Hector's Airgun Blog

The Gunsmith's Tune; Part 1/4.- Full Power Walther LGV

9/8/2020

DISCLAIMER.- The operations performed in this rifle void all warranties. Nor I, nor anybody else, has control over what each individual decides to do, so no warranties are given, or implied. It's up to each tinkerer to be safe in his/her endeavours.
The modifications performed were safe within the objectives and the context of the gun in question.
Which may not be exactly the same as yours.
All machining operations carry some risk, be safe, be careful and always err on the side of caution.

UUffff! LOL! OK, so that is out of the way.

Let's go back almost a year to the last Pyramyd Air Cup.
Back then a good friend asked me: "OK, if you REALLY wanted to do something for YOURSELF, what would it be? Forget DIANA, field is open to ANYTHING, no limits. What would it be?"

I gave him the standard answer: "I am perfectly happy with my D54's, there is nothing I cannot shoot with either of the two (I was obviously referring to the full power 0.20" cal and the WFTF 0.177")

He took it in good stride and we parted, as usual, thinking that we would meet again in Ohio next year.

Next year came and, with it, an unexpected upending of ALL our way of life. No more FT matches. No more socialization in close proximity.
I barely made it back to the US from GERMANY, one day before all borders were closed, IWA was cancelled.
I did get to go to Puerto RIco, but that was the last big Match I shot in 2020, and only last week did we have a match at DIFTA.

But the conversation stuck in the back of my brain (what I call the back-burner), and suddenly, as we have been working hard in a long series of articles about recoil and harmonics with a really serious scientist, I found myself missing my ABP-LGV
As luck would have it, a used LGV popped up in the classifieds and at a very good price, so I placed an offer and the owner took it up, money was sent and rifle arrived.
From the description, I knew it was a shooter, not a safe-queen.

But that was what I needed.

As part of a long study process to tackle the tune of a FWB Sport (and then compare it to a Jan Kramer tuned FWB 124 of 30 years ago), I had decided to do some serious maths about springs.

And, looking over the stats of existing springs, I found some very interesting possibilities.

It also happened that Eric P sent me a version of his "curved trigger" for the LGU/LGV and I was absolutely delighted with the shape, but had no gun to mount it onto!.

So, when this shooter came up, I seized the opportunity. And I am glad I did.

The barrel was superbly dirty and leaded, but once cleaned, it proved to be an early and extremely well made specimen of the Walther factory.

AND it was threaded!

So, following the patterns established for the AM03 Compact we used as a base for the "Night Hunter" I made a front end for the LGV without any real intention to moderate it, as the end-goal is to compare this one with the ABP-LGV that is "on loan" and so, after this first chapter is done, I will probably tone it down to WFTF levels to see how they really compare. But that is in the future, where we will also look into the Gunsmith's versions of the 430L that builds on the success of the short-piston/long stroke concept.

I will not post detailed pictures of the gun, or how it was disassembled and how the tune was done, we have talked about that enough in other entries, so, if someone has not read them; please look into them:

https://www.ctcustomairguns.com/hectors-airgun-blog/the-walther-sport-family

https://www.ctcustomairguns.com/hectors-airgun-blog/swapping-the-walther-lgus-trigger

https://www.ctcustomairguns.com/hectors-airgun-blog/a-yankee-tune-for-the-walther-lgu-second-version

https://www.ctcustomairguns.com/hectors-airgun-blog/the-walther-lgv-a-second-look

https://www.ctcustomairguns.com/hectors-airgun-blog/the-walther-lgv-pushing-the-power-limits

https://www.ctcustomairguns.com/hectors-airgun-blog/the-supercustom-triggers-for-the-walther-lgu-and-lgv

https://www.ctcustomairguns.com/hectors-airgun-blog/new-super-custom-trigger-for-the-walther-lgulgv

I have always been a fan of Titan XS springs. They are of good quality material, they are reliable in their dimensions, they have proven to me, beyond doubt, to be some of the best springs in the industry. AND they do offer characteristics that are somewhat "heterodox" but very useful, as we will see.

The first aspect is that they offer larger than "normal", whatever that is for each of us, OD's for their springs.
Since stress in the material goes down with the cube (third power) of the OD, any increase in the OD is highly useful in the longevity of the spring, and that translates into many more shots at the same power level, which makes for enhanced reliability in the accuracy of the gun in question.

The down-side is that they do require carefully turned guides and the use of an "outside" guide, or piston liner is precluded.
Titan springs do not need it.
From the factory, they come covered in some slick, flexible, finish over the shot-peened metal that neither becomes brittle, nor flakes, nor chips. It is slippery and therefore there is no need for any further surface interface between piston's inside wall and spring.

Guides also need to be a little on the "hard" side. The softer grades of Delrin or other plastics will not do well.

Between the spring's finish and a hard-plastic guide, Ultimox creates the best possible riding medium. The use of VERY sparse lubricant in the spring makes it easy to accomplish the goal of the gun being an AIRgun. In the sense that no lubes are consumed to contribute to the power output.
Very little lubricant also gives the gun more consistency in the performance under different temperatures and ambient conditions.Hot or cold, these guns will perform in a reasonably consistent manner.

But I am sure most of you will be wanting some pictures, so, here are just a few, and I beg your forgiveness because I cannot divulge too much technical information, and I am not a really good photographer, anyway, LOL!

As you can see, the front end just adds about 3" of length and the gun is still compact. With the Bushnell Nitro FFP "Deploy" scope, it is rear heavy. Maybe I will change the CF tube to a thin steel one just to have a balanced rifle, but the truth is that it shoots so well that, apart from the power adjustment needed for international competition, I don't think I want to do much more.
I may, also use a different buttpad, a more "curved" one because a rear-heavy gun CAN be an asset in FT, as long as you ensure absolute consistency in shoulder placement.

The Bushnell Nitro is one of those cases where the logic behind optical equipment factories' commercial practices is hard to understand.
It was barely presented to the market . . . when it was discontinued! Only to reappear at 50% more money.
¿¡!?
I bought this one in a close-out at a very nice price (under $400), and have been quite impressed with the median-price range scope. In many ways it performs like a much higher priced glass, but in some others, it really is an inexpensive scope. Don't know that it is worth the new price (a bit under $700) to each his own.

As all of you that own Walthers know, the dovetails cut into the mechanisms tube is rather shallow, so an Accurized ZR mount was used to relieve the parts from the stress of the recoil and the need to use super-stout mounts that then run the risk of deforming the tube itself if too much torque is applied.

