by Tom Gaylord, a.k.a. B.B. Pelletier
Beeman’s HW 70A breakbarrel spring pistol.
I’m about 19 years late on this report. The Beeman HW 70A air pistol was around in 1994 when I started writing about airguns, and I ignored it — finding other guns to occupy my time. I guess there are several reasons for that.
For starters, this pistol always looked large and rough to me. I never saw one of these guns close up in the early days, and I certainly never shot one; but I did see the BSF S-20 pistol that looked for all the world like a small air rifle — cut down and fitted to an outlandish wooden pistol grip. I projected that image onto the HW70, as in the catalog photos it looked very similar.
It was called just the HW 70 back in those days. The “A” designator was added to the model number when they put it into a synthetic black pistol grip that’s on the gun I’m testing for you now. And the size was mostly an illusion. This pistol is similar to a Crosman 2240 rather than the outlandish BSF S-20.
Compared to the BSF S-20 (top) and the Crosman 2240 (bottom), the HW 70A doesn’t seem that big.
For those with a real collector bent, the automatic safety was added some time after the A model was already on the market — so the auto safety on the left side of the stock isn’t what makes it an A version. It’s the synthetic stock. There are A-version guns with synthetic stocks and no auto-saftety out there in collectorland, for those who obsess over minutia.
The automatic safety switch is on the left side of the stock.
Another turn-off for me was the anticipated cocking effort such a pistol was sure to require. I imagined cocking it would be like bending the bow of Hercules. I had also thought that about the big BSF and only discovered after getting one that the gun is relatively easy to cock. The HW 70A, on the other hand, does take some muscle power, and that can be attributed to its 6-inch barrel, which is rather short for a breakbarrel springer.
And, finally, I was concerned that the pistol would be very rough to shoot. When I got to shoot the BSF, its smoothness surprised me, but it’s nothing compared to this HW 70A. This is a very smooth air pistol!
Perhaps, that’s because the makers are not trying to send pellets downrange at the speed of light. The velocity specs of the .177 HW 70A have been 440 f.p.s. for as long as I’ve been writing about airguns. What it can really do is something we’ll discover together as I test this gun for you.
I know this — the HW70A is not usually the top air pistol on anyone’s list. Those who want power will gravitate toward the Diana RWS LP8 or the Beeman P1. Others wanting accuracy will go for the Beeman P17 or perhaps the IZH 46M. Almost nobody goes after the HW 70A as a first choice.
The pistol
This is a breakbarrel spring-piston air pistol that comes in .177 caliber, only. It weighs 2 lbs., 6 oz., and the grip is contoured to fit very well in medium to large hands. The grip/stock is black synthetic and checkered on both sides. The triggerguard is molded right into the stock.
Extensive use is made of aluminum in the construction of this pistol. The spring tube and outer barrel jacket are made of it, but the true barrel is a thin steel tube inside the outer jacket. The finish is a dark black epoxy that will fool everyone into thinking it’s black oxide, which is what we commonly call bluing. I only know that from an old Beeman catalog entry.
Most of what the hand touches on this pistol is cold metal, except for the grips. Even the sights that could be made from plastic are metal.
The pistol is very nearly 100 percent ambidextrous. The only feature that favors one side over the other is the safety switch that slides on the left side of the stock.
The barrel is held closed by a ball-bearing detent that allows the barrel to open easier, while still maintaining a tight seal when closed. It’s a classic means of locking the barrel when the pressure level doesn’t go too high.
Trigger
The trigger is two-stage and adjustable for pull weight. A screw in front of the trigger blade is turned to make the adjustment. It seems like the adjustment acts on a direct sear, apparently decreasing the sear contact area. Even if that’s not the case, though, I was able to adjust the trigger too light for safe operation. The second-stage stop disappeared, and I had a trigger that was guesswork instead of positive; so, I adjusted it back to where it had been from the factory, and that’s where I’ll leave it.
The trigger blade is wide and smooth. It’s made of aluminum, which will appeal to many shooters.
Sights
The sights are thankfully NOT fiberoptic! The rear sight is fully adjustable. Elevation has crisp detents, but windage has none, nor is there a scale for reference. You just have to watch where the notch is and where it moves when you adjust it.
