As a sidebar to this thread, last spring I picked up the R7's ancestor, an HW 30 from the '60's, at the show in Columbus, OH. Same basic powerplant but note the slender finger-groove stock, lighter 14mm barrel, no safety, stamped receiver end cap, etc. Here it is next to my Goudy-esque Beeman-era R7:
Haven't been inside the old 30 yet. But as-is, 15-shot strings averaged 632 FPS with Hobbys and 639 FPS with AA Falcons, both with reasonable consistency. I love the little dude's whippy handling too.
And I was today years old when I realized that the old 30's breech latch is quite different! It does not have the modern ball-bearing-and-bar detail, but a stout sprung steel wedge mating to a similar chunk on the standing breech. The parts actually look identical to my HW 50 of similar vintage - it locks up with some authority.
Haven't been inside the old 30 yet. But as-is, 15-shot strings averaged 632 FPS with Hobbys and 639 FPS with AA Falcons, both with reasonable consistency. I love the little dude's whippy handling too.
And I was today years old when I realized that the old 30's breech latch is quite different! It does not have the modern ball-bearing-and-bar detail, but a stout sprung steel wedge mating to a similar chunk on the standing breech. The parts actually look identical to my HW 50 of similar vintage - it locks up with some authority.
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