The leather cheekpiece has become a standard in the CCA guns, as it is real nice and there are left and right handed versions. In an ambi stock that lets everyone know that the owner has made the gun "his/hers".

AND (a VERY important "and") the trigger is the excellent "curved" trigger from Eric P as has been mentioned above that allows to be adjusted to break in a really set-back position so that, when using a sporter stock, there is no reason to "pull" the trigger. Just gently squeeze across the pistol grip.

Now, going to the power plant, it is important to mention that this is no tune for the faint of heart.

We start with a #1 Titan XS spring, then we create a guide that fits all the parts and "ties the system down"; on the rear end, the LGV trigger block arrangement needs one dimension, the guide itself is much wider to accommodate the Titan XS spring, so the "dual diameter guide" keeps the thrust washer captive between trigger housing and guide shoulder, on the front, the guide is fat enough that it can be "screwed" onto the spring, but it will not come out without twisting.
It also creates a HUGE PRE-LOAD (64 mm's):

So, you'ld better have a well made spring compressor because this cannot go in by hand alone.

Now, why is that important?

After my experiences converting my D34 to NTec, and then the AM03 (a native NTec gun) into a steel spring with an ABP, I noted that the NTec guns yielded a LOT more energy than the non-NTec guns (as in 16 vs 12 ft-lbs), and that getting the sharp, non-bouncy, shot cycle of the gas spring was something to be achieved.
The obvious way was with an ABP, but ABP's are complicated and expensive, so what other characteristics of the NTec were we overlooking?
The huge STARTING FORCE!

So, this realization was one of the reasons why I decided to start this project.

By having a large "at rest" force in the piston, it prevents a too big bounce-back (specially if no lube is burned), and so it is a more efficient duty cycle.
The disadvantage is that it stresses the spring to the limit. It starts from a semi-compressed condition and then goes to almost a solid. That is a heavy duty cycle for a spring. . . unless . . . it is of a larger than normal OD, AND it is made of the best possible material. ;-)

We also used our technique of using a very tight-fitting top-hat, and once everything was assembled, it became, actually, one piece:

Look, Ma!!!!! It FLOATS! ROFL! Trigger, spring, guide, and piston make one "unit".

Another interesting result, is that, by using more turns (therefore a longer spring), but of moderate wire diameter, the cocking is VERY SMOOTH, and the cocking force is very low, not more than the normal Walther spring.

After more than a few hundred rounds, the seal is almost as good as new, as opposed to severely "oversprung" LGV's I have seen in the past:

On the left is the "Gunsmith's Tune" seal, on the right is the result of a severely oversprung rifle. As you can see, the force of the secondary impacts has created dimples in the face of the seal.

OK, enough presentation! how about some stats? LOL!

Well, the gun yields between 14.6 and 16.9 ft-lbs depending on the pellet:

Baracuda Hunter Extremes exit the muzzle at 16.9 ft-lbs. (really good hunting setup out to 35 yards)
QYS Streamlined's zoom out at 14.3 ft-lbs. (FT capable)
Baracuda FT's at 16 ft-lbs (so, so, but Hunting accurate)
JSB Exacts at 14.9 ft=lbs. (reasonably good, but not quite as good as QYS's)

Here are few of the MANY target cards shot:

Pre-Tune benchmark. Good energy, but twangy and buzzy.

Post tune of the best shooting pellet (QYS). Notice that, apart from one shot I probably pulled, this gun is shooting to Match gun standards, but at 3 times the energy.

A first pass at Long Range tests (37 meters / 40 yards). QYS is still the best shooting pellet, and BHE shoot good, but are somewhat wind sensitive. By the end of the session, the Tunable MW was loose, so we quit till the next morning.

Next morning, with some wind, and after some warm-up, sighting in, and wind reading exercises, the 10 shot group on the upper left was shot at 35 meters/38 yards, then I backed out and shot the 5 shot 50 m/55 yards group. Drop between 35 and 50 meters is 1.25 mrads

All in all, some very rewarding results!

I know that IF I was to keep this gun at the present power level for hunting, pesting, and/or AAFTA/Hunter Piston FT, I could arrive at an intermediate tune of the Harmonics Tuner to be able to use either the BHE or the BFT, as required by the task at hand, with pretty similar results, since their weight and internal ballistics shape is pretty similar.

The excellent WEIGHTED BC (0.019 over all the distances to 50 m / 55 yds) of the QYS at such high speeds (879 fps), also points to the good possibility of having a SUPERB FT gun at WFTF levels.
Something we will look into in the next few weeks.

Lastly, the other objective of this exercise was to confirm the maths that govern spring behaviour with a view towards creating a special spring for the 430L, also useful in the 280.

Next we will explore the LGV at reduced power, the MAIN question here is IF the remainder pre-load will be enough to keep the good results while making the gun "legal" for WFTF, OR if at those low power levels the ABP is the better way to go.

So, stay tuned, keep well and shoot straight!

HM

2 Comments

"Der Nacht-Jäger", or "The "Night Hunter"

8/17/2020

4 Comments

DISCLAIMERS:
1.- ALWAYS FOLLOW THE LAW! Shooting at night-time produces very different perceptions in different parts of the country and the world, so, make sure you are well aware of your laws and that you are not infringing on anyone else's right to safety, security, and tranquility.
2.- Application of the ancillary equipment to airguns is NOT sanctioned by SIGHTMARK. It is safe and a good investment when used in complete accordance with the stated layout. NO warranties are made or implied.
3.- Shooting at night requires 10X more care and the need to ABSOLUTELY identify your target. Take your time, wait for the shot, and make sure to make it count.
4.- Also make sure you visit/scout the place during daytime and that you KNOW the spot like you know your "farcebook" welcome page, or the nicks and scratches in your favourite airgun stock.
5.- If you know the spot and you know the distances, and you know your target, practice under as similar as possible conditions. Do not wait for the hunt to actually practice your viewing, lighting of the "work area", keeping track of personal gadgets, simplifying of trajectory data and having the facility to consult it at all times, even in the dark.

