N/A Weihrauch hw97 or Air Arms TX200

[dodobird]

Thank you for all your help. very insightful. Tough choice indeed.

I'm in the same camp as you in seeking my next springer. I think eventually I will get both and form my own opinions next time when others ask this. I literally see this debate in every main air gun forums and even rimfirecenter and Reddit etc if googling, spanning past 10+ years.

 

[dodobird]

The HW77 has the advantage of a very long cocking arm. Like twice as long as my HW97k or TX200. I have it setup with krytox and a vortek kit. It is chucking the H&N Baracuda Match 10.65's right at 900 fps. It is my strongest springer by far but very easy to shoot and cock. I was hoping it would like the 13 grain monsters but it shot them like crap.

Oddly enough, the TX200 won the dice roll this morning. It is setup for 12 fpe and is smooth like butter.

View attachment 509641

Agree, can't resist the long shot urge with its intrinsic long sight radius and strong spring.

 

[houston]

I own both...Buy the TX200

 

[dodobird]

I own both...Buy the TX200

I'm leaning to that too. May I ask what's the main reasoning, like top differentiator other than cosmetic differences? To me, the main factor is the loudness. Is tx200 really bit quiter bc of the baffels? What about the felt recoils between the two? Much appreciated.

 

[Bomber714]

Trying to decide between the two. Any suggestions?

I have both however my hw97 is tuned and the tx200hc is not. Both smooth like bUtter however my hw97 is more accurate to me. If you live near green ohio I’ll let you test both.

 

[Sawney Bean]

My experience with HW's is that they're excellent guns, but all of mine have needed a little work right out of the box. Once that work is done though, they're top notch. My HW30 had a bad piston seal, my HW95 started grinding during cocking within the first 500 shots and my HW45 wouldn't stop dieseling until I stripped it down and cleaned it out inside.

The Air Arms guns I have owned on the other hand were perfect right out of the box, but my TX200 didn't really measure up to its reputation as a tack driver until I tuned it to 12 fpe. At 17 fpe, it was one of those guns that would shoot mostly decent groups with occasional fliers. I felt disappointed with it because accuracy is the main reason why anyone buys a TX200. Once I installed a 12fpe kit however, it was transformed into the rifle I had hoped for.

 

[baranjhn]

I’ve had both. The TX200 bluing looks nicer than the Weihrauch. I prefer the Rekord trigger or the Air Arms, however, it’s a damn good trigger too. I do prefer the HW’s wide loading port, which is ambidextrous, along with the stock. I sold the TX200 a few years ago, but I’ve thought about getting another. As for the HW, I have two older 25mm piston HW77 which I think shoot smoother than the TX200 and newer 26mm HW’s.

So which to get? Either, however, I believe the TX200 still holds the record as the winningist springer in field target. That could be because it’s favored in its home country, but I don’t know.

 

[drpietrzak]

I have a TX200 and a friend an HW97. Another has a Diana 54. All three are killer and very accurate. It is the luck of the draw on the barrel, ammo and then the shooter that day. All are nice rifles.

 

[Basher]

I’ve had both before, and regret selling the HW97K simply because it was a very nice rifle indeed. I kept the TX200HC only because it was shorter and lighter so I felt it would make a better woods rifle, which I’m still yet to use it for. Hopefully soon! I did keep the factory moderator from the 97K though, as I fully intend to have another at some point!

But as far as performance, both were equal in my eyes. I do miss the ambi loading port on the 97K a bit, but the TX does everything I need at the moment, really.

 

[Mycapt65]

So which to get? Either, however, I believe the TX200 still holds the record as the winningist springer in field target. That could be because it’s favored in its home country, but I don’t know.

The TX200 has a better piston seal design. The Weihrauch full span piston seal is more susceptible to POI shift due to thermal expansion. The Weihrauch design is pretty much fine for all but the most competitive shooters. At high levels of competition many HWs don't look like HWs on the inside anymore. HWs are all I own, so don't let piston seal design be a factor unless you plan on participating in high levels of competition. I'm simply stating why the TXs have taken over in Field Target.

 

[maxtrouble]

Thank you for all your help. very insightful. Tough choice indeed.

The obvious choice is to purchase both! That is what most of us have done. Carpe diem!

