R1/HW80 love?

[r1lover]

I was about to ask if there is much love anymore for the R1/HW80 (beyond a handful of frequent posters and you know who you are) since the R9/HW95 seems to have center stage now, and then I see a post from Fischer about his .25 HW80! Woo-Hoo!

Anyway, I almost sold my Santa Rosa .20 R1 Carbine a few years ago because I was favoring the .22 version and never shot the .20. But when I took the .20 out of the safe that day it felt like an old friend and I put it back without giving a second thought to selling it.

Today is drizzly, it's dinner time, nobody is out in their yards and a recent uptick in talk about .20 prompted me to take out the old gun and shoot it a few times. Seems to me the R1 has just the right amount of everything and not too much of anything.

The 3 shot group below remeasured 0.15 inches (not 0.18) c.t.c at 23 yds. The 5 shot group measured 0.30 inches. The 5th shot opened the group up from less than a quarter inch. These are the only two groups I shot and are typical of this gun. I'm shooting unsorted, unwashed FTT's. The gun has Beeman components inside, not an aftermarket fitted spring and guide.

What's not to love about a Beeman R1?

 

[Micro]

I have an R1 in .20 and I agree, fantastic gun that will last a lifetime. Yours is in beautiful shape, mine has been in the field a lot and shows some wear. Thanks for the pic!

 

[MDriskill]

X

 

[FrankinFairfield]

I bought mine in 1984 from the good doctor’s store at 47 Paul Drive, San Rafael, CA

Using the I raised two boys who were exceptional marksman in the service of their country.

One was a combat medic and now is a doctor who shoots at one mile on his days off (very few).

My R1 (.177) has had in excess 300,000 pellets down the tube and is just as good as it was on day one.

I had motorhead put the spare parts (I bought the kit) in around 2013 after it had been shot 250,000 times, and although it was shooting fine, I was 67 then and wasn’t getting any younger. So, if I was going to use the parts I was talked into buying in 1984, I had better do it.

My maintenance routine is simple.

Every 500 pellets one drop of oil in the chamber.

Every 1000 pellets oil the spring...

 

[Deerstalker]

I hope that my 95 lasts as long as your R1 & so far it has been a tack driver at about 1.5/2K pellets. Sure is fun to shoot!

 

[Twinkees_n_Pb]

@frankinfairfield Thanks for sharing. Good to know they'll last at least 200-300k. Hoping to share these quality springers with my kids one day soon; and pass it on to them and so forth. Haven't shot nearly as much yet.. however got them because just that, they're quality tools, and I love quality/mechanical 'tools'

@r1lover Great shooting there. 

 

[r1lover]

Frank, your post is testament to the longevity of these guns when given a little care. KUDOS TO YOUR SONS FOR THEIR SERVICE TO OUR COUNTRY!

 

[coloradoshooter]

Frank, how many main springs have you replaced shooting all those pellets?

 

[MDriskill]

X