Hammerli 280 or ???

[docgary]

I have an opportunity to buy a Hammerli 280 for $1500 with an Aimpoint and spare magazines. I want to use it for NRA and ISU standard pistol. Any suggestions? Is the pistol model reliable-any known issues with the model? Anything I should buy instead? I want to move up from the S&W 41 and High Standard citation and Victor I already have. Thanks, Doc

[Rob]

Your not at a disadvantage using the 41 and Hi-Standards for bullseye. The Victor can get you pretty far in standard pistol and can be used in free pistol. See if you like how a 208s feels before you spend $1500 on a 280. My wife bought a 280 in .22 and .32 new and they have been very reliable. I don't know how you would be removing the scope on the 280 to shoot international. My wife has complete guns. If she was to put a scope on one of them, I would get a new upper barrel section and dedicate a scope to it. There "plastic" tops so depending how the scope is mounted on, I would'nt want to remove it too often.

[Mike M.]

I've had one for years. Great gun in .22. You can shift the balance quite nicely. Not a real cold-weather gun, though - I had to stuff mags in my shirt pocket anytime the temperatere was below 40 degrees.

The older .32s tend to throw a shot....mine reliably puts the first round 3 inches high.

[Guest]

You may wish to use the search engine for Hammerli 280. There are issues of which you should be aware! I don't own one so I can't comment, but have shot them enough to know I don't really care for them. I can't say you'd really be "moving up" from what you have. If either or both the S&W and H-S fit your hand (custom grips are an option!), you could get an accessory barrel like the excellent ones from Clark Custom Guns or Falcon Engineering. The clark barrel for the 41 is guaranteed to produce les than 1" @50yds. (Mine will do much better.) One barrel could be set up as an NRA barrel and another could be set up for standard pistol.