HW55 is the one

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Since completing the project of restoration I have put about 15-20 pellets thru my 55M and the gun continues to transform into the smoothest shooting airgun you could imagine. I could not be more pleased and amazed. Thanks goes out to Mike Driskill for all the time he has spent with me. I put all that experience to good use and it is paying big dividends. I would trust Mike with any project having to do with airguns.

Bill
 
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I knew nothing about the HW55 but saw one @ Hickory show and bought it . not the best condition but passable for a shooter like me .
(now for the embarrassing part) Brought it home and shot a few , thought it was a little light so Cronny came out and i was right !!! only 5.8 FPE ???
A rifle this size and many want it ? Must be broken some how ! so i forgot about it as i had other guns from the same show .
Just read about this gun (it is not broken ) And it looks a bit better than i remember a year or two ago .I thought there s a chip off the lock handle . turns out the guy must have cut it so it will swing past the scope that is mounted on it .
 
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DualMagMike said:
Yes all 3 different type barrels you mentioned, they are Master Match, Match and Tyrolean. The Tyrolean is Beeman marked and is 1 of 25 produced.
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There's an oddball, a HW55T(F), sorta like an R8 in a T stock?...but also I have a question or maybe I misunderstand your post: does Master Match (or MM?) refer to if the barrel has a sleeve or not?

I thought "MM" stands for "Meister und Match", or the model for the expert and for competition as a loose translation? I thought it was an older term for just plain "M"?

L1009511.jpg
 
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specie said:
There's an oddball, a HW55T(F), sorta like an R8 in a T stock?...but also I have a question or maybe I misunderstand your post: does Master Match (or MM?) refer to if the barrel has a sleeve or not?

I thought "MM" stands for "Meister und Match", or the model for the expert and for competition as a loose translation? I thought it was an older term for just plain "M"?

View attachment 379621
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the MM has an accessory rail under the forearm for bipods, handrest, etc
 
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specie said:
There's an oddball, a HW55T(F), sorta like an R8 in a T stock?...but also I have a question or maybe I misunderstand your post: does Master Match (or MM?) refer to if the barrel has a sleeve or not?

I thought "MM" stands for "Meister und Match", or the model for the expert and for competition as a loose translation? I thought it was an older term for just plain "M"?
Click to expand...
The basic HW 55 models for many years were:
HW 55S - basic beech stock
HW 55M - walnut Bayern-style match stock
HW 55T - walnut Tyrolean stock
HW 55 CM - walnut heavy match stock
IMG_6601.jpeg


Weihrauch - and their importers / retailers - often changed model designations for obscure reasons. Beeman HW 55MM's have the accessory rail...but apparently that's not the reason for the second "M," which Weihrauch used before the rail appeared. Note also the HW 55S became the HW 55SM - but never had a rail. Not related to the barrel sleeve weight either, which was always an extra-cost option, not an off-the-rack fitting.

A possible reason for the second M might be adding the trigger weight screw'slocking sleeve...but that doesn't explain why there was never an HW 55TM!

The HW 55's "F" action had the HW 50-style auto breech detent in lieu of the HW 55's famous manual breech lock, and was available with all three of the traditional stock styles. Back in the day when the variant was stamped on the breech, these guns were usually marked HW 55SF, MF, or TF...but, I briefly owned an oddball simply marked HW 55M.

Bottom line: you can make yourself nuts trying to figger these things out on old German airguns!
 
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beerthief said:
I knew nothing about the HW55 but saw one @ Hickory show and bought it . not the best condition but passable for a shooter like me .
(now for the embarrassing part) Brought it home and shot a few , thought it was a little light so Cronny came out and i was right !!! only 5.8 FPE ???
A rifle this size and many want it ? Must be broken some how ! so i forgot about it as i had other guns from the same show .
Just read about this gun (it is not broken ) And it looks a bit better than i remember a year or two ago .I thought there s a chip off the lock handle . turns out the guy must have cut it so it will swing past the scope that is mounted on it .
Click to expand...
Correct, the HW 55 was not a high-powered rifle. It was based on the old HW 50 action (MUCH different than the current rifle of that name). The 50 was about a 700 FPS gun with light .177 ammo, but the 55 got a lighter spring to get down to the 550 - 600 FPS range for target work.

