Longevity in an Air Rifle

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Fischer

Fischer

Member
Mar 7, 2021
384
24
IL, United States
This mainly means to me the lifetime of an air rifle once sighted in to zero.

I have underlever, sidlelever, and break barrels all single shot.

I have decided for longevity the air rifles I own are capable of more shooting than I do: They will outlast me.

Here are my underlevers, sidelevers, and break barrels that I have collected over the years and all still work to this day:

1. Theoben .25 Eliminator

2. Beeman R9 .177

3. HW80K .22 Long Range Hunter

4. HW80 .177

5. HW80 .20

6. HW80 .25

7. HW98 .20

8. HW98 .177

9. HW98 .25

10. HW95L .25

11. HW95 .177

12. HW95L .22

13. HW57 .177

14. HW97K-T .20

15. HW50S .20 Scoped

16. HW50S .20 unscoped

17. HW35E .22 Blue

18. HW35E .22 Silver

19. HW35E .177 Blue

20. HW35E .177 Silver

21. HW30 .177

22. FWB Sport .177

23. D54 .20 Lothar Walther Connecticut Custom Airguns built by Hector Medina of Dianawerk

Notes:

The HW57 I would never recommend to anyone whether beginning or professional shooter of air rifles. The only reason the .177 is still working instead of the .22 I have (broken) is it outlasted multiple "misfires" without breaking when the push down pellet slider loader didn't go in all the way or was forgotten by a scope not being obstructed by the pop up pellet loader in the intricate mechanics of levers in the machine. This model will only frustrate anyone who knows how to work a simple break barrel which can and will shoot straighter than the straight barrelled HW57. 

The HW97K-T I would not recommend to anyone unless they intend to shoot targets at a rest or bench with sandbags appropriately placed. Offhand it is not nearly as easy as the HW98 or HW95 or HW95L or D54.

The FWB Sport .177 is a "new" machine not to be mixed with the old 124 series in the 80s; it is high velocity high powered and CAN be accurate once you get used to the trigger, which is very very touchy to master.

The HW80s are all great powerhouse rifles with accuracy and a good scope mounted in ZERO RECOIL Dianawerk Mounts and Rings (no one else seems to make a recoilless scope mount worthy of use around these rifles).

All HW95, HW95L, HW98s are the "best buy" (to me) for ALL pellet rifle shooting whether target or field target or hunting used withing their maximum effective ranges (45 yards they can do anything and everything).

The HW35Es are "simpler" rifles from way back outfitted in Walnut instead of Beech. Their open sights will hit consistently as far as your eyes can take them; but if you mount scopes on HW35Es you may find the bore is out of line to properly center and sight a scope to its own advantage.

Out of 4 HW35Es that I have purchased and kept only ONE shoots straight with a Leupold 3-9X 33mm scope meant for air rifles. That'd be the OLDEST HW35E I have manufactured well before the newer ones I got. My outcome judgment is the HW35E doesn't need a scope to shoot "further" when an HW50S .20 can do A LOT BETTER using scopes or regular sights. I shoot the 35E and the HW50 side by side and the Walnut heavy 35E isn't as light and dynamic as the new HW50S .20 sold by AOA starting a year ago and then selling out. Too bad. That rifle is better than either .177 or .22 in the same model. My idea is the newer .20 barrels for the HW50S (instead of the regular .177 and .22) are drilled tighter and are indeed MORE accurate than the old .177 or .22 made in the HW50S.

The HW30 .177 I bought used and already vortexed by an avid airgunner who threw it in a larger deal with more rifles to "sweeten" the ticket for me to give up a Theoben Rapid PCP. It is the best "R7" or HW30 I've ever owned even though I've been through a number of R7s and HW30s. Buying a modified air rifle like the HW30 .177 Vortexed was easy for me because when I held the rifle I knew it was gonna be excellent; and the old internal top hat and original spring were given to me as well.

The D54 .20 Custom made by CCA and Hector is a sidelever and it is extremely powerful and accurate. My thought that with so much power and the way Diana has the fat cylinder holding the piston with a beartrap seemed like it would "wear" away faster than a break barrel; but it keeps on digesting Heavy .20 JSB Exacts to send them out over a hundred yards for grouping accuracy.