The front sight is a very sharp, square post that fits very well into the rear notch. It’s covered by a steel hood to protect the hands when cocking.
Accuracy
The Beeman catalog used to claim this pistol could group 5 shots in 0.32 inches at 10 meters. I’ll test that when we get to the accuracy report. The gun is not scopeable by normal means, but at one time Beeman sold a special model called the Black Arrow that did come scoped. It had a proprietary scope mount that replaced the rear sight, but it’s no longer available.
That doesn’t matter to me because I would only shoot a handgun like this with open sights anyway. But some shooters want to scope even their handguns, so they need to know that this one can’t be scoped.
I’m looking forward to testing this airgun — I have been for nearly two decades. It’s time to hear the fat lady sing!
And now for something completely different
Pyramyd AIR is looking for a manager for their tech department. This position was posted on the blog several weeks ago, but they’re still looking. If you’re interested, please apply. Below is the job info and where to send your resume.
Directs and coordinates activities of the department in providing customers technical services and support; directly supervises employees. Responsibilities include but are not limited to:
Coordinates technical support services between management, tech support staff, sales department, and customers.
Establishes and documents department procedures and objectives.
Accomplishes department objectives by selecting, orienting, training, assigning, coaching, counseling, and disciplining employees; communicating job expectations; and monitoring performance.
Maintains and improves support operations by monitoring staff and system performance, identifying and resolving problems, and preparing and completing action plans
Provides technical assistance to customers and labor quotes. Handles escalated calls or provides assistance requiring more complex issues.
Installs common accessories and kits in accordance with customer orders.
Performs tests on guns to determine advertised performance specifications.
Required experience, skills and background:
Bachelor’s degree and 3 years managerial experience, or an equivalent combination of education and experience required. Previous industry experience required.
Must be detail-oriented with good mechanical aptitude.
Ability to prioritize and multi-task.
Good communication and customer service skills.
Good computer skills.
Hours: Monday through Friday, 9am until 5:30pm; longer hours and some Saturdays are expected, especially during our busy peak periods.
Preferred experience, skills and background:
Previous experience in airgun repair or troubleshooting desired.
Send your resume to resumes@pyramydair.com
I would like the job, but the commute would be a killer.
Anyone able to help out: what are the external diameters of the AirForce frame extension on the regular spin-lock Condor, 1st not including the upper and lower ridges and 2nd, including them?
Thanks very much in advance,
Michael
Michael,
I can’t understand what you are asking. Please restate the question.
B.B.
B.B.,
What I mean is the diameter of the synthetic barrel sleeve that protrudes from the forearm out towards the muzzle on the traditional Condor. (On the forthcoming Condor SS it goes beyond the muzzle and entirely covers the barrel.)
The reason I ask is that I have come into some lightweight, anodized aluminum tubing in that seems wide enough in its internal diameter to go all the way up to a Condor’s power adjusting wheel, even accounting for the raised edges (dovetail rails?) above and below the sleeve. It might make for an interesting shroud project.
Thanks again,
Michael
Michael,
Sounds like you need to buy the gun so you can take full measurements yourself.
Edith
=;^)
Michael,
The tube is an aluminum extrusion.
You are asking for the outside diameter of the frame (what you call the tube), and also of the distance across the top and bottom dovetails.
The outside diameter of the frame tube is 1.259-inches. It will never be exact from gun to gun because the frames are finished by tumbling in plastic media, but it will be within a few thousandths. The width across the to to bottom dovetails is 1.581-inches.
B.B.
B.B.,
Thanks! That is exactly the information I was seeking.
Michael
Geez… I am unemployed and looking for a job, but I just a little bit too far South to apply to this Tech Manager position.
Like a lot of Americans, my wife was laid off after long working for a company. We are not able to relocate, however. Too bad, because she has every single qualification /skill / experience except the following: “Installs common accessories and kits in accordance with customer orders. Performs tests on guns to determine advertised performance specifications.”