Back in Beeman days, it was a popular option to put an HW 50 spring in the 55 for more power, and today ARH and Vortek make great kits that will do the same thing.
 
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MDriskill said:
Correct, the HW 55 was not a high-powered rifle. It was based on the old HW 50 action (MUCH different than the current rifle of that name). The 50 was about a 700 FPS gun with light .177 ammo, but the 55 got a lighter spring to get down to the 550 - 600 FPS range for target work.

Back in the day it was a popular option to put the 50 spring in the 55 for more power, and today ARH and Vortek make great kits that will do the same thing
Click to expand...
i am happy to find #1 it is not broken and #2 i like it low power. wonderful gun and quite accurate. Rain just started here .
 
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I am new to HW55s and have just started looking at them. I am a little confused by the barrel/breech locks on them and haven't been able to find much about them on-line. Is this something that needs to be unlatched before breaking the barrel and then relatched after it is closed? I assume it is to make the barrel/action alignment more consistent. Is that right? Thanks.
 
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Michigander said:
The HW55 is the gun I always wanted my R8 to be, and is probably my favorite airgun of all time. I never was able to shoot the R8 as well as I hoped, and the FWB300S that replaced it, though it is an accurate gun, is a whole lot of gun at 10 1/2 lbs. That is a lot of weight to handle without the support of a shooting coat. The HW55 is only 8 3/4 lbs with sleeve and is just more enjoyable for casual basement shooting in the winter. And although the 300S hangs on the target better, I can still get respectable results out of the HW55 if I take my time.

But it is more than just the fact that it is an accurate gun, it really seems to embody everything a quality target style springer was meant to be. Hard to describe, but fit and finish are perfect, and all the mechanicals are smooth and refined. Mine is doing about 580 fps with JSB Mediums, for almost exactly 6 ft-lb of energy. More than enough to punch clean holes, and with a very gentle shot cycle. My only regret is that I didn't acquire one sooner. HW should bring this one back as their heritage offering instead of the HW35E. The 35E is a pretty gun, but the 55 is a unique package with functionality that can't be found in any other springer made today.

Anyway, here is a picture of my HW55 with a homemade riser attached so I can shoot comfortably off the palm. The riser was supposed to be a prototype that I would duplicate in walnut, but it works as is so I doubt it will ever get upgraded. Also shown are a couple sample targets, one from tonight that I would consider typical, and my personal best shot back in January.



View attachment 87692
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Very well said and I agree. The HW55 is a superb airgun. Hard to improve upon it for what it is.
In all fairness, comparing a HW55 to the Sporter R8 is a little bit apples and oranges. But I get it.
Any way you look at it, you have great taste in airguns!
 
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Kikemon said:
I am new to HW55s and have just started looking at them. I am a little confused by the barrel/breech locks on them and haven't been able to find much about them on-line. Is this something that needs to be unlatched before breaking the barrel and then rewatched after it is closed? I assume it is to make the barrel/action alignment more consistent. Is that right? Thanks.
Click to expand...

Yes, latch and unlatch. Breech lock/latch.
 
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Kikemon said:
I am new to HW55s and have just started looking at them. I am a little confused by the barrel/breech locks on them and haven't been able to find much about them on-line. Is this something that needs to be unlatched before breaking the barrel and then relatched after it is closed? I assume it is to make the barrel/action alignment more consistent. Is that right? Thanks.
Click to expand...
Back in the early post-war days when the HW 55 was designed, most European airguns were either break-barrels with an auto spring-loaded breech detent, or fixed-barrel guns with a rotating loading tap and separate cocking lever. There was eternal debate which was best! (Break-barrels are simple and enabled one to load directly into the bore, but the consistency of a sprung detent is a theoretical weakness. Tap-loaders have a fixed barrel, but the design robs some power and accuracy depends on perfect tap alignment.)

