Weihrauch 97k wood is a disappointment

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Why did you choose the 97K to begin with?


If you want a hunter/plinker with a lighter, sleeker design the HW95/R9 is the way to go. If you want a target/bench gun than the 97K would be the one. These 97s are PIGS but they do what they do very well.


I'm not saying that either model won't do what the other one does its just that either one will do something slightly better than the other because of its design. Hope that makes sense.

My 77K was a chunky monkey and I thinned and shaped the grip area some to my liking. It also gave me the chance to attempt my first (and only) grip checkering. Even though the shaping was slight, it was enough to make the overall feel of the rifle so much better. Here it is in all its glory.... or not! Ha ha!



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Bearhunter,

Sounds like you'd have been much happier with something like a Diana 34. I have a vintage Diana 38 and its very nice, very accurate- definitely a sleek stock but the barrel is fat and long making the gun nose heavy. Some people like that but I keep debating about having a couple inches chopped off the barrel to improve the balance.

I got a HW97kt a couple years ago and I was underwhelmed by it. The ping sound the cocking lever makes and the non-resettable safety really bug me. And before anyone brings it up- NO! I do not consider recocking the the gun to qualify as resetting the safety. Sorry but no. That's too much of a hassle. I also don't like the severely swept back pistol grip and how sharp of a curve the belly of the forestock has- it makes the rifle very tipsy which actually makes it more difficult for me to shoot accurately. I'd trade this gun for a Walther LGV.

I feel HW's get hyped up as if "if you buy a HW you won't regret it"- not true. They are not the best for everyone.
 
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Hi Yarddog,

Thank you for your interest and for your reply. It sounds like your airgun is just right for you. That is super and very good to hear. What pellets do you find work best in your airgun? My last, now well worn Marksman 55 was finicky and liked Meisterkugeln 8.2gr wadcutters the best, it was of course a .177. I think I would like to have that old rifle rebuilt, it has no barrel drop that I can tell, but I’ve used it hard for many years and it looks like the old woods rifle it is. It has become an inconsistent shooter though. Know anyone who rebuilds Marksman 55 rifles?

I May indeed sell this new 97K, as you suggest, yours might be sage advice, but not until I put a couple cans of lead through it. I also want to first mount the adjustable scope mount I have on order from Pyramid. Are you interested in buying the 97?

While I am waiting for the mount, I have installed an old Beeman scope I had lying around. The scope wasn’t an expensive optic but it shoots well enough, has a great deal of elevation adjustment, and I am slowly applying some lead residue to the inside of the barrel. Already the rifle is shooting well enough for dealing with the destructive ground squirrels we have in this area, but nothing like the outstanding shooting you are doing cutting playing cards. What distance are you cutting cards from? I imagine you can cut the entire diamond out of the center of the ace of diamonds without hitting white paper too? How many shots does it take you to do that? It is inspirational to hear someone is shooting as well as you are, keep up the good work.

Thanks again for your reply. B
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Yeah, each one of my rifles is just right for me, and I'm just right for them! Each has its own personality, it's own foibles, it's own strong suits, and each, including the cheap ones, are capable of removing aspirins and little plastic beads from golf tees at 15-25 yards. Not a long distance, but its what I got!

I would love to buy a second 97, but it's not in my budget nor wheelhouse at the moment! But thanks! As I read thru this thread, it seems to me that the answer to your problems is with the stock, and I would agree with either re-shaping it or getting a custom stock. You might also want to look into the TX200, LGU, and 460. To me, the slimmest stock on all of those belongs to the 460. It's a magnum, but can be detuned down into what the D430 could have been. 


 
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Greenarrow asked “Why did you buy a HW97 anyway?” Pretty simple, all of my prior spring airguns have been break barrels, in both .22 and .177. My current, now retired break barrel is a Marksman 55. It was getting tired (like me) and has become an inconsistent shooter, so I began researching a replacement. I’ve always liked the under-lever concept because the barrel remains fixed. Mostly I read as many reviews of under-lever guns I could, and decided on the 97. I’m still quite a way from abandoning it as my next pellet gun. I’ll give it ago for awhile and see if I get attached to it. I sure wish I could re-set the safety on it without lever use though.

I’ve already found the safety re-set issue problematic while dispatching ground squirrels. I’ve on two occasions already canceled shots because the squirrel didn’t cooperate, but then I could not re apply the safety without the movement and commotion of re-cocking. That amount of noise and movement is enough to “ground” the squirrel for a long period. Sometimes I don’t see the grounded critters again that day. I can live with the airgun in the fire mode, but I don’t like it, and I’d rather not. This is not a huge issue for me, more a “drather” issue.

greenarrow, that is a nice looking checkering you applied to your re-shaped pistol grip. Did you make your checkering tools or buy them? Very nice work.

AirNgasman provided a recommendation to a gunsmith who will tune/rebuild my old Marksman 55. I have contacted the gentleman and I believe that gun is destined to come back on line again. The result of that tuning may effect my decision to either keep or sell the 97K? I do not need more than one airgun, what I use them for, and my new life’s goal of reducing the amount of “stuff” I have.

Looking at some of the gun alternatives which have been suggested, in some there is a weight difference, in others not so much. I have no way to know how the stock might feel from reading the specifications, so for now weight is discoverable. From my small research, it appears the HW57weighs in the lightest for an under lever, and also weighs less than many break barrels. The 57 is 6.85 pounds according to the specs. With the feedback I have received so far, I’m sure many readers of this forum have substantial experience with the HW57. What are your thoughts about this airgun compared to the HW97, other than the obvious weight difference? Is it stocked as heavily as the 97? I like that it is a dedicated right hand gun for bulks sake. Does it suffer the same safety re-set issue as the 97?

Thank you all for the input, I’ve learned a great deal in just a few days.


 
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Yeah, get an HW95. More manageable heft and you don't have to fumble around with a sliding breech. Accuracy is there.

Cocking and loading a barrel cocker is SO much more efficient. Put a pellet pouch on your left hip. Snatch a pellet. Cock and load with your left hand. Keep your right hand on the pistol grip. AIM, FIRE! Repeat Poetry in motion. LOL! I'm so graceful!

I don't understand why someone with large hands wouldn't like the palm swell. I have ape hands and don't prefer a gun with a smaller wrist or grip.
 
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"Did you make your checkering tools or buy them? Very nice work."

Thank you!

I purchased a basic set of checkering tools from Dem-Bart. https://www.dembartco.com/index.htm

I think I have the 18 LPI size but I'd have to look at the box to verify that. I will say this about my one experience at checkering...

It's not as hard as many make it out to be but it wasn't as easy as I thought that it would be. It's something that you can't be in a hurry to do. It takes time.



The side pictured is the "prettier" side. Ha ha! The other side isn't terrible but it's not as nice as the one I showed. It is satisfying to do and I wouldn't be afraid to try it again. I now what I would do differently now and I would take my time.




 
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And thrown in for consideration is the FWB Sport. This gun has the trimmest stock I have encountered on an airgun. The wrist is small, the forend very trim, and the comb low enough to work very well with the supplied open sights or a low mounted scope. The trigger is superb, and the gun is quite accurate in spite of its fairly light weight. I might rate it as "most underappreciated". Here are some pictures showing the stock design compared to the R9/HW95 and TX200, the extreme slimness of the wrist, and groups at 35 yards when sighting in for the first time. I actually had to sight in twice due to a lot change beginning with the third bull. Still available at Champion's Choice for $495. Forgot to mention that the safety is able to be set or reset at any time. Which is not the case with most automatic safeties.



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