Connecticut Custom Airguns
  • Welcome!
  • Hector's Airgun Blog
  • Products and Products Blog
    • One-Off's
    • The "Héctors Special'" scope by Sightron
    • K1050i FT
    • The Hex Louver or "Secret Sunshade"
    • Pellet Path Calculator >
      • Questions, Answers and Comments on P-P Calc
      • Privacy Policy for PP-Calc
    • The Nautilus SideWheel
    • The X-10 TiltMeter
  • Zimmer-Silhouetten
    • Results 2017-2018
    • Results 2016-2017
    • Results 2015-2016
    • Results 2014-2015
    • Results 2013-2014
  • References and Links
  • Contact us
  • Store

Hector's Airgun Blog

Where we discuss, CIVIILY,  anything airgun.

Return Home

First the Army, now the two TOP LEO's of the Nation

8/5/2023

3 Comments

 
Some time ago, I had the privilege and the pleasure to work with the US Army DevCom to make a tool to validate the ballistic gel blocks they use for tests:

https://www.ctcustomairguns.com/hectors-airgun-blog/a-bb-gun-for-the-us-army-c 

It was a TRIP! LOL!

After a few months I was contacted by the DevCom person that had been my "liaison" for the project with a peculiar question: "Can we give your data to some colleagues of ours in other institutions?"
My answer was "SURE"

And I forgot about it.....

Suddenly the phone rings from an unexpected number in Alabama. Well, I normally do not answer the phone, so the screening system kicked in, and, for a change it was a serious call.
I picked up the phone and the voice at the other end says:
"Hello we're with the FBI"

¡GULP! ¿what did I do? 

And then he continues: the guys at Picatinny Arsenal told us you made a small rifle that shoots BB's at the speed we need to test ballistic gel blocks.

Phewwwww!!!!! my soul returned to my body, LOL!

The conversation was VERY amiable and cordial and we agreed to meet.

We had a wonderful lunch and it was then that I was told that the Redstone Arsenal (that houses the Ballistic Research Facility - BRF) for the FBI and the DEA (two of the Top LEO's in the USA) needed a similar device.
But that they wanted it "improved". ¿How? no idea, just make it better!

And with this "open commission" off I went to work.

The project took a bit longer than usual for me (and that is, indeed long, as many of you know, nothing leaves the workshop without performing to its best, and that takes time).
The First improvement was relatively easy: the BFR had the need to test DOZENS of blocks in one "go", so a Magazine had to be developed that would work for BB's.
Luckily, CARM magazines came through with flying colors and made the magazine exactly as I wanted them.
Picture
Lothar Walther was out of smoothbore barrels, and so a special run had to be made. This time L-W made them without a choke, which proved to be a welcome idea.

BLS supplied the DIANA Stormriders.

ALTAROS air solutions made the small run of vented regulators for this project.

And the project started.

I will not repeat the process detailed in the Army rifle's entry above mentioned, so I will concentrate on the "improvement" of the FFH device.

At first I thought that what had been an EXTERNAL FFH control just needed to be installed inside the action, but the first tests proved me completely wrong. There was not enough space!.
And then I understood why most modern PCP's that have the characteristic (call it FFH, Sling-Shot, or any other name it is the same thing, use a LONG space to accomplish this.

I did not have the space, so, somehow the system had to be "folded".

After many weeks, prototypes, and tests, I went back to my spring-piston roots and designed a system that is structurally self contained.

Apologies that I cannot post a picture, as we are in the process of analyzing the patentability of the device. Suffice to say that it is a "drop-in" device that needs the change of two screws in the original Stormrider architecture and still allows a wide range of adjustability.

The results with this FFH device were quite good:
Picture
Picture
Remember that the International spec is 590 ± 25 fps, so were very clearly complying with the spec.

Additionally, my friends at the BRF requested the possibility to mount a laser pointer-sight, so a drooped Picatinny rail was added to the "tools", and tested at 5 meters (distance specced by the BRF), accuracy, for a smoothbore barrel shooting relatively fast for the projectile in question was not bad at all:
Picture
The little doughnut is 7 mm's across.

