by B.B. Pelletier
This is the actual rifle I’m testing. Isn’t that wood beautiful?
We’re going to start our look at Weihrauch’s top PCP rifle, the HW 100 S FSB. There are so many features packed into this rifle that I’ll have to address them in all three parts of the report, but today I’ll get a good start on the general rifle.
Weihrauch is best known to airgunners for the high-quality spring-piston airguns it produces and, of course, their well-reknowned Rekord trigger. But they only entered the world of precharged pneumatics less than a decade ago with their one and still only model, the 100 S. For the record, the FSB designator means fully shrouded barrel, so that’s the first of many features you’ll be seeing. There’s a model 100 T (for thumbhole), also with a fully shrouded barrel. So it is called the HW 100 T FSB.
The HW 100 was new in 2004, and reports of its accuracy started very soon thereafter. This is a 14-shot repeater that uses a circular clip to feed the pellets. It’s cocked by a short sidelever located on the right side of the action. Power is claimed to be in the 26 foot-pound region in the .22 caliber version I am testing. The rifle is also available in .177 caliber and .20 caliber. I recommend going with the largest caliber because of the power potential, but the HW 100 is also supposed to be so extraordinarily accurate that a .177 caliber rifle will also be attractive. At 22 foot-pounds in that caliber, it’s too powerful for field target but probably a perfect rifle for long-range shooting.
The rifle is supposed to get 40 shots on a fill to 200 bar, which is extremely good at the claimed power level. It’ll be interesting to find out how it actually performs.
The wood on the test rifle is impeccably finished with what looks like a genuine oil finish. There’s no shine and the grain of the wood is striking. You can see holographic ripples in the wood, though they would show up better if the finish had more luster. The pistol grip and forearm are both checkered, and the pistol grip has a palm swell for a righthanded shooter. This rifle is not ambidextrous.
Naturally, there are no sights on the rifle, as you’re expected to scope it. This one deserves the best scope you can afford. The scope rail is split into two parts, ahead of and behind the slot where the circular clip goes in the receiver. This is the first PCP that uses a circular clip like this that doesn’t protrude above the top of the receiver.
The 14-shot circular clip lies entirely below the top of the receiver.
You would expect a rifle in this price range to have a lustrous finish overall, but that’s not exactly the case. The receiver is finished in the deep shiny black you expect, but the barrel shroud is entirely matte. The removable air reservoir is a semi-gloss that lies in between the two. That’s a lot of contrast in the finishes, however I have to say that everything looks right on the gun
The removable reservoir has a built-in pressure gauge (manometer) at the front. It reads in bar, and 200 bar (2,900 psi) is a maximum fill. The fill probe is proprietary (sigh!) but it has 1/8-inch BSP threads on the other end, so it attaches to any conventional pneumatic airgun fill hose. You’re given a blank plug to insert in the fill port any time the probe is out to keep dirt from entering.
The trigger
I could not resist trying the trigger. No, it’s not a Rekord, which only works on Weihrauch’s spring-piston rifles. The trigger on the HW 100 S is a very refined PCP sporting trigger that will feel like a world-class target trigger to most shooters. It’s adjustable, however the instructions in the owner’s manual are out of date. To make the adjustments shown in the manual on the rifle I’m testing, the stock must first be removed. However, I did so and made some attempt at adjusting the trigger. I could not notice any difference in the pull weight. So, I’ll leave it alone. It feels perfect as it comes from the box.
The HW 100 trigger is not a Rekord, but it’s extremely crisp and light.
Shrouded barrel
The shrouded barrel has four air relief holes at its base. These are to give the pressurized air a place to escape when the pellet blocks the muzzle. This is a sign that Weihrauch knows what it’s doing with PCPs, because most airgun manufacturers don’t know the value of these holes. The shroud also has several baffles.
One of four holes in the back of the barrel shroud that let the compressed air escape. This decreases the muzzle report significantly.
I also want to comment on the weight of the rifle. At 8.6 lbs. it’s certainly no lightweight, yet when I hold it, it feels several pounds lighter. The stock feels slender, yet somehow also hand-filling. The bottom of the forearm is flat for a good hold, and the pistol grip is sculpted to allow the thumb to be placed in the upright position. I guess I’m saying that the stock feels like a classic to me.
Overall, I would say that my first impression is a good one. This rifle feels and looks like it will shoot. Of course, all of that lies ahead.
Anyone else stay up after midnight just to get a “sneak” peak at the next blog?
Hi my name is Herb. I a airgunaholic… 😉
Hi Herb *waves like baby Huey*
Yes airgunaholism is rampant here with many enablers (thankfully)
We night owls usually check the blog early so we have the rest of
the day to dream about the goodies here lol.