Frankly, Pyramyd AIR might get lucky and find the right single person for this position, but that very specific set of job tasks has nothing to do with the others: management,customer service, human resources, and tech automation (a person such as my wife). PA is looking for two different people, one of them somebody like my wife, and the other perhaps a part-timer who is very familiar with using and handling air guns and accessories.
But of all places to advertise, this forum is probably the best, given the varied assortment of impressive skills of many of the posters. PA needs an airgun enthusiast who has backgrounds in management, CS, HR, and IT who can relocate. But given the job climate, PA might just find that one special person.
Michael
Guys, I want to pass along some sad news and ask for prayers for the big bore gun builder, Jack Haley. Jack had lung cancer. They are going to have to remove one lung. The cancer has also eroded into the rig cage. He and Reba are in dire need of our prayers. Let’s not forget Mac either.
Thanks,
David Enoch
David,
I pray for Jack daily — ever since you asked the first time several weeks ago.
B.B.
B.B., I am still puzzled by the 33 pound cocking effort of the Titan GP Lower Power. The PA listing for the regular GP is 31 pounds. I have no way to measure it objectively but the cocking effort has seemed light from the beginning and hasn’t changed. The Daisy (Hatsan 70) 1000 .177, by comparison is at least 41 pounds. It seems to offer greater FPE at least to 10 yards or more than the GP .22 shooting Gamo Rockets in both.
From what you have written about the Theobens with the adjustable air pressure, it seems vitally important that the pressure be set to optimal as more or less decreases efficiency.
My accuracy is about equal with both rifles. ~Ken
Ken,
Is there a question?
B.B.
B.B., that is a good question. I am wondering, if the cocking effort of the regular GP and the Lower Power GP are so close…what makes the difference between the two. No rush…I think you still have more you may do with the LP GP. ~Ken
Ken,
Swept volume is the difference. Spring strength makes very little difference, but swept volume makes a big difference. So in the weaker gun the piston isn’t a wide or it doesn’t travel as far, or both.
B.B.
Thank you, B.B. ~Ken
B.B., your info informs me that it is not very difficult to make a springer a lower power airgun and it is phenomenally difficult to make one a higher power airgun. ~Ken
Ken,
Yep, that’s pretty much how it goes.
B.B.
simply imagine the amount of air enclosed in the air tube with the piston (of given diameter and stroke length) with the piston cocked (fully retracted). All the spring (released) has to do, is to compress the enclosed air completely, just after the pellet has started moving. Imagine now the power of a much stronger spring. It cannot compress more air, so the surplus power of the spring will only result in slamming the piston home, resulting in heavy recoil or even damage to the gun.
Air is only the transferring medium from the spring/piston to the pellet, so higher energy transfer to the pellet cannot be achieved by increasing the spring power alone.
Markus, thank you for your response. My understanding has increased. ~Ken
I had not seen or heard the term “swept volume” before. It was easy to find information on it, though.
It totally destroyed my dream of a springer with a solenoid driven piston. ~Ken
Reverse the design and you might get close to how AEG air-soft rifles work.
Wulfraed, thanks for the insight. I did a quick search and read a bit about the AEG. Interesting. ~Ken
BB,
A springer pistol — now that is probably too much challenge even for a springer fan like me :)! Looking forward to seeing how you shoot it.
This is a little off topic, but I think you might be interested. I shot in the York shoot on Sat. That is a 60 yd. chunk shoot held every year in honor of Sgt. Alvin York (a true American war hero by any man’s estimation and a topnotch rifleman). It was my first chunk match with a relatively newly built (fired 2x previously) primarily offhand rifle with untested sights (they are set up to hit away from the “sighter”, which is untouched), and I was happy not to finish last. My string was 14.457″ — the winners was ~3.3″ :)! At least they all were centered inside the circle (although one by the barest of margins)! I have a lot of work to do, not only with getting to know the rifle, but also in learning how to position the target cards (each relay is a card with a target on it, which you place where you think the next shot will land, so that it hits the X, IDEALLY :)), but it was the fulfillment of a goal I’ve had for a while, and I liked it a lot, so I’ll probably shoot more chunk matches.
