a way to quiet the action when the gun fires?

    Also I must say that pyramid air and their customer service people are AWESOME! When I received the package it rattled terribly and I new pellets had spilled. Upon opening the box 2000 jsb’s to be exact were all over inside. I called pyramid and they are sending me 4 new boxes unquestioned and I didnt even have to rebox the mess and send it back.

    Thanks jw

  2. BB,

    When you said you had never blogged the Lever Action, I had a funny feeling that I had read a blog by you mentioning the Walther, and that’s why I bought two of them over a year ago.

    http://i226.photobucket.com/albums/dd304/haywire2/DSCN0480.jpg

    Your blog appeared Jume 10, 2005.

    (Friday, June 10, 2005
    A hoot to shoot – the Walther Lever Action rifle!

    By B.B. Pelletier………)

    You’re absolutely right about the accuracy and the authenticity of these rifles. The look and feel will fool most who see them for the first time, with most people saying “Nice looking 30.30”

    There is a tiny screw in the front of the CO2 mechanism (brass screw facing forward) that is said to adjust the power. I haven’t folled with it since I lack a chrony to see the results of any adjustment. Perhaps one of your readers could shed further light on this subject.

    Thank you for all that you do.

    Kind Regards,
    Michael in Florida

  3. JW and the other guy,

    Okay, shot count and relative noise are important. I’ll put both into the next report which will be on velocity.

    I also left out the sights, which Ill cover then, as well.

    JW, there are two different ways to further quiet a Talon SS. Airhog has a bloop tube that probably does more than anything else. It will be pricey, but give them a call. I have the one for the Condor, and I can now shoot in a crowded suburb without the neighbors knowing.

    The other way is to fabricate your own insert. I made one for mine that cuts the sound by about 25 percent. I’m thinking the Airhog tube probably cuts it by 75 percent.

    B.B.

  4. Michael,

    Thank you! For some reason, I couldn’t find that early report.

    But it was short and skimpy, so I’m glad I’m doing it again. Still, it’s nice to know I can still remember a few things.

    Thanks for the tip on the “power screw.” I was unaware of its existence, but I’ll now look into it.

    B.B.

  5. Hi BB

    I too am thinking about the walter for the Rifle Range rentals..please anyone comment on how long they last..I like the fixed barrel..having had problems with mendoza’s break barrels being so accurate up to 3,000 shots, then developing loose barrels.

    Anyone..which break barrels hold up for the long term? I am thinking about the rws94 right now…any comments anyone?

    Wayne,
    Ashland Air Rifle Range & Rentals

  6. Wayne,

    I don’t know what kind of traffic you get, but I wouldn’t recommend the Walther for long-term public use.

    What you need is only sold in Germany. It’s the Diana model 30, and made for long-term gallery use. It has two counters on the side for charging the shooter. They used to sell here, but the price rose to $1000 and they died in the 1990s.

    If I were to recommend anything over the RWS 94 you have already picked, it would be an HW 30. It’s made to last for millions of shots, so you’d probably be happy with it.

    B.B.

  7. B.B.

    I talked to you awhile back about some issues I was having with the Remington Summit. Your advice was great and it actually improved the accuracy of the gun alot (or the accuracy of the shooter I should say). Well I wond up returning the Summit and bought the Big Cat 1200 by Gamo. I must say, I am much more pleased with the rifle, it is a lot more accurate. I also put a CenterPoint 4-16×40 AO Scope on it and this thing really is doing well. So thanks for all your advice. Have you ever done a review on the Big Cat 1200? There are a ton of comments on it but I would be interested in a more “professional” look at the gun.

    – Jonathan

  8. I enjoy reading your blogs and reviews on different guns. I would LOVE to read a review of the new Air Force Edge rifle. Is there a chance that you will be reviewing one of those any time soon?

  9. Wayne

    I have owned a Gamo Shadow 1000 for almost three years and put 13,000 shots through it. The only thing I had to replace was the mainspring at 9,000 shots.

  10. Hi B.B. A great looking rifle and am looking fwd to velocity figures. What is a bloop tube and would one work on a Benjamin Disco? If not would you be able to recommend something that would? A pop up sprinkler head with a little imagination does a wonderful job on the end of a 1077, but won’t fit the Disco. Looking forward to the picture taking blog. Again thanks

  11. Bruce,

    Bloop tube is slang for a simple tube with no design technology inside. No baffles, etc. It would have an end cap.

