Hammerli Power B1 in .22 LR, Examined and Reviewed

There’s nothing that balances marksmanship with enjoyable and ammo affordability higher than a .22 rifle, and the Hammerli Power B1 folds all that into an adjustable, modular, biathlon-style rifle. You and I may not be clicking into our cross-country skis to wash plate racks, however we don’t must spend north of $6,000 to expertise the enjoyable and elegance of an olympic-grade rifle both.  Although the target-style vertical grip and huge straight-pull deal with are immediately noticeable, the Hammerli Power B1 is filled with options that make it interesting to all kinds of rimfire hunters and plinkers.

Hammerli Power B1 Specs

See It

• Cartridges: .22 LR (finally .22 WMR)
• Barrel: 16.1 inches, muzzle threaded ½-28 
• Receiver: Aluminum, black end
• Inventory: Polymer, adjustable LOP and comb
• Set off: 5 kilos, 4 ounces (measured)
• Weight: 5 kilos, 5 ounces (measured)
• Size: 35.5 inches to 37.4 inches
• Worth: $600

Key Options

• Straight-pull bolt motion operation
• 10/22-style receiver and rotary magazines
• Picatinny optic rail
• Push-button length-of-pull adjustment
• Prolonged journal launch
• Fast-detach barrel
• M-Lok rail on forend 
• Q.D. rear sling socket 

Evaluation Highlights

• Quick operation 
• Good ergonomics
• Cool, user-friendly options
• Numerous enjoyable to shoot
• Case ejection isn’t strong
• Potential caliber change possibility is cool
• Accuracy: 1.605 inches at 50 yards (common of 38 5-shot teams with 6 kinds of ammo)

Hammerli Power B1: A Straight-Pull With 10/22 Inspiration

Straight-pull bolt-action rifles have by no means been wildly common within the U.S., however they provide velocity and stay-on-target stability that common bolt actions don’t. One of many causes biathlon racers use them is to rapidly and exactly have interaction a collection of targets whereas standing on skinny cross-country skis. Although it’s not as costly or high-performance as professional rifles just like the Anschutz 1827F Bionic, The Hammerli Power B1 is inbuilt the identical spirit.

This new straight-pull is designed with roots within the Ruger 10/22, and makes use of the ten/22 rotary journal. I’d be amiss if I didn’t level out its resemblance to the Volquartsen Summit .22 rifle, which has been round since about 2017 and is an identical 10/22-inspired straight pull. Although they appear fairly comparable, there are a selection of key variations, and the Hammerli — manufactured by Umarex in Germany — is a little more reasonably priced. 

The Hammerli Power B1 Motion

Essentially the most defining characteristic of the Hammerli Power B1 is its straight-pull motion. Behind the ten/22-like ejection port within the aluminum receiver is a slot from which the massive vertical bolt deal with extends. To open the motion or eject a spent case, I merely pull the deal with to the rear. A rotating linkage which connects the bolt deal with to the bolt attracts the bolt backward, pivoting exterior that slot within the receiver. This cocks the set off and ejects the spent case. When pushed ahead, the linkage drives the bolt ahead, chambering a recent cartridge, then the linkage clicks again right into a straight place behind the bolt, locking it into battery. 

The bolt deal with is lengthy sufficient to make use of two fingers to drag it to the rear, however I discovered that merely utilizing my set off finger to function the bolt was simple and extremely quick. I can hearth, function the motion, and hearth once more, whereas maintaining the pad of my thumb cemented to the vertical grip. In actual fact, it’s the vertical grip that enables for each a very good set off pull and intuitive, environment friendly operation of this motion.

The bolt cycle isn’t totally easy, and there are mainly three completely different resistance “bumps” to beat:

• Dislodging the bolt from its battery place
• Ejecting the case
• Locking the bolt again into battery

The important thing to operating this rifle easily and rapidly is to drive it with authority. As a result of this gun makes use of a set ejector — one which depends on rearward velocity of the bolt to eject the spent case — gradual or gentle operation of the bolt will trigger a failure to eject, and also you’ll should clear the gun. Even when operating quick, I seen ejection to be lower than strong.

One factor I actually admire is the prolonged journal launch that has tabs on both aspect of the set off guard. These tabs are low-profile, however enable the shooter to achieve with the set off finger and never break grip. As a result of the lever that truly pivots and releases the magazines is lengthy and gives a variety of leverage, magazines may be dropped free effortlessly — in contrast to the usual 10/22 fashion magazine catch.

