webley raider single shot Review

Overall Rating

1. Well made, tough as boots.
2. Weighty but well balanced.
3. Fool proof bolt action cocking / loading
4. Accurate
5. Clean trigger
6. Threaded barrel
7. Good safety feature on bolt draw

1. Weight
2. Simple stock

I took delivery of my Webley Raider Single Shot 1 last night so this is a preliminary report. I bought the Raider to retire my Logun MK1 .22 11shot PCP after finding out how much it was worth. I wanted another PCP to shoot on a weekly basis at the club without the hastle of multishot mechanisms or worry of wear and tear. I have only put 140 rounds through it (Webley Lazapel provided) and have been greatly pleased by its performance. Mated up to a Hawke 6x42 mill dot with low mounts but no silencer as yet. I tried it out last night.

The Raider costs as much as an S200 (£230ish) and is by comparison a far better rifle. Better built and more powerful most reviews of the Raider are by people who have owned it for years. The Raider makes 11.7 ft lb / 556 ft second with the lazapell in our range and groups sub 1/2 inch at 30yrds. Repeat shoots on a 2ltr pop bottle at 70-100yrds are possible for an experienced shooter amazing really given that the barrel / mechanism of the gun are still brand new.

Per charge Webley quote 75shoots in .22 but I found that slightly more are produced at full power thanks to a relibale self regulating valve. The probe filling mechanism supplied is good but better when mated to a standard pneumatic connector (ala Air Arms). Without a silencer the Webley is loud and would be unsuitable for hunting. I plan to pick up a logun silencer with 1/2inch screw connection so I can use it on both of my PCP's (Report to follow).

The gun is weighty, but tough and well balanced which offsets the extra bulk. Be sure to keep all that steel oiled and clean though or rust will soon set in. The standard beech stock is simple and has no chequered sections but shape is generally comfortable and pointable. I had some of the kids at the range use it last night, some of whom have been shooting for only 4 weeks. They were hitting a 7x4inch bell target at 40yrds with relative ease, and could cock / load the rifle easily.

Initial conclusions, a good rifle, all the benefits of my Logun Rifle but non of the worry that I'm destroying a £700 airgun!

More reports will follow. Please feel free to contact me on this page for any info.

Members' Comments onnicholasdownes's Review

• nicholasdownes on 26th Jan 2005

  Judging by other reviews it seems pretty plain that many people have nothing but trouble with their Webley Raiders. This is especially true of the two shot shuttle mag version though not so much the venom modified version. Though so far I have nothing but glowing enthusiasm for the Raider which straight from the box shoots almost as well as my Logun Mk1 I wish potential Webley owners to consider the risks. What if you were to buy a Raider and it turned out underpowered, inaccurate, leaky or poorly finished? Given the negative reviews I wish those looking for a first time PCP to think very hard about what they would do if the rifle malfunctioned. However many reviews of the Raider are more than satisfactory and many more reflect a review period of some years.
  
  The bottom line - worth a risk over the Air Arms S200 because if you get a good one it'll shoot well for years. However the S400 is a safer bet if your funding will allow. Remember if you're thinking about buying a Raider you're looking at the budget end of the PCP market. For your money the Raider employs a relatively simple mechanism any confident airguner can service themselves if necessary and enough steel to hold the entire thing together for years. Dont be put off but be aware of what your buying.
  
  As an experienced airgunner I love this rifle but hate the thought of anyone buying something on my recommendation that later turns out to be dud. Perhaps the Raider is a little heavy / bulky for a first time PCP. I'd love people to enjoy the Raider as much as I do but would recommend you save the £70 extra for a S400.

• nicholasdownes on 28th Jan 2005

  This is the first post shoot report. We were down the range last night and put up some two litre pop bottles at 50, 60, and 70yds on strings. From standing & unrested the Webley can hit the bottles again and again with ease (given the fixed 6 x scope and mill dots). Last week I managed to hit two maltesers at 60yds but this week I was fractionaly off.
  
  Picked up a second hand Ripley silencer last night which fitted straight to the Webley and silenced it to a wisper. The silencer also seems to balance out the gun better especially for standing shoots at the aforementioned ranges.
  
  Conclusion: Still so far so good but will keep updating this page as and when.

• nicholasdownes on 9th Feb 2005

  Last week the Webley performed well again, I concentrated on hitting a steel rabbit target at 60yrds from standing and hit it time after time in the head. Consistency, accuracy and power all seem to be fine so far in line with my previous reports. Though the Webley is heavy it is balanced and a good training rifle for any shooter with other lighter & more exotic PCPs in their armouries.

• nicholasdownes on 9th Feb 2005

  I have recently mated the webley filling probe to an Air Arms male adaptor which means I can charge my raider from the same hose at the club used by those with S400s (aka everyone). This eliminates the hastle fo having to bolt on the webley probe before use, and also means that exposure to grit and dirt are kept to a minimum. However please ensure that the air arms section is drilled out otherwise it remains charge and can eject dangerously.