by B.B. Pelletier
Today we’ll hear Part 5 of how Pyramyd AIR began. This story is written by the company’s owner and founder, Joshua Ungier.
If you’d like to write a guest post for this blog, please email me.
Bloggers must know how to take clear photos and size them for the internet (if their post requires them), and they must use proper English. We’ll edit each submission, but we won’t work on any submission that contains gross misspellings and/or grammatical errors.
by Joshua Ungier
This story picks up at the point where I left you at the end of Part 4 in February, 2010.
I believe what really started PA was my non-stop traveling to Russia and Germany, sometimes for a month at the time. One day my wife asked me not to go to Russia anymore, or at least not to go for awhile. I had been on the road a lot that year, and to be honest I got really tired of frequent travel. Freezing in Siberia one day and the next day boiling in beautiful Uzbekistan was really a lot of fun but after a while it got old.
After seeing the sleek IZH-60 in a window display in Moscow, I decided to buy one for myself and bring it back to Ohio. Well, it didn’t happen. That rifle is still in Russia. The paperwork required and the little time I had to register it and get a permit that was not issued in time were the reason I missed out. In the meantime, my former partners produced a series of air pistols that were sold in the USA.
IZH-60 air rifle is a modernistic-looking spring-piston rifle that’s both accurate and affordable.
After my partners and I split to pursue different business directions, I had a eureka moment. It was an epiphany. I liked airguns. Period. And you can shoot at home without wrecking your house. Although I have a very large basement that in one area offers almost a 30-yard range, shooting a firearm of any caliber bigger than a .22 long rifle has, sometimes, disastrous consequences — like ventilating a perfectly good cinderblock wall. The only good that comes from shooting a .44 Magnum Ruger Super Blackhawk in the basement is that you do not need to dust your rafters after firing a round. Just vacuum the dust off the floor. Don’t ask!
Being a gardener, I live for spring. My backyard, over time, has become a mini-farm. I grow everything from strawberries to watermelons and tomatoes. I also grow cherries and peaches and varieties of grapes, and, with them, the rodents that come to help me with the harvest. For years I’ve avoided killing the rodents by fencing off the area. They quickly learned to scale a wire fence or dig under. Short of putting razor wire and Claymore mines (face toward enemy, remember) around my tomatoes and strawberries, I figured I would have to breed attack cats.
“Get an airgun,” my friend Jerry suggested.
“You are nuts,” I answered. “I have plenty of real stuff in my safe.”
“Right,” he responded. “I can see the morning paper tomorrow.
“Insane resident of Pepper Pike shoots a chipmunk eating blueberries in his suburban garden. Several automobiles and houses in direct line of fire were severely damaged by the .50 caliber projectile continuing far beyond the vaporized remains of the annoying chipmunk.”
“Yes, unfortunately I can see that,” Jerry continued. “You are very possessive over your rhubarb. Get on the internet and buy an air rifle!” he concluded.
And I listened. After spending a week on the internet and visiting many auction sites, I found and bought the meanest, baddest and most powerful monster air rifle on the planet — very gently used .22 cal. Webley Patriot. It came with almost a full tin of Beeman Crow Magnum pellets. Needless to say, within a few weeks I had the yard to myself again. I did not count how many chipmunks met their maker that year. Local laws clearly state that one cannot discharge FIREARMS within city limits. Airguns are in a totally different category.
The Webley Patriot spring rifle was a large, powerful airgun.
Then I got the idea to contact some gardeners and orchard owners around my farm and beyond. That Friday I took my Patriot out to my 65-acre farm. Groundhogs were destroying the lower fields and both banks of the Black River that meanders through the property. Erosion was catastrophic. The dam holding back my 8-acre lake was in jeopardy!