Precedent:

This is not the first time we set-up guns specifically to address some pests that are mostly active at night (Raccoons, Skunks, O'Possa, Foxes, Rats, Pigeons) and other vermin.
If you are interested in the previous version, it is here.
As you can read there, the originals were made using the Photon XT scope, but sadly that was discontinued some time ago in favor of a more technologically capable unit, the Wraith.
But we will get into technical details later, so, having said that, let's get into business:

The rifle:

We chose the DIANA Mauser AM03 platform to develop this concept on several grounds:
For one it is a gas spring gun, therefore keeping it cocked for extended periods of time offers no worries. It also is relatively free of vibrations post shot cycle. Therefore protecting, to some extent, the opto--electronic equipment (the night-vision sight).
It is also an airgun that has been proven accurate in the past at extended ranges, and very capable of reaching useful hunting energies with the right pellets.
The synthetic stock offers an adjustable cheekpiece and that was essential because night sights, by definition need very high L'sOS.
It helps that it comes in black, AND that short barreled versions are available.
Having agreed to the main ideas with the end user, we proceeded to source all parts.
Gun came directly from Germany.
In the US the short barreled version is only available from AoA and has an extended moderator affixed (as required by law):

But the resultant long OAL sort of defeated the purpose of having maneuverability while in a blind or tight spot. So, we decided to use what in the UK entered the market as a "Pro-Compact" version:

With one difference:
Ours has a threaded barrel that allowed us to create a reflex LDC.
In this way, we have a rifle that is shorter than the standard AM03, but still has all the elements to ensure we protect the tranquility of the night..
When compared side by side, it is quite interesting:

At top is the "Standard" AM03, the muzzle weight has been tuned to the energy level of this particular airgun, and uses the full length barrel, muzzle piece ends flush with muzzle.

In the middle is the "bare bones" short barreled version, without the DIANA heavy muzzle piece, with the threaded muzzle.

At the bottom is the N-J/N-H that adds a 4.5" to the OAL in comparison with the short barreled version, but incorporates a reflex device that also doubles as a harmonics tuner and so, is tune-able (within reason) to the pellet of choice. the Carbon Fiber sleeve also serves to distribute the cocking pressure over a larger area of the hand/fingers, and so makes for a pleasant handle

The Mount:

This is one of the most complicated mounts I have ever dealt with.
It started life as a "Scope Angel"; actually a quite good copy of the ZR Mount, made in Brazil by Senhor Boassi.
After all the Accurizing and customization process, it is quite repeatable and allows for a WIDE latitude for mounting different scopes and various optics.
It was necessary because night optics need the shooter to put the eye INTO the scope eyeshield as a means of getting as much contrast between light and dark as possible. BUT in a hard-kicking airgun, a solid mount was quite uncomfortable, as every time the gun came back at the start of the spring extension cycle, high pressure air was "pumped" into the shooting eye.
The fact that the ZR principle is to "float" the scope in its position (through inertia) makes it a very valuable addition in this case, not only because it protects the optoelectronics, but also because it gives good relief to the shooting eye from this "air burst" generated by the eye-shield acting as a bellows.

On top of this, because of the very high LOS, the mount needed a droop that would have been impossible to achieve in a proper ZR Mount (50 mrads). So I was glad to have the Scope Angel in hand.

As originally made, the mount tilted in the DIANA groove, and so it had to be corrected with a shim. Also the Weaver rail affixed on top was extremely thin and completely incompatible with the Picatinny standard spacing of cross bars.
Lastly, the drilling was made by hand, and so the rail had a side-bias of about 20 mrads, this also had to be corrected.

Look in detail at the dovetail and see that there is a "Wire Shim" that takes up some of the slack, but aligns better the groove with the dovetail.

In this picture you can see that the Picatinny rail has been milled and has had a stop built into it. so that the upper Picatinny rail has a solid "stop" against the sliding blocks. In this picture the rear screw has been tightened, and the front one hasn't so you can see a little "light" in there. But it also shows how the milling has not distorted the Picatinny Rail.

This picture shows that the Picatinny Rail is still straight. There is no further "droop" induced by a heavy scope cantilevered on the rail.

After ensuring that the rail was perfectly straight and would not stress the opto-electronics, we mounted the whole thing:

The Stock:

The stock of the AM03 is quite good; from the design POV it incorporates elements that are very forward looking and will be retained in the future generations of airguns, but the current embodiment suffers from some shortcomings when considered for a "serious field application" like this one.
The pillars that allow the adjustability of the cheekpiece needed to be changed for longer ones. And the ambidextrous capability of the stock also implies that tightening the thumbscrews on one side, is simply not enough friction to keep the cheekpiece in place. So the plastic inserts on the "off side" were replaced by allen screws cut to dimension, and that allows the thumbscrews to put proper pressure into the cheekpiece.
The pistol grip cap has a tendency to fly off with repeated firings at full power, so we got rid of it.
The pillar bedding is good, but we add Nord-Loc washers on the gun side of each pillar and that has proven to be the solution to the loose screws normal to airguns. Between pillar and screw, the normal star washer was preserved as it does a good job once the pillar itself is prevented from turning with each shot's vibrations.
The rear stock screw was also changed to a suitably re-worked countersunk head allen bolt.
Finally, spacer plates need to be added in the trigger well because the cavity is way too large, and that allows the trigger pins to move more than they should.
The user also requested the use of a bi-pod. Being an experienced long range shooter, he feels comfortable using bi-pods and so, part of the challenge was to find a bi-pod that would work well with a break barrel airgun.
I had heard in the past that DIANA made some Bi--pods for the 48 and for the 34 (two different models), but I had never seen one. Finally located a reference, only to discover they were no longer available!
BUT, the principle had to be usable and so I started searching for side mounted bi-pods, and I found a company run by an airgunner and while I found the components in other websites for less money, I strongly believe in supporting companies run by fellow sportpersons so, I purchased this bi-pod for my customer and I am very pleased, as we'll see later.
Mounting did offer its challenges, but that is why someone goes to a custom gunsmith, ¿right? ;-)
Here are some pictures:

Customization of the Picatinny rails and marking of the stock

Holes drilled and pilot/threaded

Side-rails mounted and alignment checked.

Here we check the alignment of the bedding pillars inside the accessory rails.

With the action mounted, the whole rig is stable.

A note here: Some shooters have complained that bi-pods are not "rigid" enough. And that was the reason why DIANA discontinued the product. The truth is that bi-pods SHOULD NOT be rigid. SOME degree of final fiddling with the position must be allowed to the shooter at the final trigger squeeze.
In our case (and this is something that DIANA could consider in the future), the accessory rails with 5 slots allows for an additional degree of tuning to which is the best position for the bi-pod, given the power level and the style of engine in the gun (steel spring or gas ram). IN GENERAL, gas rams feel better when supported exactly at the forearm screws, other springs usually feel better when supported as far forward as possible.

