HW/Weihrauch HW95K .25 cal

[Toxylon]

For a good while now I have pined for a medium power .25 cal springer, having persistent feelings for the quarter bore, plus a sizeable stash of .25 cal pellets waiting deployment.

I was close to pulling the trigger on a new .25 cal Fenix 400 in walnut, but then this used quarter bore HW95K turned up.

Weihrauch isn’t my favorite make, but they do have fine barrels in the odd calibers. This one had a stock suitable for open sights – a must for me, but an exception among HWs these days. Paramount was also the fact that this gun’s barrel would fit in my HW80, and the other way around.

I struck a deal at about one half of what a comparable HW .25 cal (as the basic 95 isn’t manufactured anymore) would fetch these days. It was the seller’s late dad’s gun, and he knew nothing about it. The serial number puts a 2009 manufacturing date on it.

The gun isn’t pristine, having many small scratches in the lacquer finish of the stock, plus some rust at the barrel front and the pivot bolt nut. Mechanically it seems to be in perfect working order. A simple HJB 4x32 scope on too high mounts came with the gun.

With reports of the excellent accuracy, consistency and good manners of HW95 .25 cals, from both sides of the pond, I’m really curious to see how it goes down with my gun.

BTW – the .25 cal barrel doesn’t have the usual white HW breech seal, but a large O-ring instead. Replacements look to fetch a ridiculous price (+ shipping) at Weihrauch parts dealers. Wonder if some common O-ring size fits in there?

 

[crowski]

You lucky duck. Nice score. I’ve been trying to get a 98, 95 and a R9 in .25 cal. for over 2 years. I don’t think Weihrauch is producing any more .25’s. Had on order with 2 different companies a 98 and 95. Both came back N/A. Enjoy your gem. Crow

 

[Mycapt65]

Very nice Duke. My first Weihrauch was a 2015? basic 95. I like those stocks for irons. In my early ignorance I crushed the wood under forearm screws and refinished it poorly after an attempt to steam out a dent. I fixed the wood around forearm screw holes and kept the stock for future use with irons. My 95 family guns aren't othwise compatible with irons without it.

The 25 caliber barrel would be better suited to your 80 if it proves to be a good barrel. I knew the standard Breech seals didn't fit 25s. I didn't know they were expensive. Hopefully they last as long as the smaller bore ones. Of all the synthetic W breech seals I've seen I've only seen one legitimately go bad. It was 42 years old and crumbled. Normally they don't go bad. Be careful using a non OE breech seal they can be too thick. Only a couple thousandths extra will hold it off lock up and cause problems.

Congrats on the new rifle. I'm looking forward to seeing what you do with it.

Be well
Ron

 

[cjtamu]

Nice, Duke, glad you found one to your liking. Can’t wait to read the write ups.

 

[Toxylon]

First shots off the 95. The gun breaks, cocks, locks, loads and releases as it should. The trigger pull is somewhat heavier than I like, though. The pivot joint is too tight, as well, increasing cocking resistance and compromising accuracy.

There’s a metric ton of buzz and twang in the shot cycle, but the gun doesn’t kick or shake at anywhere near the level my 95L .22 cal did, thanks to the extra large bore. Civilized twangerino, this. There’s a whiff of dieseling present, as expected from a factory setup, which this gun by all evidence still has.

Loading .25 cal Exacts is like pushing blueberries into the bore – infinitely easier and more secure than handling morsel-like .177 cals.


Exacts shoot at 154.4 m/s / 19.6 J, or 507 fps / 14.4 fpe

FTT’s shoot at 174.2 m/s / 19.7 J, or 572 fps / 14.5 fpe

Both pellets exhibit small spreads, in the 3 fps range for five shots.

I've never had a springer that shot Exacts and FTT's (of any caliber) to almost exactly the same ME.

The output is in line with general expectations, if a little on the low side. As it stands, this would make a great farmyard ratting gun. For more general use, I want to to boost the velocities a little, which a Titan #8 + Vortek VAC should do quite nicely.