    I can make a silencer for a Discovery from a toilet paper roll and electrician’s tape. Silencers are so easy to make. Just give the violent air some space in which to expand and lose energy.

    B.B.

  12. BB,

    Been awhile since I last blogged. I have a couple Of questions.

    What is the status of RWS mount you’ve been working?

    Have you ever used the leapers mount base?
    /product/utg-scope-mount-base-fits-rws-diana-34-36-38-45-with-to5-trigger?a=2298

    I too read your review of the Walther Lever action from 2005 and enjoyed what you and “big bore addict: had to say.

    Any thing on the baffled barrel for the Disco?

    Havn’t been bloggin, but I havn’t stop readin.

    BobC NJ

  13. BB,

    Thought of another Question.

    Do you have any preference between the Super Streak and the Walther Falcon Hunter?

    Have you shot any of the under levers from Hatsan regardless of who its made for.

    Thanks again,

    BobC NJ

  14. BB,

    Nice report as usual. I feel like I ought to like 1894 and the AR clone, but I just never got a good feeling with Winchesters — perhaps I was spooked by too many visits to the Winchester mystery house and museum.

  15. Thanks once again BB;

    The tech people at Pyramyd say the rws94 has a good record just a slow seller (I can’t see why), they think they can get me some still.. I will try to search out the Diana model 30..any leads any one?

    If you mean the beeman hw30 at 625 fps..I already picked it, got 6 of them…super sweet little rifle, light, small, nice trigger, easy to cock, very sturdy and Pyramyd has got a great price on them at $215. I know you mentioned it as one of your choices for young people and old ones like me who like an accurate fun rifle that you can shoot all day, thats why I tried one and quickly bought 5 more. I think it is better than the rws schultz at 525 fps and a heavy trigger. (Just going off the specs. I have not got mine yet, will see when I get one.)
    Mine hw30s are shooting 7.0 hobbys an average of 658 ( 28 fps higher than advertised) with a low of 641 and high of 669 on a 30 shot string.
    The rws94 averages 1046 on hobbys (they advertise as 900fps and it does that with 10.6 baracudas)
    On the other hand the Gamo CFX with the regular spring only does 827 (advertised at 1,000) with hobbys and 673 with 10.6 match baracudas. The Gas springs did much better and were a lot easier to cock, maybe 25 lbs., they shot the hobbys at 862 average and the baracudas at 723.
    By the way the rws match 7.0 which cost twice as much as the hobbys shot at 90 less fps than the hobbys and 32 fps less than the rws 8.2 super point, they did well in all the rifles, fastest per weight ratio, and very accurate for me.
    I like them in .22 also in the Discovey, they are faster for the weight their too, and much easier to load in the Discovery for my fat fingers. Sorry to blab on…

    Thanks again everyone for feed back on long lasting rifles for the range.
    p.s. all testing done at 2,800 elev.

    Wayne,
    Ashland Air Rifle Range & Rentals

  16. Bob C.,

    The Leapers base you sent the link to is the base I developed for the RWS Diana rifles. It was supposed to be out in June, but now Leapers says July. My June Shotgun News column tells all about it.

    The Discovery probably won’t get a baffled barrel, but the next PCP from Crosman probably will be shrouded.

    B.B.

  17. Bob C.,

    It’s a tough call between the Super Streak and the Walther Falcon Hunter. Especially since I haven’t completed testing of the Falcon Hunter yet.

    The Super Streak is more refined and fits a much larger person, but the Falcon Hunter is the only .25 caliber on the market right now.

    I’ve never seen an underlever from Hatsan, but I’ve seen a few from Kraal, another Turkish maker. They look like the CF-X, but are much rougher. They aren’t ready for the market yet in my opinion.

    B.B.

  18. BB,
    We lived nearby for ~12 yrs. Used to go to Mystery House with out-of-town guests; the old lady Winchester was scary, but the place was kind of an oasis in modern times. You probably remember Joe’s (I think they cooked on anthracite coal) and maybe even Roaring Camp, too. How about Half Moon Bay before development swamped it…people used to ask me why I liked to go there.

  19. Talked to a person who tunes air guns. He said the new gas pistons were no good saying they don’t last as long as a spring and tougher to cock. You seem to like them. I like the thought they are more accurate and can stay cocked while hunting. Your thoughts?