The opto-electronic sight:

The Wraith is one of the newer models to come into the SIGHTMARK line. It replaced the Photon with vastly improved resolution and more facilites (video recording, picture taking, more energy efficient, included illuminator, higher resolution, color rendering for day time use -instead of the black/white of the Photon-). Still, it is a heavy unit (well over 2# 4 Oz.) and the shooter needs to contemplate this.
It also, and we cannot stress this enough, is NOT rated for spring-piston airgun use.
SIGHTMARK will guarantee and replace units that fail, but do consult beforehand.
It has a very short eye relief, so the extreme rearwards mounting will pose a problem for most airguns.
The Wraith uses 4 AA batteries, but each set of 4 batteries will be drained in about 5 hours of continuous use. Having a background in electrical engineering, I procured some high capacity (2200 mAh) rechargeable batteries and got rid of the issue. Use for 5 hours, then recharge overnight/next day and you're ready to go next night.
The Wraith also accepts an external power source via a USB, so that's another possibility, but I prefer the rechargeable battery way, less clutter and noise.
There is an IR illuminator that has is own power source, and the diameter of the illuminator is common to many "tactical" flashlights, we'll include one in the final packaging.
The OptoElectronics side of the sight accept a mini SD card of quite large size, enough to hold a whole hunt, and to take MANY pictures. I'm sure we will start to see "documented hunts" with these sights.
At under $500, it competes successfully with other sights that almost double the price.
I am sure that the newer I-gadget generation will find the operation very easy and almost intuitive. I had to read the manual three times, because I have never had an I-Pod in my life.
Still, it is not complicated to handle, just read the manual.
Please consult the manufacturer's website for full specs.

The Muzzle Piece:

The Muzzle Piece is an interesting combination.
It uses the threaded muzzle to attach, and the interfases between barrel and muzzle piece have been ORing'ed. The Shroud can be "peeled back" to access the tuning element. This can be moved in a continuous form to achieve the tuning of the harmonics.
The space between shroud and barrel forms a rather large cavity, and there is a second cavity between this and the false muzzle.
This part has been affixed to the barrel to comply with the law, but accessibility to the adjustable element has been safeguarded.

Still, the whole assembly just adds 4.5" to the OAL of the gun. So it is still a relatively compact gun.

So, how does it work?

As usual, I started with the "shooting in" routine of shooting and cleaning and shooting and cleaning . . .
Once that was done, we checked the possible accuracy of a number of 0.22" cal pellets at short range.
After all, I have never heard of converging pellets, so if they do not shoot pellet on pellet at short range they are not worth trying at long range, are they?

As you can see here, the JSB's yield fairly uniform energies, even for pellets with 2 grs of difference between them, so clearly the JSB Jumbo Exact was not THE pellet for this barrel. The RWS H points, while not bad gave some doubts, the Baracuda Greens performed well, but the JSB made GTO,'s were simply amazing. Do remember this barrel is barely 11" long, so slow pellets have an even worse chance of performing well.

Some further tests pointed to the Crow Magnum also, but we decided to leave that to the user. depending on how long his shots are, he might be better off with the Predators.

After tuning the variable element in the LDC WITH the Bi-Pod attached and operational, we re-tested the JSB's and the SuperH Points, but while some improvement was there, still not quite "up to snuff". "CB" means the first cold bore shot.

Good!, so now everything is mounted and functional, it's time we adjourned to the outdoor world and take care of long range tests and sound tests.

The Wraith comes with a bracket to hold the IR illuminator. The bracket has an espherical interfase, so that the illuninator can be focused and oriented towards the "work area".

Tests at 20 yards revealed that the GTO's were still shooting well, so we adjourned to the 37 meter/41 yards line and we proceeded to shoot some groups.
A 5 shot group taught us that for a heavy optic and a long, cantilevered mount, any pressure from the eye into the scope via the eye-bellows would open the group, once that was identified, we rested about 10 minutes and shot a three shot group (more appropriate to a hunting gun). The black blobs in the target are a little under 1/2", but I am often asked to put an object so that the groups can be better appreciated. Since the "dime" seems to be an established measure of grouping in the US, I decided to include one.
And for those that REALLY need to see what "three shots into a dime means" here it is:

For me, it was a lesson in shooting and I will be the first to acknowledge that I am not the best shooter, either from a bi-pod or otherwise, but the bi-pod did present me with some challenges I am not used to, the process seemed to be:
Lay down
Shoot
Roll on your back and sit up
Rap the muzzle open
Cock the gun putting your left arm between the bi-pod legs
Insert the pellet
Close the barrel taking care to avoid hitting the bi-pod legs as well as not moving the scope-floating mount.
Return carefully the rifle to position
Aim
Fire.
Start again.

Still, the system demonstrated that it is capable of perfectly good hunting accuracy/precision.

Comparing that to my normal routine of shooting seated it is MUCH more complex.
So, yes I am sure I was not doing justice to the system.

With the usual 20/20 hindsight, a table would have been a great asset, and possibly one of those shooting chairs that swivel. That would be a more versatile setup, though I would still prefer a blind with some table like support so that shooting could take place from the sitting position and the cocking of the rifle would not be so noticeable.
That would belong to a "fieldcraft" post, LOL!

As for the sound tests, I used the setup I have always used:

As you can see, the grass is quite grown and therefore it provides some sound absorption. Shooting at ground level on a hard surface would have added some reverberations to the sound signature.
The sound meter is located 1 m away,measured at right angle to the muzzle.

This picture shows more clearly the orientation and location of the sound meter relative to the muzzle.

And a look from the other side of the muzzle shows how the sound meter addresses the exact line of exit.

We tested the sound levels before affixing the Muzzle piece and found that, without it, it is a rather noisy airgun:

After affixing the muzzle piece, the sound averaged 9 dB less:

Now, this may not seem much, but since the dB is an exponential function that doubles or halves every 3 dB, these 9 dB's mean that the gun less than 1/8th as noisy with the device than without the device.
For those interested, you can note that the "Response" is set to "FAST", the "Weighing" is set to "C".

At this sound level, the gun is not more noisy than a toilet flushing (~70 dB) from 30-35 yards away.

All in all, it has been an interesting experience.

I still lament the discontinuation of the PhotonX, as I think that for serious airgunners, it was all that was absolutely needed, but I guess that modern times enforce the necessities of the luxuries, like video recording, color picture, and the like.

The more I deal with modern Consumer Electronics, the more I feel like a dinosaur, ROFL!

Hope this has been an interesting read, keep well and shoot straight!

HM

4 Comments

The 430L.- a Semi Custom powerplant, Part 1

7/12/2020

6 Comments

Back in January of '19, I posted the last entry about the 430L as an OEM rifle here

Sorry it has taken so long to get to this stage but, as usual, life has been busy.