I ordered another CCA from Hector in D54 .20 because I want this second rifle to be dedicated to regular .20 JSB Exacts like his own rifle he had me use.

Final Observation about all types:

I ordered the D54 from Hector in .20 again to make sure I have another of this rifle. It is high performance and the worry I had was wearing it out with heavies at closer ranges when it is ready to kill at 100 yards.

The new .20 with regular JSB Exact .20s will "fill in" the times I go out on the back porch to slam those 25-35 yard reactive targets!

Now I have to ask him what number this new rifle is going to be because the one I have already is 27 out of 30 with fewer Lothar Walther .20 barrels left (30 barrels were drilled .20 by L-W to fit into the D54 after the D54 had its .22 or .177 barrel REMOVED.

Secondly, Hector had proven the .20 was the best caliber for the power unit the D54 has. And with recoilless action, the D54 .20 can do and last more consistently than all other types I have.

I am not saying others wear out faster or something. I just know when I shoot it it never misses unless I miss.

Kindly,
 
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havent seen too many broken ones in my time .. seen some cheezy ones, but not many broken ...
Click to expand...


Well I broke the HW57 .22 shortly with the same mistakes I made on the .177 and the .22 froze up inside with total mechanical failure freezing the piston halfway and blowing out the pellet slider!

The .177 I got EARLIER and it still works to this day but I don't use it when I've got the HW98 .177 and HW95 .177 around to take care of .177 needs.

The .22 HW57 I got later from Venturi Air in Ohio and ONE partially closed or not closed pellet loader BLEW OUT entirely because it wasn't seated or pushed all the way DOWN.

The design is obsolete now as far as I know. Can you get a brand new HW57 anywhere? Not last time I looked years ago. Did it get reintroduced? Not today as far as I know!

The HW57 is NOT a rifle I would recommend to ANYONE of ANY intelligence. Intelligent people themselves will eventually break their HW57s is time.........!

So my .177 is still working; but the trigger and the way it fires makes accuracy incredibly hard to achieve even though it is a "straight fixed underlever barrel"; which is the same mechanism in my HW97K-T .20. The 97 is a heavier linkage but the problem is the slippery underlever that needs another part to GRAB it and NOT SLIP during cocking and to return it to the original buttoned or slotted position. And then when THAT is done, the 97 has WAY less power than my HW98 .20, which some think is the same power plant but in reality it is not by leverage and consistency and velocity.

My HW98 shoots a lot faster and is more accurate.

Show me an HW97 or HW77 that is as accurate as a D54 .20 or HW98 in ANY caliber and I'll believe you. I have the .177, .20,.25 HW98s and all do better than the .20 HW97.

I bought two HW77s in laminate blue but they BROKE in half during shipment because of the GLUE in the laminated wood--then got the HW80K .22 Long Range Hunter to replace those heavy blue laminate 77s that couldn't fire when they arrived for CRACKED stocks.

The 98 is the best in my opinion. If a man or woman wants to spend money to get an HW77 or HW97 I'd be there saying get the HW98 instead.

I was NEVER disappointed with the HW98 in .177 or .20 or .25 caliber.

Kindly,
 
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Fischer,

Thanks for taking the time to share your airgun collection and opinions. Seems you have a prejudice for heavy rifles and think they should be relegated to "a rest or bench with sandbags appropriately placed".

We seem to have forgotten our roots of offhand shooting. It became very popular after the civil war when German immigrants started Schuetzen Clubs. These were "country clubs" in their day and hosted many matches that were attended by shooters from all over the Country and with some from other Countries when Fests were held with prize money as high as $25,000 in gold. In the height of popularity Ballards ruled, Harry Pope barrels were highly sought after and double set triggers and palm rests were common. The most popular events were Free Rifle, no weight restriction and no trigger pull restriction.