 

[Humdinger]

I own a TX200 in .22 and an HW97 in .177. You can't go wrong with either one but if I had to only have one it would be the TX200. The TX200 has a factory walnut stock, the HW97 factory stock is beech. The TX200 is a piece of cake to disassemble without a spring compressor. Mine did not require a tune kit to give that pleasant thunk sound when you shoot it. The HW97 needed a Maccari kit to remove the buzzy firing cycle it had before tuning. An HW97 has lots of spring preload requiring a spring compressor. Even with one It is difficult to start threading the receiver under spring tension. The TX200 trigger is setback from the factory and is easy to reach. The HW97 Rekord trigger is excellent, but I had to buy an aftermarket setback trigger from Rowan Engineering in the U.K. to achieve the same grip feel. My TX200 has a left handed walnut stock and left side fill port and the HW97 has an ambidextrous stock and fill port.

The HW97 does cost less but if you factor in the extra expense to make the guns equal I'd opt for the TX200. Fit and finish is a tie as both rifles are extremely well made. I might add that my HW97 is about 15 years old and my TX200 is at least 20 years old. I have no idea if the current production Air Arms TX200s are as well made as in the past. Weihrauch is known for the quality of their products so I assume their quality is the same as before. IMO, the newer style Weihrauch stocks are not as attractive as the older styles on their spring rifles.

This is like a Ford vs. Chevy comparison. Each have their merits. Both are excellent and I like both rifles. But if I had to only keep one, it would be the TX200.

 

[ChickenDumpling]

Tried both and even others. HW97K ..., but get and try both. I don't do all that competition or stacking pellets. I like taking out pests off the back deck. Depending on what you like, sure could sway you to one or the other. Good Luck.

 

[extradrygin2001]

I have both a TX200, a HW77, and a Diana 48.

Out of the box none have an advantage over the other. They are all accurate, they are all heavy, they all have excellent trigger with the 48 actually having the best trigger without any polishing or adjusting.

The TX200 is the most advanced with all working parts designed for ease of removal. The TX200 has free floating pins with c-clips for linkage and the HW is friction set requiring you to tap the pins out with a hammer and punch. The TX requires no special tools for receaver disassembly and comes apart and reinstalls with little compression effort. The HW requires a spring compression tool to take apart and re assemble and again the rear of the receiver is held together with friction as you have to thread the rear of the receiver on while compressing the receiver with a compression tool.

Both shoot great, both look great, the TX is designed better, it has a cocking shoe, it has bushing rings inside the compression tube, it is held together with floating pins and clips.

 

[c_m_shooter]

Both shoot great, both look great, the TX is designed better, it has a cocking shoe, it has bushing rings inside the compression tube, it is held together with floating pins and clips.

That cocking shoe is the weak link over the long term. ARH used to machine a replacement one that would allow you to fix the lock up issues, but does not anymore. Other than that, it is a fine rifle and easy to work on.

 

[.20calguy]

My hw95 is so good on irons I rarely ever scope it .

So if choice 77 or 97 it's 77 all the way

Or you could get a 97 and a 95.

 

[.20calguy]

My experience with HW's is that they're excellent guns, but all of mine have needed a little work right out of the box. Once that work is done though, they're top notch. My HW30 had a bad piston seal, my HW95 started grinding during cocking within the first 500 shots and my HW45 wouldn't stop dieseling until I stripped it down and cleaned it out inside.

The Air Arms guns I have owned on the other hand were perfect right out of the box, but my TX200 didn't really measure up to its reputation as a tack driver until I tuned it to 12 fpe. At 17 fpe, it was one of those guns that would shoot mostly decent groups with occasional fliers. I felt disappointed with it because accuracy is the main reason why anyone buys a TX200. Once I installed a 12fpe kit however, it was transformed into the rifle I had hoped for.

Interesting!

 

[Hateful McNasty]

Or you could get a 97 and a 95.

Or a 77& 95

 

[jps2486]

I shoot a TX and love it. Our matches have more 97s than TXs. I see no difference in performance. I have heard several tuners say AA internal machine work has gone downhill and they think 97s are now better made. The AA is easier to disassemble, big point in its favor. I like walnut. I would by AA again.

I bought a TX recently and put in a 12 fpe kit. I thought the innards were fairly clean and free of burrs and well made. HW recently are pretty dirty inside.

 

[Basher]

That cocking shoe is the weak link over the long term. ARH used to machine a replacement one that would allow you to fix the lock up issues, but does not anymore. Other than that, it is a fine rifle and easy to work on.

Somewhat off-topic post here, but I’ve read this several times before re: the cocking shoe, and want to get a few spares. If ARH isn’t making an improved replacement anymore, who should I look to for spares?