Weihrauch HW 97K rifle.
This report covers:
- Be fair
- The rifle
- Open the underlever
- Load a pellet
- Cocking effort
- Weight
- Stock
- Trigger
- Safety
- Bluing
- The tests
- Price
- Your time
- Summary
We start looking today at an air riflethat gets mentioned by you readers every time I mention the Air Arms TX200. I’m referring to the Weihrauch HW 97K underlever rifle. This isn’t the first time the 97K has been in this blog. In 2010 my late friend Earl McDonald, whom we all knew as Mac, did a three-part review of the rifle.
Mac liked the rifle a lot, and I thought that I needed to review it for you now because I know there are some owners who are quite loyal to this rifle. From the outside it looks like a Coke/Pepsi rivalry , but I knew it was time for me to look at the rifle seriously.
Be fair
To be fair I will compare the 97K to a factory TX. The Tony Leach tuning kit I installed in the TX won’t be considered. Tony also makes the same kit for the HW97K, but I have no plans to buy one for the test rifle because I don’t own it. When this series is over the rifle goes back to Pyramyd AIR.
I have tested the TX200 enough to know what sort of performance the factory rifle offers. I can at least refer to that.
The rifle
The HW97K is an underlever spring-piston air rifle. It is descended from the HW77K that is still in production. I had an HW77 and liked it a lot, but when I tested the TX200 Mark II for my newsletter in the 1990s, I felt there was no contest — the TX was the clear winner. Perhaps this series is my penance for that viewpoint.
Open the underlever
The HW97K underlever unlocks with a button in the front of the rifle below the muzzle. This button is pressed in to unlock the underlever for cocking. Many shooters say they like this better than the way the TX200 underlever unlocks, which is pinching the fingers between the barrel and cocking lever. I personally like the way the TX200 lever unlocks better, as I find the HW97K button too hard to push. But I seem to be in the minority on that point.
The button under the muzzle locks the lever in the closed position.
When the rifle is cocked the lever comes down this far and stops. It is returned to the forward position aftrer the rifle is loaded and no button has to be pushed to do so.
Load a pellet
The HW97K breech is more accessible for loading than the TX200 breech. Shooters with larger hands find the TX breech difficult to load, and it does favor the right-handed shooter. The HW97K breech looks more accessible to me. I’ll have more to say about it when I start testing this one.
Cocking effort
I have read where many shooters say the HW97K is easy to cock. I don’t find that at all. I think it’s just as hard to cock as the TX200. Of course I will test the effort required in Part 2.
Weight
The specs say this rifle weighs 8.82 pounds, according to the specifications. The rifle I am testing weighs exactly 9 pounds. A TX200 Mark III weighs 9.3 pounds, so it is heavier, though both rifles are heavy. Both rifles have to be scoped, so the choice of optics will have bearing on the overall weight of the rifle.
Stock
The stock on the HW97K is beautiful. It has a deeply-impressed pattern of lines on both sides of the pistol grip and the forearm that help the shooter grip the stock. When Mac tested one in 2010 he found the checkering that was done at that time didn’t help with the grip, but I have to say this current rifle has a real grippy stock!
The wood is evenly finished and the grain is laid out for strength and beauty. A medium-hard buttpad is grippy for your shooting shoulder plus you can stand the rifle up with no fear of it slipping.
The stock has the same profile that we saw on the stocks of the HW50S and the HW30S. And because the HW97K needs a scope, the profile is perfect! The pull is 14-3/8-inches, which is ideal for adult shooters.
Trigger
The trigger is the Rekord, of course. The Rekord is one of the finest triggers to be found on a spring-piston air rifle. Only the TX200 trigger is better because it is more adjustable and safer when the pull is set to less than one pound.
Safety
The Rekord safety comes on automatically when the rifle is cocked. If it is taken off it can only be reapplied by pulling the cocking lever all the way down again.
But there is a second side to safety on the HW97K and the TX200 Mark III. The TX200 Mark III has a spring-loaded lock for the sliding compression chamber. It must be pushed to slide the compression chamber forward after loading. The HW97K has nothing. It is therefore imperative that you hold the cocking lever when loading this rifle because if the sear slips, the sliding compression chamber will close on your fingers too fast to avoid
Bluing
The bluing on the HW97K is a shiny version of matte. In this area the TX200 is shinier. Each shooter must decide what they like for themselves.
The tests
Since 2010 when Mac tested the HW97K there have been a lot of new premium .177-caliber pellets come to the market. I hope to test a lot of them in this rifle, so what Mac did is going to get a serious update. I have to test them for accuracy and some for velocity as well.
Price
When I ordered the 97K for testing, it was selling for about $40 more than the TX200 Mark III that was on sale at the time. As this report is published it sells for $60 less than the TX. Both rifles are expensive and are pretty much equivalent in design and performance, though performance is what I’m testing, so no final word on that.
When the price gets up to this range most buyers aren’t searching for cheap. They just want what they want. Therefore I will try to be as unbiased as possible as I write this report.
Your time
This is a chance for those who favor the HW97K to be heard. Tell me what it is that you want me to look at and I will try to find a way to do it.