Later that fall, I was preparing the lower field for spring when the front end of my John Deere took a dive into a hole big enough to swallow its front wheel all the way to the axle. It took a pickup full of dirt to level it off. On the river, the critters were denuding the banks of vegetation, leaving nothing to stop erosion. The area where most of them lived was on the steep bank on the east side of the Black River. That bank is peppered with holes leading to their burrows. Some holes were frightening in size. I set up a camo pup tent under a large willow across the river from that bank. The distance from my hide to the furthest hole was 32 yards. I wanted to see if using the air rifle would be as successful as my AR-15 is at 337 yards.
Over the years, more and more houses have been built around my farm, and shooting long-range firearms became a problem. Instead of seeking confrontations with my new neighbors, I decided to mothball my guns. A lot of young families have moved into spec-built houses that are not far enough away for a Lapua round. Because of these conditions, my Dragunov and other toys have been silent for a long time. But I digress.
On the way to the farm, I stopped at a gift shop and bought a pack of 25 brown party balloons with, coincidentally, a bulls eye with a cupid’s arrow through it. Is that coincidence or is it karma? I inflated a dozen of them and set them up in the field at 30 yards about 5 inches off the ground. It was fun to zero my rifle with the balloons moving in the wind. After I was satisfied with the results, I went back to the pup tent. A 20-lb. bag of sand was set up as a rest. The prone position was very comfortable. The most I had to elevate the rifle was 5 inches, and I had a horizontal sweep of practically 7 ft. I switched my cell phone to vibrate and looked over the 22-ft. span of the river separating two banks. There was no wind, just a soft sound of the water caressing numerous rocks.
Then one of the chucks peered out of his hole. His nose was sniffing furiously. I reached for my rifle only to remember that it was not ready. It was not loaded and the pellets were not accessible. They were still in a closed tin! Without taking my eyes off the critter, I reached for the rifle. The rodent scooted back into his hole. I slowly cocked the rifle, then opened a tin and reached for a pellet. The critter reappeared at the hole a moment later, sniffed the air again then came all the way out and slowly sashayed to the river, a mere 10 feet away from his burrow. I inserted a pellet into the breech and started to close the barrel.
The rodent stopped at the water’s edge as I closed the breech. Click! I put him in my sights as he looked up to find the source of the noise; at that moment he joined leagues of woodchucks in woodchuck heaven. He dropped where he stood!
The noise from a Patriot air rifle in close quarters rivals a .22 rimfire. Sound ricocheted off the bank and came back to me very loudly. It had not sounded that loud in an open field. I thought that that was it, that it would scare the rest of them into hiding. But that was not the case. A second animal came out no more than a minute later. I waited for him to get to the water’s edge. When he did, I was ready. With my sights on his head, I whistled very softly. As soon as he picked up his head to investigate, a Crow Mag tore through his heart and into the bank behind him. He dropped motionless where he was. That scene was repeated 11 more times over the next four hours. Every groundhog was dispatched with a single shot. It was getting dark, and the drive home was an hour. I left my tent right where it was anchored.
Next morning, I returned. This time I also brought a 10/22 Ruger for the second shot, if necessary. As it turned out, though, it was never necessary. By this time, I was very impressed with the air rifle. I removed 20 rodents in two days. Some were quite large. When the story got around about an air rifle that could take down groundhogs, the nurseries I had contacted got interested and I saw an opportunity.
A week later, I called Webley & Scott. A soft, very British voice on the other end said, “Webley and Scott. May we help you?”
“Yes,” I said. “My name is Joshua Ungier. I own a company called Pyramyd AIR. I like your rifle very much and, perhaps, I could sell them for you in USA.”
“Let me switch you to our export manager,” the soft voice said.
“Thank you very much.”
“This is Tony Hall. How can I be of help to you, Joshua?” I heard a voice saying. It was a nice voice.
