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New "Super Custom" trigger for the Walther LGU/LGV

4/29/2020

9 Comments

 
BEFORE ANYTHING ELSE, I am required to post this, the legal disclaimers:

1.- Swapping the trigger blades WILL invalidate the warranty of your rifle.
2.- ANY user intervention in the triggers MAY result in an UNSAFE condition. Once you get into the trigger you are on your own.
3.- I have no control of YOUR actions, so I can take NO responsibility for the results YOU get. This process proved safe and sound in MY gun. I cannot guarantee that it will be the same in YOURS.


Back in May 2018, I wrote a note about the then available "Super Custom" Triggers for the LGU/LGV rifles.
In the original post we discussed European versions, but on this one we will discuss an American design.

For those that have not followed my interest in these fine guns, I would suggest you take the time to read these entries:

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-lguhttps://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

As you can see, I am a great fan of the LGV, considering it the best breakbarrel rifle in recent production. We would have to go a few decades into the past to get something better.
These models had been in production for less than 6 years, and in those 6 years, not less than 4 trigger blades came into the market, WHY?
Savvy airgunners have been
 puzzled about how could Walther put such a bad trigger on such a good gun.

And here is where I sometimes ask myself questions that I know would be very "uncomfortable" for a manufacturer to answer, but that definitely point to a marketing strategy that fails to take into account the simple truth that "There are no second 'First Impressions' "

If we analyze the cold facts, they are:
- Rifles are very good rifles, among the breakbarrels, the LGV has no peer. The LGU faces stiff competition from other fixed barrel rifles that are just as good, if not a bit better, depending on the criteria used for judging.
- Price, when they hit the market was high. Granted, ALL airgun prices were high back then; in general, prices have come down as demand has grown, production volumes have gone up, and more brands/models are available.
- Simultaneous to the launch of the rifle itself, Walther launched a "Match Abzug" (MA) that promised a better release but, again, price was high.
- In at least one market, the rifles were ONLY available WITH the MA, at considerably higher price still.
- At some point, up to 6 different "variants" were offered of the LGV. From "De Luxe" models to "Workhorse" models.

To be honest, as a marketing strategy, this is a recipe for trouble.
Those that could ONLY buy the expensive versions thought about it and probably didn't, or if they did would always question their decision.
Those that bought the "economy" versions would not buy the accessory trigger.

Everyone agreed that the guns were between good and great, but still the market response did not justify the costs of production, one by one, the different variants of the LGV were dropped. Unconfirmed information says that Walther has decided to discontinue ALL breakbarrel rifles. Even when the attempt was never made to market the "Century" (a sort of economy LGV with all the good characteristics, but none of the fineries) in the USA
Which is a pity.

And it is what brings us to this entry.


As with many things in this "CoVid-19" world of "stay at home and do something", some people with the skills and the machines in their workshop now have the time to actually do some serious stuff.
In my cybertravels through the airgunning community, I came across an interesting post about "yet another offering for triggers" for the LGU/LGV, and it piqued my curiosity.

And this is how I met Eric. Eric lives in Texas, and he is a great guy. Modest and unassuming, it's a pleasure to deal with him. He is also talented. At first he said he had developed another trigger for the LGV/LGU rifles but that he needed to polish some aspects, a few months later, he comes up with fully finished prototypes. So many corporations would LOVE to have that time of "Start to Finish R&D", LOL!
SOooooo...
Let's get to the trigger:
Picture
As you can see, it uses a quite novel way of making it adjustable without making it expensive. At $80 retail, it is in line with what European triggers cost, and it does provide some advantages.