A manually operated, rigid breech lock theoretically combines the advantages of both systems. The HW 35, HW 55, Walther LGV, and DIana 65 rifles - all designed in the 1950's and 60's - each have interesting variations of the idea. This copy'n'paste from an older thread describes the HW 55's breech:

The HW 55 actually has TWO barrel latches - a weak sprung auto detent in the standing breech face (solely to hold the barrel up before and after cocking), and the famous rotating bolt (to lock it firmly in place).

The HW 55 kept a leather breech seal until late in its production run. Its breech block is slightly longer at the rear than the HW 35 or 50, so its fit is very close - the seal protrudes only a hundredth of an inch or so from its face. You can replace it with the standard HW plastic seal, but it requires some trimming.

In this photo:
A - The rotating lock bolt which is operated by the thumb lever, seen here partially closed. When fully open (lever swung fully up and foward), the flat face you see here is flush with the standing breech face, creating space for the breech block to swing past when cocking. When closed (lever swung down to the rear), the curved bottom surface of this bolt is what locks things down
B - Tip of the small sprung auto detent in the standing breech face
C - The adjustable, pivoting locking bar that the lock bolt engages
D - The auto detent engages this dimple on the rear of the locking bar
E - The lock bolt engages this small curved surface on top of the locking bar
IMG_1550.jpeg



In this shot:
F - This big "wagon wheel" screw adjusts the angle of the locking bar. Turning it "out" (counter-clockwise) moves the front of the bar downward, thus pivoting its rear end upward, which tightens the lock
G - The pivot pin for the locking bar
IMG_1549.jpeg
 
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MDriskill said:
Back in the early post-war days when the HW 55 was designed, most European airguns were either break-barrels with an auto spring-loaded breech detent, or fixed-barrel guns with a rotating loading tap and separate cocking lever. There was eternal debate which was best! (Break-barrels are simple and enabled one to load directly into the bore, but the consistency of a sprung detent is a theoretical weakness. Tap-loaders have a fixed barrel, but depend on very fine workmanship and careful maintenance to keep the tap perfectly aligned.)

A rigid manual breech lock was an ingenious way to combine the advantages of both systems. The HW 35, HW 55, Walther LGV, and DIana 65 rifles - all designed in the 1950's and 60's - each have interesting variations of the idea. This copy'n'paste from an older thread describes the HW 55's breech:

The HW 55 actually has TWO barrel latches - a weak sprung auto detent in the standing breech face (solely to hold the barrel up before and after cocking), and the famous rotating bolt (to lock it firmly in place).

The HW 55 kept a leather breech seal until late in its production run. Its breech block is slightly longer at the rear than the HW 35 or 50, so its fit is very close - the seal protrudes only a hundredth of an inch or so from its face. You can replace it with the standard HW plastic seal, but it requires some trimming.

In this photo:
A - The rotating lock bolt which is operated by the thumb lever, seen here partially closed. When fully open (lever swung fully up and foward), the flat face you see here is flush with the standing breech face, creating space for the breech block to swing past when cocking. When closed (lever swung down to the rear), the curved bottom surface of this bolt is what locks things down
B - Tip of the small sprung auto detent in the standing breech face
C - The adjustable, pivoting locking bar that the lock bolt engages
D - The auto detent engages this dimple on the rear of the locking bar
E - The lock bolt engages this small curved surface on top of the locking bar

View attachment 421280

In this shot:
F - This big "wagon wheel" screw adjusts the angle of the locking bar. Turning it "out" (counter-clockwise) moves the front of the bar downward, thus pivoting its rear end upward, which tightens the lock
G - The pivot pin for the locking bar

View attachment 421279
Click to expand...
Looks like a great system. I've never been a fan of the 35s locking system. It's very simplistic compared to the 55. Correct me if I'm wrong, the early 25mm Hw50s didn't have the same locking device as the 55s? I might have to find me a 55. I love my little low power 30s more than my other modern Weihrauchs. A 55 might be a good fit for me if I can find a nice one.