Anyway, before we go into the subject matter we, again, yield the floor to our "Esquire", friend, and counsel, that says:

The conversion done here was carried out by a professional gunsmith. No warranties implied, or otherwise are intended in this article. The milling operations carried out here are sensitive, not devoid of dangers and of a high precision nature.
Do NOT attempt this conversion if you are not completely qualified to do so.
This conversion has NOT been sanctioned by Diana nor by Mayer & Grammelspacher.
This conversion proved safe IN THE GUN that it was performed. We cannot guarantee that all other guns will receive the conversion in the same way.
Please do not ask for measurements or dimensions, Connecticut Custom Airguns cannot provide these data.
All OEM designs and parts' shapes and dimensions are proprietary to Mayer & Grammelspacher and their Diana brand.

OK, so that's out the way, ;-)

In the previous entries to the 430L we discussed the HISTORY, the Potential, and what I THOUGHT would be the FUTURE

How wrong I was! ROFL!

But We did try. And I say WE because I enlisted the help of someone who really knows about ergonomics and human-machine interfaces.
But the challenge was a little too high without substantial modifications.

As time went by, the project fell into oblivion.

BUT, as it often happens to me, one EARLY morning (about 03:30 AM) my 3 year old daughter decided to play "musical beds" and landed in our bed.
I could not fall to sleep again, and I started thinking about the complicated changes that would be necessary to reduce the cocking effort and increase the shootability of the 430L.
As part of those "thought experiments" I referred back to my own re-design of the DIANA 54 action, a short stroke piston that yields overall efficiencies of around 49% (quotient between work input on cocking and pellet energy at muzzle) with the right pellets; through a change in the length of the stroke and in the fulcrum point of the cocking lever. An aspect that has been dealt with in Steve Herr's excellent "Saga of a 56 T/H":
Part 1,- https://www.ctcustomairguns.com/hectors-airgun-blog/the-saga-of-a-56-th
Part 2.- https://www.ctcustomairguns.com/hectors-airgun-blog/the-saga-of-a-56-th4603110
Part 3.- https://www.ctcustomairguns.com/hectors-airgun-blog/the-saga-of-a-56-th8042880 and
Part 4.- https://www.ctcustomairguns.com/hectors-airgun-blog/the-saga-of-a-56-th2541108

But, as an old Professor of Logic and Ethics once taught me: "If you want to truly master one theme argue Pro AND Against it. To learn what there is to learn".

And then is when it hit me in the face: We were going about this the WRONG WAY!

The change in Fulcrum point in the CCA WFTF D54 design was an opportunity afforded by the short stroke of the piston.

In the case of the 430L the action itself is already short stroked. The 430 is a short version of the 460. The 460 is a Magnum springer capable of delivering in excess of 21 ft-lbs in stock form. Of course everyone expects a "Magnum Springer" to have a commensurate cocking force, but no one wants that cocking force for a 12 ft-lbs yield.

Aligning the triggers between a 460 and a 430L we can see the differences

Squaring off the ends of the actions

As you can see there is quite a difference

The 430L improves on that huge cocking effort a little but at a Peak cocking force of 37.5 # it was still a bit much.
SOME gain can be obtained by using an HMO piston (ORing sealed), and that allows a shorter spring with less peak cocking force to be used, but still nothing really dramatic, and the gun still had the same feeling to it.

And then it became obvious that IF for a short stroke you need a long piston, for a short piston you could have a LONG stroke. A long(er) stroke would require also a longer cocking arc, and therefore, you can pack the same work into the action for less peak cocking effort.

This thought also meshed into a nascent design of a simplified piston made up of three parts, easy to machine and produce, it also has demonstrated superb resistance to a FEW dry fires and superior efficiency and uniformity, the strength lies in new materials that were not available 40 years ago.
For central transfer ports it has an added advantage at High Power output levels (24 ft-lbs), but we'll discuss that in another entry dedicated to a special 0.20" cal. D54.

Coming back to the 430L ¿what happens when you use a short piston?, AND more importantly: ¿How short is short?

And so, it was time to make the chips fly, make the idea a reality and test it.

These are the results.

In Stock/OEM form, the 430L has a cocking lever arc of about 103 °

More clearly seen here

Once the short piston is installed, then the cocking arc grows a little:

The new arc is 112° 45'

More clearly seen here

Now, from 103° to 112° 45' may not seem much, but it is nearly 9%
And, as such it is not surprising that the peak cocking effort goes down to 34#

One of the peculiar things about ergonomics is that a weight of 37# may feel "heavy", but a weight of 34# may feel "doable". Rationally, those 3# are "easy peasy", but when they are taken ON TOP of the 34# baseline, they become unbearable in a few dozen shots.
Under the current setup, you can cock the gun with the left hand while shooting with the right, or vice versa. Two handed cocking is not needed.

The other aspect is that the shot cycle is much improved. The mass of the piston just went down from 300 grams to 200 grams, and the cycle is just a sudden "thump".

On the left is the HMO/LS-430, on the right the OEM piston.

Originally, I had planned to do this with a specially designed spring, but time has precluded that and so, I will leave that for a "Part 2"; for the time being, the LS (Long Stroke) piston is powered by a Vortek PG-2/430 kit with an appropriately sized tophat.

Power-wise, the LS piston is no slouch; MV stats for 20 shot strings, AFTER 300 shots of "running in" with assorted pellets on the spring are:

JSB GTO's / 6.8.- 905 ± 6 fps for 12.4 ft-lbs
AA/JSB 8.44 / 4.53.- 796 ± 3 fps for 11.8 ft-lbs
BFT / 9.57.- 734 ± 3 fps for 11.5 ft-lbs
H&N FTT / 8,64 .- 772 ± 2 fps for 11.4 ft-lbs

But, as you can see, the lightness of the piston does favour light pellets.

Is this a drop-in mod? NOPE!

The stock requires some modifications and that makes us regard this modification under the same category as the conversion of the 34k Premium to NTec, or the conversion of the Mauser AM03 from NTec to steel spring with ABP.

For starters, the groove for the cocking linkage in the stock needs to grow, and then the cutout for the anti-beartrap safety also needs some lengthening.

Here are some pictures:

The stock viewed from above

A detailed look into the additional milling required.

At some point, I will re-finish these areas, for the time being, they will remain like this until I decide the train has truly arrived to the last destination.

For the tests, we equipped the gun with a Bushnell Nitro 6-24X50 FFP scope in ZR Mounts.

Yes, it is too large a scope for the little rifle, but testing does require a bit better glass than hunting.

And, how does it shoot?