Mr. Ungier,
Your last biographic installment left us hanging for quite some time. It was well worth the wait since your storytelling is mesmerizing. “Infuriating groundhogs lead to a new level of success for Pyramyd Air” is the story that embraces the epitome of the USA entrepreneurial spirit that was embraced in this country and made it great. I really admire your way of thinking and mostly your intestinal fortitude that drives you to act upon these ideas. Thanks. Very inspirational.
kevin
Please forgive me.
This is so far off topic that it’s not even funny.
Rarely do I post such subjects but I found the 10 year incremental projections to the year 2300 so interesting and the subjective predictions to the year 10,000 AD so intriguing that I had to post this link:
http://www.futuretimeline.net/
kevin
Hmmm……..very interesting. “We are the Borg, lower your shields and surrender. We will add your biological and technological distinctiveness to our own. Resistance is futile!.”
Mike
B.B.
I wonder if Joshua ever imagined the amount of paperwork and the almighty Russian red-tape 🙂 That attempt was failed before it was made.
Right now I’m waiting for some CharlieDaTuna trigger blades – and I wait in fear. Last time I ordered them it was OK, 1 month or so, but now red-tape guys here had 2 years to improve their skills. And it’s bad news that Charlie stops using PayPal for out-of-US payments – partly because of US red-tape. I wonder how I’m going to sort out this situation, but I think I’ll manage somehow, like always.
duskwight
duskwight,
Oh, this doesn’t sound good. How long have you waited for the trigger?
B.B.
B.B.
I think there’s nothing to worry about. It took a month to deliver me my previous order and I’ve just ordered another 2 days ago, so it’s all within tolerance limits. I just wonder jokingly – what if those red-tape guys spent all this time training their art?
duskwight
Joshua,
Great to read further on your journey…….
Thanks a ton
Manish
Mumbai
India
Manish,
Good to hear from you again!
B.B.
Joshua
Thanks for another chapter in your journey.
twotalon
That was great as were the other instalment. Please do not wait for another year for the next one…
J-F
This is a very good post. I really enjoyed reading it. On a much smaller scale, it reminds me of when I started selling Chinese Air Guns from Compassco.
Mike
Joshua, thanks for that latest look inside PA beginnings. Maybe next, you can tell us how you got in touch with Tom Gaylord and the path you guys took to get where we are today?
Brian in Idaho
The more I see that Izzy rifle, the more I am growing fond of it’s strange profile and the good reviews about it’s barrel and accuracy.
Gotta go shuffle the plastic card deck and see if Aces come up.
Brian
Have you seen this?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RJdnWh_aM5w
Nice video, it made me finally fall off the truck and buy an izzy.
No denying it, its a fun little gun. At this moment I own, uh… lesssee….14….15…16.. lets say a bunch of airguns. I have sent more pellets downrange with the Izzy than any other rifle I own. Mine is not the most accurate, but it is addictive, being able to fire off 5 shots so quickly.
That being said, they do not appear to have the near-match rifle accuracy they used to be known for. If you read BBs later set of reviews you will see he tempers his prior enthusiasm for it. Paul Capello’s review gives me the same impression. On the other hand, some owners, like Matt61 seem to swear by the accuracy of the IZH. Is that where the ’61’comes from Matt? It seems to me the switch from metal to plastic for the receiver was the turning point. The design of the indexing clip isn’t precise enough when made out of plastic. Because of this, I would highly suggest that you get the single shot IZH60 pictured in Josh’s blog rather than the multishot 61. Or find an older, metal receiver model on the Yellow.
Happy shooting. Semper Fi.
Slinging Lead, thanks for the heads-up on models 60 and 61, I’ll look around for the “vintage Izzy” too.
Is there a mfg. year or cut off point that is the older design?
Semper Fi and full speed a’ starboard!
Brian
BB’s earlier review with the metal receiver is dated March, 2005.
The plastic receiver model was reviewed in September, 2007.
They always seem to specify what the receiver is made of on the ads I have seen on the Yellow.