As I was getting ready to ship the three tools to Alabama, I sent a "Manual of arms"  for their use and review and it was then that I was told that the "tools" had to be painted "safety blue" as they were non-guns. And so, I had to disassemble and paint the stocks:
Picture
If anyone says "SMURF" I'll personally kick him if we ever meet! LOL!
​They are "cute" as my 6 year old daughter would say:
Picture
Looking back on the project, I do have to say that it was, again, a pleasure and a privilege to be able to serve these two institutions. They have a difficult job to do, and the BRF is, on top, also a "Go To" certified laboratory even for foreign entities.
Dealing with technically excellent people is always a pleasure.
Their patience and understanding of the process of innovation is commendable.
​
We are often told that without the US Defense budget's support of private enterprise we would not have many of the tech gadgets we so much enjoy (just consider the story of the transistor as an offshoot of the mixer diodes used in the early radar systems, and all that the little buggers detonated), but this is a first hand example.

Thanks and acknowledgements need to be presented to the components' developers and suppliers:
DIANA-BLS for the basic rifles
Altaros Air Solutions for the vented regulators
Lothar Walther for their excellent barrels
CARM for their very well made magazines
Daisy for superbly consistent BB's in their "Premium" line.
UTG for their Picatinny rails.

And, again, to the BRF for their patience and genuine interest in the micro-enterprise.

In the immediate future, we will report the application of the FFH device to the creation of specialized FT rifles for Jr. Shooters we hope to recruit from the Izaak Walton League's Wildlife Achievement Chapter, but that is another story.

Keep well and shoot straight!






HM
3 Comments
Alejandro O Martinez
8/20/2023 19:45:26

I've been thinking about a match-grade, repeating BB-rifle for years.
I'm thinking ... there's gonna be a number of people, such as myself, very interesting in your BB FT rifle.
Please keep me/us abreast of your progress.

Reply
Matt Coulter
8/21/2023 06:47:34

Very interesting article! I love hearing when airgun components become integrated into other solutions!

Reply
Hector Medina
8/30/2023 16:16:19

Thanks, my friends!

@ Alex.- If you want a BB gun, just let me know. They are a lot of fun, by no means "match grade", but will surely beat a Daisy, LOL!

@ Matt.- Thanks for reading!



HM

Reply



Leave a Reply.

    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
    2023 WFTC's South Africa Member TEAM USA 1st place Springers
    2023 WFTC's South Africa
    2nd Place Veteran Springers

    Archives

    June 2024
    May 2024
    February 2024
    October 2023
    September 2023
    August 2023
    May 2023
    March 2023
    December 2022
    August 2022
    May 2022
    April 2022
    February 2022
    August 2021
    July 2021
    June 2021
    May 2021
    April 2021
    March 2021
    February 2021
    October 2020
    September 2020
    August 2020
    July 2020
    June 2020
    May 2020
    April 2020
    March 2020
    February 2020
    January 2020
    December 2019
    November 2019
    September 2019
    August 2019
    July 2019
    May 2019
    April 2019
    January 2019
    December 2018
    November 2018
    October 2018
    September 2018
    August 2018
    June 2018
    May 2018
    April 2018
    March 2018
    February 2018
    January 2018
    December 2017
    November 2017
    October 2017
    September 2017
    March 2017
    December 2016
    October 2016
    September 2016
    July 2016
    June 2016
    March 2016
    January 2016
    December 2015
    November 2015
    October 2015
    September 2015
    August 2015
    June 2015
    May 2015
    April 2015
    March 2015
    February 2015
    January 2015
    December 2014
    November 2014
    October 2014
    August 2014
    July 2014
    June 2014
    May 2014
    March 2014
    February 2014
    December 2013
    November 2013
    October 2013
    September 2013

    Categories

    All
    Events
    Gear
    Hunting
    Tests

    RSS Feed

Proudly powered by Weebly