Among the advantages: there are two possible positions for a second stage, one that provides for a light pull, and another one that provides for an even lighter pull, at the expense of a little "crispness".
In a way this is similar to the Rowan Engineering version, but if we compare them side by side they are not quite the same:
Picture
From left to right: Walther's MA, Eric's trigger, and Rowan Engineering (RE) Trigger.
While the RE trigger allows the user to move the whole trigger blade back, it also ends up needing a "shoe" that is far too wide to operate/work on the trigger. If you want to remove the stock, or adjust the second stage (in the "heavy" position), you need to remove the blade and the holding post.
Eric's trigger does away with that.
Eric's blade is further back, and one of the common complaints about the LGU/LGV stock is that the pistol grip is really big and seems to be made for giant's hands.
Some shooters (even one previous World Champion) hold that huge pistol grips prevent the shooter from inadvertently twisting the gun when releasing the shot, and that is very true, but it is also true that techniques exist to teach ourselves to apply a slowly increasing force that does NOT twist the gun and therefore does not affect the shot. IN any case, the most common versions of the LGU that you see in the competition circuit have ALL had their stocks replaced.
As far as adjusting the distance between pistol grip and trigger blade, Eric's trigger uses a novel approach, and that is a pressure plate that can be moved in/out meaning that it shortens or lengthens that distance.
Eric's trigger is also a bit more swept back, and so the pressure plate could be used as a "Register Mark", ensuring uniform trigger finger placement.
Picture
When comparing the positions of the three screws we see that RE's trigger uses a fairly uniform spacing between screws, whereas Eric's trigger uses a skewed distribution that, while providing for an even "lighter"  trigger pull, will definitely loose some "crispness" to the release.
We also note that RE's trigger has rounded screw faces, while Eric's trigger has pointed faces. This is a result of the market they are oriented at; RE's trigger is sold mostly to fairly amateur airgunners, as a "drop-in", while Eric's trigger assumes that users have ALREADY taken the time to stone and polish all interacting surfaces.

Yes, if you are looking for the LIGHTEST possible trigger pull in an "untreated" trigger block, then RE's trigger will give you that, BUT, if you are looking for a compromise between extreme lightness and total crispness and you are willing to stone and polish your trigger parts, or send them out to a Pro, then Eric's trigger can more easily accomplish this, and with less fuss because you can adjust all aspects of the trigger pull with the trigger blade in the gun, without the trigger guard (more on that later).

To install Eric's trigger is simple; you take apart the gun and when you have the trigger block out and the clamshell disassembled, you take out the old trigger (on the left is the OEM "economy" trigger with the lengthened screw of the "Yankee tune", on the right is Eric's trigger):
Picture
And put in the new one:
Picture
Eric recommends cutting one coil of the extension spring that is the return/no slack spring, but I did not find it necessary.
You will need a crochet hook or some other hook to get that spring out and then in again, so DO REFER the blog entry about "Swapping triggers" above mentioned.

Once you have swapped the triggers, you will need to adjust the screws.

Eric sends a very interesting manual that details STARTING points for the protrusion of those screws and I found the manual absolutely right. SO, DO READ IT!

Once that is done, you can close the gun and start the actual fine tuning.
Picture
It's important to note that once assembled, the gun should be checked that everything is in its place and the clamshell is properly closed and aligned.

Upon some extensive testing, I found that FOR ME, the flat pressure plate gave a "strange" feel, to the point of being distracting, because the pressure plate always keeps the same orientation, when lowered to the last hole, the feeling was that I was pulling in a "crooked" way.
Picture
While this would be ideal for shooters with custom stocks that almost always have a "vertical" pistol grip, it was somewhat off-putting to use with the sporter stock.

So, Eric agreed to make two versions: one with a curved blade, and another with the "flatish" trigger blade

I found also another solution that is truly viable only at very low trigger pulls, and that is replacing the screw with a button headed allen screw that presents a hemispherical shape to the touch of the hand:
Picture
The other thing I like is that I can use a locknut at the rear, to ensure that the setting does not get "out of place".
At trigger pulls above 1# this is somewhat tiring in the long run, but below that it is an eminently usable solution.

