Today reader Roamin’ Greco tells us about the HW Barakuda that I am now testing for you. This sets the stage for what is about to come in my reports on the rifle, so I will link back to this report in the future. Let’s sit back and let him tell us about it.
If you’d like to write a guest post for this blog, please email me at blogger@pyramydair.com.
Take it away, Roamin’.
Roamin’ Greco’s Impressions of the Weihrauch Barakuda Model EL 54
by Roamin’ Greco
This report covers:
- Second guest blog
- Shipping is expensive
- Arrival!
- It’s big
- Trigger
- Sights
- Cocking
- Injection system
- Firing cycle
- Backwards
- Velocity
- Ether?
- Not for me
Second guest blog
I am back with my second guest blog! As you all know, currently I’m interested in, among other things, vintage springers. So, when reader Frank Balistreri mentioned on the blog a little while ago that he had a Weihrauch Model EL 54 Barakuda that wasn’t getting a lot of trigger time, I had to make him a pitch. If he would agree to let me borrow it and shoot it for a while, I would pay for shipping both ways. Well, he had already agreed to sell it to another fellow — none other than the man himself, B.B. Pelletier, a/k/a Tom Gaylord, the Godfather of Airguns! However, Frank arranged to send it to me first with the understanding that I would eventually send it to B.B. What a deal! A win-win-win! All I had to do was pay the shipping, and I could experience this unique airgun without having to buy it.
Shipping is expensive
By the way, shipping any kind of long gun has become insanely expensive lately. I recently bid on an auction for several hard gun cases, and I won one for 24 Bucks! But the shipping was $42. For an empty rifle case! Shipping the Barakuda was over $90. So much for that borrowing concept.
As I eagerly waited for the package to arrive, I busied myself reading B.B.’s report about the Barakuda, and because the Barakuda is a modified Weihrauch HW 35, I read a couple of blog entries about that airgun as well [here] and [here]. Actually, an advanced Google search for “HW 35” limited to this blog’s website yielded about 124 results, including comments, so it is a relatively well-known model.
Arrival!
Finally, the package from Fred arrived. With the sounds of raunchy guitar riffs and big block engines revving in my head (after all, the EL 54 is like a HW 35 “turbo”), I began opening the shipping box. A beautiful walnut stock emerged from the bubble wrap. It had a rear sling swivel but nothing forward. There was a small spot on the top edge of the forearm where the finish was missing, but otherwise, it was a gorgeous piece of hardwood. Digging further, I found a piece of lightly-colored beech that looked like a baby beaver had cut its teeth on it.
The Weihrauch Model EL 54 Barakuda’s walnut finery and her beech baby beaver chew toy.
Finally, I unwrapped the barreled action with the curious ether injection mechanism. After a thorough wipe-down with Ballistol and a clean cotton rag, I immediately decided to put the walnut stock back into its protective bubble wrap cocoon. This was not a stock I wanted to add any dings or scratches to. I installed the action into the beech stock for testing.
It’s big
This large, heavy .22 caliber rifle tipped the scales at 9 pounds (4.1 kg). The articulated cocking link allowed for a lot of solid wood in the forearm, which was flattened on the bottom, begging to be nestled into a sandbag on a benchrest.
You know you are holding something substantial.
Trigger
The trigger blade was very wobbly left to right, like a loose tooth hanging by a thread. I wondered if it had been damaged in transit, but with the trigger guard in place and all the bubble wrap, I couldn’t figure out how that could have happened. Thanks to B.B.’s report [here], we all now know what happened, but the how remains a mystery, for now, although B.B. has a theory [here].
Sights
There was a globe front sight that took replaceable inserts, but this rifle only came with a tapered post insert that was painted white on one side. There was also a standard-looking Weihrauch rear sight with a single “U” shaped notch, adjustable for windage and elevation. The rear sight had a few dings along the top edge of the blade. There was no rotating selector for different notches as in other rear sights I have seen.
Classic target sights front and rear.
Cocking
The barrel had the locking mechanism of an HW 35. Pushing the release forward, while giving the lady a slight dip, allowed inertia to pull the barrel down a bit and out of battery. From there, it cocked like a standard break barrel springer. A large spring-loaded ball bearing interfaced against a chisel-shaped detent.The breech seal looked intact. Later, the tissue paper test proved that it did not leak.