Also, we stopped at the York house where we talked to Sgt. York’s son Andrew (he’s a park ranger), and I asked about the Springfield/Enfield debate. I now have no question that it was a Springfield. I particularly liked one of the supporting arguments: that Sgt. York would not have tolerated the peep sights on an Enfield :)! Apparently, some of the historians persist in the Enfield story, but there is no question for me, now. I cannot imagine that Sgt. York would have been confused about the difference between the two.
PS. Mac is in my prayers, just catching up.
Okay, bring on the pistol. It sounds like some other extremely powerful spring pistol that was blogged awhile ago which turned out to be quite a shooter. I can’t remember it’s name.
Put together the vast interest in guns in the country along with the lack of jobs and you would think that PA would have a lot of applicants. But the airgun expertise is in smaller supply I suppose.
Victor, yes, there is a lot of variation among doctors. While I was studying to be one, I remember visiting a hospital where the nurses would make fun of a resident named BrADeLY W(R)ONG. That would be a drag to spend your career with the nurses making fun of you like the snickering footmen of English novels. I think that my current rheumatologist probably falls into the same category. His online reviews are mediocre and I can see why. However, in one way he excels which is his lack of wait time. Maybe I’m his only patient. And when he found the drug that works for me (even though he insisted I pick from a list of options), he was overjoyed and much more expressive than I’d ever seen him. Maybe I’m the first person he’s cured.
B.B., thanks for the info about Japanese management. That does ring a bell now. I believe Juran was a sort of mentor or predecessor of Deming’s at Bell Labs who actually came up with most of Deming’s ideas. But Deming said that he had an unfortunate tendency to make things sound difficult and much of Deming’s work was in clarifying and communicating Juran’s ideas. Here’s further proof if any were needed on the importance of clear expression. If the United States achieved such a high production with Deming, it’s curious how they lost it in the postwar years. Perhaps complacency and a lack of urgency. And has there ever been such a country as the United States which will whomp on countries and then rebuild them with the likes of the Marshall Plan even to the point of outcompeting the victor as did the Japanese under Deming’s tutelage. Other great powers have provided benefits to conquered or colonized nations but always within a framework of clear advantage to themselves.
On top of the production disparity, I still hold out for inferior Japanese management as something that hastened their end in WWII. At Guadalcanal, they fed in units piecemeal and had overly complicated operational plans against a Marine position that they should have been able to overrun, almost did anyway. Some of their naval operations, which I’m less familiar with ,suffered from the same vices of over-complication, rigidity, or lack of preparation. And while the Japanese deserve a lot of credit for their postwar achievements, I don’t know if their management practices are a model even now. My brother had a close look at this while working for years for Japanese business. An historically adaptable people, they seem to have adapted certain aspects of their traditional culture to the Deming model, such as their consensus orientation, but not without a price. Their fixation on unanimity leads to enormous amounts of wasted time especially when accompanied with their extremely complicated social conventions and their rather flowery and indirect manner of expression to get around them. They make it work with an extreme work ethic, but the focus on long hours by themselves can be a problem too. And while they have done great in production, their management of their economy at a national level has been in trouble for some time.
Well, I am now the proud possessor of a SW686. According to the gunsmith who inspected it, I made a real killing with a piece in excellent condition. Remind me not to do this again! There were all sorts of parameters of gas cutting, and different tolerances to be gauged that I had not idea about. I could really have been taken to the cleaners. But I wasn’t, so I am going to rejoice with my prize. You can think of the opening description of the Ghost of Christmas Present: “In easy state upon a couch, there sat a jolly giant…” 🙂
Beautiful gun. I’m a little surprised at the slimness of the grip for a gun of this size. This may be to allow room for the speedloader which I’ve been practicing with. The gun is quite forward-heavy but I suppose that is to help balance that magnum recoil, and I got a 6 inch barrel for that reason. Single action pull is exquisite, but double action is a killer. Your trigger finger would have to look like one of Arnold’s arms to make that easy. This will require some practice. While I can see the impulse to squeeze with the first joint, I seem to be able to get some extra leverage working the pad of the finger. Any recommendations about a holster? It seems a little large for the conventional side holster unless you want to play the character in the song “with the big iron on his hip.”