If you note, here I have a fully assembled and functional gun without the trigger guard, how is this possible?
Well, Eric designed and will include as part of the kit two plastic "D"s that allow you to get the gun back together to the point where you can actually shoot it, and still have completely open access to the screws for adjustment.
You can see one of the "D"s in the picture above.
​
I tested the trigger in an "untreated" LGU trigger block (my LGV being "on loan" for a lengthy and really serious experiment), mainly to see what difference the 40-60 minutes of stoning and polishing parts would gain a shooter, but also to get a feeling of how narrow the market would be for Eric (difference would be between a few hundred to a few thousand).
And I found out that the lightest trigger pull I could get was an extremely rewarding 1# 2 oz. with great consistency.
Almost anyone should be able to live with that.

In a stoned and polished trigger block, pulls can be lowered to levels that I would not consider safe for 90% of the shooters (just watch Eric's video referenced below), but in the end it is each and every one of us who are responsible for our actions.

Eric has also agreed to send, to those that request it, a "ball end" for the pressure plate, something like this:
Picture
Have not tried it, but it makes a lot of sense.

I was very happy to work with Eric on this project, and since he is still in the pre-production phase, there are some changes that will be inevitable.

BTW, you can see Eric's video here: 
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jvndvLfzug0&feature=youtu.be

If you are interested in finding out more about this trigger, or if you want to buy one, drop Eric a line at:
epianori@gmail.com

Let him know you saw this, please.

;-)

Keep well and shoot straight!




​HM
9 Comments

The "HPM" or DIANA's High Performance Muzzleweight

4/25/2020

26 Comments

 
I have received some questions about this system (yes it is a SYSTEM), as well as a specific request from one of my favourite persons in the airguns' cyberworld, and the questions tell me that without the IWA 2020 happening, a LOT of what WE (DIANA) had hoped to relay to the users and accomplish on the shooter's information side simply DIDN'T  happen.

Questions also tell me that people are not really up to date about where the research and development of spring guns is going. In a way, that is understandable, manufacturers are not doing the best of jobs in telling people how more advanced today's spring guns can be in relation to those airguns that the Cardews' analyzed in their legendary works.

So, let's look at a little bit of history and how it percolated into the production line of one of the foremost examples of applied technology in the spring-piston airgun world, then we'll look into more recent experiments, and how, finally, the product became a system to be included into the new edition of the Air King (the AirKing Pro). Along the way, we'll discuss how sometimes even manufacturers fail to recognize the DIFFERENCES between an airgun and a firearm.

So, let's get started:

A bit of history

Ever since my powder burning days (1966 to 2000), I have been a firm believer in tuning the gun to the projectile, and choosing the best projectile to the task at hand. If you are familiar with the "Accuracy Node" concept, you know that all rifles have a MV where the bullet exists at the point where the barrel's muzzle's excursion is at its extreme. Meaning that it is going in one direction, stops, and then starts moving back. Like a pendulum, but in a much more violent manner. So, following that methodology, the MV of airguns can be changed in small increments through the use of spacers in the spring, so that the pellet's exit coincides with the end of the oscillation where the transversal velocity of the muzzle is as low as possible because it's either stopping, at rest, or just starting to accelerate back.

Therefore, when I came across a commercial unit that offered to do that for the DIANA's  I jumped into it. Over time, I found the unit somewhat fragile and capricious (getting out of adjustment at the worst possible time), till at some point, I had it glued (this commercial Harmonics Tuning product was discontinued about 15 years ago), then in 2015, as a result of its dismal failure in a WFTC Match, I decided to design something that would work in my favourite platform, the DIANA 54 AirKing.

Some time passed and I then came onto the realization of a basic characteristic of the DIANA 48->56 family: The barrel is in reality a 15.2 mm's barrel that has been encased in a shim and then that shim goes INTO an 18 mm's  sleeve, that is what we see. That is the nicely blued part that we take for a barrel, but it is not.

In the past, SOME shooters used to fill the cavity between the shim, sleeve and barrel with resin, or other compound, and claimed to have improved the accuracy, but my problem with that approach was that it was a FIXED solution. "Tuning" of your system would STILL need to play with the MV and finding the "right" pellet.

I wanted a simpler device, something that would allow you to re-tune the gun should you change pellet batches, or wanted to change brand, power level, or any other thing. Something that would allow you to set a velocity (according to some rules, or other criterion set by YOU), and then tune the gun to THAT. In other words, command the gun and not be commanded by it.

