Weihrauch HW30S: a sub-12 ft/lb springer that earns its keep in the barn

A break-barrel springer running at roughly two-thirds the legal power limit has turned out to be one of the more versatile tools going, according to Pete Evans at Airgun World, who tested the Weihrauch HW30S on the chronograph and out to 30m.

Snapshot

The HW30S is a single-shot .177 or .22 spring-piston break-barrel, 98.5cm long and 2.6kg with its supplied 4x32 scope. Evans measured 7.2 to 8.1ft/lb depending on pellet, well under the 12ft/lb limit, and found it grouped tight enough for barn and pen work while still holding its own with experienced shooters.

Key points

• Accuracy on test: five shots in 15mm at 20m with 7.33gr JSB Exact RS pellets, opening to 18mm at 25m, with 1in spinners ringing at 30m.
• Trigger: the current import carries Weihrauch's adjustable two-stage Rekord unit, which Evans called the long-standing benchmark for spring gun triggers; some used examples have the simpler Perfekt instead.
• Firing behaviour: Evans described the shot cycle as "benign," with little movement or kick beyond mechanical noise, something he rates as a real advantage shooting from awkward positions in a pen.
• Build for a starter gun: an ambidextrous walnut-stained beech stock from Minelli, with Evans arguing it matches full-size Weihrauch quality rather than cutting corners on the parts a beginner needs most.
• Legal status: no firearm certificate needed in England and Wales at this power; Scotland requires an Air Weapon Certificate for any air rifle regardless of output.

Quick take

Evans pitched this squarely as a working rifle as much as a trainer, suited to rats along the feed line and pigeons under cover at 20m, with enough gun in hand for a clean job without excess power behind the target. He also noted a junior version shortened further and running around 5ft/lb for younger shooters.

Read the full story: shootinguk.co.uk