Quiz question. If you fired a SW .500 magnum through a medical textbook–a hardbound tome of 3000 pages–how far would you round penetrate? This could be an astonishingly precise standard of comparison for penetration. This was done by a YouTube character named hickok45 who seems to have an unlimited supply of guns. The round did not obliterate the book as I was expecting since it can supposedly take elephants. The round was found on page 1485. Pages were cracked until page 2121. How about that? Paper is an extremely dense substance.
Matt61
Matt61,
And some doctors really can’t be trusted. I’ve had a couple doctors who go out of their way to circulate you as a patient throughout all of their friends, or testing labs. I’ll spare the details, but suffice it to say, I’ve seen some real doozies! In my personal opinion, maybe 10% to 20% of doctors are really good. “Competent” means that they are able to prescribe medications that are likely to help. I had one doctor that was so incompetent that she never prescribed the right medication for anything. I knew because other doctors would later tell me what the appropriate medication was, telling me that she didn’t know what she was doing. She vanished from her position with an “Urgent Care” outfit, after I told her that you don’t know how good your doctor is until you’re really sick. She prescribed me something that sent me on a downwards spiral, health-wise, and then sent me to her husbands golfing buddy, who made me even worse. I was going both completely deaf and blind under their “treatment”. I’ve never fully recovered from THEM. Again, I’ll spare you details, but they were shockingly incompetent. However, if there was one thing that they both had mastered, it was arrogance.
Victor
Matt61,You struck a cord in me with the med. textbook test.About 17 years ago I got my first airgun.It was a Daisy Powerline 856 10 pump pneumatic rifle in .177 cal.(It still amazes me with what it can do)I thought I had an original idea and used a telephone book to test the penetration I could get with the different number of pumps per shot.I also tested the different pellets that were available at that time along with their accuracy and found that the Crosman Copperhead field point pellets were by far the best for that rifle.Anyway,if you remove the thicker advertisement pages and the covers you have a precision testing devise to take along if you plan to check out a pellet gun someone has to sell.You can compare what it does to some of your known guns.Don’t forget to take some of your own pellets for a fair comparison. ,,,Oh,and that’s not all.The telephone book also makes a great comparative terminal ballistics testing device.I compared an RWS 14.5 grain super point,a Crosman 14.3 grain hollow point,and an RWS 14.5 grain super dome that way.I used the same rifle with the same power and tested all under the same misalignment of the stars.They all produced a clean round hole in the first pages.The super point penetrated and tore 9 pages more than the hollow point (maybe because it was 0.2 grain heavier?)and 29 pages more that the super dome.The clean hole of the super point soon changed to 3 straight tears radiating from a center point at equal angles to each other.This changed to a semicircular tear(smiley face mouth)that got smaller and to a vee shape till it finished with a small dimple in a few more pages.The hollow point kept it;s round hole much farther through the pages (remember these have antimony in them and they are hard;even with this 13 fpe rifle @ about 650 f./s.).The hole became a flapper like a letter u shaped smiley face mouth that had a straight tear where the tongue would be.This graduated to a shallow smile tear till it finished with a dimple in about 25 more pages.The super dome’s clean hole went deeper than the super point but not as deep as the hollow point.It changed to a larger flapper tear than the hollow point and left a crater depression all around it that involved a larger area.This graduated to a shallow but wide smiley face mouth and finished with a deep dimple that embossed many more pages than the other pellets.Sorry this turned out so long.It anyone ever shoots at you ;grab a thick book and R-U-N -Tin Can Man-
BG_Farmer,
Edith and I watched “Sergeant York” this weekend! A great movie. I told her about chunk shooting, which they did in the movie for the beef cow.
B.B.
B.B., I haven’t see Sergeant York in years. I think I’ll watch it this evening. ~Ken
Steve sent this to the wrong address, so I’m posting it here:
Hi, I have a super telly 0.177 in full working order and in it’s orginal box, do you have any more info on this product
also does it have a value.
Thank you
Steve,
A Relum Telly is a good basic Hungarian spring gun. Here is a guest blog on one:
/blog/2012/12/the-relum-telly-part-2/
They aren’t common in the U.S. As for the value, my guess is it varies a lot. Because they aren’t common they might bring a little more, but because they are a basic airgun, they should sell for around $60-100, depending on condition.
