Another Hammerli 208/208S Question....

daotoys1 · Post by **daotoys1** » Tue Oct 13, 2009 8:36 am

I have been researching the differences between the Hammerli 208 and 208S, as well as looking at the 209, 210, 211,212,215.....

So far my take on these guns is that the original 208, and 208S are actually the better guns with more care and workmanship/craftsmanship involved it their construction....is this a correct assessment????

It seems to me that the 208s is an improved 208, and the other guns in the series (209,210,211,212,215) were actually guns made with fewer steps in both machining and hand assembly...

Am I at least partially correct in thinking this way?

Basically what Im trying to do is to find out which model Hammerli semi auto sports pistol is the better of the bunch. So in my limited experience and reading so far Ive narrowed my search to either a 208 or 208s...

Any replys that may add to my knowledge of these pistols is greatly appreciated.

So in discussing the 208 and the 208s....how much better or improved is the 208s over the 208, or is the difference minute?

Ive found a number of 208 and 208s guns for sale, and in general the 208s guns are going for more money. I can only find 2nd hand/used guns with the exception of going with a engraved special limited edition pistol which doubles the price but in most cases is NIB.

Thanks for any thoughts, and sorry for such a long post.

:)

Tycho · Post by **Tycho** » Tue Oct 13, 2009 9:00 am

The 208 has a nicer (and therefore more expensive) finish, and that is all the difference there is between the 208 and the 215. The 209 was a rapid fire version of the 208 in .22 short and is therefore not legal anymore for anything. The 210 is a derivative of the 209 with another grip. The 211 is a 208 with the standard grip, while the 212 has the standard grip and simpler sights. The 215 is practically the same as the 208, but with less "finish", so it doesn't look as nice, but is technically the same, has the same interior quality and the same precision. Don't underestimate it. Those were the times when Hammerli actually knew what they were doing. If you like the layout and design of the 208 series, you can't go higher than a 208S, but a 215S (which is much rarer, btw) will do the same job, just as well. IMHO, the "S" is a lot better than the older versions and well worth the extra money - the adjustable trigger itself is a huge advantage, not to speak of the better trigger interior parts.

daotoys1 · Post by **daotoys1** » Tue Oct 13, 2009 9:13 am

Tycho wrote:The 208 has a nicer (and therefore more expensive) finish, and that is all the difference there is between the 208 and the 215. The 209 was a rapid fire version of the 208 in .22 short and is therefore not legal anymore for anything. The 210 is a derivative of the 209 with another grip. The 211 is a 208 with the standard grip, while the 212 has the standard grip and simpler sights. The 215 is practically the same as the 208, but with less "finish", so it doesn't look as nice, but is technically the same, has the same interior quality and the same precision. Don't underestimate it. Those were the times when Hammerli actually knew what they were doing. If you like the layout and design of the 208 series, you can't go higher than a 208S, but a 215S (which is much rarer, btw) will do the same job, just as well. IMHO, the "S" is a lot better than the older versions and well worth the extra money - the adjustable trigger itself is a huge advantage, not to speak of the better trigger interior parts.

Thanks a lot.....this is exactly the type of info I have been wanting....I really thank you for clarifying these model differences in a simple and brief manner that hits the points that are hard to find just by surfing the web....

So, my choices are still the 208 and/or 208s.....with the 208s slightly in the lead. Now I need to wait to see if I can find a NIB one. Ive found a few NIB 208 and 208s, but again they are the limited special presentation guns with engraving and inlays....which basically double the price.

I know that finding a new one will be very very hard, but there is always the occasional collector thinning his collection, and/or an estate sale. The LNIB ones I have found I feel are over priced...but the demand and rarity of the gun is keeping the prices up.

thanks again.

David Levene · Post by **David Levene** » Tue Oct 13, 2009 9:14 am

Tycho wrote:The 208 has a nicer (and therefore more expensive) finish, and that is all the difference there is between the 208 and the 215.

Remember that there was a version of the 208 that had a screw on the side of the frame that could be rotated to change the trigger weight from 1000g to 1360g.

This was not fitted to all 208s and, I believe, was never fitted to the 208S, 215 or 215S.

They were all extremely well made but the balance was not liked by many shooters. I always found them to be even more unforgiving than Walther GSPs.

Isabel1130 · Post by **Isabel1130** » Tue Oct 13, 2009 11:13 am

YOu need to talk to RoCo to get all of the details but my understanding is that the 208 had a single stage triger and the 208s has the two stage trigger. There are a few exceptions and occasionally you find a 208 with a two stage trigger. The later models generally have a rougher finish. The reason the 208 is the gun of choice is because of Eric Buljing
http://www.shootingwiki.org/index.php?t ... mmerli_208

Talk to Doris at RoCo. She will tell you everything you want to know.
http://www.rocosystem.com/

Isabel

Tycho · Post by **Tycho** » Tue Oct 13, 2009 11:43 am

Not so. There are several different version of the 208 trigger, but from the late 1970s, I think all pistols have the two stage trigger, although the definition of "two stage" may vary a lot, and some early models have nothing more than a pickup stage with a more or less defined spring, and all the rest on the 2nd stage. But all in all, I'd say that most pure one-stage triggers are model 206, the predecessor of the 208 (which looks the same). There is a distinctive difference between the early one stage trigger like in the 205/206, which is pretty crisp without any takeup, and the 1970s 208 trigger, that shows a somewhat undefined, but clearly visible 1st stage. Beside the trigger, there were version with / without a safety, which may have been on the side of the frame or on the back of the slide. Both options are known. I have a bunch of Hammerlis, from the Walther Olympia Pistole of 1936 through to the 208S, and IMHO the latest 208S is still the pistol to beat, in that series - although I don't shoot them, as I don't like the grip angle. But they are beautifully made, for sure.

left360 · Post by **left360** » Wed Oct 14, 2009 1:43 pm

Talk to Doris at RoCo. She will tell you everything you want to know.
http://www.rocosystem.com/

+1. Doris and Roland seem very knowledgeable and decent people. They may also have more inventory than the website shows.

In the hand, there really didn't seem to be that much difference in the exterior finish between the 208 and 215. There is a slight difference in the barrel profiles on the top, with 215 being more rounded IIRC.