Well, it seems that the 430L's characteristic "largeish" bore still prefers the Baracuda family, among them the BHE, and the BFT, but curiously enough, the gun also seems to like the FTT's

At 10 meters the accuracy is nothing short of exceptional: .

Moving out to 18 meters (20 yards) still shows excellent accuracy:

Tried to shoot at 40 yards (37 meters), but clearly, the current setup has reached, and passed, the limit:

I am sure that at 35 yards, with a better tuned MW (that will come in part 2), the gun is capable of "minute of Squirrel head" and so, would not hesitate to take this rifle out into the woods.
It is not a FT rifle (¿yet?!!!!) but it is perfectly usable in the East coast for squirrels and bunnies.
The black blobs in the above target are a little under ½" So, center to center, the BHE, the FTT 4.51, and perhaps the Baracuda Green, groups would all be in the 1" region.
Disappointing were the performances of the Crosman Premiers, but I truly expected that, given the bore of the gun.

Is there still some work to do?

Yup!
Hopefully, I will be able to launch the run of special springs for this most peculiar platform (the springs would also be a natural application to the DIANA 280, which is the breakbarrel version of the 430.
And once the final power source (spring) and guides have been finalized, we can then tune the Muzzlepiece in a useful manner.
So, I am reserving the opportunity to come up with a Part 2 to this blog entry. ;-)

Thanks for reading, keep well and shoot straight!

HM

6 Comments

One for the MSP's enthusiasts

6/18/2020

7 Comments

I still remember my GrandPa telling tales of how he would pump his airgun 7 times and then "aim straight at the eye" of doves to get dinner. I was 5 at the time, and in his stories, he was 10.

He was born in a large (as in thousands of acres and an island included) ranch in the Tamaulipas/Veracruz border before the Mexican Revolution. His father owned the ranch, and it was so far away from any road or rail, that it was easier to get to Europe by boat, than to go to Mexico City, or to the US border by land.
Boats came every month into Tampico (nearest seaport) and from there, it was only a 2 week trip by mule/oxcart to the ranch. Horses were for racing, or cattle wrangling, my GrandPa was a true "Charro".

Family lost the ranch to the Mexican Revolution, but his childhood was spent there and he went to the US, "sent" by his father to San Antonio, TX to escape the Revolution, where he bought an "Indian" motorcycle and studied Accounting. Though THAT is another story.

He prided himself to be crackshot with his airgun, and when the time came, he was the one that taught us the Marksmanship bases. He never had a firearm.

Of course, back then I didn't know what I know about airguns, their workings and their mysterious ways (which is why, for ME they are all female and that is another story all of its own), but he did provide a role model in many aspects:
- Make sure the FIRST shot is the last one.
- Make sure that IF YOU MISS, the pellet will not harm anyone/anything
- Take care of your things and your things will take care of you.
- DO NOT take more from Nature than you need.

Later in his life, he contracted Hodgkin's Disease which he survived for 10 years, in the end, he died when I was living in the UK (post-grad school) and I have always missed him.

Once I became an airgunner, I worked quite some time at improving the MSP's of the time. Living at 8,000 FASL the yield of spring-guns was "weak" to say the least, and the springs that worked for sea level provided a very harsh shot cycle. So an MSP pumped up 13 times (as opposed to the 10 needed at sea level, did provide useful energies and performance.
Sheridans were hard to work on, and then-current Benjamins were not that good.
I re-barreled a few 2100's into 0.20" cal when the best pellet in the world was the 14.3 grs. Premier in the cardboard box.
And the Lothar Walther barrels then in use also performed well with wadcutters:

Solid 0.20" cal. L-W barrel, RWS adjustable steel mounts, on a plastic stocked Crosman 2100 Shot like a dream. Even with the unblued barrel, LOL!

Crosman then came out with the 2200 series and then the 2275 (to celebrate the 75 years of Crosman, it came out with Walnut stocks and a medallion inset into the butt on the right side).
Setup one for FT and won several National Matches with it. Scope is a BSA 10-50X60 in BKL mounts. Do note that the sling is not attached to the gun (which was against the rules at the time) but attached to the upper forearm. Now, FT rules have gone vice-versa and it is against the rules to attach a strap to the body, but not to the gun . . . go figure.

I also made one in 0.25" to be used for "indoor pigeons".

And, when it was time for some serious hunting, I had to cover the plastic stock in suede to prevent the scratching noises from alerting the iguanas (whoever says Iguanas cannot hear, has not hunted them).

At a time, I had 4 VERY capable MSP's:

From the top: Custom Thumbhole Stocked Sheridan with peep sights. "Mr Franklin" the anniversary issue of the Benjamin 392 in walnut stock and grooved receiver. Custom built 1322 carbine (remember this was back in 2000). And custom 2500 with moderator.

1 of 500

When I left Mexico to come to the USA, I had to let go of them but, to this date, I kept the 0.25" cal "2500"

It is VERY special as it reminds me of my friends Mike Pearson and Jeff Wolgast.

Lots of good memories.

Fast forward a BUNCH of years and I find out that there is an MSP version of the DIANA Stormrider. It was called "The Seneca Dragonfly" and shared quite a number of parts with the Stormrider.

I started looking into it and the possibility arose to craft another 0.25" cal MSP that would be a proper "wood and metal" version of my beloved 2500. As happens with many of the gunsmith's personal projects, this had to wait, and wait, and wait . . .

It waited so long that the Dragonfly is no more under the Seneca brand, it seems it got displaced by the humongous "Aspen". This tells me that the people buying airguns nowadays have NO field experience.
"Urbanization" we'll call it, I guess, for lack of a better expression I can still print.

Soooooo . . . . all this to say that I have a very special connection to the MSP's and the persons that like them.

It shows that the shooter has a peculiar frame of mind. That he understands the rhythm of life and the balance of things. He understands the idea of using "just the right amount and not too much".

In short, a person close to my heart even if I haven't met him/her, yet.

And so, Mr. Mark G. enters the picture. Someone in Crosman told him to contact me to see if I could build ONE good gun out of two different variations of Crosman guns. He did, and we started corresponding.
The project interested me, even though I KNEW that the Artemis LR700-W that I had been saving for conversion to 0.25" was going to go. But Mark was so passionate about MSP's that it was impossible to not get energized and enthused with his ideas.

After some serious discussions, the argument came down to:
"Would you invest $200 in a Crosman 2100? I would not. But I would invest $200 in a Dragonfly."

And so he said, "OK, let's have a go at it"

The Crosman 2100 currently retails for about $70, the Dragonfly/LR700 retailed for $179. So, sinking money into a cheap thing will still be a cheap thing, but sinking money into a rough diamond, . . . that is different.