In Free Rifle it was common for the gun to weigh 12-15 lbs but a 20 pound rifle wasn't uncommon WITHOUT A SCOPE since they weren't allowed. The target was set at 200 yards and the 10 ring was the size of a silver dollar. Many of these offhand shooters were able to put their 3 shots into the 10 ring. Harry Pope did it. Unlike present day Olympic 10 meter rifle shooters, these guys didn't have special coats, pants, boots, etc. to help steady these heavy rifles.

Weight is your friend if you have a good offhand shooting technique. Using your bones and not your muscles as a foundation for offhand shooting is a good start.
 
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Fischer,

Thanks for taking the time to share your airgun collection and opinions. Seems you have a prejudice for heavy rifles and think they should be relegated to "a rest or bench with sandbags appropriately placed".

We seem to have forgotten our roots of offhand shooting. It became very popular after the civil war when German immigrants started Schuetzen Clubs. These were "country clubs" in their day and hosted many matches that were attended by shooters from all over the Country and with some from other Countries when Fests were held with prize money as high as $25,000 in gold. In the height of popularity Ballards ruled, Harry Pope barrels were highly sought after and double set triggers and palm rests were common. The most popular events were Free Rifle, no weight restriction and no trigger pull restriction.

In Free Rifle it was common for the gun to weigh 12-15 lbs but a 20 pound rifle wasn't uncommon WITHOUT A SCOPE since they weren't allowed. The target was set at 200 yards and the 10 ring was the size of a silver dollar. Many of these offhand shooters were able to put their 3 shots into the 10 ring. Harry Pope did it. Unlike present day Olympic 10 meter rifle shooters, these guys didn't have special coats, pants, boots, etc. to help steady these heavy rifles.

Weight is your friend if you have a good offhand shooting technique. Using your bones and not your muscles as a foundation for offhand shooting is a good start.
Click to expand...


I have limitations to shoot only offhand but I started offhand with a break barrel similar to the now day HW30 .177.

I had found the rifle "vibrated" off rests like knees and corners structures and such to make erratic shots. Once sighted in offhand an air rifle can be used in more solid holding positions with greater success than sighted in at solid holding position like sandbag or rest or table or anything with a rest. It was because offhand the rifle reacts the same way every time you take a "bead" on something.

So today I just carried on from yesteryear to test every air rifle I got since that one in 1969 offhand to zero it and find out what's what.

I can safely say to all sighting in your air rifle offhand at close range where you get a group is the place to start! Don't think you can't get accuracy with a rifle offhand until you try it at 15 or 12 or 8 yards for yourself! If you can shoot seated or leaning or prone you can shoot standing upright. Just shoot when the sights are on and if they wander off during the shot the shot isn't going to be that far off. Whereas; if you bench and tighten down an air rifle springer you'll find the thing SHOOTING EVERYWHERE but there.

Kindly,
 
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Your current one somewhere on it says 27 von 30, correct? Means the one you just ordered has that same von 30 marking on it, so it should be easy enough for him to let you know since those etchings were done by M&G aka Mayer & Grammelspacher aka Diana along with the CCA 5,0/ .20 von L-W and serial numbers under it when they built the rifles, so your "Hector Special" is actually a Diana Special.

Hector didn't build the rifles, they were built on a special run by M&G after he got enough people on board wanting one to convince the company Board of Directors to go ahead with it. The only thing Hector is going to do is tune that rifle the way you want him to. It's a rather long thread on the Dianawerks Collective dated all the way back to March 6, 2012, but it spells out a good lot of what went into getting the rifles even built including the specifications they were going to get built to: 

https://www.tapatalk.com/groups/thedianawerkcollective/0-20-cca-cal-d54-we-re-rolling-t9858.html

Anything else buyers wanted done to them was done once the fully built rifles were delivered to Hector in Connecticut. I also know part of that history, since I happen to own one of his custom built by Diana D34k Premium .20 caliber rifles which came into existence the same way: the idea was tossed out there, interest generated, a list of buyers generated, Hector getting Diana's Board to agree and then the rifles were finally built. I have my 34k .20 because like your 54, buyers opted out and Hector got stuck with the rifles they backed out on since back then, it was $1000 if you wanted one of those custom built by Diana D54 .20's and apparently, more than a few did.

