What year did weihrauch change to synthetic piston seals?

[zrman27500]

Going to be rebuilding my 1977 hw50s and my 1980 beeman r7, just trying to figure out what I have without taking the rifles apart....I prefer to disassemble the rifle when I have parts in hand,if I have to disassemble to know for sure I will,but hopeing someone knows a date for sure.

 

[Hateful McNasty]

For the hw 35 it claims
The first production models had leather piston and breech seals with a 4mm diameter transfer port but at the end of the 1970s, from serial number #843636, Weihrauch switched to synthetic seals and a 2.8mm dia port.

 

[zrman27500]

Interesting, I wonder if that serial number cut off is the same across all models? Assuming they do not duplicate a serial number between models.

 

[Hateful McNasty]

Well 2 places said

"One final note: all of HW's early rifles use the same sequence of serial numbers. in other words, by 1970 they had manufactured about 350,000 long-block rifle actions, but not that many HW 55's."


This guy here did a few articles on hw's

Lots of nice pictures but not one on a 50

https://forum.vintageairgunsgallery.com/weihrauch/weihrauch-hw55/

Maybe join and ask thete?

 

[Chuck-in-Ohio]

You can message a member here @MDriskill and ask his thoughts.

If anyone knows, he will. He is kind of a Weihrauch encyclopedia and the 50S is solidly in his wheelhouse.

 

[Mycapt65]

You can message a member here @MDriskill and ask his thoughts.

If anyone knows, he will. He is kind of a Weihrauch encyclopedia and the 50S is solidly in his wheelhouse.

I believe the 77' hw50 should be a 25mm leather seal. Much different gun than today's 26 mm HW50.

I'm not sure on the 80' HW30. My gut says it's the same 25mm leather seal. I wouldn't guarantee it. Mr Driskill is the authority on these vintage Weihrauchs.

Fwiw if the gun has a leather breech seal I'd suspect it has a leather piston seal. Also earlier leather sealed guns sometimes had larger transfer ports so it's best to keep them leather sealed if possible.

 

[zrman27500]

I believe the 77' hw50 should be a 25mm leather seal. Much different gun than today's 26 mm HW50.

I'm not sure on the 80' HW30. My gut says it's the same 25mm leather seal. I wouldn't guarantee it. Mr Driskill is the authority on these vintage Weihrauchs.

Fwiw if the gun has a leather breech seal I'd suspect it has a leather piston seal. Also earlier leather sealed guns sometimes had larger transfer ports so it's best to keep them leather sealed if possible.

Yeah I am actually hoping they are both leather, from the above mentioned serial cut off,it would appear the hw50 is leather,and the r7 is synthetic,both are pre safety rifles,so who knows. Probably should open them up first before I order parts, but I just like to take one apart and reassemble it all in one sitting,maybe it's the instant gratification lol.

 

[zrman27500]

Well 2 places said

"One final note: all of HW's early rifles use the same sequence of serial numbers. in other words, by 1970 they had manufactured about 350,000 long-block rifle actions, but not that many HW 55's."


This guy here did a few articles on hw's

Lots of nice pictures but not one on a 50

https://forum.vintageairgunsgallery.com/weihrauch/weihrauch-hw55/

Maybe join and ask thete?

Really appreciate the info,from the serial cut off you posted it appears the hw50 is leather and the r7 synthetic,I'll post when I open them up and see if that is right.

 

[zrman27500]

You can message a member here @MDriskill and ask his thoughts.

If anyone knows, he will. He is kind of a Weihrauch encyclopedia and the 50S is solidly in his wheelhouse.

Think I actually have his email,I'll ask him if he doesn't see this and reply,thanks.

 

[KWK]

R7's never had leather seals. I think when the R8 came out in 1982 (along with R7's) the 50's went synthetic.
If your '50 does have leather it's probably still good. I have guns over 100 years old with original leather seals.
Your 1982? (there were no 1980) R7 would be a pre-safety model.

 

[zrman27500]

R7's never had leather seals. I think when the R8 came out in 1982 (along with R7's) the 50's went synthetic.
If your '50 does have leather it's probably still good. I have guns over 100 years old with original leather seals.
Your 1982? (there were no 1980) R7 would be a pre-safety model.

Yes it is a pre safety,I am going off of weihrauch's website,says its 1980,but sure could be wrong. I am hoping the 50 does have leather,but didn't want to get it apart and not have a seal for it if it is synthetic. Sounds like I better just order extra 25mm seals.appreciate the info!

 

[MDriskill]

The old HW 50 is one of my faves - Weihrauch's only small-diameter action (i.e., 30mm exterior receiver diameter) that had the famous threaded-on rear end. Very solid, great-handling rifle with power right in between the R7 and current HW 50 / HW 99.

As KWK noted, the R7 and R8, derived from the HW 30 and 50 respectively in the early 1980's, had synthetic seals from the beginning - a big Beeman selling point. The HW 35 switched over about then too (843636 as noted above - made 1980). I don't know how long this took to "trickle down" into other versions of the smaller rifles, but it's pretty likely that except for the "R's," 30's and 50's from 1980 and before have leather.