I looked at all the existing Harmonic tuning systems (firearms, archery, and airguns) and all but one depended on a weight that was knurled and screwed or unscrewed along some position in the barrel, or a rod. The one that didn't, depended on moving the support position of the barrel in the stock (forend pressure point bedding) therefore lengthening or shortening the free-floated length of the barrel, problem was that most spring-piston airgun barrels are free-floated by design.

So, I decided to combine both concepts and came up with a system that is comprised of a specifically dimensioned weight that can move back and forth along its position on the barrel with set spacers.
I worked through a few prototypes and when I had settled on something I published my results here in this blog entry.
Now, do note that this happened in 2016, that's 4 years ago!

Since then, most of CCA builds have benefited from this "gadget", and/or from the knowledge and techniques that this research brought. Further research has been done and now we know not only how to control, but how to REDUCE the harmonics at barrels' muzzles (though that is another story ;-) )

Almost three years ago, I started working closely with DIANA, and since there were talks to bring this technology (and others) to the public/shooters of DIANA airguns, I did not pursue further the commercialization of the product.

So, when the time came to write the spec for a "new" 54, it was normal for me to include this device into the spec. In complete agreement with DIANA, we decided to name it the HPM (for High Performance Muzzleweight).

The first appearance of the device to the public under the DIANA brand was at 2020 SHOT Show, there is a whole thread about it here where you will find links to videos, reviews and other comments; as well as a lot of questions and answers.

And that brings us up to the present

First proposal and a "failure"

It was towards the end of 2019 that I was told that about 300 "54 barreled actions" were available and that we could use those to launch a re-vamped 54.
The problem was that there was NO BUDGET available for improvements. Meaning that whatever we wanted to put in, had to come from reductions and savings in the SAME model, that is a tough value-engineering problem: Improve a product AND make it cost the same or less. Not easy without a technology leap. Still the challenge was taken up by the team and we discussed a number of things that could be improved. Sadly, ALMOST ALL implied some cost increase. The exception was the Harmonics Tuner. A muzzle piece needs to be there, and the plastic one in current production, though not expensive, is not cheap either. It's a complicated mould. Also, the change COULD imply that the "Pro" model would be a scope-only rifle, so the sights could also be eliminated. Lastly, there was an extra operation on the barrel to create the "key" where the front fight ramp/muzzle piece needs to index to always keep the front sight straight up. Between all these "savings" the Harmonics  Tuner seemed to be a good candidate.
It also promised to be the most value for money that would still be useful to ALL shooters (and here I want to remind you that DIANA operates in more than 90 countries with 7 different power levels and some caliber/rifling/OAL legal complications).

And, finally, adapting it to the EMS system would be a breeze, so, after much thought, the concept of the Harmonics Tuner came to the forefront. The part is simple to make and easy to use, it does NOT come out of adjustment, and use tends to affix it more and more firmly into its place.

Simultaneous to that I had started some serious work with a friend with a scientific penchant that tested the usefulness of the Harmonics Tuner in two completely different power plants: A short stroked D56 and the "skinny piston" (22 mm's compression chamber bore) version of the same gun. As different as apples and oranges.
You can read the results of those experiments here:

https://www.ctcustomairguns.com/hectors-airgun-blog/the-saga-of-a-56-th 
https://www.ctcustomairguns.com/hectors-airgun-blog/the-saga-of-a-56-th4603110 
https://www.ctcustomairguns.com/hectors-airgun-blog/the-saga-of-a-56-th8042880 
https://www.ctcustomairguns.com/hectors-airgun-blog/the-saga-of-a-56-th2541108 

As you can see from the whole SAGA, the Harmonics Tuner proved its usefulness in two completely dissimilar engines. It would be like testing a turbo-charger in a Mack Diesel Tractor Trailer and a Subaru BRZ and still finding improvements in both results.
And the HT was deemed an "easy to use" device, needing the release of the screws, the addition or subtraction of an ORing and the reassembly of the gun, an operation that took less then 3 minutes per test.

