Mike Morton tests the Weihrauch HW 77K

Posted on 17/07/2019 by towens — No Comments ↓

Mike Morton casts his eye over the latest laminate variant of the Weihrauch HW 77K – who’d have thought wood could look this good?

Ask a shooter to think of an airgun that comes with open sights, and most will probably conjure up an image of an entry-level break-barrel springer.

Weihrauch has other ideas, however, which is why the premium HW 77 underlever has been in its inventory for such a long time.

But just because a product has been in production for decades doesn’t mean it’s not subjected to a few upgrades and innovations from time to time.

Special editions of this model were released a few years ago in two different laminate stocks, a green-based Summer Forest and another called Autumn Forest, with more red tones and a slightly different overall shape. But now there’s another version.

Key Specs

Manufacturer: Weihrauch (www.weihrauch-sport.de)

Official UK importer: Hull Cartridge (www.hullcartridge.co.uk)

Model: HW 77K Laminate

Price: £496

Type: Spring-piston underlever

Calibre: .177 and .22 (.20 and .25 special order)

Stock: Ambidextrous laminated

Overall length: 102cm

Length of pull: 36.5cm

Barrel length: 37cm

Weight: 4.2kg (without scope)

Trigger: Two-stage, adjustable

Safety: Automatic

Average power: 11.5 foot pounds

Features: Open sights, scope rail

This latest laminate is different again, being the same shape as the old Summer variant, but decidedly more pale. In my opinion it looks every bit as striking, with a subtle mix of pale greens, greys and browns tied together with a smooth and non-reflective eggshell finish.

Another change is the addition of a laser-etched Weihrauch logo into the panel of chequering on the forend. It’s understated, and all the better for it.

So Weihrauch has made a few changes, but it’s also kept what’s good about the venerable HW 77. In an age where fibre-optic sights are all the rage, the open sights that come with this rifle are traditional irons.

The quality is right up there. The rear sight, for example, is a solid metal unit that’s fully adjustable for windage and elevation.

But while the HW 77K Laminate comes fitted with iron sights, the ambidextrous stock has a raised cheekpiece, with a high enough comb to make shooting it with a scope a breeze.

If you do want to fit an optic, just slide the rear sight off the dovetail rail. If you fit high enough mounts, it is possible to get your scope to clear the rear sight, so you could leave the sight in place.

Either way, it’s great to see open sights on a high-end underlever, as shooting with irons offers you a very different experience to shooting with a scope. Don’t believe me? Then try it for yourself!