Summary
The HW97K is a serious contender in the spring-piston category. This will be a test to see exactly where it stands.
BB,
My HW97 was hand-picked and then tuned for me by Brad Troyer (thanks, Brad!) back when he was running our Field Target club at the Port Malabar Rifle and Pistol Club in Florida.
My rifle was spitting out 7.9-grain Crosman Premiers at 869 fps (13.2 fpe) with a very smooth firing behavior.
While I never excelled at Field Target, I had a great time shooting there; it was a ton of fun; and though I was never a great shot, the rifle was quite accurate; for practice, I would shoot 12-gauge hulls at 50 yards.
I found the rifle easy to cock, holding the butt on my right hip while pulling the lever back with my left hand (and never ever letting go of it!) while inserting a pellet with my right hand.
The rifle had no anti-beartrap mechanism, and I much preferred it that way.
While I did dispatch some pests on the property down there, I considered the rifle too heavy for hunting.
When I had to move, I sold it so someone else could use it for Field Target; but in retrospect, I wish I’d just kept it; it was a solid performer, and a just plain joy to shoot.
I know you like your TX200, BB, however, I feel that at the end of the testing you may just decide not to send this rifle back to PA. 😉
Blessings to you,
dave
Can you elaborate on the relationship between the HW 77 and the HW 97? If they are both still in production, and what sets them apart?
Can the HW 97 be disassembled without a spring compressor like the TX?
RG
They are still in production, both of them.
The 77 has open sights. The 97 has that distinguishable muzzle “break/silencer”. The standard stock of the 77 is better suited for open sights though there are versions with the 97, higher comb, stocks.
Recently I informed BB about a certain European site. They have an extensive list WHs. Plenty of choices, to say the least.
Bill,
Thanks for that,
BB
Since the 30 minutes editing period doesn’t work I have to add the, obvious, that the power plant is the same.
Τhank you!
“Can you elaborate on the relationship between the HW 77 and the HW 97?”
Roamin Greco, at first I thought you were talking to me; then I figured you meant for BB to answer.
After all, what do I know? LOL! 🙂
Anyway, here is a “blast from the past” from BB himself:
https://www.pyramydair.com/blog/2006/04/the-hw-97-hw77-a-full-report/
Thanks Dave!
You are most welcome; the Godfather of Airguns is a wealth of knowledge! 😉
Indeed!
B.B.
How about you install the Leach kit in the HW 97, test it, and then have PA sell it at a premium because it is Godfather tuned?
The new PA catalog arrived today. Lots of interesting stuff for you to test!
-Yogi
I have been waiting for this rifle to come up in the blog.
I am ashamed to admit, I have never owned anything from HW in my adult Airgun life.
A friend loaned me a tuned TX200 for an extended period.
I liked the rifle, and enjoyed shooting it very much.
BUT I found having to wedge my fingers between the barrel and under lever, began to hurt my fingers in extended shooting sessions.
I eventually returned the rifle and bought an Airarms Prosport from him.
It was not tuned, but I loved the rifle. No pain from prolonged shooting sessions, and when I fumbled the small .177 pellet it fell straight through the action to the ground.
My older brother finally expressed an interest in airguns that extended beyond his Chinese B-3.
He wanted to see what my interest in quality airguns was all about. so I gave the Prosport to him, He still shoots it regularly in his back yard.
My friend then loaned me his HW 97. I like the button release for the cocking lever. And it felt good in the hand.
I never compared it to the TX200 because to me, they seemed like two different guns.
Both shot well, one was painful, and had this extra lever you had to depress to complete the cocking cycle. That kept throwing me off, breaking my rhythm.
The other was a pleasure to shoot.
I eventually returned the HW97 to him. I had full intentions of buying one and I still want one, but just have never bit the pellet. And the prices have steadily climbed in recent years.
I am following this one closely!
Ian.
Ian,
If you shop around a bit, you can find the HW97K in a walnut stock.
Ian,
My TX200 came with one of these accessory grips and I find it comfortable to use.
https://www.pyramydair.com/product/air-arms-cocking-aid-fits-tx200?a=3164
It might put the TX200 back on the possibilities list
Cheers!
Tom,
I believe the Tx200MkI did not have a bear trap mechanism. Makes me sort of wonder why they put one in the MkIII while the HW97/77 still do not have one.
Siraniko
PS Section Stock 3rd paragraph last sentence: “The pull is 14-3/8-inches, which is idea (ideal) for adult shooters.”
Siraniko,
Fixed it. Thanks,
BB
Siraniko.
Maybe there are fewer lawyers in Germany.
Shiny version of matte?
matte
[mat]
adjective
matt (adjective)
(of a color, paint, or surface) dull and flat; without a shine:
I’m curious what exactly was meant. Is matte referring to a specific finish in this context and not the general meaning of the word?
CKChevy,
Barely shiny.
BB
CK,
I’d call the finish on the TX200 (and the S510) as “specular”.
It’s very highly polished surface that shows a beautiful deep bluing – AND EVERY FINGER PRINT.