So, it was DOUBLY annoying when DIANA's head gunsmith told me that they had not found any change in group size when tested in the factory, regardless of the number of spacers added.  WHAT?
Luckily, the Technical CEO told me that they would still go ahead and planned the use of the device, but that I had to come up with a new design, test and a procedure to demonstrate the usefulness.

After taking a day (or two) to calm down and analyze the whole thing, I decided to question the test procedure followed by the factory. It was then that I was told that the gun had been put on a vise that held the sled system fixed, but at an angle, that changes had been made from the original spec (aluminum instead of steel), and that only two screws, instead of the 6 that were originally specced had been used, granted that perhaps my drawing had not been completely clear, but still the device built by the "Construction" section of the company was not what I was talking about, these substantial changes warranted a re-design and re-test, under conditions that would be found in real life shooting.

And here is where there is a lesson: If you need to test something that is going to be used under field conditions, then test it under the same field conditions.

A new material was sourced as Aluminum DOM bar, and new prototypes were made, but this time complying with the needed weight (one of the most lengthy sets of experiments I ever conducted way back in 2015).
I then prepared a completely new test using one of the guns that were on the pipeline, and these were the results:
Picture
As you can see, adding or deleting ORings yielded observable and measureable results. Dispersions went from horizontal to vertical and then back, and too many ORings (same as too large a weight) produced horrible results.

With these results in hand, I went back (electronically) to DIANA, and it was agreed that the AirKing Pro would come equipped with the device.

The device itself is VERY simple and easy to make. From the outside it looks just like an average Muzzle Weight, but the trick is on the inside, where ORings can be added or removed to determine the position of the weight along the muzzle. In the same way that using a longer or shorter bar changes the "tone" of a grandfather clock carrillon, the harmonics (vibrations) at the muzzle also change and this is what determines the POSITION of the muzzle and WHERE IT IS AIMING AT, when the pellet exits the muzzle.
Picture
Picture
As ORings are added, the muzzle that was flush with the end of the HPM, becomes more and more "recessed" into the cavity.
Using one of Steve's excellent pictures, although that is a steel version of the HPM for the model 56, not the 54, you can see the make up of the whole system
Picture
The other difference you will find is that while 3 screws are enough for 12 ft-lbs, for 24 ft-lbs you need 6.
But the principle is the same: You add or delete ORings to bring down the group size with the pellet you want to use (within reason).
As it was demonstrated and re-tested, in a normal 54, the results were verifiable and repeatable:
Picture

The Future

Picture
Between 4 and 6 months after "re-start" of the world's economy once CV-19 has been overcome, we should be able to see this in retailers and internet sellers.
There will be other options in stock colors and, of course, a beech version.
The process to "tune" the rifle's harmonics will be the same: 
1.-Start from 0 ORings
2.-Shoot three shots into a "waste" bullseye
3.-Shoot a 5 shot group at least 15 meters away (19 is preferrable).
4.- Add one ORing
5.- Repeat from 2
6.- Repeat from 4
When you reach 10 ORings, STOP, you should see a "periodicity" each 4->6 Orings (depending on power level), settle on the two settings that are most promising and re-test till you are happy that you are at the best possible point.

I would advise to "Run in" the rifle BEFORE the tuning (if in doubt about what is the BEST way to do this, read this), as the wearing in of the parts amongst themselves is an essential part of what airguns need to be able to deliver top accuracy, but if you want to "train" yourself in the procedure by all means do it several times. Just understand that, in the end, you cannot put the carriage before the horses.

Hope this answers as many questions as is normal before seeing/handling the actual thing.

Always open to questions or comments.

Keep well  and shoot straight!





​HM
26 Comments

    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
    2020 Puerto Rico GP Piston First Place
    2020 NC State Championships 1st Place Piston
    2022 Maryland State Champion WFTF 
    2022 WFTC's Italy Member of TEAM USA 2nd place Springers
    2022 WFTC's Italy
    2nd Place Veteran Springers

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