BB love the wood feature of this one.
Herb,
That’s why I changed the publication time of the blog. For the old blog, Tom thought readers might to want to read the blog while drinking some coffee before going to work.
Tom was in the hospital when the new blog was going live, so I unilaterally decided that I would make it available much earlier so night owls had something to read. Plus, it gave airgunners on the West Coast something to read before bedtime (with visions of airguns dancing in their heads 🙂 )
Edith
Edith,
Thanks!
H i Herb !My name is Milan and i just woke up and -drinking coffee 🙂 great blog topic today
Pig with a problem with an anger control https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f3kFBTxYvOI
Milan,
Bravo man! I DARE any one to hunt one of those with a .177 gamo with PBA pellets! Just for “safety” sake you might want to have a Marauder .25 caliber for a backup! 🙂 !
Even better for “safety sake” is 5 guys with rogue’s for backup! 🙂 🙂 !
for safety sake, I’ll take a .44 S&W Magnum, the “most powerful handgun in the world….. So, punk, do ya feel lucky?”
Fred PRoNJ
You may have got me, but my friends back there have .454 Casull, .475 Linebaugh, .500 S&W magnum, and .50AE
I used to hunt these things in South Dakota with my RS-2. Crosman Destroyer EX pellets in .177.
The trick is to wait till they open their mouth to roar at you. Then you pop them through the roof of the mouth into the brain.
They have plenty of armor above, in front of, and behind the brain. But nothing below it. Very vulnerable when attacked from that angle.
I keep my Storm XT loaded and handy in case I have to go to “Plan B”.
Les
desertdweller,
Now, that is just downright scary!
So basically they die like pigs -eat lead pig ….and then they die off …from lead poisoning 🙂
Hmmm. Why dont the Marauders have relief holes in the rear of the shroud? Wonder what kind of effect that would have if I drilled some holes there. Even more diminished report?
The marauder isn’t quiet enough for you out of the box?
My.22 cal HW100 liked quite a few pellets initially. Then it only liked barracudas, kodiaks and crosman premiers. After scrubbing the bore it liked the baracuda 5.52 match and nothing else. That was the only pellet that would group under an inch at 50 yards.
Hi Kevin,
How would you compare the HW 100 to an Air Arms S410?
Also, is there a way to dial it down to under 20fpe? I’ve seen some folks using this gun in the Field Target game.. and I’m hoping they weren’t over the limit! That guy does very well without straps and fancy knee stands.. he just sits and shoots!
Wacky Wayne,
Match Director,
Ashland Air Rifle Range
Wayne,
I don’t want to steal B.B.’s thunder but I’ll repost a comparison I wrote for another blog reader last year (under part 3 of the R8 article that B.B. wrote). My HW100T was a .22 caliber.
“HW 100T vs. AA S410
Here’s my take. The HW 100T (Thumbhole stock) doesn’t fit as well as a AA S410 with the factory walnut thumbhole stock. The S410 stock in trimmer and the grip/thumbhole has a better design. The adjustable butt pad on the factory walnut stock is a big plus to me over the fixed buttpad on the HW 100. The weight difference between these two guns is significant. The HW 100T is 8.6 lbs. (Pounds) and the AA S410 in walnut thumbhole stock is 6 lbs. The AA S410 is a bit longer. Biggest difference for me is the AA S410 has an external power adjuster the HW 100 does not. When adjusted the triggers are comparable but the nod goes to Air Arms. Accuracy, power and shot count (with the AA S410 on highest power) are similar. Sidelever and magazines on the AA S410 are superior to the HW 100 BUT you should plan on buying the RC magazines for the AA S410, if you go that route, since they work flawlessly.”
Wayne, the HW100 that B.B. is testing is the latest import version. The HW100T I owned was an earlier FAC model in .22 caliber. The obvious difference is that B.B.’s model has a shrouded barrel and mine had a factory attachment at the end of the barrel. I don’t think any changes were made internally but I can’t be sure. Assuming no changes were made, I modified the power by adjusting the hammer spring. PITA since the shuttle needs to be removed from the gun because there’s a grub screw and loctite that needs to be dealt with before you can adjust the hammer spring. Yes, mine could be dialed down to 20fpe. I also dialed it up to 30fpe since I’ve found great long distance accuracy in this range (18gr jsb’s at around 890fps). My HW100T was very inefficient at higher power even when compared to my AA S410.
