Weihrauch HW80K SL Luxus - Highly Regarded

Weihrauch’s range of spring-piston airguns is very highly regarded, but where their break-barrel models are concerned, it’s surely the HW80 that has had the biggest impact. It was the ‘80 that rose to become one of the best Field Target rifles in the early days of the sport, and whilst I fell in love with the Feinwerkbau Sport, and the clever rebuild that Dave Welham and latterly Airmasters offered, the big rival camp was Venom Arms up in the West Midlands, and their ‘specials’ were largely based around the HW80.

Name that tune
Ivan Hancock and Dave Pope, the originators of Venom, knew a good thing when they saw one, and it was the over-engineered ‘80, with its wide diameter cylinder and chunky components, that lent itself so well to their tuning skills. Airmasters produced their own mouth-watering custom specials built around the HW80 chassis, and until the advent of the fixed barrel HW77, it was the ‘80 and FWB Sport that dominated FT in the early days.
An excellent barrel and the classy Rekord trigger were always a great starting point, and vital ingredients, but when Venom’s golden boy and my big rival, Richard North, started winning FT tournaments, the snowball effect on sales, certainly in terms of custom specials, was inevitable. Then there was the RB1 derivative that Weihrauch made for Dr Bob Beeman over in the States, which popularized the ‘80 further and helped generate and cement its powerhouse reputation.

Wideboy
The oversized cylinder was, of course, intentional from Weihrauch, for whilst UK models only needed to generate 12 ft/lbs, the lucrative American market could push the system to its limits. The reality was in the region of 24 ft/lbs at the uppermost and sweetest running, but the HW80’s massive dimensions, relatively speaking, made this all possible. So, we’re talking potential swept volume, designed in at the start, to take into account more flexible power regulations around the globe.

Revision
The original version, from the 1980s, sported an angular forend, but over time Weihrauch saw fit to return to the drawing board, and later versions, with that far vaguer profile, rather lost something in the process. So, when I heard Weihrauch was running the slide rule over the HW80 once more, it felt to me like the right thing to do, and just look at the results on show here. The muzzle stays with the previous arrangement, as in a screw-cut barrel fitted with a Weihrauch silencer, and this makes sense since it allows the user to whip off the silencer and screw on any other fitting with a 1/2” UNF thread. This means a barrel harmoniser, air stripper, or smaller or larger silencer. Just having the choice opens doors to enjoyable experimentation, which is all part of the fun.
The woodwork has a quality feel to it, and the smart lacquered finish allows plenty of attractive grain to show through. Look to the tip of the stock, and the angular forend is back, and three cheers for that. The latest incarnation gets the tapered wedge shape Weihrauch utilizes so well on several of their models, and this is designed to allow for an easier grip with the lead hand in the aim. Look to the butt section and the cheekpiece is now more defined and fractionally higher than what went before, whilst that stylish toe adds further character and discernible detail. The usual reddish brown rubber pad is incorporated, and whilst this is a little understated, it does the job well enough.
As for the new style of grip panels, there’s no doubt they look distinctive and different. This is always a goal for manufacturers that want to stand out from their rivals. But are they better? Those wide bands with a rough background undoubtedly afford grip, but I think I prefer traditional chequering if I’m honest, purely in terms of aesthetics. The original HW80 had no chequering up front, so this latest offering is more striking, whichever way you look at it. Add in the model’s name and calibre neatly laser etched in gold on the side of the barrel and breech block, and there’s just a high-quality air about this HW80 in general.

Cocking effort
A 12.25” barrel sounds short and is fairly short, but with that sizeable moderator up front, there’s plenty of leverage. It’s all largely academic in any case since the cocking stroke is extremely easy, which is the result of a fairly sophisticated internal setup. Let’s face it, Weihrauch should know what they’re doing after all this time in the game, and this latest ‘80 is a fine example. As usual, the end of the cocking stroke results in the classic Weihrauch crunch, as the safety button sets, the piston locks in position, and the trigger engages. At this point, the precision of the breech arrangement can be appreciated. Best practice dictates that we keep hold of the barrel whilst pushing home a pellet flush into the lip of the barrel, so as to avoid deformation, then snap the barrel closed. Those chunky bolts around the breech block are again synonymous with this German brand, and whilst they may never be called upon, just knowing you have an over-engineered system, designed to take into account wear further down the line, brings peace of mind.

Rekord deal
Sizeable dovetail rails run along the rear of the cylinder, and with the usual arrestor holes included, it’s easy to fit a scope securely. Look at the cheaper end of the spring-powered airgun market, and it’s the trigger that so often lets a model down. It’s an obvious area where cost savings can be made, so it’s hardly surprising that many cheap and cheerful offerings include a really basic, often 2–3-piece trigger unit, the blade, and one or two sears. Consider the incredible poundage that a trigger must deal with and hold back where a spring-piston configuration is concerned, and a basic trigger inevitably feels hard and creepy in operation. What differentiates Weihrauch airguns from many rivals is the overall build quality, but their Rekord trigger unit is another key detail that elevates performance to a different level. The unit is a self-contained cassette comprised of around 18 parts, get this set up by someone who knows what they’re doing, and the end result can be very sweet indeed.
The broad trigger blade, complete with those distinctive grooves, feels comfortable in use, and whilst full adjustment is a careful balancing exercise across several screws, that large bolt adjuster just behind the blade does allow the inexperienced shooter to make a basic adjustment. That can be enough for many, to achieve a satisfactory end result. Otherwise, getting a competent and experienced individual to finely tweak the unit, is the way to go, and well worth the fuss. First-stage weight, second-stage weight, and the sear positions can all be finely set to suit the individual, but it demands care and experience.

Results sheet
The firing cycle of this latest HW80K has a sophisticated feel, and with modest recoil, minimal fuss, and no spring resonance, it proved a very enjoyable experience on test. A slight metallic ring as the shot releases is so often the signature of a well-tuned mechanism, but I doubt whether the production process has allowed time for that. That said, my test gun shot admirably straight from the box.
Weihrauch is still one of the few quality airgun manufacturers to make their own barrels, and there’s no doubting the inherent accuracy on offer from this model if I did my bit. It was anything but pellet fussy too, posting decent results with a variety of ammunition on test. Crosman Premier Ultra Magnums in .22 calibre produced 3/8” groups over 30 yards, which was an excellent start, and switching to Air Arms Diabolo Field trimmed this further to a textbook ¼”. Consistency over the chronograph showed a total velocity spread of 17 fps and 9 fps respectively, and with both hovering just under 11 ft/lbs energy, let’s just say the performance was on the money.

Verdict
The HW80 has been a big hitter for Weihrauch in one form or another over the years, and as a star from the 1980s, it’s nice to see it given a make-over and the respect it deserves. Like a fine wine though, it has got distinctly better with age, and subtle improvements and enhancements along the way keep the ‘80 at the top of any shortlist. It’s classy and capable enough for the springer category in either Field Target or HFT, or equally at home as a premium hunting machine. As alluded to at the outset, this model is about potential, but whether you have the necessary paperwork to go down the FAC route, or just enjoy it in its sub 12 ft/lbs guise, the classy HW80K SL Luxus still sits pretty as one of the best break-barrel airguns available in today’s market.

Thanks to Range & Country Shooting Supplies in Sleaford, Lincs., for the kind loan of this rifle.