Once the rifle was cocked, the barrel did not stay at any given angle, but I think it was a bit loose on purpose to allow for unlocking the barrel with one hand. Perhaps tightening that up might have improved accuracy, but with the barrel lock, I doubted it would have much effect, so why risk marring the screws?
Proof that the Barakuda EL 54 is a hot-rodded HW 35 “turbo”: the barrel lock.
Cocking was not too difficult, especially since the barrel is relatively long, providing plenty of leverage. It felt like it took more muscle than my Beeman R7 (HW 30S), but it seemed a bit easier than my Beeman R9 (HW 95). It was way easier than my Diana 350 Magnum. As I pulled the barrel down, there was a muffled click from the articulated cocking link, then a louder click when the gun cocked. The rifle closed like a standard break barrel, except for the massive locking lug with the evil-looking point that engaged the barrel-lock release. Despite this, the action effortlessly snicked into place like a bank vault.
I hate to nerd-out in front of all of you, but closing the action was my favorite part of the experience with this rifle. All I heard was the whisper of the barrel block rotating on the hinge pins. There was hardly any sound when the barrel locks back up into place. The barrel simply stops moving and freezes in place. It feels incredibly solid (I would love to compare this to an HW 55 with a locking lever, hint, hint).
Injection system
The ether injection system consists of a metal cylinder that is simply bolted onto the right side of the spring tube, with a thick, black seal where the cylinder joined the spring tube and another under a cap. A spring-loaded bolt sticks out of a slot in the side of the cylinder. You pull the bolt back, and it springs forward. I was not sure if this was for breaking the ether ampule or for injecting a shot of ether into the spring tube, or both. I was tempted to take the whole thing apart to see how it works, but I chickened out, fearful of damaging the seals between the steel components. What if I damaged a seal and could not find a suitable replacement? Again, not my gun, and I certainly didn’t want to damage B.B.’s newest toy. Not this guy.
After a few preliminary shots, I was having trouble focusing on the tapered front sight against the bottoms of the black bullseyes of my 10-meter targets, so I temporarily replaced the tapered post insert for a square one from my Beeman R9. I also tried to mount a peep sight, but the dovetail turned out to be significantly wider than normal—12.68mm (about 1/2 inch). I could not get any of my peep sights to fit. Perhaps my Williams peep sight would, but then the aperture would would have been too far away and too large for the greatest precision. I could not even get my AirForce peep sight with the spreader screw to fit, so I stayed with the stock rear sight.
Firing cycle
The firing cycle was unlike any of my other springers. As I mentioned, the trigger was quite wobbly left to right. However, once I settled into shooting position and started squeezing, I didn’t really notice it. The trigger had a long, very light first stage, but a short, crisp second stage. Just how I liked it. Despite the rifle’s considerable weight, the Barakuda’s heavy piston really moved the rifle at the shot, although thankfully there was no twisting or buzzing, just a pronounced pulse into my shoulder. After the shot, all I had to do was slide my hand forward on the forearm until my left thumb found the barrel lock release. A little push forward while lifting the rifle off the sandbag was usually all it took to disengage the barrel. If simply lifting the rifle with the release pushed in was not enough to take the gun out of battery, a slight dip was all that was needed.
Backwards
I did things a bit backwards from B.B.’s usual testing regimen—I couldn’t help myself. First, I shot a bunch of different pellets, and then I tested a few of those through the chronograph. Unfortunately, the Barakuda did not show me impressive accuracy at 10 yards. Ten RWS Meisterkugeln .22s yielded a 0.463-inches (11.76 mm) group using the artillery hold (left hand on sandbag, front of forearm near the abbreviated cocking slot in my open palm with a light hold on the pistol grip. Laying the gun directly on the sandbag resulted in a 0.439-inches (11.14 mm) group of ten shots with the same pellet. The rest of my tests were shot directly off the sandbag.
Ten RWS Meisterkugeln .22s grouped in 0.463-inches at 10 yards with the artillery hold; but shooting directly on the sandbag yielded slightly better groups at 0.439-inches.