Here’s the tutorial I used to modify the power on my older HW100T:
http://www.airgunforum.ca/forums/viewtopic.php?t=266&highlight=hw100
Don’t know if this answers your questions since undoubtedly your FT friend is shooting a HW100 in .177 cal.
kevin
Thanks Kevin & B.B.,
I’ve never shot an HW 100… but noticed some good scores by those that did. Now that I’m such a USFT fan an collector, I haven’t even shot my own beloved AAs410.. she just hangs on the wall in a real nice walnut FT stock now.. but hanging none the less.. She does get loaned out now and then to a newbie who comes by to check out the FT game.
Tom, your USFT has become my favorite field target rig… it’s shorter and lighter than #6 (which I’ve switched over to bench rest shooting), and way better for me on the offhand shots. My game has jumped a couple points at least, just from the slightly better balance on #57.
It was worth that 1/4 mile tunnel I had to pay for.. and the loss of troops when they engaged with Edith. .. a small price for such a great shooter.
Wacky Wayne,
Match Director,
Ashland Air Rifle Range
Wacky Wayne,
You wrote “Tom, your USFT has become my favorite field target rig… it’s shorter and lighter than #6″… does that mean that at long last you have realized your dream and talked Tom out of his USFT?? Now that deserves a picture or three…
AlanL
nah… just trying to manifest a new reality:-)
Wacky Wayne
Wayne,
The HW 100 can be adjusted for lower power, but not as easily as rifles designed for it. Don Walker from Beeman (before they were sold to the Chinese) shot a 100 that was in the 17-19 foot-pound region.
B.B.
Economy of words. There’s a lesson here.
Right Kevin,
can you write and carry a big stick at the same time?
When you, Tom and Edith do some writing.. fewer words are NOT in order.. I savor them all.. when I have time to read em:-)
Wacky Wayne
This is my dream rifle. However, the shrouded barrel makes it impossible for it to be sold in Canada. This is a shame as I have heard they are very quiet with the shroud. And it looks great. I can’t wait to see the accuracy at say, 50 meters? Or yards if you prefer. Thank you B,B, for bringing this future classic to our attention.
Mike -(this one is for previous topic/question about Diana 34 ) -here it goes -do you here any scratching noise when cocking the rifle i’m hoping that is not the case here if so i would recommend a good lubrication ‘couse there is a possibility that piston is scratching the chamber (i’ve already have that experience with with Diana 34 )
Sorry i meant to say- hear any scratching noise not here
I have seen several complaints that Diana has been puting their rifles together pretty dry of lube.
My 48 was very dry and was showing some rub marks after about a tin of pellets. The damage could have been much worse if I had kept on shooting it the way it was. Once they start galling the damage will get much worse very fast. A cleanup, some polishing, and some lube (I used moly) will put a stop to the fast destruction.
twotalon
twotalon,
Add my Diana 350 Magnum to your list of dry Diana airguns. It was purchased in 2007 from PA. It made what to me was a “weird noise” when I cocked it. After a couple of months I called PA and let them hear me cock the gun over the phone. They referred me to Umarex who after hearing it cocked had me send it in for a lube job. No more “weird” noises.
Bruce
My D 34 was bone-dry when it was almost new (when i first time lube it ),not only that she started to scratch the camber …horrific 🙂
B.B.
I like that pretty much open trigger assembly design. You could lube just about everything without tearing it apart. I have had a Rekord apart once, and don’t care to do it again.
Looks like single shot loading is pretty much out of the question for this one.
twotalon
I’ve shot FT with a guy who uses a gorgeous hw100, and he has a single-shot adapter for it. Dunno if it’s a factory piece or yet another hand-machined custom job (anybody else notice that so many airgunners seem to be unusually handy with lathes, CNC machines, etc.???). The hw100 single-shot setup looks really handy. The adapter flips out to the side of the breech, so it’s really easy to load a round and flip the adapter back into the breech. It looks handier than loading even most dedicated single-shot breech loaders!
B.B./Kevin: do you know whether this is a factory part? Do the multi-shot magazines also flip out to the side like this?
-Jan
Jan,
Yes, there is a factory single shot “clip” for the HW100. It’s a slick piece of engineering. Unlike a typical single shot “tray” that replaces the magazine the single shot clip for the HW100 falls to the side for loading. It didn’t use to come with the HW100 (maybe it does now?) but had to be bought separately. Although the PA specs don’t mention it, the HW100 also used to come with 2 magazines. Don’t know if it still does. It appears that the only accessory PA has for the HW100 are spare magazines. If PA carries the single shot clip I can’t find it. Here’s where I got my single shot clip for the HW100 (Edith, if this link isn’t ok please delete):
http://www.airgunbuyer.com/Showproducts.asp?cat=Accessories&SubCat=Weihrauch%20Accessories
kevin
OK Tom, I expect some more detail about those “pressure relief holes” in the shroud. specifically, how does the air get to them? Are there holes in the barrel? As I think about the question more thoroughly, I suppose it may apply to ALL fully shrouded barrels. Does air from the muzzle of the gun actually flow into the shroud?
