bootneckbob
Super member
I've waited a long time to be able to not only take this photo, but also shoot them both.
I've had the Challenger a good few years now; well over 10. I had one new on my 14th Birthday but sold it a few years later. I also got the HW45 also new. Not my birthday; Xmas perhaps
.
I have really good memories of shooting both in my parents back garden, but also shooting rabbits with the Challenger and my friend on his mums little farm.
Anyway, after a long time looking for a good boxed HW45 to turn up, and missing any that did, I decided to put a Wanted ad up here on the AGF. I wasn't optimistic but had a reply from @Rare Rifles about one he had. It turns out the one he had was .177 not .22 as mine was, but it had the .22 barrel with it. Well, beggers can't be choosers and I thought it was too good to miss based on whats stamped in the frame. On reflection, I actually thought it probably better being .177 with the dual power. This is for pure plinking, I already have my top flight target pistols.
The pistol arrived Wednesday, and on checking it over it seemed as though it had not been used since the 80s, but in perfect condition. I went to cock it and it was awful so I did a couple of shots through the chrono, well down on power but not bothered. The next day and after watching Nicks (TBT) stripdown video, I set to work on it. I won't bore you with the details but as it was externally, the inside was also like new, but with no lube. One thing I will say here after reading about chewing up the barrel retaining plate as the screws are soft (so they say), I remeber rounding mine off back in the day. Fortunatly I know a couple of tricks now being 52 and used the hair dryer I keep in the shed to warm up the screws for just this reason. What seemed immoveable beforehand cracked loose and was undone with no damage. Not just the barrel but all the screws.
So after a good clean and regrease, or should that be grease, I put it all back together. I was using a clamp as a spring compressor in the same way Nick did in his video, but when putting it back together again I had greasy fingers and everything was just a bit harder and the damn thing slipped out and I was very lucky I was working flat on the bench as the spring went with enough force to easily have smashed a window! After some expletives and finding all the parts again I washed my hands, de greased evrything and tried again; sucsess. Cocking nice and smooth put power unchanged....no matter.
Today I swapped out the barrel and put it back over the chrono again. In .22 I was getting more power and it was very consistent. Only 3.6ftlbs but I was happy with that. So, now time to put 10 shots down on paper at 10m. 9 in the black and the 9th shot I pulled a tiny amount so it was just out. But, I didn't buy this for paper punching. Where was that tin can I've been keeping for years, ah ha. In to the garden we go. I set up the tin can and 40mm field target knock downs at 15m. Brilliant! The tin can was getting bounced about without any misses and then I turned my attention to the knockdowns. First 3 shots a tad low so I walked to 10m. Dropped them everytime no bother at all.
After that I knew I had to get the Challenger out. Shot the Challenger in my pretty standard way, kneeling and had the knockdowns down no trouble and then moved on to the smallest spinner at 20yards. The 18mm spinner getting spanked continiously.
I then had to take a photo didn't I, and of course it had to be with the boxes!
Sad as it sounds, today was probably one of my bucket list things. I haven't actually got a list, given today would be on it you can probably imagine why!
I can't even reminiss about shooting up the parents back yard and my models with these two back in the day as they aren't around now. So, I have to put it here.
These two set me on my airgun path. I can't begin to think how many I've had in the last 39 years but it's a lot. So great to have these two together again.
I've had the Challenger a good few years now; well over 10. I had one new on my 14th Birthday but sold it a few years later. I also got the HW45 also new. Not my birthday; Xmas perhaps
.I have really good memories of shooting both in my parents back garden, but also shooting rabbits with the Challenger and my friend on his mums little farm.
Anyway, after a long time looking for a good boxed HW45 to turn up, and missing any that did, I decided to put a Wanted ad up here on the AGF. I wasn't optimistic but had a reply from @Rare Rifles about one he had. It turns out the one he had was .177 not .22 as mine was, but it had the .22 barrel with it. Well, beggers can't be choosers and I thought it was too good to miss based on whats stamped in the frame. On reflection, I actually thought it probably better being .177 with the dual power. This is for pure plinking, I already have my top flight target pistols.
The pistol arrived Wednesday, and on checking it over it seemed as though it had not been used since the 80s, but in perfect condition. I went to cock it and it was awful so I did a couple of shots through the chrono, well down on power but not bothered. The next day and after watching Nicks (TBT) stripdown video, I set to work on it. I won't bore you with the details but as it was externally, the inside was also like new, but with no lube. One thing I will say here after reading about chewing up the barrel retaining plate as the screws are soft (so they say), I remeber rounding mine off back in the day. Fortunatly I know a couple of tricks now being 52 and used the hair dryer I keep in the shed to warm up the screws for just this reason. What seemed immoveable beforehand cracked loose and was undone with no damage. Not just the barrel but all the screws.
So after a good clean and regrease, or should that be grease, I put it all back together. I was using a clamp as a spring compressor in the same way Nick did in his video, but when putting it back together again I had greasy fingers and everything was just a bit harder and the damn thing slipped out and I was very lucky I was working flat on the bench as the spring went with enough force to easily have smashed a window! After some expletives and finding all the parts again I washed my hands, de greased evrything and tried again; sucsess. Cocking nice and smooth put power unchanged....no matter.
Today I swapped out the barrel and put it back over the chrono again. In .22 I was getting more power and it was very consistent. Only 3.6ftlbs but I was happy with that. So, now time to put 10 shots down on paper at 10m. 9 in the black and the 9th shot I pulled a tiny amount so it was just out. But, I didn't buy this for paper punching. Where was that tin can I've been keeping for years, ah ha. In to the garden we go. I set up the tin can and 40mm field target knock downs at 15m. Brilliant! The tin can was getting bounced about without any misses and then I turned my attention to the knockdowns. First 3 shots a tad low so I walked to 10m. Dropped them everytime no bother at all.
After that I knew I had to get the Challenger out. Shot the Challenger in my pretty standard way, kneeling and had the knockdowns down no trouble and then moved on to the smallest spinner at 20yards. The 18mm spinner getting spanked continiously.
I then had to take a photo didn't I, and of course it had to be with the boxes!
Sad as it sounds, today was probably one of my bucket list things. I haven't actually got a list, given today would be on it you can probably imagine why!
I can't even reminiss about shooting up the parents back yard and my models with these two back in the day as they aren't around now. So, I have to put it here.
These two set me on my airgun path. I can't begin to think how many I've had in the last 39 years but it's a lot. So great to have these two together again.