I actually have a 1980 HW 50S, 796xxx serial, but it's a recent acquistion that's not been apart yet! The stock on this gun was an optional upgrade in Europe, but Beeman made it his standard one for a couple years prior to the R8. Older 50's usually have the severely plain (but for me, amazingly comfortable) stock of my 1967 one.

 

[MDriskill]

For the hw 35 it claims
The first production models had leather piston and breech seals with a 4mm diameter transfer port but at the end of the 1970s, from serial number #843636, Weihrauch switched to synthetic seals and a 2.8mm dia port.

Something I have long wondered about - did HW change the HW 35's transfer port at the same time they changed the seal? Or did it take a few years to figure the smaller port was better?

 

[Hateful McNasty]

Something I have long wondered about - did HW change the HW 35's transfer port at the same time they changed the seal? Or did it take a few years to figure the smaller port was better?

One of his articles if not in the one i linked from antique air gun did tell on that change and why..

 

[KWK]

• R1 (1981 to present)
• R5 (a .20 caliber version of the FWB 124, of which only four experimental guns were made) (1981)
• R6 (1995-2001)
• R7 (1983 to present)
• R8 (1983-1997)
• R9 (1995 to present)
• R10 (1986-1995)
• R11(1995 to present)
• RX (includes RX1 and RX2) gas-spring guns (1990 to present — all models)

From this article:

A brief history of Beeman and Air Rifle Headquarters – Part 2 | Blog | Pyramyd AIR

by B.B. Pelletier Before I begin, just a heads up that the July podcast has been posted and there's a new instructional video. Part 1 Dr. Robert Beeman was a professor of marine biology at San Francisco State University when he and his wife, Toshiko, started their company out of their home in...

www.pyramydair.com

 

[MDriskill]

One of his articles if not in the one i linked from antique air gun did tell on that change and why..

Thanks! Danny Garvin's "Vintage Airguns Gallery" is an AWESOME site - always one of my first stops when trying to figure out an old airgun! Here is his section on the HW 50, which focuses on some pretty old ones:

Weihrauch HW50

Weihrauch HW50 This is an introduction I wrote (most of) a while ago to some pics of early Weihrauchs: The first model produced by HW in 4.5mm c...

forum.vintageairgunsgallery.com

 

[Hateful McNasty]

Thanks! Danny Garvin's "Vintage Airguns Gallery" is an AWESOME site - always one of my first stops when trying to figure out an old airgun! Here is his section on the HW 50, which focuses on some pretty old ones:

Weihrauch HW50

Weihrauch HW50 This is an introduction I wrote (most of) a while ago to some pics of early Weihrauchs: The first model produced by HW in 4.5mm c...

forum.vintageairgunsgallery.com

I looked them over yesterday to see if he had a better answer to the op's " ? ".

That dual set trigger one was interesting for sure..

 

[zrman27500]

The old HW 50 is one of my faves - Weihrauch's only small-diameter action (i.e., 30mm exterior receiver diameter) that had the famous threaded-on rear end. Very solid, great-handling rifle with power right in between the R7 and current HW 50 / HW 99.

As KWK noted, the R7 and R8, derived from the HW 30 and 50 respectively in the early 1980's, had synthetic seals from the beginning - a big Beeman selling point. The HW 35 switched over about then too (843636 as noted above - made 1980). I don't know how long this took to "trickle down" into other versions of the smaller rifles, but it's pretty likely that except for the "R's," 30's and 50's from 1980 and before have leather.

I actually have a 1980 HW 50S, 796xxx serial, but it's a recent acquistion that's not been apart yet! The stock on this gun was an optional upgrade in Europe, but Beeman made it his standard one for a couple years prior to the R8. Older 50's usually have the severely plain (but for me, amazingly comfortable) stock of my 1967 one.

View attachment 368298

Thanks for replying mike, my '

• R1 (1981 to present)
• R5 (a .20 caliber version of the FWB 124, of which only four experimental guns were made) (1981)
• R6 (1995-2001)
• R7 (1983 to present)
• R8 (1983-1997)
• R9 (1995 to present)
• R10 (1986-1995)
• R11(1995 to present)
• RX (includes RX1 and RX2) gas-spring guns (1990 to present — all models)

From this article:

A brief history of Beeman and Air Rifle Headquarters – Part 2 | Blog | Pyramyd AIR

by B.B. Pelletier Before I begin, just a heads up that the July podcast has been posted and there's a new instructional video. Part 1 Dr. Robert Beeman was a professor of marine biology at San Francisco State University when he and his wife, Toshiko, started their company out of their home in...

www.pyramydair.com

77 looks just like your 67,and I have to agree with you that out of all the rifles I have,that sweet old 50 is one of my favorites as well. I think it has a broken spring,as it's a little crunchy when cocked. Hopefully the leather seal is in decent shape, I'd love to keep it.

 

[zrman27500]

is the weihrauch serial number database correct? Is definately saying my r7 was made in 1980,but seems to be impossible if they didn't start making the r7 until 1983

 

[Mycapt65]

is the weihrauch serial number database correct? Is definately saying my r7 was made in 1980,but seems to be impossible if they didn't start making the r7 until 1983

Interesting. Is it stamped R7? Is the serial number on the barrel? If so, I wonder if Weihrauch had some NOS barrels when they put that R7 together in 83.