The barrel is shorter than the shroud, so air is going to blow into it. The air would eventually have to all blow out of the front without the vent holes. The vents allow some of the pressure to bleed off .
twotalon
An additional thought…
It also depends on what you call a shroud. Some rifles have an outer jacket over the barrel to protect the barrel and to make it look thicker. They serve no other function.
Then there are the ones that act as a silencer, and trap air to lower the muzzle noise.
Then there is the other definition, which I think was probably the original…
An outer jacket to protect the shooter from getting burned by a hot barrel.
twotalon
jmdavis984,
I’m sorry. I thought everyone knew that a barrel has to be shorter than its shroud for the shroud to work. Otherwise, the shroud would be ineffective.
When the pellet exits the muzzle, but it still inside the shroud, the pressurized air cannot get past the pellet easily, so it flows with great force backward through the shroud. With the holes in the back, it has someplace to go. It isn’t gradual or subtle, it’s violent. But the volume and length of the shroud have allowed it to expand and lose some energy. When it gets to the holes, the pressure has dropped considerably, plus the pellet is now outside the shroud, so some of the air is now going forward, as well.
All of this expansion causes the air to lose energy, and it is energy that causes the air to create a loud report. So those holes assist the shroud in lowering the muzzle blast.
B.B.
No apology necessary. I’m just trying to keep up with you veteran airgunners.
BB,
Very nice looking rifle. I hope future parts do justice to its fine looks. I do like that grain in the stock a lot.
You mentioned the owners manual being out of date – I can see why they wouldn’t want to reprint thousands of owners manuals when design changes are made but I wonder why manufacturers can’t at least throw in a change sheet with the new instructions. What do they expect owners to do? Someone has to throw in the owners manual to begin with. Is it really that hard to include another piece of paper?
Also, I’m baffled as to why critical parts of a rifle are not lubed, as I keep hearing on this blog about various rifles. Don’t the makers want to protect their reputation? I can understand them wanting to minimize cost but does a few drops of grease cost more than a good reputation?
Anyway, I look forward to future parts on this rifle. Even though I’m still in a solid relationship with my Marauder I still like to look.
Chuck,
I’ll be writing a new HW 100 manual just as soon as I have some breathing room. B.B. just showed me the manuals that came with his gun, and I’m appalled. The manual I create will be similar to the ones I’ve created for the IZH 46M, Drozd and others. I believe they’re more helpful than the HW 100 one, which was written by a lawyer with absolutely no regard for the end-user.
Edith
Edith you’re a saint! But you shouldn’t have to do that. I know, in a perfect world… However, I know, in my ex-line-of-work, documentation was the last thing to get done and it usually suffered because come deadline time its completeness was expendable. It’s also extremely difficult to write in a manner that all education levels, let alone duffesses, can understand.
BTW, you did an excellent job on the IZH-46M manual.
The IZH-46M manual is really, really good. Much better than anything from the factory (or other importers). And I say that not having bought the pistol from PA because I got it during a period where PA listed it as discontinued so I’ve got the other manuals.
In the third paragraph, do I read it right? It seems to say that in .177, it develops 22 fpe?
Willmore,
Yes. He got that from PA’s product page.
That’s what Weihrauch says, so we picked it up for Pyramyd Air’s product page:
http://www.weihrauch-sport.de/englisch/e_startseite/e_index.htm
Edith
Hello, again, Ms. Gaylord!
Sadly, their web site uses session cookies, so links don’t actually go to pages. But, I clicked a bit and found the page for the HW 100 in FSB. The highest power version in .177 claims 320m/s and 30J. Those are some pretty impressive numbers. 320M/s is 1050ft/s and 30J is just over 22 ft*lb.
I can only guess that they don’t happen at the same time. 🙂 Possibly the 320M/s figure comes from a very light weight pellet and the 30J figure from a very heavy one?
30J is nearly 1000 ft/s for a 10 grain pellet. Pretty darn good for a PCP. Now, if it’s a super heavy 15 gr. pellet, then the velocity comes down to a much more believable 820 ft/s.
I guess we’ll have to wait for later parts of this series to see what facts fall out when the chrono gets a look at things.
