Weihrauch HW99S

I'd heard good things about the HW99S and and when I was offered a good deal on a new one it was an opportunity that I couldn't pass up. This is a much overlooked model, unfairly stuck with the tag of “junior” rifle. However the latest versions have an adult sized stock with an extended fore end - giving it similar dimensions to the stock on the HW95.

Indeed, this gun is very similar to the 95 except that it's cheaper, lighter and has a compression tube about 20mm shorter which means that the 99S is running at near maximum efficiency at 12fpe. This gives it a short lock time and a very nice firing cycle. Otherwise it's pretty much standard Weihrauch fare with solid build, quality finish and, of course, the Rekord trigger.

Out of the box, this example was impressively smooth and twang free. It was so easy to shoot that it gave an immediate cloverleaf group at 25m. I tested several pellet types but H&N FTT proved best for both power and accuracy. Initially, there was some sporadic dieseling which disappeared over the first 50 or so shots. After a few hundred shots I ran the HW99S over the chronograph and was pleased to see a consistent 11.6fpe. On that note, I do think that .22 should be the calibre of choice on these as I have heard that .177s can struggle to get much more than 10fpe. Overall, I’m impressed by this unassuming rifle - it’s Weihrauch’s best kept secret!

Update: Of course, I ended up selling my perfect HW99S and subsequently bought another. In between times Weihrauch modified the HW99S and the new one came with the latest stock with fore end chequering and Weihrauch logo. This model also has the anti-galling mod to the cocking link – basically a delrin slider added to the top surface to stop the cocking link from grinding on the underside of the cylinder, the Achilles heel of this design.

Sadly this rifle wasn't as smooth as the previous example and was disappointingly twangy. On stripping down there turned out be a surprising amount of swarf inside the action – mainly at the trigger block end. And the four small tiles securing the trigger block were quite rough, with metal shavings stuck to the outside of the action where they’d been forced in. There were also a few other assembly marks and dinks from the factory hidden under the stock.

With everything apart I rubbed down all the rough edges, machined up a top hat for the spring and made a properly fitting rear guide. On that note, there’s not a lot of space to play with inside the piston so the total combined length of the top hat and rear guide can’t be more than about 100mm.

Once back together it was much better with a lot less twang. It was also printing cloverleaf groups at 25 metres in typical HW99 fashion. Sadly, it never made as much power as the previous example. I tested with Air Arms Field, Accupells, Superdomes and H&N FTT. Power was remarkably consistent across all four but none produced more than 10.5 fpe. This one also turned out to suffer from galling, despite the anti-galling mod. Go figure.

Overall, these rifles should be ideal for the UK market but the design is flawed and Weihrauch build quality is hit & miss: You might get a good one or you might get one that tries to eat itself. You pay your money, you take your chance. Good luck!