B.B.
Nice to see that you are testing an all time classic like the Weihrauch HW70. Never bought one, as it always seemed a little bit underpowered to me.
Are you sure, the spring tube is made of aluminium? All the older versions of this pistol i´ve seen, had tubes made of steel. But maybe Weihrauch have changed this….
I ´ve been playing around with a RWS Diana LP8 for several weeks and can´t praise this pistol enough. Seems to me, this is now THE springer pistol i have searched for, after having several others (including Weihrauch HW45/Beeman P1, the Webley/Browning 800/Hatsan clones) and others. The LP8 is powerful, smooth to cock and shoot, easily scopeable with no creeping of the scope and very,very accurate.
Markus,
The magnet doesn’t lie. It’s been that way for a long time, apparently.
Tom,
Back in March 2009 you did an article on the Alpha Proj Competition PCP pistol. At that time you said “The Alfa Competition Pistol is definitely unregulated, and the velocity curve shows it.” I noticed today that PA says it has a “Built-in regulator!” with that exclamation point behind the word regulator. So it looks like the pistol has changed internally a lot since 2009. Any chance you might re-visit this pistol? It looks like a terrific pistol for the price if it still shoots as good as the 2009 test target shows.
-Chuckj
chuckj,
Tom did write that in the blog post. Later in a comment someone mentioned it was regulated. That was never changed in the blog post, but I added it to the gun’s description.
Edith
chuckj,
Apparently the pistol I tested had a reg that wasn’t working. But apparently the pistol does have a reg. I have seen regs fail in other guns, as well, so this isn’t a reflection on the Alfa.
It doesn’t need another test. It’s a good target pistol for a budget price.
I’d say get one and go for it.
B.B.
Tom,
I was wondering about those velocity numbers you showed in the article and trying to fit them into what I thought a regulated pistol ought to be doing. Mystery solved! Thanks for clearing that up.
ChuckJ,
I’ve had my eye on this pistol myself. The big question for me is, which is better (more worth buying), the Alpha or the IZH 46M.
Victor
Victor,
Good question. I have the 46M as you know.
I like it a lot but I had to make a left hand grip for it. I see PA now offers a left hand grip for $125.
The Alpha is ambidextrous.
The Alpha is a pound lighter than the 46M.
The Alpha has a 6oz. movable weight that the 46M does not have.
The 46M has a 1.5″ longer overall length and a 1″ longer barrel.
A big difference is the 46M has to be pumped (but only once) for each shot while the Alpha is precharged and I have the scuba equipment already for charging.
The sights appear to be similar in their pictures. Both notch and post.
I don’t know the difference in distance from rear to front sight.
They both are 500fps.
The 46M with standard trigger has 5 adjustments and the Alpha claims 5.
The 46M with upgraded trigger is $590, the Alpha is $650.
The Alpha has a scope rail but the 46M can get an attachment for a Weaver/Picatinny.
They both can be mailed right to my door (so far).
I’m wondering if the shorter length of the Alpha will affect accuracy.
I’m wondering if the break in concentration to pump the 46M is affecting accuracy.
I’m wondering if the 1 pound lighter in weight will make the Alpha easier for me to shoot.
I’m wondering if adding the adjustable weight and sliding it forth and back will make a difference in accuracy.
I’m wondering if the cocking lever of the Alpha being on the right will be a problem for a lefty.
Now I spent $550 for the 46M, am thinking of spending $650 for the Alpha – that’s $1,200. I coulda bought a Walther LP300 or a Feinwerkbau P11 for that. HELP! WHERE DOES IT ALL END!!!!
-Chuckj
Correction: The cocking lever of the Alpha is on the LEFT not on the right, which may make it difficult for a left hander to cock without moving the pistol from one hand to the other.
-Chuck
Chuckj,
The first airgun that I bought after an over 30 year layoff from shooting was a Gamo Compact. I hadn’t found this blog yet, and in fact hadn’t even heard of PA yet. At the time that I bought it, I had no idea as to what was available, and in fact, knew nothing about springer’s, and hadn’t even heard of PCP’s yet. I was a total newbie. All I knew was how to shoot guns, and almost all of my airgun experience was with high end FWB’s (pistol and rifle).