  20. I bought one of those yellow boy guns for Xmas, leaked out the pellet loading port when firing. Sent it backed, it leaked, too. Sent it back. Wouldn’t buy another.

    It was the prettiest, sleekiest,best operatiing gun I ever had in my hands. Can’t say enough good things about the looks, balance, etc. If the thing just wouldn’t leak out the loading port.

  21. can you send me a photo of it to this email firpo@libero.it thanks so much
    Can you also help me how to give it more power to this rifle and maybe cn yo help ma also how to give more power to the twinmaster 88 from rhoem germany.
    thank you so much i follow your web page from long time it’s very interesting and also many others italian do the same of me thanks
    Alex

  22. I don’t do that.

    Look at this post:

    /blog/2008/6/walther-lever-action-part-2/

    The screw is in the first picture – in the center of the valve. You can see it in the photo, but it is small. Look at the center of the brass valve – that is the screw to adjust power.

    As for the Twinmaster, you have to change the hammer spring tension. Look in your owner’s manual how to do that.

    B.B.

  23. Impressions of Crosman’s 2250 carbine, Part 3:

    Some fun with the 2250:
    I was just outside, plinking with the 2250 (I’ve stopped adding the ‘B’ to the model number. Over the years this should save me from Carpal Tunnel Syndrome…).

    Anyway. I chose a tin can, a soft aluminum soda can, and a plastic water bottle. It was pretty much as I remember it from the 1980s. You hit the cans right at the top or bottom seam and they really move. Hit the top and the can spins away end over end. Hit the bottom and it leaps into the air. Hit either of these two spots when the can is horizontal and it spins deliciously. I filled the bottle with tap water and shot it from 7 paces. I expected it to ‘explode’ but it didn’t. The pointed field hunting pellet merely passed through 3” of water and plastic and exited cleanly out the other side. I think a wadcutter or hollow point would have given me more ‘explosive’ force.

    And now, a word from our sponsor: Crosman’s CrosBlock ‘Tamper Resistant Deterrent’:
    I now have 7 of these little plastic trigger ‘locks’, from other Crosman air guns I’ve bought these past three years. When I saw how loose this one was on the 2250, I laughed. Surely I could just pull the trigger with the device still in place? I couldn’t. Crosman’s stock rose a bit in my eyes.

    Always before I’d assumed that the CrosBlock key was called a key because you pushed it in and turned it in the lock. Uh-uh. I twisted many a key out of shape before finally noticing that the key had ‘PUSH’ printed on it. I pushed and the lock opened…simple as that. An otherwise intelligent shooter, I now feel like a CrosBlockHead. And yes, it did make me feel a bit cross….

    So I dropped a handful of pellets in my right hand pocket, grabbed the rifle and targets and headed out into the yard. The first thing that happened was that the rifle under my arm wiggled out of the dishtowel that I’d rubber banded to the skeleton stock (to raise my head to the scope) and fell into the grass. I was prepared to shoot a wad of dirt from the muzzle without a pellet but the only dirt was a little bit on the side of the muzzle, which was easily wiped off. I rubber banded the towel more tightly and was good to go. Oddly enough the scope was still set correctly. I don’t know why, but scopes and me tend not to get along. At night, after I’m asleep, the windage and elevation settings reset themselves, leaving me frustrated and deeply confused in the morning. This time was the surprise to that rule.

    I know last time I promised to count my shots, to see how many I’d get from a fresh CO2 cylinder at 3100’, at 68 degrees here on the flank of Maui’s Mt. Haleakala. But this was an impromptu plinking session, and I just didn’t feel like it. I promise I will do so in a future session.

    I mentioned last time that I was going to read the instructions to see how to get a sharper target picture. They told me, in 4 different languages, to loosen the eyepiece locking ring, aim the scope at a wall or open sky, and ‘rotate [the] eyepiece left and right as needed until the reticle appears sharp and clear to you’. I did rotate it. And rotate it. And rotate it some more. The reticle appeared sharp and clear no matter how much I twisted it back and forth. However, after I locked it back in place, the cans I was shooting from 25 paces away did not. Was it me or the scope? I set it at 4x and started shooting. I noticed, strangely, that when I was target shooting, the target would suddenly blip into sharp focus and then right back out again. I assume this is some adjustment my eye was doing.

