Just back from finishing touches. Here is my Rob Hawkins tuned R7 pre-safety in a custom one off Steve Corcoran stock. The stock has been transformed by Scott Blair.
He added Rosewood caps on the grip and forend. The front has the schnabel front cap added to cover the block....and for astetics.
The checking is "skip-line" style. 5 panels of intricate workmanship accent the already beautiful blonde English Walnut stock.
Lastly, it was hand fitted with a Pacmyr butt pad for shooting stability and comfort. Recoil is not an issue with this rifle!
I'm so very thrilled to own this timeless work of art!! What a pleasure to shoot.
It's been on my bench since it got back. It's a one hole bench gun, however I really enjoy shooting it offhand. Just because it's pretty, doesn't make it a safe queen. I shoot all of my airgun 's in rotation. But lately it's been all R7!!
One of my favorite guns to shoot. Michael Mckeown stock. Gun tuned to shoot CPL'S @ 6fte. Maccari spring. Love your gun Kingfisher. You have to be in love with these little guns to spend more on a stock than you did on the gun itself. These are guns you keep for life.
Always great to drop in on your posts! Sorry I can't add to the pictures. None the less my I put my bid in if your ever in the need of a care taker for them there beauties.
With such works of art one can enjoy the handling as much as the shooting aspect.
As usual, you point out the artwork of Scott Blair. He is unbelievable! I definitely do just take theme out of the case just to look at them. I always find something new that catches my eye. Plus the tactile contact with the checking and smooth areas adds to the experience. That check work is very sharp in feel as well as appearance!
Anytime you want to borrow one to try, let me know bro!!! Lol
I LOVE the R7 as much as the next guy. They are remarkable guns, and I've owned a few myself. I even built one from a box stock HW30, by buying a Rekord trigger unit and an R7 stock.
But they aren't magic. What they are is a reasonably powered spring piston powerplant in a well-designed ergonomic stock. There are many vintage spring guns that shoot as well, or better than the much-lauded R7. The Diana 27 is arguably the best gun ever produced in this category. The perfect balance of power, weight, and firing behavior. Heck, even the late model Diana 24 could give the HW a run for its money. I know. I owned both of them and shot them side by side. If you ever find a small-tube Diana 28, BUY IT! The class of the field.
Sadly, no one but HW is making reasonably powered spring piston air rifles anymore. Yes. some mfgrs offer "youth" rifles in this power range, but they lack the fit, finish and sophistication of the R7. I do hope HW continues to make the R7. I fear they will succumb to the marketing forces of higher FPS/FPE.
FWIW, I have a Haenel Model III that was made before WWII, which still shoots as well or (depending on me) better than any of the HW R7s I've owned.
Nice looking combo! Amazing how things are different yet remain the same.
Which one do you prefer? You know I'm partial to that beautiful old R7. Lol
Thanks!
I picked up the old R7 for my girlfriend to carry afield, and she loves the lighter, slimmer feel, and classic finish of the stock. It is pellet picky, but it shoots excellent with FTT Green, and she was nailing cherries consistently at 45 yards with it. So she is happy with it.
I concur about the beauty of the old rifle, but I appreciate the late model's beefier feel, more solid build, and higher performance.
Working on and shooting both of them, I see how HW has made many improvements over the years. Instead of thinking "they don't make them like they used to," I think, (except for the stock) "wow, HW is building them better than ever!"
So a few years ago, I wanted a fully custom R7 from Paul Watts. I sent him the gun straight from the retailer. That way it was never even fired. I had Paul do his advanced tune, which basically remachined the insides. New spring, guides, buttoned piston after honing. I went with the custom setback trigger. Custom shroud. A Maccari stock, back when he was making them, with upgraded walnut. So it was a custom gun. 1,500.00 without scope. 3-9 Leupold. That gun is so sweet. I have not shot stock R7's, but this gun is so low recoil and is so smooth that it is a joy to shoot. I liked it so much I had him do a R9 .20 the same way. These two will never leave the fold. The R9 shoots amazing. I have shot other R9's that have not been this custom. They shoot well, but not to this level. I can't seem to miss with either gun. Now in reality I can miss, but I never spend time chasing center with my scopes. Both have the 3-9 Leupold and once I sight it in, rarely have to readjust. Now over 3 grand in two springers before scopes that add another 800.00 is not for the faint of heart. I don't think Paul takes in any custom work anymore. But I told him that I wanted two springers that I could pass on to my kids or grandkids. These are those guns. With all the issues with hold sensitivity on other springers I have owned and still do, these two are the ones I can pull out of the case they reside in after months of not shooting and it seems like I just shot them yesterday. The platforms are super solid. But if you can find a tuner who knows his way around a lathe and can either machine the existing parts or make custom new ones, these guns become almost perfect for springers. R7 is so light and easy to shoot. R9 is a bit more power and heft, but in the custom mode is just as smooth. Now I started with a cheap Gamo 440, and had that tuned. But all it did was make me want the best. I nicely tuned R7 or R9 shoots about 85% of what Paul did for me. I know, as I gave a general tuned R9 to a very good friend of mine. But to get all the way to near perfection, you need to do the whole 9 yards. I have a FX Cyclone that is just literally point and shoot. But these are as close as you can get in a springer platform. Just my experience.
Here's my R7... bought it used back in 2005... added the Maccari muzzle break, a rear sight cover plate, and the Beeman 66RL 2-7x-32mm scope... I would consider putting one of Jim Maccari's custom DIY stocks on it, if they were still available.
I bought it for my son at the time, who was about 14 then... we had a lot of fun shooting together... but he's grown, graduated from college, has a job and lives in a big city now... but he can claim ownership to it at anytime... it'll still be here at home, and I enjoy shooting it too... it's a delight to shoot !
Here's my R7... bought it used back in 2005... added the Maccari muzzle break, a rear sight cover plate, and the Beeman 66RL 2-7x-32mm scope... I would consider putting one of Jim Maccari's custom DIY stocks on it, if they were still available.
I bought it for my son at the time, who was about 14 then... we had a lot of fun shooting together... but he's grown, graduated from college, has a job and lives in a big city now... but he can claim ownership to it at anytime... it'll still be here at home, and I enjoy shooting it too... it's a delight to shoot !
Your R7 has sentimental value as well.....that's a definite keeper.
Very sweet set up. The laminate and brushes nickel combination is a winner! How does it shoot???
It's very accurate and smooth! The laminate is heavier (.5 pound?) than the standard beech stock and presumably, the extra weight makes for less recoil. I also added a Vortek Kit even though it was already a smooth shooter.
Here's my other one: It's a .22 HW30S with an R7 stock, a Beeman Univeral Muzzle Brake and Leupold scope. Again, a smooth shooter with a Vortek kit. The .22 gives a little more "smack" when plinking.
Here's one of my HW30s. I swapped actions/stocks to create this BEFORE the special edition was offered by AoA.
Beautiful. Might have to find a nickle finish action for one of my laminated guns. Kingfisher I wanted that Jock Elliot Edition you have so bad when it came out.
It's not as pretty as all the HW30s & R7s you all have posted, but here's my HW30S with 2-7x32 BSA and 5" Maccari Apex muzzle weight. And if PA should get some of the new style R7 stocks to sell it will wear one of those to dress it up. It's the only springer I've had that has been twang free out of the box so I've resisted the urge to open it up....so far. Nice shot cycle, great accuracy, and easy to cock. It's a joy to shoot.
