Harper Classic .25 HW90

Steve Harper is one of the old-school airgun makers in Britain. Famed for his innovative Harper classic guns, his fortes were his precision-made air canes and air cartridge firearms and pistols, many bearing his electronic triggers. Based in his Buckinghamshire workshop, Steve now spreads his time between classic one- offs and designing innovative systems for modern guns, such as Daystate’s electronic circuitry.

This is an unusual Harper Classic in the guise of a Weihrauch HW90 gas-ram air rifle, which has been converted to .25 calibre before Weihrauch offered a .25 barrel. It wears Steve’s distinctive brass medallion inset in the breech of the HW90, denoting a non-standard Weihrauch.

Very clever rifling system

Instead of using an aftermarket .25 barrel, Steve has opted to go the custom route and re-bored the old .22 barrel to accept his own home-grown .25 brass tube. Look down from the breech end and the barrel’s interior is anything but conventional. Usually, you will have between five to eight rifling lands — sometimes three, like my fast Wildcats —but Steve’s barrel is different.There is a total spiral rifling system with 20-plus rifling lands; slim and shallow rifling that provides good rotational grip but with a little frictional force to remove lead and deform pellets. It’s very clever.

The barrel is also short at 10in, as being a .25 calibre it utilises air more efficiently than the smaller.177, .20 or .22. This allows a shorter overall rifle design. It is fitted with the efficient Panther sound moderator from Michael Tawn airgun supplies. It is large enough to mute the muzzle report to a slight “thut” but, interestingly, it is elliptical in design. Here the barrel rides in the top section, and the baffles to mute noise are sited below the axis of the bore.

Good for pigeons and rats

This Harper Classic was reduced in power by its owner to 10ft/lb instead of the full 12ft/lb as it was used to topple feral pigeon off chimney pots and factory gantries. Thus the pellet stayed inside the pigeon for maximum striking force yet provided no problems with over-penetration that could break a window or roof tile. The rest of the Harper classic is pretty standard with an original stock that needs no further modifications. As this is a rifle to be used, a few scratches add to the history.