For the record, pics of my custom built by Diana D34k Premium .20, #NR 15 von 30 :)

D34-20cal-1.1627581482.jpg


D34-20cal-4.1627581496.jpg


D34-20cal-7.1627581520.png


D34-20cal-8.1627581534.jpg



 
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The D54 in .20 is limited to 30 barrels as I know, many of which were installed by Hector to create a "27 Von 30" that I have.

I had originally thought Hector was another tuner of these rifles in spring action feeling after he sent me his own rifle in .20 that he had a point about .20 in D54 Recoilless using a Black Powder Scope from Traditions (his own optical choice) and so I asked to buy his original and he would not sell it and I anticipated that move by him with the request he make another .20 JSB Exact shooter using the SAME Traditions 3-10X scope.

He delivered, and after experimenting with HEAVY .20 JSB Exacts I went to shoot beyond 50 or so yards to over a hundred by five yards with wind and wonder about "groups" at 105 yards across a lake into a bank.

I found the heavy .20 JSB Exact pellets could group at that range into a couple of inches easily using offhand shooting while bracing my upright frame against a solid tree. 

At the "bench" or any "rested or secured" position I have no doubt 1.5 MOA is easily achieved when the trigger of the TO6 Diana is "felt" right on the last stroke.

I ordered another one by him and he said send no money and WAIT.

I have no idea how he is going to do what he intends but I specified JSB Exacts exactly like his and also with the SAME discontinued scope: Traditions 3-10X 40mm mounted in Zero Recoil mounts and rings.

He may have to find another type of scope since the availability of the Traditions Black Powder 3-10X is limited; but I know if HE puts another scope in the mounts centered and zeroed to Clear Opical Glass Lenses instead of the common PLASTIC lenses the rifle he produces to me in the mail will fill the request and I end up paying LESS for a lifetime air rifle than any springers sold off the shelves.

I save money investing in the D54 .20 by Hector Medina.

There is a reason a professional air gun smith far exceeds the "powder burner" gun smith can do.

It has to do with physics and compressing air efficiently to make the most out of the stroke to cock the piston back before shooting.

The D54 will ratchet 7 clicks before it is cocked. 

I like the sound of 7 ratchet clicks on the Bear Trap to see the safety pop out saying, "You are now ready to hit your target with the most accuracy and power available in a spring action air rifle."

In fact, it is more accurate than any PCP I've owned from Tarantula to Black Widow to Daystate Huntsman.

This D54 design in .20 is really the end of it.

Kindly,
 
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You truly never cease to amaze me with the misinformation, especially considering I even included a link to the build history of the guns which flat states all guns were completely assembled at Dianawerks. Anything installed by Hector was done AFTER those completed rifles were delivered to CCA aka Connecticut Custom Airguns in Maryland. 

Once again the link to Hector's very own thread on the Dianawerks forum about those rifles: 

https://www.tapatalk.com/groups/thedianawerkcollective/0-20-cca-cal-d54-we-re-rolling-t9858.html

You can read the entire 8 page thread or for those who may not want to, here's the copy and paste of Hector's very own opening statement laying out the build specs for the rifles:

Build Specs:
Barrel.- Lothar Walther in 0.20" CCA (as per internal specs and dimensions already used in 34k run). With Match Crown as per the 34k run, chambered to the JSB Exact 13.7 grs. pellet. Normal length and OD as per Diana's specs. for the 54.
Barrel shroud and liner.- As per Diana's specs, Sleeve should be Parkerized.
Barrel should NOT be drooped.
Barrel muzzle piece.- Flat "Match" type, for use with Diana Korn Tunnel (high version)
Midpoint/open rearsight as per Diana M54 specs.
Full Parkerized finish as per the T/H line's specs.
T-06 trigger
Beech stock. Checkered as per Diana M54 specs. and with rubber buttpad.
Lasering and markings similar to the D34k run, exact pattern to be defined at the appropriate time.