At the time that I bought my Compact, I wasn’t sure how serious I was about shooting again, but I had serious doubts that it was worth it for me to spend more than a couple hundred bucks.
The Compact was a decent entry level pistol for me, but obviously nothing like the FWB that I used in competition. There is something about it that makes squeezing the trigger a bit of a challenge after a long layoff. I have to retrain myself each time. I don’t think there’s anything wrong with the pistol. I believe that my hands are simply not the same as they were before that one head-on car accident, where I broke the steering wheel off completely with my hands. I tore lots of muscles in my hands and arms, so without a lot of practice my wrists tend to break while squeezing the trigger. If you saw my hands after the accident, you’d think that they were balloons. Both hands blew up like balloons, and I couldn’t use them for months (even to go to the bathroom – a nightmare). I don’t see the problem so much with my Ruger Mk II, so I think it has something to do with the grip size of the Compact, and how my muscles hold the larger grip. Very strange and very frustrating for me, because I use to be pretty good with pistol!
I shot my compact for the first time in almost two years, and sure enough, I need to retrain myself. Because I like to shoot in my office, which has a corner-to-corner range of 23 feet, I make my own 10 meter air-pistol targets that I reduce to 23 feet.
Because of my hand issues, I’d lean towards the Alpha, because the grips are smaller. However, I do prefer a little weight for stability. I have my Compact rigged so that I can add small increments of weights. It definitely works best for me with a little extra weight. In fact, I can adjust the weight forward or back.
I have a plan for retraining my hands to better manage the trigger squeeze. My plan is simple. I’m going to not care about what I hit, and just focus on squeezing the trigger without disturbing sight alignment. I might even do this with a blank target. The trick is finding a grip that minimizes use of my damaged muscles. I know it’s doable because on occasion i can get everything to work fine. But when I don’t, my hand muscles go into a fairly obvious spasm, and yet it isn’t because of any obvious strain. This is not a flinch.
Victor
B.B.,
I once had a Winchester target air-pistol that was a little like these air-pistols. It wasn’t very powerful, maybe around 300 fps, but it seemed reasonably accurate. I loaned it to someone who put a bunch of pellets in it backwards, completely filling the barrel with lead. It was a real chore removing them, but unfortunately when I did, the gun never worked again. This was decades ago, so I just threw the gun away. I wish I hadn’t, but oh, well!
Victor
I notice that Weihrauch themselves seem to be still selling the HW-70 with a muzzle-brake and their own branded 2×20 scope as the “Black Arrow” model.
I’m finally seeing the first of Crosman’s new offerings. I’m still waiting for the new tactical style air rifles. I’m hoping those come out soon. I really want to get my hands on those about as bad as I want to get my hands on that new Airforce Condor SS. I’m working on how to get my hands on that in a state Pyramyd AIR won’t ship shrouded barrel air rifles to which is crazy since I only live 6 hours away from them.
The new Weihrauch HW 70 – Black Arrow (scoped model) is now improved with a better grip and a longer scope rail. This model also has a gold plated safety button and a muzzle brake.
The Weihrauch HW 70 standard model (Beeman HW 70A) still has the old grip.
Both new and old grips are ambidextrous.
Have a look here for the two versions of the HW 70:
http://www.weihrauch-sport.de/seiten/englisch/luftpistolen/e_luftpistolen.html
I think it should be possible to order a scope rail for the HW 70. Ask for the new, longer rail.
Wow! BB so you finally got around to doing a review of this fine German pistol. I have had one for a number of years now and requested a few times for you to do this report. Looking forward Part 2.
I have kept mine most of the time on the outdoor back porch and pretty much shoot it daily. I did notice the fps going down,but a few drops of oil brought it back up. I did not like the rear sight and recoil would make it come loose until I lost the spring. I ordered a rear site from chambers and it came with a fiber optic that was a huge benefit to the gun.
thank you for your report and keep the good work up!
Dave
Dave,
Then this one is for you!
B.B.