Also, don’t miss Derrick’s http://anotherairgunblog.blogspot.com/2009/04/derricks-izh-61-tune-part-uno.html
and Nick’s http://anotherairgunblog.blogspot.com/2009/06/short-note-on-izh61.html
blogs on the IZH. I used Nick’s idea of marking the third hole to reduce dry fires. (Counting to 5 is tough in my old age!)
Brian,
When I first startd to get into airguns I did a PA blog testing of the accuracy of the IZH-61 clips, and I could not come up with any conclusive evidence to find any fault variation with any of the clips or holes. I had 8 clips from four different guns and tried to pin down if there was a problem with a particular clip or particular hole in a clip but nothing was consistent enough to find fault with individual clips. However, I didn’t prove it would shoot better without the clip. I don’t have a IZH-60 so I couldn’t do that comparison. But I agree with Matt61. I don’t see how the clip as an effect because the push rod seats it in the barrel and I don’t think it is any more destructive than if I pushed it in myself.
Here’s the blog article:
/blog/2008/12/izh-61-magazine-test/
Here’s my two-parter on sight options for the IZH-61:
/blog/2009/6/izh-61-sight-options-part-1/
/blog/2009/6/izh-61-sight-options-part-2/
-Chuck
Chuck,
A 2008 blog? After going to the link I now remember your report. You’re an oldtimer on the blog LOL!
kevin
Kevin,
Yeah, and I didn’t know much then and don’t know much more now. This hobby is way more involved than I could ever have imagined.
-Chuck
Just gettin back to the blog at 8pm MDT, so thanks Chuck and everyone else who has weighed in on the Izzy guns.
This is the true value of this blog, friends who love to offer opinons and help!
Brian in Idaho
Yes, indeed, that is the reason for my handle. I have to agree that much of the fun of the IZH 61 is the multi-shot capability, and I wouldn’t say that it’s accuracy equals that of a target rifle. It definitely is not at the same level as my B30. On the other hand, it is very good, and it delivers every time with the right technique. It’s just harder to keep the technique that precise, but I look upon that as a training benefit. I’m not exactly sure what keeps the accuracy from its original levels. The barrel is the same quality as before. Much has been said about the conversion to the plastic receiver. If that’s the case then a plastic receivered IZH 60 would have the same problem. I doubt that the clip effects much since a loading road pushes the pellet into the chamber as part of the cocking action, so clip flexing shouldn’t effect the mechanics of the shot. I wonder if the issue with the plastic receiver is weight or stiffness.
Anyway, between very high accuracy, reliability, and multi-shot capability, I think that this is still a unique and outstanding airgun and the one that I use most of all by far. And let’s not forget the looks. The British win the prize for the description here: “ass-end of a spaceship….”
Matt61
HA! I like BB’s description of, “dog ugly.” The 61 does remind me of an ugly dog. A bulldog. But they are cool despite/because of their ugliness. People don’t glance at it. They usually take a long hard look.
I think that the plastic clip allows just enough slop that the bolt can push it home when it is off center of the barrel, thereby damaging the head and or skirt in the process. At least in some guns. Perhaps manufacturing tolerances have something to do with it? Maybe the rifles with tighter receivers prevent the slop. It is for this reason that I think the IZH60 would be better, as you can see the pellet as it enters the barrel and make sure it is going in straight. Just an idea, not scientifically tested.
I would like to get a steel receiver version though. One day I clicked on to the Yellow classifieds to see that the administrator had posted and sold a steel receiver IZH61 with I think, the steel pellet clips, two springs, 4 seals, and the barrel cleaning rod. Oh, and it came with a Crosman 2100 to boot. They buyer beat me by a minute or two, and the ad was only up for 3 or 4 minutes before the buyer responded with ITI. Nowadays all you get with the 61 is the barrel cleaning rod, and users manual with info from the old rifle–just to rub salt in the wounds. Thankfully the lovely Edith has prepared a much improved users manual for the IZH60/61.