H&N Baracuda 15s turned in a satisfyingly round group, and it was 0.422-inches (10.71 mm) after 10 shots, one of the best groups.
Ten H&N Baracuda 15s grouped in 0.422-inches.
I thought to try a lighter pellet, and the RWS Hobby pellets at 11.9 grains were among the lightest pellets tested. They turned in a triangular-shaped group measuring 0.534-inches (13.57 mm). The first shot of this group was a pinwheel, taking the center of the bullseye out. That is always fun to see. The rest of the group, not so much.
Ten RWS Hobby pellets grouped in 0.534-inches.
The best group of all was when 8 of the cheapest .22 pellets, H&N’s Excite Plinking pellets grouped into 0.233-inches (5.92 mm)! However, the group of 10 that it was a part of was 0.677-inches” (17.18mm). Hopefully, B.B. can do better with her.
Ten H&N Excite Plinking pellets grouped in 0.677”, but look at where 8 of those shots went.
Velocity
Velocity testing showed more promise. The 14.0 grain RWS Meisterkugeln pellet produced a 10-shot string with a high velocity of 549.2 fps (167.39 mps), and a low of 530.2 fps (161.6 mps), for an extreme spread of 18.76 fps (5.72 mps) and an average of 542.8 fps (165.44 mps). The standard deviation was. 5.56 fps (1.69 mps). Curiously, the shot with the lowest velocity produced a surprisingly loud report. It made me think to perhaps oil the piston seal. However, I am not sure if the gun has a leather or a synthetic piston seal, so that will also have to wait for the new owner to address.
RWS Hobby pellets were lighter at 11.0 grains, and the velocities were commensurately faster: high – 606.3 fps, low – 586.5 fps, extreme spread – 19.71 fps, and an average of 594.1 fps. Interestingly, although the extreme spread was larger than the Meisterkugelns, the standard deviation was a bit less at 5.09 fps.
The H&N Baracuda 15s performed better for the chronograph than on target: high – 514.8 fps, low – 504.9 fps, extreme spread – 9.88 fps, and average – 509.3 fps. The standard deviation was only 3.31 fps. Are you all sensing a trend?
It just so happened that I had received an order of the newer JTS Dead Center pellets around this time. Although I had not tested them for accuracy, I put them through the chronograph on a whim and got an intriguing result: high-467.1 fps, low – 460.5, extreme spread – 6.59 fps (wow), average – 463.5 fps, and standard deviation 2.00 fps (WOW). That is certainly a pellet to try in this gun, even though it may not be beating my Daisy 835c in a footrace.
The average muzzle energy of each of the above pellets ranged from 9.33 FPE for the Hobby pellets to 8.64 FPE for the JTS Deadcenter pellets.
Ether?
All of you who have not fallen asleep yet are probably waiting with bated breath in eager anticipation and excitement for me to break out the can of ether starting fluid and get this lady rockin’ and a rolling. I have to say that Frank Balistreri did encourage me to just spray 10 seconds’ worth of high concentration ether-based starter fluid (used for starting cars that have carburetors) into the tube and then quickly replace the cap. Apparently, the ether enters the spring cylinder ahead of the cocked piston when the bolt on the ether tube is pulled back.
But I have to confess that I am going to disappoint you. I simply chickened out at the hardware store with my hand on a can of starter fluid spray. If I were the cause of damaging this rare gem, I could not forgive myself. And since I’m still rather new to this sport, I have no confidence that I could repair any damage to the gun (let along any damage to me). So, with B.B.’s warnings against intentional detonations at the forefront of my thoughts, I packed the gun for its trip to its rightful owner. Perhaps he will regale us with tales of FPS and FPE that I can only imagine. I would encourage him to try the JTS pellets, and also the H&N Field Target Trophy pellets in various sizes. The cheap H&N Excite Plinking wadcutters also did surprisingly well, at least, 8 out of 10 of them did.
Not for me
Would I buy my own Barakuda EL 54? Probably not. Remember what B.B. had to say about this rifle: “Forced dieseling is NOT SAFE!… Dieseling destroys spring-piston airguns…. This is not a road to go down. If you do, a lot is known about what will happen, and none of it is pleasant.” However, other than the nostalgia and curiosity factor, it seems airgun technology has eclipsed this rifle. I have to say, however, the barrel locking mechanism is really cool (for right-handed folks, at least). But there are so many very accurate guns that work perfectly well with a simple ball bearing detent and no locking mechanism.