    I was getting more comfortable with operating the rifle. I pulled the bolt up and back with the edge of my right index finger between the first joint and the knuckle. I held the rifle with the bbl slightly elevated (otherwise the bolt slides home by itself), reached into my pocket with my right hand and retrieved a pellet. The pointed pellets were front heavy, so that sometimes they would tumble into the loading port sideways. I also noted that the bolt would encounter resistance sometimes when trying to slide the pellet home. I simply retracted the bolt slightly and it would slide smoothly home then. Sometimes I would turn the muzzle downwards after placing a pellet in the loading port and it and the bolt would slide easily closed…I just had to turn the bolt down. It was easy to get into a rhythm of cocking, loading and shooting, which I found enjoyable and relaxing. The one major difference I found between shooting now and shooting then is that I shake more now. I have familial hereditary tremors, diagnosed when I was in the Army, and they get worse with age (except when I fast, at which point they disappear completely). So I prefer to shoot from a rest; it’s much more fun for me that way. I could shoot from a kneeling position, but at 62 I keep hurting my knees by dancing twice a week (they don’t hurt WHILE I’m dancing, but they sure complain several hours later, and all through the week). Anyway, when shooting, I held the gun with my left hand cradled around the filler cap, part of the fore end and part of the bbl itself. This felt the sturdiest and also just plain felt ‘right’.

    Installing a new CO2 cartridge: The manual suggests you turn the filler cap finger tight, shoot the gun without a pellet and, if you don’t hear a healthy popping sound, to tighten the cap again and repeat the shot. But I read Michael in Florida’s comment to me that, “the current crop of Crosman CO2 guns use the valve stem to pierce the CO2 Powerlet, so don’t over tighten the CO2 cap. I heard you mention that you would tighten it with a quarter. Finger tight is all you need. The first shot is weak because it pierces the Powerlet and fills the valve with CO2. If you over tighten, you compress the soft seal and restrict the valve stem, resulting in a very small hole in the Powerlet, and in most cases, reduced FPS by restricting the movement of the valve stem.
” So I suggest now that you fire TWO blank shots after installing a new CO2 cartridge. The first one will sound weak, but the 2nd should sound healthy and you’re good to go. Don’t forget to add that drop of Pellgunoil to the tip of the cartridge. For the first time that I’ve noticed, Crosman tells you to do this in their instruction manual.

    I am still sooo happy with this gun. Once again, after shooting, I oiled the gun and scope and put it away. It is like tucking someone I love tenderly into bed.

    I also remembered to wash the lead dust off my fingers, especially before eating anything.

  24. Joe B,

    I liked this story so much that I moved it to the current post. Hope you don’t mind.

    Your scope problems are curious. I now have bad eyes and fight focus too. Are you adjusting the eyepiece for your eyes or adjusting the objective (AO)?

    Would you mind corresponding on the current/active comments?

    You can find them here:

    /blog//

    kevin

  25. Hi BB,

    I tried the Hobby pellets in the Walther Lever action rifle and they just cause the mechanism to jam. It happens just about every time. Either the gun doesn’t fire because the clip gets caught up on something, or a pellet will get crunched up between the rotary clip and the chamber. It’s not only annoying, it’s probably not great for the gun either. I’ve tried crosman pellets and gamo match pellets and they work great, though the accuracy with the crosman pellets leaves a lot to be desired. Any ideas?

    -Alex

  26. Alex, (OMB1080),

    I’ll preface this by saying I’ve never owned a Walther Lever Action pellet gun.

    Interesting that your RWS Hobby pellets are jamming. Are you seating them all the way in the cylinder? Have you read the other two parts that B.B. did on your gun? He used RWS in his test (Part 3) and didn’t report any problems. See here (you’ll be taken immediately to part 3 if you cut and paste this link, then to see part 2 just click on “Part 2” at the top of the article):

    /blog/2008/6/walther-lever-action-part-3/

    I would encourage you to post your question on the current blog for all airgunners to see. There are hundreds of active airgunners currently asking and answering each others questions there and one of them certainly has some first hand experience with your gun. This link will take you to the most current article that B.B. has written (B.B. writes a new airgun related article every day, Monday-Friday), scroll down to the bottom of the new article and click on “comments”,

    /blog//

    Look forward to seeing you there!

    kevin

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