Fast-Change Barrel

The second-most defining characteristic of the Hammerli Power B1 is its quick-change barrel design. This differs considerably from the ten/22-type barrel attachment, or that of the Volquartsen Summit. The barrel attaches to the receiver through a ball-bearing and sleeve locking system that works the identical manner as air compressor fittings. To take away the barrel, the sleeve is drawn again from the ball bearings, permitting them to launch the barrel. Merely pull the barrel free. To put in the barrel, pull the sleeve again, press the barrel into the becoming with its indexing notch at 12-o’clock, then slide the sleeve ahead, again over the ball bearings. The bearings match snugly right into a groove within the barrel itself. 

The indexing works in an identical manner that an AR15 barrel extension interfaces with the receiver, besides that it’s backwards. An AR barrel extension has the pin, and the receiver has the notch. The Hammerli barrel has the notch and the receiver has the pin.

This method appears to work properly, and the bearings are lubed with a grease that appears (and smells) like Bore Butter muzzleloader lubricant. The thought behind this quick-change characteristic is to make it simple to swap between .22 LR and .22 WMR barrels — which aren’t obtainable but. The receiver and journal properly are made to just accept Ruger rotary .22 WMR magazines, and to accommodate the .22 LR mags, Hammerli features a small spacer that clips onto both the 10-round or aftermarket prolonged magazines.

I’ve an inherent mistrust of quick-change-fitting barrels. I’ve seen twist-lock .22 rifles that may present influence shifts of a number of inches at 50 yards every time the barrel was eliminated and reinstalled. I examined this with the Hammerli by firing two 10-shot teams at 50 yards, which I’d then correlate right into a 20-shot group. Then I pulled and re-installed the barrel and repeated the check. I did this 3 times, and although I did see a shift of my imply level of influence by about .26 inches, it’s arguably throughout the variability of that pattern measurement. I’m certain there’s some influence shift, but it surely’s not demonstrably important. I do, nevertheless, imagine that the quick-change characteristic in all probability degrades the general accuracy of this technique at some degree.

Set off Compatibility

The set off that comes on the Hammerli Power B1 isn’t dangerous. At 5 kilos, 4 ounces, it’s fairly heavy, and I’d choose a barely wider set off shoe. The inventory set off group housing can also be polymer, which you’ll or might not like. The excellent news for tinkerers is that this set off group is instantly interchangeable with Ruger 10/22 set off teams — of which there are quite a few aftermarket and customization choices. It’s an apparent simple button to push with this rifle.

Optic and Suppressor Choices

As any trendy .22 rifle ought to, the Hammerli Power B1 comes with a Picatinny rail machined proper into the highest of the riser for mounting pink dots or magnified optics. The muzzle is threaded in the usual ½-28 sample and capped with a knurled thread protector that totally encapsulates the muzzle. The entrance of the thread protector cap stands off the top of the muzzle by a couple of quarter inch, however that small chamber doesn’t appear to have an effect on accuracy or level of influence.

The Hammerli Power B1 Is Versatile with Considerate Options

What initially looks like a easy, low-cost artificial inventory on the Hammerli Power B1, seems to be filled with helpful options. We’ve already coated the vertical pistol grip, however the buttstock has two main adjustability parts. The comb is adjustable for use with decrease and higher-mounted optics through a reversible rubber insert that matches tightly into the buttstock. Out of the field, it matches flush with the remainder of the inventory — nice for a low-mounted reflex pink dot. However pull it out, flip it over, and also you’ve bought a taller comb for utilizing optics with a riser, tall rings, or a cantilever mount.

The buttstock has a big adjustment vary for size of pull, and may be moved by urgent a button that’s countersunk within the recoil pad. The button lifts a locking lever, and you’ll slide the butt to the rear to whichever of the six locking positions matches you greatest. Additionally embedded within the buttstock is a QD sling attachment cup, slightly than a standard sling swivel stud.

Up entrance, the simple-looking forend options textured panels on the perimeters for grip, and a flat backside that comes with a bit of M-Lok rail. You may connect a bit of picatinny, vertical grip, bipod, or perhaps a part of ARCA rail should you’d like. A entrance QD sling cup isn’t included, however you can simply add one. The inventory comes with this M-Lok rail and, although different equipment and variations aren’t obtainable but, I can see that the inventory is designed to just accept completely different grip panel configurations — together with M-Lok mounting on the perimeters.