Having had the experience of all the previous MSP's I had definite ideas to implement:
- We were not going for power on the top end.
- We were going for power on the LOW end (1-4 pumps), and
- We were interested in reasonable accuracy with open sights BUT a fiber optic had to be used for the front sight.

And with all these ideas the conversion began:

- Gun was completely stripped off, cleaned and checked.

- Orings were replaced for good quality and material Orings.

- A part to replace the rubber "overpressure buffer" was turned from aluminum. This part was to allow the lubrication sponge to still do its job, and yet, NOT to compress at 6 pumps so that the effort required to overcome the friction of the expanded "plug" made the pumping effort unrealistic. The gun HAD to be useable at 8 pumps.

- A partial assembly was put together so that Mark could see exactly what he would be looking at once his gun was finalized:

Having approved this, we proceeded with the assembly.
- We used a Stormrider barrel that had been de-burred, fire-lapped, and the chamber had been trued. We used it because it already had the moderator.
It ended up like this:

Gun was re-lubed with Air Tool oil. Other oils are vaible, but the cost and availability of the Air Tool Oil makes more sense for the tune.

As you can see, the front "Fire Sight" (by Williams) is dovetailed to the front sight base of the Stormrider.
And it gathers quite the lot of light.
Initial testing was very encouraging, uniformity of MV's at all power levels was rewarding and accuracy at 10 meters was nothing short of impressive:

Initially, I had thought about tuning the gun for heavy pellets (Baracudas and Heavies of all brands), but Mark disabused me of my ignorance and told me to use light pellets. They shot straighter and were easier on the engine.
Well, after some tests, I have to concur.
Sighting in at distance threw back these:

The drop between 15 and 35 yards was simply untenable between the Baracuda FT (9.57 grs.) and the JSB RS's (7.33 grs.)
And again, testing at 35 yards proved that the RS's were the pellet to go to.

Once sighted in and settled down, the bottom 7 shot group, shot with 7 pumps shows that someone with more practice using open sights CAN shoot good groups.
A 1½" group at 35 yards with open sights is nothing to sneeze at. Still . . . practice is in order, LOL!

The other test that is important in MSP's is the overnight shot. You pump it up and let it sit overnight, then check the MV the next morning.
I have to say that this gun passed with good grades as the last average MV for a 50 shot string was 735 fps, while the first cold bore shot next morning was 721 fps. Not bad at all and perfectly understandable just from the cooling of the air chamber.

Test Setup.

From the technical standpoint:

One of the differences between the Artemis' version and the Seneca's is the slant cut at the division between the pump handle and the forearm. Different strokes and all that . . .

Some have argued that there a need to add a barrel band between the pump tube and the barrel. The targets dispel that theory. Further, the pump tube is severely stressed when pumping, you do NOT want to transmit that to the barrel.

In the present arrangement, there is a slight contact between barrel and end of pump tube, but that was not detrimental to the accuracy.

The front end of the Stormrider barrel is a true moderator, it is glued for legal reasons and it was left like that because one of the problems with ANY gun that dumps ALL the air, whether MSP or SSP, is that they are LOUD. This one, even with the small LDC is comfortably quiet.

As received, the gun yielded 12.7 ft-lbs with the Baracuda FT at 8 pumps. If we compare that to the other available MSP's we have that a UMAREX NXG will yield 5 ft-lbs, a Crosman Mk 177 will yield 5.7 ft-lbs. I do not know if the Mk 177 is still available, but it IS an interesting gun for youngsters. Personally, I do NOT like the "envelope" too military for my tastes, BUT I do understand the value of role play in the education of youngsters. Length of pull and weight are more geared towards the young crowd (as in 10 year olds), and the sights are/¿were? REALLY GOOD. But I repeat, I do not know if it is still on offer.

After the fitting of all the parts, this particular LR700-W yielded 13 ft-lbs on the dot but, more important than that was the performance at low power:
at 5 pumps it yielded 9.7 ft-lbs
at 7 pumps, it yielded 11.5 ft-lbs
This with the Baracuda FT.

But, once tuned to the RS's (7.33 grs.), even though the yield came in lower in energy, the accuracy was there, and that is what is important.
So , final stats were:
# of Pumps.- MV±sSD
1.- 388 ± 0
2.- 554 ± 4
4.- 700 ± 0
5.- 746 ± 2
6.- 783 ± 2
7.- 812 ± 3
8.- 840 ± 2

So, where to from here?

These results, and other experiments I have been conducting lately tell me that there is much to do in this architecture.
Would I use this mod as an SSP in a Match capability? Yes. With the right barrel and the right sights, there is no doubt in my mind that it could easily replace anything in the Avanti series.
At present, part of the conflict is in the "reach"; you need really long arms to get the whole pump cycle done without standing. For a youngster, that MAY be a problem.
A re-design is in order and there are a TON of things to improve.

Whether Air Venturi will decide to bring more into the USA is up to them. I may contact SPA separately.

One thing is for sure: EVERY airgunner should have one of these in his collection. Once modified, they are practically eternal airguns.

Keep well and shoot straight!

HM

7 Comments

Mandarins to Oranges

5/26/2020

4 Comments

INTRODUCTION

Most of you will know me as a "Science guy" and, yes, I guess I am more than a common NERD.

But life and experience have taught me that there is a lot of worthwhile knowledge to be gained from just listening to the users. Especially if the users are experienced and UNCOMMON persons, in the sense of having been endowed with more than a passing grade of "COMMON SENSE".

When I was much younger, my GrandMa used to tell me that the least common of senses was the common sense. After almost 64 years I have come to agree wholeheartedly with that.

Bill and I met by "accident" in one of the fora, we both love airguns, and German Airguns more precisely; and I cannot but see a future me (result of a strongly driven and purposeful youth with lots of physicality to it) in him.
One day my body will present the "bills" for all those strenuous activities.
And, while growing old is mandatory, it's growing up what I plan on keeping "optional" ;-)

To keep a capacity of wonderment, and the love of life, is what will make the next decade (or two), what it is supposed to be.

And so, in that spirit, I present you with a notable person, in the sense that he makes a lot of sense.

Oh!, and what does the title mean? Well it's sort of a private joke because while discussing the idea of this Blog entry, Bill asked me (and rightfully so), "Won't we be comparing apples to oranges here?"
My response was that there were sufficient characteristics shared by BOTH guns (HW30 and AM03) to think more about a comparison between Mandarins and Oranges: about the same, just slightly different size, zest and flavour.

¿Isn't that what life is all about?