Hank
BB
I’m guessing you hold on to the TX cocking lever with one hand while loading a pellet and then releasing that safety lever with the other. I have never shot one and just wondering if the safety lever is helpful or not for target shooters.
Thanks for testing the Weihrauch. This is going to be a fun report to follow. Both it and the TX pass the eye appeal test for me.
Deck
B.B. a small correction for clarity’s sake in probably the most important sentence of your report today:
Safety
…
It is therefore imperative that you hold the cocking lever when loading this rifle because [if] the sear slips[,] the sliding compression chamber will close on your fingers too fast to avoid [injury.]
P.S. 30 minute edit function working on my android phone, but it takes like 5 seconds to appear.
Roamin,
Good catch! Thanks,
BB
Roamin Greco,
I noticed that last night but thought Tom was intentionally leaving it to GROW in the reader’s imagination; kind of like in a great horror film!
Think
A L I E N
shootski
:o)
BB,
I thank you for doing this particular blog series. I have never owned a TX200 or an HW97 but would really like to. I have had the pleasure of shooting both, though it was a very long time ago. I do think it would be my preference to own the HW97, most especially the walnut stock version.
I have never been very pleased with the Weihrauch safety. Once upon a time there was a aftermarket “cure” for its annoying operation. I personally do wish it would come back.
RR,
Agree that the auto-on safety is a bit of a pain and I prefer manual safeties.
I found that I got used to it quickly and it’s auto-off without even thinking about it.
Cheers!
Hank,
Just another thing to get used to. Ah well.
As a minor side note in the underlever “wars”, Diana also produced a very fine underlever once upon a time, the model 46. One of these “old gals” does indeed reside here at RidgeRunner’s Home For Wayward Airguns, thanks to Gunfun1. Though I do not truly care for the loading port, it is a very fine shooter.
BB wrote about one of these, way back when.
https://www.pyramydair.com/blog/2005/10/diana-rws-46-a-german-underlever/
Air Guns of Arizona purchases a couple of pallets of Diana 430Ls a couple of years ago and I could not resist pouncing on one of them. They were, and are, lesser powered versions of the 460. I put an Hawke scope on it and the combo is perfect for sighting and shooting.
The thing isn’t as powerful a shooter of many of the other long arms in the closet but it shoots quite accurately. Its main ugly side is trying to get the pellet into the breech with my old man hands. At least most of the lost rounds fall through but occasionally get stuck in the cocking lever linkage.
As much as I like the lines and look of the underlever, it has finally occurred to me that the traditional break barrel, provided it has stout lock up, is a MUCH easier piece to load and mind. Almost all my air arms are break barrels save for the 430L and a non-functioning .22 Benjamin pumper that needs a going through by people with skills.
Despite the accuracy of the 430 L, my consistent favorite for shooting is my trusty ’89 RWS/Diana Model 36 in .177. It just ALWAYS works and has stupendous power. That 430L, however, keeps nipping at the heels of my oldest air arm. I am not sure if the loading port will ever push aside the open breech of the Model 36.
LFranke,
I can see where you may have an issue with that loading port. There is no problem with pellets falling into the cocking mechanism of the 46 that I have, but loading pellets can be a bit of a hassle and it has a very long transfer port which reduces its power somewhat. It is superbly accurate though. If I am not mistaken, this was Diana’s answer to the TX200 and HW77 and HW97.
Now, if you are sick and tired of fooling with that 430L, I may find a place for it to live here at RRHFWA. 😉
Thanks for the report. Looking forward to the next one on this beautiful HW97 rifle. I was inspired to get the Beeman R1 out and shoot it some (to experience the Rekord trigger again). And also to test the velocity, and zero the Beeman scope, and practice the artillery hold, and to try to improve my abilities to shoot more accurately with it.
Appreciate this report, BB; FM is already pretty partial to the Weihrauch family but the TX one has been on the radar…so it will be great to have your tests available for comparison once these are finished. At the end of the day it will boil down to “what does FM want and does he even know what wants he wants?!” Does he need more “sproingers?” That also depends on what needs he needs.
FM,
You will finally get them both. 🙂
Great report to read, thank you!
Do you know if there are documented cases where the 97k or TX200 removed ones fingers? I never heard about the FWB300s something like this, and this was shootn milions of milions times. Do you know the FWB300S does not have a real bear trap either? NO NO 😉 All on trigger.
About the topic… I would take the TX 🙂 Without touching both of them.
tomek,
The only accident involving fingers that I know about happened with a B3 underlever rifle.
BB
BB,
Yes, this case I also know.
It wonders me that there are no more known cases. Alone how much pellets shoot some of those underlevers… statistically it should sometimes just happend. So maybe the triggers are better than I thought they are.
Take the club FWB300s after 40 years shooting each day all day. It still holds… nobody holds the lever when open there!
tomek
Thanks to BB and other folks on this site I have developed the habit of always holding on to any springer barrel or lever including my FWB300S. Firearm safety I was taught at a young age but springer airgun sear release/slam close was a new hazard for me to learn.
Deck
tomek,
As you pointed out to FM, you should probably have (at least) one of each to do a fair assessment
Hank
Hank,
Haha! Unfortunately not. Now I have to wonder why actually…