The flexibility and ergonomics of the inventory make it nice for quite a lot of positions and helps. It’s simply run from a tripod, bagged on a barricade, or offhand.

Hammerli Power B1 Accuracy

It’s a on condition that .22 rimfire rifles aren’t typically carrying the torch for excessive accuracy and, within the phrases of a pal and former NCAA champion smallbore coach, it’s wonderful that we will make good-shooting rifles in any respect with the inconsistencies in .22 LR ammo. That being mentioned, I used to be a bit of underwhelmed by the accuracy of the Hammerli Power B1. I did my accuracy testing from 50 yards, utilizing 5-shot teams as a base increment for analysis, and compiled 20-shot teams with essentially the most correct ammo examined. 

At Outside Life, we’ve lengthy used 5-shot teams to gauge accuracy, however we’re additionally striving for fixed enchancment of the data we provide you with. We check weapons laborious, and we don’t lower them any slack. Most significantly, we’ve began utilizing bigger pattern sizes and metrics like imply radius to offer a extra informative image of what every gun’s accuracy actually seems like. Listed below are a number of the 5-shot accuracy outcomes:

Right here is the info collected on 3 20-shot teams with essentially the most correct ammo:

Self-Calibration and Accuracy Oddities

Clearly, the Hammerli Power B1 isn’t spitting out teams that may win NRL .22, benchrest, or positional competitors, however we in all probability shouldn’t maintain that in opposition to the rifle. There are some correct .22 rifles on the market, however how does the Hammerli stack up in opposition to an unquestionable basic, the ten/22? My stainless 10/22 carbine — the primary gun I ever bought underneath the Christmas tree — was good to check it to. I’d by no means really recorded good information from my 10/22, and was shocked to see that it wasn’t fairly the knot-buster that I’d thought it was. Right here’s how they in contrast:

With the ten/22 form of recalibrating my expectations, I believe that the Hammerli shoots fairly properly for having a quick-change barrel — definitely not worse than the ten/22 on common. If that’s ok for generations of shooters, it’s ok for me.

A development I seen is that the Hammerli would print completely different common group sizes with and with out a suppressor, and there wasn’t a transparent common benefit for both — I believe it simply is determined by the actual ammo. 

Essentially the most attention-grabbing development I noticed — although not conclusive — was on the finish of my testing when firing 10-shot teams (to correlate into 20-shot teams) with the Remington Eley ammo by a suppressor to verify for repeatability when altering the barrel. After a pair teams have been fired, pictures tightened down considerably. I continued to fireplace 10-shot teams to see if this development would go away, but it surely appeared to carry. They dropped from constant 2-inch-range 10-shot teams, to 1- to 1.5-inch teams. The one potential variable distinction was extra fouling accumulation. The most important shift gave the impression to be between teams, circuitously after a barrel change. I can’t say that taking pictures an entire field of ammo by the gun will make that ammo immediately shoot higher, however one thing appeared to vary —and I ate up the remainder of that stash of ammo chasing it. 

What the Hammerli Power B1 Does Nicely

The Hammerli Power B1 offers a quick-cycling, cool, straight-pull motion at an attainable worth for a lot of shooters. It’s enjoyable, has good ergonomics, adaptability, and nice customization potential. 

The place the Hammerli Power B1 May Be Higher

I’d like to see a bit higher accuracy from this rifle, but it surely’s not dangerous. I believe that if I’d designed the gun, I’d in all probability have chosen an easier, extra sturdy barrel attachment system that also offers the consumer the choice to swap tubes simply. I believe that the $600 price ticket is truthful, however pushing it. 

Remaining Ideas on the Hammerli Power B1 .22 Rifle

It is a cool little rifle that’s proper within the wheelhouse for anybody who likes to tinker and customise their weapons. It’s quick and intuitive to run, and might accommodate quite a lot of shooter sizes, taking pictures types, and optics. This rifle is a blast to run on plates from a bipod or bagged on a barricade. It’s not lower out for pinging KYL racks or small targets at 100+ yards, however neither is a daily 10/22. 

This rifle has nice potential when contemplating the eventual interchangeable .22 WMR barrels and different equipment it’s suitable with. Hopefully the magnum barrels grow to be obtainable quickly, however as it’s, the Hammerli Power B1 continues to be an attention-grabbing and enjoyable trendy plinker and small sport rifle.