One of "Your" air rifles..

[Mortblanc]

Thanks Talon, information I can use.

My 30 has a ball bearing in the chamber block that snaps over a bar on the receiver. I have been suspect of the system since I saw it. It also has a different "feel" when the barrel goes back into battery sometimes that makes me suspect. I have not disassembled the rifle to the point of finding the adjustment for the tension on the ball bearing. It is crimped at the front so it has to go in from the back. I will search for that.

I am using Leipers mounts and they seem well made but were the focus of interest when I contacted the distributor who furnished the rifle. The first thing they said was "mounts".

I do not think it is barrel whip or the LER scopes would not be working well, unless their own presence is acting as a muzzle weight.

I think a good one piece mount is in order after I search out the adjustment screw tension on the ball bearing in the lockup.

One thing at a time, I have learned the hard way. Adjusting two things at once often causes sudden insanity.

One strange thing about working with air guns here in the States, you have to order everything on line. There are only about 3-4 good air gun centers over here that specialize in quality gear and the knowledge that goes with them. Fortunately the internet allows easy access, but often one is buying or modifying sight unseen and with no guidance.

[Talon]

I don't think you can adjust the ball detent Mort . I meant the actual barrel pivot bolt . I would definitely go for the one piece mount . If that doesn't work I'd try loosening the barrel pivot bolt a tad . I know it sounds crazy but it could just be too tight . No the 30's lock up isn't the best design out there . There aren't many bad reviews on the rifle though so the basic design must be fit for purpose . I hope it's just the mounts .The fact that the lock up feels different at times is a little concerning though .

[Mortblanc]

I was also thinking I must be doing something wrong or have the set-up wrong on the rifle. It is perfection in every other way, so I am going to work around the situation since I am used to solving these kinds of problems with cartridge rifles. Each one is an individual and I will find the proper combination for this one.

I specifically have a nice 3-9x BSA scope that has paralax adjustment down to 6M that I want to use for indoor shooting, which has been my disappointment.

I am going to look at the ball detent situation from the inside after disassembling the rifle. I am pretty sure they put the ball in from the back and secure it with a spring against a screw. If so I can probably get an extra turn to tighten things up.

"Back in the day" the 30 had a latch that secured the barrel in locked position. I wish they still did.

I have already ordered a one piece mount, and it can not hurt anything even if it does not cure the issue.

This little rifle is amazing to me. I am shooting it a ton and I am using cheap pellets. Except for the Coleman pellets the rifle shoots anything I put into it reasonably. I am getting one inch groups at 20m consistently using Beeman pellets that cost $4 US for 500 pellets, which is the cheapest I have found. If I can get the good scope on it I am sure it will do better.

The rifle will also do better when shooting the $12-$15/500 JSB pellets but I am having a ton of fun zipping out 500 or so shots per week, in reasonably close groups, at $4.

My PCP rifles have proven the same. JSB pellets shoot into microscopic groups at 35m while the Beeman and RWS pellets do around 3/4" and cost 1/3 the price of the JSB ammo.

[Talon]

Ah . Well if there's a screw locking the detent in Mort it should be pretty simple to adjust the tension on it.Or even replace the detent Spring with a stronger one if need be.I have to admit it's got me really curious about picking one of these little rifles up.I think it would make a lovely 20 yard plinker with a williams sight on it.
I've always been a fan of the Beeman c1 with the western style stock.I think I'll look for a 30 in .177 for some open sight shooting.My eyes pretty much need a scope for 25 yards and over these days .Im glad you're having fun with the little Weihrauch though Mort and hope you get the scope issue resolved. I'll look forward to your update.

[Mortblanc]

I took the barrel off the tube and there is no adjustment screw. The locking detent ball is apparently pushed in and then crimped in place. It snaps in place over a steel bar and apparently you get what you get.

I am still going to try the one piece scope mount and see if that helps.

I am even considering the purchase of a micrometer peep sight. Something to play with.

[Mortblanc]

OK, I got the one piece mount and the zero still wanders.

I finally bought a scope riser block 9cm long and combined it with a cantilevered scope mount and got a normal scope back far enough to get some vision through it while still clamped to the barrel rather than the tube.

I sit the big 6-24 power varmint scope I use for absolute accuracy testing on the HW30 and shot some of the good pellets through it at 20M.

The first shot made a .177" hole and the rest just made the hole slightly wider. Apparently an infinite number of shots can be put into about a 10MM circle with this rifle, and the only thing holding back its potential is the sighting system.

Now I have to change everything back to my original set up since the makeshift mount I am using is hardly suitable for everyday back porch shooting. Eventually a knock or bump will bend the Rube Goldberg setup.

Even with the shorter forward mounted system it looks like a Star Wars weapon in action.

But it is giving me practice with shooting the long eye relief scopes in a daily basis. I have several "scout rifles" that use the LER scopes and changing between systems can be mentally confusing for snap shots.

[Talon]

Did you try slackening the barrel hinge bolt a tad Mort . It sounds crazy to me too but apparantely an overly tightened barrel bolt can cause issues with scope accuracy on the ball lock up on these 30’s . If it was me I think I’d go the diopter route if loosening the barrel doesn’t work .It’ll definitely prove a little more challenging over the range your shooting .

[Mortblanc]

I worked on the hinge with no success. I am about to call the whole process a learning experience and go with what I have.

TBH the forward mount scope does not bother me and my only real objection to it is the limited range of magnification available in that style scope. I can only go up to 7x without spending a small fortune and I have no desire to stick a $600 scope on a $300 air rifle.

I already have a half dozen rifles with long eye relief scopes on board. Most of them are "brush guns" for fast shooting in dense cover and relatively short ranges but a couple do have the capacity to reach out there.

I can cope with getting 20-25mm groups @25M from the 7x scope since I have already backed down from the JBS pellets to Beeman wad cutters due to the cost of the pellets which adds up at the rate I am shooting. Over here the JBS is around $12/300 compared to the Beeman at $4/500. Yes the JBS is more accurate, but not enough to justify the price when shooting flop over and pop up targets in the garden.

All in all I have been having a blast with the little HW30 and it is a rifle I would recommend to anyone as a trainer or indoor air gun. I bought it specifically for its low noise level. Were that not a major factor in my decision I would go for an HW 57 or 97 and have the solid barrel/receiver unit and eliminate this scope quip.

Last wee I also picked up a Beeman P17 which is a budget air pistol. The Beeman is a $30 knock off of the Beeman P3 which sells for $300 over here. So Beeman is offering a copy of its own higher quality pistol!

The P17 is a dandy! I have alrady put about 300 shots through it and for the money it is a fantastic buy. Rifled barrel, fair sights and the ability to mount an optic are all positives. It gives around 400fps and the "across the room" accuracy is superb. I have been shooting it into a trap on the back porch and in the living room. Both areas offer about 4M range.

I have a red dot on it right now but shot it for a bit with the open sights. I must admit that my old eyes are better when using the red dot!