Anyone have any experience with a 12fpe HW-97 out of the box?

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ray6520659

Member
May 3, 2018
22
1
Maryland, United States
I have been looking at a 12fpe version of the HW-97 from Kral. Does anyone have any experience with one of these in out of the box state, not tuned? I would like to have a good high end springer, but given the rubbish they sell as piston rifles these days, not sure it's worth the risk. Seems like even the high end manufacturers just design them to put out 1,000 or more fps and really don't bother to design them to be shootable. Really no need to, any accuracy issues, just blame it on I'm not holding it right! Near as I can tell, they just take a high powered rifle with less than optimal bore/stroke etc. and put a weaker spring in it to limit the power. I know from my own personal experience, limiting the power/softer spring can actually screw up the timing/shot cycle to the point they shoot worse!

Given the price of PCP's these days, not sure it's worth spending the $$$ to take a chance on a high end springer. Might be better off going to the dark side and get a PCP and a hand pump.


 
Ray6520659, I don't know if you are coming at this with adequate information. Kral does not make the HW97, they are made by Weihrauch a fabulously respected German maker of top quality airguns for over 100 years. They along with FWB, Diana, Air Arm , Walther, RWS, and several others all make highly regarded lifetime 12 ft/lb springers. You need to explore the Springer section of this forum and learn how much quality available to you.

Your initial rant needs to be supported with fact. Visit AoA website or PA and read the reviews owners have written. Enjoy the search.
 
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I think ray6520659 is talking about Krale-Shietsport, the dutch company that imports air guns to the USA at a great price not the manufacturer Kral. I am considering the Weihrauch HW97 for my next purchase from Kaule-Shietsport. This is considered a very good break barrel but many shooters dismantle and clean and regrease the gun before the first shot. Take a look at You Tube.
 
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I have been looking at a 12fpe version of the HW-97 from Kral. Does anyone have any experience with one of these in out of the box state, not tuned? I would like to have a good high end springer, but given the rubbish they sell as piston rifles these days, not sure it's worth the risk. Seems like even the high end manufacturers just design them to put out 1,000 or more fps and really don't bother to design them to be shootable. Really no need to, any accuracy issues, just blame it on I'm not holding it right! Near as I can tell, they just take a high powered rifle with less than optimal bore/stroke etc. and put a weaker spring in it to limit the power. I know from my own personal experience, limiting the power/softer spring can actually screw up the timing/shot cycle to the point they shoot worse!

Given the price of PCP's these days, not sure it's worth spending the $$$ to take a chance on a high end springer. Might be better off going to the dark side and get a PCP and a hand pump.

Click to expand...



IMHO, the high end manufacturers like HW, RWS and Walther don’t design poor shooting, 1000fps springers. The hw97k is an industrial work of art that is quite accurate and built to provide decades of service if properly cared for. I and many others would also argue that quality springers shoot best about 12fpe, so dropping power a bit is an improvement.

My guess is that you’ll be very pleased with the hw97k. And buying from Krales was a great experience for me and many others here.

R






 
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I have a 12 ft lb HW97 ordered from Krale a couple years ago. It was a good shooter out of the box, but I sent it to Motorhead for a tune anyway. He put a spring guide in it and lubed it with Krytox, 2 years later it is still shooting H+N FTTs at 790 fps. Another shooter I shoot with at the local field target matches ordered the same rifle maybe 6 months after me. His shoots a little slower, more like 765fps, but still a smooth shooter out of the box. A local tuner took that rifle apart and did just a lube tune on it, said it didn't need anything.
 
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Socaloldman with all due respect, I am coming at this with adequate information, have spent more than enough time researching springers. I didn't ask how you "regard" manufacturers, I asked if you had actual experience with one out of the box. Perhaps you need to read more carefully and understand the question, just saying.

I own a Weihrauch HW-30, according every thing I have ever read, this is "regarded" as one of the best as far as accuracy, not being hold sensitive etc. The one I have is a turd! When held properly, on a good day, may manage 1" groups at 20 yards, don't hold it properly, just snug to your shoulder, groups open up to 2" real quick. Totally unacceptable for a sub 6 fpe Weihrauch HW-30, built 30 years ago before they started compromising the shootability for higher power. The accuracy/shootablility issue with this one is probably due to the fact it has a 3mm transfer port, SCR is a little low, works out to a little over 200:1. So I really don't get a warm fuzzy just because it's a Weirauch, this one came from the factory like this 30 years ago.

As far as the new HW-97, they changed a portion of the equation by increasing the piston diameter to 26mm and increasing the stroke. Back in the early days, they had a 25mm piston and a shorter stroke which worked out to the optimal swept volume for 12 fpe, about 39cc. The professional tuners across the pond spend a lot of time and effort to sort these 12 fpe rifles. I would't think that folks like Tony at Sandwell Field sports and others would bother to do all that work to sleeve tubes down to 25mm, find the magic spring, tune the transfer port etc. if these rifles were good right out of the box. Some of them make a living providing this type of service so I can't imaging they are just making the rifles a little better, really don't think they would go to the effort if just splitting hairs.

Hopefully the above is enough fact to support my so called rant!
 
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