Included accessories:
Korn Tunnel with the following inserts:
Blade foresight 1.,8 mm's.- Item: 30064700
Ring foresight 3.0 mm's.- Item 30127100
Ring foresight 4.0 mm's.- Item 30082400
Bead foresight 1.5 mm's.- Item 30128400

Parts that CCA will furnish for assembly of the rifles at M&G:
Vortek Spring & guide
HMO Piston
Breech seal

So, there you have the complete spec.

To clarify:
ALL guns will have an HMO piston installed at the Rastatt plant.
ALL guns will have an HMR breech seal installed at the Rastatt plant.
ALL guns will have a Vortek Hi-Yield kit installed at the Rastatt plant.

The only part Hector had in the barrels was ordering them built to his specs by L-W, then having them and assorted other parts shipped to Dianawerks in Germany where all 30 rifles were built and assembled with those parts. Absolutely NONE of the building of any of those 30 rifles was done by Hector, yet you keep insisting they were and you, Sir, are incorrect.

Also, while I may have to dig quite a bit to find your old posts on that rifle on GTA, one of them states the rifle was chronographed (and not by you since you refuse to own and use one) with the JSB 15.89gr pellets at an average fps of 783, which while impressive for .20 caliber and generating a touch over 21 FPE is nowhere near the most power available in a spring piston air rifle.

Kindly :)
 
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Nothing much. It's a scope that uses a Bullet Drop Compensation reticle. Muzzleloaders/blackpowder guns, even shotguns shooting slugs, have a similar arcing trajectory to airguns. It is easier to use on the fly than a mil-dot scope, in my opinion, but other than that, it's still a 3 to 10 power scope. Fischer likes to bring it up as if he is the only one to still have them since they are discontinued. You can still find BDC scopes for all types of rifles and a few pistols for sale, both new and used.
 
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What’s special about a Traditions Black Powder 3-10X scope? I’ve never looked through one.
Click to expand...

In the muzzleloading world, Traditions builds the cheapest guns and parts available. I'd be extremely surprised to learn that their scopes are any different. 

But as with everything else, if Fischer owns it, it's the best there is.....
 
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What’s special about a Traditions Black Powder 3-10X scope? I’ve never looked through one.
Click to expand...

Before you go buying one since they do still make and sell them, I'd shoot Traditions an email and ask if they're safe to be used on spring piston airguns and see what the official company response is. 

They seem to be inexpensive enough but if they won't hold up to springer use, waste of money buying one unless you also want to spend a bundle on a Diana Bullseye Zr mount or one of the Sportsmatch recoil reducing mounts. 

Link to their website: https://www.traditionsfirearms.com/category/Muzzleloader-Scopes
 
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What’s special about a Traditions Black Powder 3-10X scope? I’ve never looked through one.
Click to expand...

In the muzzleloading world, Traditions builds the cheapest guns and parts available. I'd be extremely surprised to learn that their scopes are any different. 

But as with everything else, if Fischer owns it, it's the best there is.....
Click to expand...


I had first looked through a Traditions 3-10X 44 mm in Diana Zero Recoil Mounts parallax focused to 40 yards atop Hector's Own Rifle he is pictured with in a match. I shot THAT rifle after he volunteered to send it to me for my own observations compared to my Break Barrel.

After shooting it 200 times with his own lubed pellets (sent to me to shoot) offhand (all) I WANTED ONE!

So the Want comes when after years of so much success with all types of Springers this particular D54 .20 Hector owned and used for himself became the object of my dreams in air rifling.

The scope is superb and anyone looking through it would immediately see the difference in "cheap" versus "usable" versus "able to use as a Zeiss or Schmidt and Bender, or Kahles, or Swarovski.

If you have "looked" through a scope this way something comes together to make field of view and magnification combined with CLARITY to make PERFECT.

Kindly,


 
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I saw this in my email again and wanted to reassure anyone that the most expensive optics for air rifles are NOT needed.

If you can SEE and find INTEGRITY in optics you've reached Swarovski and all others WITHOUT the extra cost.

The problem is to find a clear scope with integrity. Hector found this Traditions 3-10X 44mm scope with black powder incremental elevation hashes to win competition.

I shot THAT rifle. The SAME scope. TWO HUNDRED times offhand to realize I WANTED ONE JUST LIKE HIS!