I’m going to spend some time with the present setup, anyway, learning the gun and checking the barrel for accuracy.

 

[Sean_E]

First shots off the 95. The gun breaks, cocks, locks, loads and releases as it should. The trigger pull is somewhat heavier than I like, though. The pivot joint is too tight, as well, increasing cocking resistance and compromising accuracy.

There’s a metric ton of buzz and twang in the shot cycle, but the gun doesn’t kick or shake at anywhere near the level my 95L .22 cal did, thanks to the extra large bore. Civilized twangerino, this. There’s a whiff of dieseling present, as expected from a factory setup, which this gun by all evidence still has.

Loading .25 cal Exacts is like pushing blueberries into the bore – infinitely easier and more secure than handling morsel-like .177 cals.


Exacts shoot at 154.4 m/s / 19.6 J, or 507 fps / 14.4 fpe

FTT’s shoot at 174.2 m/s / 19.7 J, or 572 fps / 14.5 fpe

Both pellets exhibit small spreads, in the 3 fps range for five shots.

I've never had a springer that shot Exacts and FTT's (of any caliber) to almost exactly the same ME.

The output is in line with general expectations, if a little on the low side. As it stands, this would make a great farmyard ratting gun. For more general use, I want to to boost the velocities a little, which a Titan #8 + Vortek VAC should do quite nicely.

I’m going to spend some time with the present setup, anyway, learning the gun and checking the barrel for accuracy.

That’s awesome

 

[Bear-of-Grayling]

BTW – the .25 cal barrel doesn’t have the usual white HW breech seal, but a large O-ring instead. Replacements look to fetch a ridiculous price (+ shipping) at Weihrauch parts dealers. Wonder if some common O-ring size fits in there?

I wouldn’t pay it. Leather breech seals have worked for a century. Why not fabricate your own.

 

[Mycapt65]

The energy might only be a tick low. A couple people reported their R1s and 80 losing power going from 22 to 25. A 95 depending on caliber and pellet is 14-16 fpe gun in factory form. You may get more energy playing with it but it may not be a lot more. Im curious to see what you get from it. I pitty the rat that gets hit with that thing now.

 

[KWK]

Try some .25 alloys in your 95

You should be able to match up the O ring

 

[Toxylon]

The energy might only be a tick low. A couple people reported their R1s and 80 losing power going from 22 to 25. A 95 depending on caliber and pellet is 14-16 fpe gun in factory form. You may get more energy playing with it but it may not be a lot more. Im curious to see what you get from it. I pitty the rat that gets hit with that thing now.

I have no fantasies about the power potential of a HW95. A couple extra fpe would be close to maxing out. That being said, a couple of fpe would make a real difference in a slow gun. "At 600 fps the .25 cal gets really interesting", as one UK veteran put it.

My HW95L .22 got 16.2 fpe in factory form. For the 95 .25 cal, I'm going with published numbers by airgunners I trust, and 16 fpe is very doable.

Some people have had pretty poor results going .25 cal with a HW80, others quite different, with no ME penalty at all. To be honest, a Weihrauch wouldn't be my first choice for a bigger cal gun, since they struggle to make power across the board. But quality .25 cal barrels are all but extinct outside HW. I don't mind a couple of tame guns, as long as certain thresholds are met, and the guns operate at their full potential.

 

[Mycapt65]

My HW95L .22 got 16.2 fpe in factory form. For the 95 .25 cal, I'm going with published numbers by airgunners I trust, and 16 fpe is very doable.

I believe it is too.

 

[Mycapt65]

since they struggle to make power across the board.

That's in big part due to their offset transfer port and relatively short strokes. If you look at the big power Dianas I believe their transfer ports are centered or close to it. Centering the transfer port increases airflow tremendously. Weihrauch attempts to address this by slanting the port towards center. It's difficult to incorporate a centered transfer port into a break barrel. I know from my race engine days that a the turbulence the offset port causes really hurts airflow.

Keep the updates coming.
Ron