I assume all the 55s use leather seals and matching 4mm transfer ports?
 
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Michigander said:
The HW55 is the gun I always wanted my R8 to be, and is probably my favorite airgun of all time. I never was able to shoot the R8 as well as I hoped, and the FWB300S that replaced it, though it is an accurate gun, is a whole lot of gun at 10 1/2 lbs. That is a lot of weight to handle without the support of a shooting coat. The HW55 is only 8 3/4 lbs with sleeve and is just more enjoyable for casual basement shooting in the winter. And although the 300S hangs on the target better, I can still get respectable results out of the HW55 if I take my time.

But it is more than just the fact that it is an accurate gun, it really seems to embody everything a quality target style springer was meant to be. Hard to describe, but fit and finish are perfect, and all the mechanicals are smooth and refined. Mine is doing about 580 fps with JSB Mediums, for almost exactly 6 ft-lb of energy. More than enough to punch clean holes, and with a very gentle shot cycle. My only regret is that I didn't acquire one sooner. HW should bring this one back as their heritage offering instead of the HW35E. The 35E is a pretty gun, but the 55 is a unique package with functionality that can't be found in any other springer made today.

Anyway, here is a picture of my HW55 with a homemade riser attached so I can shoot comfortably off the palm. The riser was supposed to be a prototype that I would duplicate in walnut, but it works as is so I doubt it will ever get upgraded. Also shown are a couple sample targets, one from tonight that I would consider typical, and my personal best shot back in January.



View attachment 87692
Click to expand...
My only critique of your post would be that I would really like to look at it. So perhaps you could add more pic's? I think I shot one of these at an AGN members house while on vacation last year. That would have been beerthief. I wish I got pic's of his. It was an outstanding accurate and smooth piece.
 
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Mycapt65 said:
Looks like a great system. I've never been a fan of the 35s locking system. It's very simplistic compared to the 55. Correct me if I'm wrong, the early 25mm Hw50s didn't have the same locking device as the 55s? I might have to find me a 55. I love my little low power 30s more than my other modern Weihrauchs. A 55 might be a good fit for me if I can find a nice one.

I assume all the 55s use leather seals and matching 4mm transfer ports?
Click to expand...
The HW 50 used a simple sprung auto detent, though a wedge type instead of the HW 30's ball (see old post and pics below). The 55 used leather piston seals until very late in production, and AFAIK always had the close-fit leather breech seal. I don't think they ever changed from the 4mm transfer port. The 50 and 55 are unique in combining HW's famous threaded rear receiver with their smaller 30mm diameter (with 25mm piston) receiver tube. One notch up from the HW 30 in size and power, nicely balanced, solid sturdy design.

The HW 35, original HW 50, and HW 55 of the late 1960's through 1990's have much in common. The receiver tubes are the same length (though the 35's is 5mm fatter), the two action screws are the same spacing, the cocking links and triggers are the same parts, the barrels are the same diameter (though diff lengths for balance), and the breech blocks are the same basic forging (with different detail machining).

The HW 35's locked breech is a simple design based on reduced mechanical advantage compared to an auto detent. This shot below compares the 35 and old 50.
IMG_1547.jpeg


The 50's auto breech detent bolt has a fairly small contact surface, angled at roughly 45 degrees. This holds firmly but of course pops open with a firm tap on the barrel. The 35 has a long latch bar sliding on the side of the breech block, with a bigger contact surface engaging at a "flatter" angle. It cannot be dislodged by simple pressure on the barrel; you have to pull the thumb latch forward first. Its rounded lower surface enables it to close automatically, but you also have the option of again thumbing the latch to close it with no click.
 
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