Similarly, would I get an HW 35? Probably not, unless a really unique one dropped into my lap for a price I could not pass up. Although it has a place in airgun history as the longest continually-produced airgun, it is very large and heavy relative to its power for hunting, and it does not seem all that accurate for target shooting, either, if this Barakuda is any indication. When guns such as the HW 50 or HW 95 are readily available, I don’t see the niche for the HW 35. My refurbished .22 caliber Beeman R9 (HW 95) is more accurate and more powerful with H&N Field Target Trophy pellets with the 5.53 mm heads, as is my .22 caliber Diana 350 Magnum. The walnut stock was really nice, though….
Roamin Greco,
If only shipping were free or subsidized then this could be a way by which guns can be broken in before Tom has to evaluate them. Although you do highlight the possibility of damaging a rifle before Tom gets it, a company could get behind this idea and use it for focus groups/Quality Assurance before releasing a product into the general public.
Thanks for the preview of the EL54.
Siraniko
Quality Assurance? Just show me the money, sucka. Yep . . . Cynical old man that I am. Orv.
For me it was a chance to experience a classic that I would not otherwise want to buy. I do wish the shipping were cheaper, though.
Thank you for another guest blog, and it’s a good one.
I had honest never heard of this gun until I saw it on Tom’s coffee tabla and I had to ask about it.
Well, now a couple of questions/observations and would lie to hear some input whom those of you who may know.
Obtaining Medical grade ether obviously is not an option, unless you “know a guy”.
I am sure automotive “ether” has many other additives that may or may not play well with the seals in the Airgun. It also may have some lubricants that might stay in the bore after the shot and ease the path of the next pellet.
I know to make ether you need sulfuric acid and ethyl alcohol, and either a lot of knowledge and confidence in what you are doing, or a foolhardy streak a mile wide…
It will be interesting to see how this plays out.
Good job Roamin G!
Thank you, Ian.
Roamin’ Greco,
thank you for the report. I certainly did *not* fall asleep 🙂
The 13mm optics rail should be a sign that it’s a slightly older gun. If it also lacks an automatic safety, it’s probably a pre-1970 model.
You or BB could check the serial number against the Weihrauch database (https://www.weihrauch-database.eu/) to get a ballpark estimate of the production year.
My HW35E must be roughly a 1980 model year and it has a 11mm rail, automatic safety but had no selectable rear sight notch (before I swapped the sight out for one that has it).
Mine is also very accurate, but it took many attempts and a lot of concentration to get the result I did. If I remember correctly, I used my “rested lengthwise on the bag” technique where I touch the gun as little as possible.
But mine is a .177 with 7.5 joules, so it might be a pretty different beast.
Stephan
Stephan,
According to the database 645667 was made in 1977. I think that’s too late, but that’s where it falls.
BB
Wow, good shooting! And thanks for the kind words. I think a vintage Weirauch peep sight would be perfect with this gun.
Roamin Greco,
I shot the group above with a scope.
I don’t have a Weihrauch peep sight, but I found that the later type FWB300S diopter sights fits on the HW35E and in fact that’s what I currently have on there 🙂
Stephan
Roamin – thank you so much for the report!
You are most welcome.
Roamin
Well done and thanks for doing this report.
I too am a big fan of locking levers on break barrel rifles. Three of mine have this feature and I wish more did.
Deck
Deck,
I am with you on those locking mechanisms. Two of my old gals have them. They are so much easier to open than those new fangled ones.
You are welcome. Does the locking lever work the same way as the latch on the 35? I will have to find a Blog report on the HW 55.
Roamin
Can’t say about a HW35. Mine are Walther, Daisy 6500 (Anschultz) and a B-2.
For readers who may not know a latch allows both the unlocking and locking to be done with little or no metal wear.