Thanks for the link!
If you go to Edith’s link
http://www.weihrauch-sport.de/englisch/e_startseite/e_index.htm
Then select products and scroll to the bottom you’ll see the single shot loader for the HW 100.
This is what I call a BB (blue blood) gun.
Victor
Well, this looks like another example of the peerless German engineering. Let’s see how it does. However, as a top-of-the-line airgun it has its work cut out in competing with the Anschutz AiR-15 that looks like an M-16. R. Lee Emery was so enamored of them that he bought two. So, besides seeking airgun shooters through the hunting market, some are trying the tactical market. In his column, Emery also praised the M1 Garand, his favorite rifle and claims that with a GI issue barrel, he is able to hold four inch groups all day at 600 yards. That sounds preposterous to me. I can’t believe a professional would say something like that.
Duskwight, fascinating springer reproduction of the Mosin. Now, herein lies an interesting question. Since 99% of my shooting is airguns, why spend a disproportionate amount of money on firearms? The Mosin springer would seem to be perfect. I guess the answer is that culture and history are the other reasons although they are not entirely satisfactory. The springer is quite a piece of work in any case. Say, do you know anything about tours of WWII battlefields in Russia? There are certainly plenty of them. I could see myself visiting them and ending at the resting place of Lyudmila Pavlichenko in the Novodivichye cemetery in Moscow. That would be pretty cool. The Russian martial artists I met in Toronto offer a tour of Russia including a chance to meet the Spetsnatz and train with them including crawl under machine gun fire. I decided to pass that one up….
Slinging Lead, ha ha, you are hilarious even in sleep. In conventional sleep, the body is supposed to deactivate your large muscle group so you can act out your dreams without hurting yourself. However, sleepwalking is another category where people do complex movements without being aware of them. Hence my worry with the loaded firearms nearby. My Dad had an episode of sleepwalking at the University of Notre Dame as a student. He wondered into the room of a couple of giant football players, blew his nose loudly on a handkerchief, folded it up and put it away in the pocket of pants that were draped over a chair. The guys thought it was funny.
Regarding feral pigs, I bet that a 30-30 would do the job, but my concern is with the boar at close quarters who has determined to take you with him into the great beyond. Medieval hunting spears had crosspieces installed to keep the boar from running up the shaft to get you, so I would want plenty of knockdown power. Frank B., the Were-pig idea fascinates me. If feral pigs are domesticated, do they reverse their transformation? Kevin, I understand that working machine guns go for something like $70,000 and that wouldn’t include the astronomical price of ammo, so I don’t know about the ATV idea.
Matt61
Matt61,
“…claims that with a GI issue barrel, he is able to hold four inch groups all day…” Is that a 24 hour day? I can’t even stay awake all day.
“…fascinating springer reproduction of the Mosin…” I’d love to have an exact replica of a Mosin in PCP, or an M1 in PCP, or an Enfield, or any other WW I/WW II/Korean Conflict rifle. If an 1894 Winchester can be reproduced, so convincingly, why not all of these? I’ll bet you couldn’t keep them on the shelves. OK if PCP is not possible then a springer. What a collection that would be!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Duskwight: I would like to see Kursk! Accompanied by somebody who knew the terrain as well as the two armies and the tactics. That actually raises a question: I live in Virginia smack in the middle of Civil War battlefields, and we are pretty fanatical about preserving the battle grounds together with a reasonable amount of territory around them. Do you do the same in Russia (and the former Soviet Republics where WW2 was fought?
I can’t believe that with a stock issue barrel anybody can hold “4 inch groups all day” with a Garand at 600 yards. The guns weren’t engineered to that accuracy. Anyway, for modern combat firepower/rate of fire is far more important than absolute accuracy at 600 yards.
pete
Matt61,
Lots of fully automatic options for less than $70,000. Ammo cost is a valid concern. If I was overrun with feral hogs I’m not sure it would be a major concern. You’d be amazed at what I’ve spent to rid myself of a few hundred ground squirrels that have wreaked havoc at my home in the mountians.
kevin
With this airgun sitting in the spot of “only PCP offered by HW” it has been tugging on my wallet for some time now.It has taken steely resolve on my part to stave off it’s purchase.The video tour of the HW facility that was linked a while back didn’t help either.And then there’s that beautiful stock….getting harder to resist…:)
FB,
Careful. Not all stocks are the same. Wait for part 2 and 3 before …..
BB
Did the HW 100 come out before the BSA Super Ten? The Super ten has a circular clip that does not protude over the top of the receiver. I think that a rifle with a protuding clip looks like the clip was an after thought!