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Hammerli 280 Value?

Posted: Tue Jun 24, 2014 8:38 am
by beeser
What's a fair price for a Hammerli 280, 32 wadcutter in excellent condition? Is this a good substitute for a S&W Model 52? I realize they are not the same caliber.

Posted: Tue Jun 24, 2014 8:57 am
by Jon Eulette
I would steer clear of the 280. They are notorious for unexplained flyers. Too many other better pistols out there.

Jon

Posted: Tue Jun 24, 2014 11:52 am
by beeser
Jon Eulette wrote:I would steer clear of the 280. They are notorious for unexplained flyers. Too many other better pistols out there.

Jon
Good thing I asked. What's better in .32 caliber wadcutter?

Posted: Tue Jun 24, 2014 1:00 pm
by GOVTMODEL
beeser wrote:
Jon Eulette wrote:I would steer clear of the 280. They are notorious for unexplained flyers. Too many other better pistols out there.

Jon
Good thing I asked. What's better in .32 caliber wadcutter?
Walther GSPC, with a 10 inch twist barrel.

Posted: Tue Jun 24, 2014 6:18 pm
by mparker
Jon Eulette wrote:I would steer clear of the 280. They are notorious for unexplained flyers. Too many other better pistols out there.

Jon
Jon -
Interesting. I thought this gun made its bones in rapid fire.

Are you referring to the .32 or does your remark apply to the .22 as well? I haven't had mine, a 22LR, for a long time and don't shoot it often but when browsing through my range book I haven't recorded any fliers.

Posted: Tue Jun 24, 2014 7:58 pm
by Jon Eulette
The .32 s&w long. When I was at the AMU they were tried and quickly set aside. We shot a ton of .32 for the CISM matches. The Walther GSP was used by the majority of shooters. Shot a match about a year ago and a shooter showed up with one and complained about the same thing.
Jon

fliers

Posted: Wed Jun 25, 2014 2:07 pm
by FredB
AFAIK, and I've talked with a lot of people about this, the reports of unexplained fliers from the .32 Hammerli 280 applied only to the first series guns. The first series 280s have the top end that snaps onto the lower (with no screw in front), and the later series top ends attach with a 5mm bolt in front. I've never heard such complaints about the later series.

All Euro .32 target guns are optimized for 25M accuracy, because that's the distance of the Center Fire match target, and it can be tricky to get 50yd accuracy from them (but Dave Wilson knows how). Again AFAIK, the stock GSP-C (.32) is no more inherently accurate at 50yds than the later series stock Hammerli 280 (.32).

FredB

Posted: Wed Jun 25, 2014 2:16 pm
by David M
The first shot flier from the early series 280's is easy to fix.
A aluminium frame stiffner which attaches to the barrel weight holes and fits around the mag well does the trick. I have seen a number of these made and they all seem to work.

Re: fliers

Posted: Wed Jun 25, 2014 2:17 pm
by GOVTMODEL
FredB wrote:... AFAIK, the stock GSP-C (.32) is no more inherently accurate at 50yds than the later series stock Hammerli 280 (.32).
Agreed, but the GSPC is still in production.

Re: fliers

Posted: Wed Jun 25, 2014 2:29 pm
by FredB
GOVTMODEL wrote:
FredB wrote:... AFAIK, the stock GSP-C (.32) is no more inherently accurate at 50yds than the later series stock Hammerli 280 (.32).
Agreed, but the GSPC is still in production.
Agreed, but the OP was considering buying a used 280 ;>)