N/A Webley Hurricane vs Daisy 777

Off the cuff that sounds like an odd match up doesnt it? But why not, dont we often compare the accuracy of one good shooting gun against another much finer one? So is the case today.

Today I took delivery of a Daisy 777, I picked it up from @dfemmert (solid dude with another 777 hes thinking of parting with, hit him up if interested).

Of course I couldnt wait to get it home & shoot it! Down in my basements 10m range I started firing strings trying to figure out what pellet she liked. After 6, 5 shot strings it seems for now she likes these old Daisy match grade pellets I had laying around. However as I shot it I couldnt help but contrast it with my Hurricane. Make no mistake, the Hurricane is no match grade gun & I hadnt shot mine on paper in a very long time but I started to think I would do better with it at this range.

I recently ran out of the pellets she likes but she does well with Crossman Piranaha pellets as well, I have loads of them so to the bench she goes!

Here are the results

20241122_184132.jpg


A few words before I draw my comparison.. The Hurricane I have owned for about 45yrs buying it new. Its had God knows how many pellets through it. Ive used it for plinking as well as squirrel & rabbit hunting. Its also taken numerous Starlings & other nuisance birds. I had the seals replaced about 20yrs ago "just because". Otherwise its bone stock. Ive never even adjusted the factory trigger on it.

The 777 is essentially new. David tells me he did a complete rebuild of it & I believe him. The pistol looks & feels new!

Both targets were shot 10 times with their prefered pellets at 10 meteres off an old Caldwell pistol rest.

The Daisy is very slick! It cocks easily & the trigger breaks at an estimated 2lbs after a tich of creep. Acuracy is very respectable for a gun that needs to be "broken in". 7 pellets went into a single ragged hole. There was 1 called flier at 4 oclock but I dont know what caused the other 2 fliers? Needs to settle in, old eyes, shaky hands, mediocre lighting.. Take you pick or maybe all of the above.

Picking up the Hurricane always makes me smile. It takes me way back! Her factory trigger breaks at 4lbs like a rod of glass with zero take up or creep. Cocking is significantly more effort as is the report & recoil. You could also hear the difference in velocity when the pellet slammed into the bullet trap. About my 3rd shot into the group I realized that shooting a springer off a firm rest is a bad idea but I was already commited. I think thats why it grouped so high. Its sighted to POA at 20yds. I am guessing the jump from the recoil is what pushed the POI so high but at least it was pretty consistent.

Accuracy wise I would say its a draw if you include the uncalled fliers. Remove them & the 777 just barely edges it out.

I am not drawing any specific conclusions from this but I found it interesting to compare & contrast the 2 widely dissimilar pistols. I offer it up as a point to consider & discuss.

I plan to conduct this test again after the 777 has had about 1000 pellets through it maybe with a different dissimmilar pistol..
 
This will surprise many as the 777 was the most accurate of the Daisy group of 700 series, but even in its most basic 717 form, was known for winning many a pistol shoot (outside of true target shooting competitions) and a few sillouette shoots beside.
However, it did NOT surprise me how well the Hurricane did against it here and is my experience.
For some reason the Hurricane proved exceedingly accurate in some shooters hands compared to the rest of its overlever cousins.
I think often overlooked in favour of the more compact, better looking Tempest, it can actually trounce it in a shoot off.
Never could quite pin it down to one thing in particular, even after having worked on dozens of both, but I believe a build up of features got the Hurricane into semi target status that the Tempest could not attain.
The overhang to the rear of the grip definitely seems to define a better grip and balance. The sights giving a better sight radius. Precision adjust sights and a better picture.
The Hurricane is a much better gun than people think but largely went unnoticed alongside the Tempests and beautifully engineered Premiers/Seniors in the display cabinet.
 
Last edited:
What Stevoo said! The Hurricane and Tempest are really much better air pistols than many realize. If not as pretty as their classic steel Webley predecessors, their design, durability, and performance give up very little.

One Hurricane advantage he did not mention is a slightly taller and more crisply shaped front sight blade. A few years ago I lucked into a set of Beeman's rare-ish Webley match grips - a useful adjunct for punching paper.
IMG_5559.jpeg


Because I'm a true nerd - my favorite bit of Webley trivia: these pistols are named after aircraft. During WW2, Webley made parts for RAF fighter aircraft: the Hawker-designed Hurricane, Typhoon, and Tempest! (I don't have a Typhoon air pistol, a short-lived junior design, but I did recently model the original.)
IMG_6273.jpeg
 
Last edited:
living in Oak Park IL at the time i shot many coons and Possums with my trusty Tempest , one brain shot (25 feet ) and then a Follow up brain shot close range .
P.S. too many small kids loved to chase them . Didn't want any bites / rabies shots mandito0ry in the city.
 
I would have never thunk it.
I got rid of my Tempest because it wasn't accurate enough. It only had coke can accuracy compared to the shot shell and wirenut accuracy of my HW70.
With regard to the Daisys, they shoot great. I don't have a 777, yet I have the 717 and 747, and I can't tell the difference in accuracy between them as yet.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Bandito and MrGrey
I would have never thunk it.
I got rid of my Tempest because it wasn't accurate enough. It only had coke can accuracy compared to the shot shell and wirenut accuracy of my HW70.
With regard to the Daisys, they shoot great. I don't have a 777, yet I have the 717 and 747, and I can't tell the difference in accuracy between them as yet.
Have 717 and 777 no difference in accuracy . even if tied down .
 
Ha - me, too. My childhood allowance and yard-mowing money was usually split between airgun pellets and 50-cent 1/72 scale Revell kits!
I eventually began flying my models, when a neiborhood adult opened his shop and introduced me to balsawood and Ambroid.
 
I did a couple of Guillow's biplanes, and loved 'em. But my meager skills remain more suited to the little plastic stuff.
I went more practical than scale, as I went into control line precision acrobatics. At the time this pic was taken we had this 150' flying circle, and a realy nice airgun range set up here.
Screenshot_20231111_193406_Facebook.jpg
 
  • Like
Reactions: Bandito
Tempests and Hurricanes a pistol that everyone should own at one point but if you like them is the question
the Webley's are small pistols but one thing they are not is smooth they are a very harsh shooting pistol, i have had one apart for a while waiting on some spring material for a little trigger spring
the Diasy is another story whereas the Webley you will be driving pins out the take it apart the Daisy has 4 screws and you have a table full of parts and as i say easy to work on till they are not
so i have many Daisies 7-7 but i have one that i was using for a test mule to make up a replacement rear sight and that project was done so it was going into storage, but it would not hold overnight so i test and rebuilt the whole gun but still leaked
i have always used Crosman Pellgun oil but still it was leaking
did the water test and it was not leaking from the breech end so i pulled the pistol apart installed a new pump head Oring and used ULTIMOX 226 AND NOW IT WILL HOLD FOR DAYS
so if you have one that will not behave change the lube and try again
right now, if i pull the cocking handle to fast i get a back suction, she be sealed now
 
  • Like
Reactions: MrGrey