Deck
Decksniper,
Does the locking latch, in your experience, actually increase pressure on the breech seal or just make certain the barrel remains in battery if bumped?
shootski
Shootski
It does on my Walther Olympia LVG which came with 2 weighted barrel sleeves, one being quite heavy. My best groups are with the heaviest sleeve providing I hold the rifle vertical and lock the barrel by tightening the latch manually with my fingers. This is simply done by moving the hinge locking lever about 1/4” tighter. The barrel is unusually heavy with this sleeve causing shots to otherwise descend on this well worn but accurate vintage rifle.
Avoiding wear of lockup parts is another advantage gained if the lever is held open until barrel is fully seated against the receiver and then closed by hand.This is the way I open and close double guns. Another reason to like levers is ease of unlocking. No bumping or extra effort is needed.
The key lock design of your 2 Sig rifles likely avoids side to side play ever being a problem.
Deck
Deck,
Thank you for your very complete answer.
I think the SIGs will last based on build quality. The fly in the ointment is the gas spring and finding a suitable replacement for when they need to be replaced. I know enough to not delude myself; the time will come and I hope to have a suitable replacement.
For now i will keep them in the shooting rotation trying to keep them exercised.
Today was World Kindness Day. Thank you for your kindness.
Krispy Kreme gave out one dozen of their wonderful donuts as part of the doings.
I finished my days paddle at Ft. Belvior early enough to get to see the HOT LIGHT still on and got my dozen…after the 20+ mile paddle i ate them all ;^) Bought another half dozen to share with my wife who is my shuttle driver for this extended trip. Then loaded up on lots of Protein to settle the carbs…okay some FAT too…BACON!
LIFE IS GOOD, I thank the Lord.
shootski
Shootski
Yes, life is indeed good. God is good all the time!
In my humble opinion it would be helpful if the airgun world had some knowledge as to the number of ASP20 rifles sold. Is there a market for a tech service? Maybe there are not enough out there.
Deck
Deck,
And all the time, God is good. 🙂
BB
BB
Referencing the ASP20 comments above I have a notion that your Sig’s seal repair if it happens could be the subject for a future report. Maybe you will learn how it is done and where parts can be bought. Better yet give someone the idea to make an adjustable power kit for this gas springer. If all efforts fail to fix the rifle perhaps a steel spring conversion could be done although it would be more hold sensitive.
Assuming your rifle is repaired I would be interested in a velocity and accuracy comparison. We already have your reports from the time you first received the ASP20.
Deck
RG,
You have done a superb job of giving us your insights on this old gem. Thank you.
It was probably a wise decision on your part to not use ether in this air rifle. Yes, it was designed to use such, but she is rather old. To not risk any damage is a smart choice.
I myself am a big fan of walnut stocks. That is the wood in most of my stocks that I have. I have long considered purchasing an HW35 for that reason, even though I know it is not the best otherwise. I like the barrel locking mechanism also.
Shipping. Yes, it can be a killer, most especially since some of them just received raises.
Wow, and I thought shipping here in the UK was expensive! ($15)
+1 to our friends across the pond.
Nice report!
Thanks for sharing.
FWIW-In October I sent a rifle cross country for $50. USPS is your friend….
-Yogi
I had paid as little as $30 or so, recently, but this one was packaged for the gorillas to play with, plus the dimensions of the box and the added weight increased the price. But I was shocked about the cost of shipping an empty gun case.
Yes in retrospect, using a box from a 3-ton floor jack to ship one rifle action and two stocks….. Bit me in the rear end.
The stupid thing is it was just slightly over in each dimension from what would have been a more cost-effective box. I get uptight like I’m having a root canal anytime I have to pack an air gun for travel to a new home. But we just can’t replace these things easily either.
I think I got Pen whooped as they say.
It’s OK, Frank. No worries. I used a different box and still paid about the same. When I have time, I’ll look up and post the dimension thresholds so folks can know them. I’m sure they change them from time to time, just to keep us guessing. I’m still in shock about the cost to ship an empty gun case.
Thanks Roamin!
Nice write up!
Cheers!
Thanks, Vana2!
Roamin,
Well done. Interesting perspective from someone that has never held or shot an HW 54 EL or an HW 35 before.
The lack of accuracy in this HW 54 EL is curious. I would snug the barrel tension even though cocking effort will increase. I would also suggest that the barrel receive and agressive cleaning including JB Bore Paste especially knowing that ether was shot through that barrel. Think you/B.B. will find pieces of lead from previously shot pellets. Hopefully these things would help improve accuracy.