End of search in air rifles for THE BEST for me.


 
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You truly never cease to amaze me with the misinformation, especially considering I even included a link to the build history of the guns which flat states all guns were completely assembled at Dianawerks. Anything installed by Hector was done AFTER those completed rifles were delivered to CCA aka Connecticut Custom Airguns in Maryland. 

Once again the link to Hector's very own thread on the Dianawerks forum about those rifles: 

https://www.tapatalk.com/groups/thedianawerkcollective/0-20-cca-cal-d54-we-re-rolling-t9858.html

You can read the entire 8 page thread or for those who may not want to, here's the copy and paste of Hector's very own opening statement laying out the build specs for the rifles:

Build Specs:
Barrel.- Lothar Walther in 0.20" CCA (as per internal specs and dimensions already used in 34k run). With Match Crown as per the 34k run, chambered to the JSB Exact 13.7 grs. pellet. Normal length and OD as per Diana's specs. for the 54.
Barrel shroud and liner.- As per Diana's specs, Sleeve should be Parkerized.
Barrel should NOT be drooped.
Barrel muzzle piece.- Flat "Match" type, for use with Diana Korn Tunnel (high version)
Midpoint/open rearsight as per Diana M54 specs.
Full Parkerized finish as per the T/H line's specs.
T-06 trigger
Beech stock. Checkered as per Diana M54 specs. and with rubber buttpad.
Lasering and markings similar to the D34k run, exact pattern to be defined at the appropriate time.

Included accessories:
Korn Tunnel with the following inserts:
Blade foresight 1.,8 mm's.- Item: 30064700
Ring foresight 3.0 mm's.- Item 30127100
Ring foresight 4.0 mm's.- Item 30082400
Bead foresight 1.5 mm's.- Item 30128400

Parts that CCA will furnish for assembly of the rifles at M&G:
Vortek Spring & guide
HMO Piston
Breech seal

So, there you have the complete spec.

To clarify:
ALL guns will have an HMO piston installed at the Rastatt plant.
ALL guns will have an HMR breech seal installed at the Rastatt plant.
ALL guns will have a Vortek Hi-Yield kit installed at the Rastatt plant.

The only part Hector had in the barrels was ordering them built to his specs by L-W, then having them and assorted other parts shipped to Dianawerks in Germany where all 30 rifles were built and assembled with those parts. Absolutely NONE of the building of any of those 30 rifles was done by Hector, yet you keep insisting they were and you, Sir, are incorrect.

Also, while I may have to dig quite a bit to find your old posts on that rifle on GTA, one of them states the rifle was chronographed (and not by you since you refuse to own and use one) with the JSB 15.89gr pellets at an average fps of 783, which while impressive for .20 caliber and generating a touch over 21 FPE is nowhere near the most power available in a spring piston air rifle.

Kindly :)
Click to expand...


We can't ignore this and the heavy .20 JSB is ACCURATE at LONG RANGE to punch holes of some type of energy and velocity not measure there on the 105 yard mark!

However, I think Hector knows the range of the JSB .20 Exact REGULAR weight pellets for match shooting around 40 yards and such WITH the knowledge his own .20 cannot shoot over 100 yards with the accuracy of the HEAVY tuned .20 he made for me.

I know the heavy JSB pellets for .20 WORK for the FIRST GUN Hector delivered to me and to today it is ZEROED for anything from 20 to 105 yards with the lower index of foot pounds at lower velocity.

But it still DRILLS through bricks and flagstone and fences made out of Pine X2 to convince me the HEAVY .20 at lower foot pounds or joules than the HIGHER velocity STANDARD JSP pellets is DEADLIER close range and LONG RANGE and unnecessarily powerful for any air rifle unless you can substitute a .22 Hornet.



I politely (not ordered him, he's a COL and I'm a MAJ) asked him to build me another specified for the shorter ranges so I can begin selling off all the rest of the air rifles not matching this type of performance to make my life "simpler" with LESS rifles in my house.

A .20 D54 alone replaces ALL.

A second D54 .20 by the air gun smith from Dianawerk will allow me to release all other air rifles I have.


 
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