Last spring I posted about my fortune to find this as-new right handed Beeman HW 97 in .20 caliber at the west coast airgun show and a number of members were polite enough to ask for a follow on post regarding its performance.
We’ll, I am not sure the gun had ever been fired and as expected it was packed full of grease. A couple of test shots when I got home were accompanied by excessive muzzle reports, my chronograph indicating the gun was making 18.5 fpe. Yikes! So I put it away as a rainy day project.
Winter has arrived and I finally got into the gun the other night, cleaned it and replaced the 15 year old seals. I am not a fan of heavy moly paste but that’s what I have on hand so lubed it up and put it back together. It has a fairly tight fitting main spring guide and a satisfying shot cycle, albeit a little slow at 13.5 fpe. Maybe a little too much lube or maybe the Vortek seal needs to wear in, I don’t know. Whatever the reason I am not inclined at this moment to chase more velocity as it feels and shoots great.
Below is my final (for this evening) 50 yard sight-in target. A tight little cluster slightly to the left followed by three slightly right after a few clicks for windage.
I think this gun is a keeper. I may have to put a proper field target scope on it and bring it to a match, lol!
We’ll, I am not sure the gun had ever been fired and as expected it was packed full of grease. A couple of test shots when I got home were accompanied by excessive muzzle reports, my chronograph indicating the gun was making 18.5 fpe. Yikes! So I put it away as a rainy day project.
Winter has arrived and I finally got into the gun the other night, cleaned it and replaced the 15 year old seals. I am not a fan of heavy moly paste but that’s what I have on hand so lubed it up and put it back together. It has a fairly tight fitting main spring guide and a satisfying shot cycle, albeit a little slow at 13.5 fpe. Maybe a little too much lube or maybe the Vortek seal needs to wear in, I don’t know. Whatever the reason I am not inclined at this moment to chase more velocity as it feels and shoots great.
Below is my final (for this evening) 50 yard sight-in target. A tight little cluster slightly to the left followed by three slightly right after a few clicks for windage.
I think this gun is a keeper. I may have to put a proper field target scope on it and bring it to a match, lol!
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