Kevin,
I am reading and I will do it.
BB
Thanks, Kevin. If you want a newbie’s opinion, I’m your guy.
I should hadda V8! I could have and should have polished that barrel. Then I could have done a before and after test. Well, at least I got the before part done.
Well what fun, Roamin’!
Nice writeup on a very interesting old gal. Well done, I’m always impressed with the excellent writing ability of BB’s contributors.
Perhaps as you say, the accuracy could be better with a tighter block pivot and no barrel wiggle. But you restrained yourself from tightening the barrel, because it’s not yours. I bet you REALLY wanted to though!
The ether would make the gun shoot faster, but there would be no other gains. More importantly, there was no loss in not using the ether, either. I think you were very considerate to treat the gun as nicely as you did. You may borrow my car or my HW35 someday if you need!
Regards,
Will
Glad you enjoyed it. I try to give borrowed things back in at least as good condition as received, if not better. I REALLY DID want to take that gun apart to see what makes it tick. But a man has to know his limitations…. I’ve read too many stories about tiny parts getting launched into another dimension, or breaking a part that cannot be easily or quickly replaced. Instead, I gave that gun the most thorough wipedown I could without taking it apart past taking the stock off.
Your car would at least be topped off with premium and given a detailed cleaning. Thank you.
Roamin
I feel the same way about borrowed things. My philosophy is that if I borrow something from you and I break it then I either fix it or replace it. That’s why I don’t borrow things very often (:
Brent
Not feeling great this morning but this
Report was very enjoyable from my perspective.
I have to apologize to one and all again.
The trigger came to me with a slight wiggle…… What with both fearing and respecting a rekord trigger, I stayed out of it. If further proof of that fact is required…… I believe Tom knows I can do an outrageous job polishing razor edges….. based on Tom’s description
Whoever molested that trigger group
lacked that skill set.
That being said I still feel horrible
And will be making it up to him.
RoaminGreco is the first rate gentleman and air Gunner we would all like to deal with. Thank you for an enjoyable report!
Frank,
Relax. You have nothing to make up. I will get another report from that trigger as I clean it and get it working well again. Kevin Lentz already gave me another Rekord he didn’t need and it’s already in the rifle working fine.
Take a nap if you can.
BB
Kevin is one of my favorite people!!
He is always proving what a good judge of character I am.
Thank you Tom I feel better now.
Zzzzzz
A good report from a different perspective.
I have developed an appreciation for the depth of knowledge and of the opinions of the readers/contributors to this blog. (I especially like the amount of respect that Roamin Greco has shown to this rifle.)
Since all of my Beeman catalogs are long gone, does anyone remember the “ether tube attachment” being sold as an individual unit (as a collectible?) in the late 70’s or 80’s?
Thanks.
Bill
Bill,
I never saw an ether tube sold as an accessory. The rifle would have to be modified in a major way I will show you in the next installment to accept an ether tube, so I doubt the tube was ever offered separately.
BB
Bill,
You know what? You guys are extremely interested in this rifle and several have made guesses as to performance already, so I will move my next report up to this Wednesday.
BB
Roamin Greco,
Nicely done Guest Blog and worthy of a BZ!
Thank you,
shootski
Thanks!
Good, detailed report on a quite interesting air rifle; agree with your thoughts on the HW30S and the HW95. They will stay around until FM is no longer around or mutates into a Round Tooit. Speaking of cocking effort and mechanisms, had a fun afternoon yesterday sighting-in the HW90 at 10 meters. Results were not bad, at least according to the FM Low-Bar Standard. Working on them Popeye forearms; wish the workout improved vision too; can’t have everything!
Thanks. Know what you mean about the forearms. After 100 shots, my Diana 350 Magnum has me craving some spinach. Who says sitting at a table for an hour or two can’t be good exercise?
Roamin Greco,
I’ve been offline for a few days, so I’m just catching up.
Nice reporting job here!
I confess, I, also, would have been afraid to use ether on a rifle I didn’t own.
But you did a nice job on the accuracy testing; thank you. 🙂
Blessings to you,
dave
Thank you, dave.