;-)

I yield the floor to Bill:

Guest Blog by Bill Rickvalsky

Bill with the two guns he was charged of comparing: in his left hand, an HW30, in his right a modified DIANA Mauser AM03

Let me begin with a little background information. A few weeks ago I was involved in a discussion on a web forum about the possible acquisition of another air rifle. I had not too long ago acquired a Weihrauch HW30S as an addition to my Diana Model 34. The reason for that purchase was because the cocking effort of the Diana 34 had become rather fatiguing. The HW30S was a considerable relief in that regard. But then I began investigating the purchase of another rifle that might provide power similar to the Diana 34 but not be as difficult for me to cock.

The reason the cocking effort is an issue for me is that I am in my 70's and have a chronic health condition that occasionally affects my muscle strength. But I thoroughly enjoy my shooting and regularly have somewhat lengthy shooting sessions. The HW30S allowed me to do this without wearing myself out.

As a result of that forum discussion I was offered an opportunity by Hector to compare my HW30S to a Diana AM03 Mauser that had been modified with people in just my situation in mind, older folks with health issues. The AM03 started life as an NTec gas piston rifle. It now has a steel spring operating an anti bounce piston (ABP). The rifle is putting out 13 fpe and has a cocking force of 23 pounds. My objective was to report on the perceived cocking force and the shooting characteristics of this rifle and the HW30S.

From top to bottom: DIANA Mauser AM03; DIANA 34; HW30S

After receiving the AM03 and getting it set up to shoot everything went very smoothly and the rifle fit me well just as received. My quick impressions from the first shooting sessions were very favorable. The AM03 is heavy. The all up weight is 9 lbs. 11 oz. which is heavier than my Diana 34 at 9 lbs. exactly. My HW30S weighs in at 6 lbs. 12 oz. Both rifles are scoped. The cocking effort of the AM03 was perceptibly heavier than the HW30S but not by a significant amount. The difference between the two would not make me choose one over the other just based upon the work involved in cocking. My Diana 34 is significantly more work. The trigger on the AM03, which I understand is an Ntec T06, is very light and has a clean, crisp break. A very nice trigger so I can't blame my sometimes poor shooting on the trigger.

Do any of you think this is poor shooting? Heck, No! It's good shooting in anybody's books.

As I was able to get in more shooting sessions I was paying particular attention to the shot cycle characteristics. The AM03 seems to shoot at an equivalent power level to my Diana 34 although my chronograph is not operational I had previously determined my Diana 34 put out about 13 fpe. But the shot cycle characteristics were very different. The AM03 has a sharper, crisper shot cycle than either the HW30S or my Diana 34. By that I do not mean the shot cycle is harsher. It just seems quicker and more stable. While the HW30S has a softer shot cycle it is only about a 6.5 fpe rifle. My impression after several shooting sessions was that the AM03 is less hold sensitive than my Diana 34 and is almost on the same level as the HW30S in that regard.

A couple of the shooting sessions I had were fairly lengthy with over 200 pellets down range. On those occasions the cocking effort of the AM03 and HW30S became an obvious advantage for me. I believe I could shoot either of those rifles all day long. I eventually would lay the Diana 34 aside while shooting the other two. I know there are people who do not find the Diana 34 difficult to cock. But it apparently crosses a threshold of work for me. I like the rifle and can shoot it for a while but there are limits.

One side comment I would like to make here is about the length of the cocking arm (barrel) and how it affects this. While many people say the longer barrel provides more leverage it also requires a longer reach, particularly when sitting. When reaching up to the end of the barrel my arm is fully extended and then has to swing out and down while still fully extended until more than half way through the cocking cycle. This actually is as much of a disadvantage as it is an advantage. I find it easier to not reach all the way to the end of the barrel.

Someone else's technique may give different results in this regard.

The AM03 seems a little louder from behind the gun than either of the other two rifles. It is not very much at all and may be related to the crisper shot cycle. But I am fortunate in being able to shoot without any concern for the noise levels of any of these rifles as none of them is really offensive in my rural neighborhood. And just as a check I asked my son to listen to them from about 20 yards away to the side. He felt that the Diana 34 and the AM03 were about the same. The HW30S as expected is quieter.

I would love to have a hybrid of the AM03 and the HW30S. I like the extra reach of the AM03 without paying a significant price in cocking effort. The AM03 that I am shooting is heavy, especially for occasional offhand shooting. But there are times I wish the HW30S had just a little more weight for offhand shooting. This light, short rifle sometimes seems a little twitchy without a rest of some sort. It would also be nice to have the barrel on the AM03 be two or three inches shorter. For me anyway the shorter overall length would balance better.

I would like to thank Hector for this opportunity to participate in this comparison and to possibly contribute slightly to upcoming design decisions. And I told him several times how much I love the set up on the trigger in this AM03. It is an absolute pleasure to shoot.

I hope everyone learns a little something from this old guy's comments. I know there are others like me out there who may have the same concerns.

Bill Rickvalsky

N.E. I would like to finish this entry by thanking Bill for his time and effort.

And yes,I learned things that we expect to put in place with the new EMS line at DIANA.

The 34 EMS will allow users to "tailor" the gun in such a way as to suit THEM.

Particularly in Bill's case, I am already envisioning a 34 EMS with the NTec trigger, a lightweight ABP unit inside the OEM piston, a shorter barrel, and a Carbon Fiber moderator/Harmonics Tuner in place. The short barrel will save 1 full pound of weight, the Carbon Fiber mod/HT will save another ¼ lb, and a beech stock will also save another ¼ lb, so, all in all, with a Traditions lightweight scope in small ZR Mounts, we could be looking at a 7 to 7¼ lbs all up rifle still capable of delivering 12 ft-lbs at the muzzle with a bit over 25# peak cocking force.

Now, THAT would be an interesting little gun, LOL!

Keep well and shoot straight!

HM

4 Comments

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Hector Medina

2012 US National WFTF Spring Piston Champion
2012 WFTF Spring Piston Grand Prix Winner
2013 World's WFTF Spring Piston 7th place
2014 Texas State WFTF Piston Champion
2014 World's WFTF Spring Piston 5th place.
2015 Maine State Champion WFTF Piston
2015 Massachusetts State Champion WFTF Piston
2015 New York State Champion WFTF Piston
2015 US National WFTF Piston 2nd Place
2016 Canadian WFTF Piston Champion
2016 Pyramyd Air Cup WFTF Piston 1st Place
2017 US Nationals Open Piston 3rd Place
2018 WFTC's Member of Team USA Champion Springers
2018 WFTC's 4th place Veteran Springer