HW97k .177

[Marco]

HW97k arrived the other day. Not new, but near as damn it. Never been strripped down and in complete original state. Was chronoed and read 11.34 with AA fields, but was dieseling slightly.
Stripped her down to have a look to see what I could do.
Not a rough machined edge on her, unlike the TX200hc. Everything all but pre-polished, and they say the TX is supposed to be a tuned rifle from the box!
Bluing is fantastic. It is a deep blue and doesn't look like it had been painted on like the other brand I have had. Over all impression was simply WOW! Actually, the inners of this rifle are better machined than my 20 odd year old HW77 was, so at some point, they upped the quality control. Nice one HW! Shame about the naff cut off spring. Only gripe about this rifle was the spring.

What I have done so far.
De-greased.
Standard HW cut off spring has now been finished properly and both ends polished.
Outside of the compression chamber cleaned up and polished - not mirror finish yet, but it takes a lot of time to get a mirror finish when doing it all by hand. She will get there .
Piston seal was caked in grease inside the channel on the face of it. All was removed, but the seal is stained as a result of dieseling.
Made a shim to go around the spring to stop vibration. Two layers of Guiness cans was too thick, one was too thin. But one layer of a shim made from a Guiness can and one from a Tennants can was just right.
Fitted a delrin top hat that was salvaged from my HW77.
Used a tiny amount of moly paste on the outside of the piston, with next to nothing on the lower edge of the piston seal.
Put a smear of moly on a rag, then ran the spring through it. Again, only a thin layer was transferred to the outside of the spring.
I put a thin layer of moly on the underside of the compression chamber and a small blob on the cocking shoe.

Reassembled her. First shot read 10.01ftpe. Then she dropped to 9.78. 3rd shot read 10.06. Obviously, the spring needs to bed back in. And because the spring has been shortened slightly when I flattened the end, the power might not get as high as it was when I first chronoed her. I will have a better idea on her power after a tin of pellets has been put through her, and I will adjust accordingly.

Absolutely made up with this rifle. Everything about her says quality. She feels solid and robust. I would say that she is considerably lighter than my HW77, but that might just be my mind playing tricks on me due to her shorter length.
Accuracy, I can't comment as I haven't done any target shooting as such yet. Without a scope or open sights, she knocks a can of the fence post everytime at about 15 -20 yards.

I am waiting to go into town next week, and I will be buying some hair rollers and scotchbrite for the silencer mod. At the moment, she just has two springs - one inside the other. They don't really do anything though. I took them out to hear the difference. There wasn't any that I could tell.
If anybody has a new HW97 and doesn't know how to open the silencer up as a 7mm hex key doesn't fit in the newer models, you need a T45 torx bit. Fits snugly without any danger of damaging the end.

[ANGOF]

Chuffed for you mate, look forward to the pictures

[Barcelona68]

Aye. The HW97 is indeed a great bit of kit. I've had mine for the past 4 years and wouldn't part with it for love nor money.

[Crab Doctor]

Glad you got your mojo back Marco

I did notice a very slight diesel smell but forgot to mention it. No smoke though. As for accuracy, I tried it down at the range before I sent it and she was pellet on pellet at 35 yards no sweat so I tried my favourite knockdown target which is a rabbit with a 10mm hole just behind the eye and another in the heart lung area That is at 42 yards and hit it every time without a problem.

Tell you the truth Marco, it made me want one! I have to concede that it does feel better engineered than the TX but it annoys me that with all that care and attention to quality they don't bother to fit a finished spring That's like building a palace and finishing it with magnolia on woodchip and a trip to Ikea

I too thought it was surprisingly light for an underlever and as a result I also found I could hold it much steadier in a standing position.

Once that has had the Marco magic touch and seal of approval it will be as accurate as a laser

Look out bunnies, Marco's back

By the way, how well was that packed eh? hehehe

[Marco]

Packed... Well if the post lady had thrown it at me, I doubt any damage would have occured!

Yeah, it she definately a corker of a rifle. One that will belong to me until either I die or the law changes in Scotland and they pry it from me.
The spring situation, I think that it is just a lazy ass way of doing it. It took 3 minutes to heat it up and squash it flat. Then another 5 minutes on the dremel to polish. As they have all the correct equipment, it would probably have taken them 2 minutes from start to finish. I can't see why they don't do it. But other than that, it is brilliant! I wouldn't let the cut off spring put you off. It is an easy fix and costs nowt.

I have only done a basic tune on her yet. In truth, I spent weeks on the HW77 to get her 'just so'. So I have a long way to go before I can call the 97 tuned. But I have time

[Marco]

Pics now up. Not the best quality as I had to take the pics in artificial light. Been very cloudy all day up here.

Hope you like, 'coz I do!

[cbrdave]

All it needs now is one of those anti recoil widgets, ive been trawling the web but cant find much, nice gun mate i do like the HW97K's.

[CaptainTooty]

on my 2nd, sold one regretted it, wasn't hunting for another, but it came in a deal, & I'm amazed at how brill it is, love to hear more about the silencer mods.

[Marco]

I will get the appropriate bits when I am in town at the end of the week, then I will have I go at it. When I have a working silencer, I will do a pic tutorial for you.

[CaptainTooty]

Brill ill look foreward to reading it, & ill have a go at mine.