As for investing in the shooting industries, I think many investors have no idea what companies are in their mutual funds. Big oil. Big Tobacco. Big guns.
Slinging Lead
First thing to dump after bying – Izh cleaning rod. A true born-to-be rifling killer.
Pellet clips were made out of aluminum alloy.
duskwight
duskwight
You are very correct. I have never used my IZH cleaning rod, I did hold onto it so the rifle will be complete when I sell it.
Do you have a metal receiver version? Are they hard/expensive to get ahold of over there?
Slinging Lead
Of course I’ve got metal version. Everybody wants metal.
It is highly sought and costs here up to 4K rubles (28 rubles = $1; in like new condition, but condition never makes a well-working rifle to fall more than 1K). New plastic version costs 1.9-2K.
My Izh-60 has re-crowned, re-breached, free-floating barrel, is equipped with gas spring, zero dead volume piston seal, piston cushion, improved sears, improved cocking lever, modded trigger blade and 2-ring sealing improved aerodynamics rammer bolt.
So it is smooth and precise, I call it a “girl gun” ’cause I give it to girls when I take them to the range. Grip is too small even for my small hand, but fits girls just fine. I think to add some custom target-style walnut stock and maybe some color-hardened parts to give it a posh yet gunlike look. And I think I’m not selling it for a while 😉
duskwight
duskwight
At the risk of appearing feminine, I would LOVE to shoot your IZH! 😉
Things that make you go “Hmmm”
Forgot to mention the IZH61/Crosman 2100 bundle was for $90 shipped.
Matt,
Stiffness, mostly stiffness. Barrel and rifle itself wobbles more with plastic. I wonder if someone could shoot the Izh’s shot using high-speed cam to compare.
And, of course, lowered quality standards.
duskwight
Excellent series. I especially enjoyed the first part about growing up in Russia. I apologize if this has been asked already, but a search showed nothing. When does PA expect to get the Predator polymags in .25?
Wayne
wayne2000w,
I just heard back from Pyramyd Air’s purchasing agent about these. They hope to have the .25 cal. Predator Polymags by mid-April. They’ll be 26 grains apiece and have 150 pellets per tin.
Edith
Edith,
The first sentance of the blog calls this part 4, but the title is part 5 . . . .
I do love the story!
Alan in MI
Alan in MI,
Fixed. Thanks!
Edith
Nice story. Others have said this but I agree that you need to write books. You have what it takes to keep a readers interest.
I have one of the original crates that IZH 60s were shipped in to Big Bear (I think that’s right??) from Russia. I think the guy that owned Big Bear was Russian.
David Enoch
Joshua,
Thanks for yet another interesting part of your story. Please don’t wait so long between writing.
ka
I love this! The IZH 61 tied up with the founding of PA. Any news on whether PA is directly importing this rifle? That was in the works awhile ago.
I do believe that there is quite the market for pest elimination without firearms. I knew an old lady who positively hated the rabbits that invaded her garden. For awhile she spread red pepper all around; never heard how that worked. She would also wait at a window and chuck rocks at them.
On the subject of economics, I have come up with some questions. There is a great deal of intelligence and energy in the commerce of individual guns and collectible items. But what about the large business economies that Josh describes? Some features jump out at you. The demand for ammunition and guns is enormous with no end in sight for reasons not fully understood. Nevertheless, a large segment of the population for ignorance, political reasons, or something else, is not disposed to invest in the shooting industries. On the other hand, even gun aficionados seem not to think in those terms either. It is common at ranges to see people with extraordinary hardware–$3000 Grandmaster 1911s, SCAR rifles with Trijicon ACOG sights, $4000 high caliber tactical rifles–yet in watching and listening to them, one does not get the impression that they are working the stock market…. So, the question is whether anyone has words of wisdom on investing in the shooting industries.
Matt61
Matt61, so you are saying that the “boys” don’t exactly match their “toys”…economically speaking of course. Probably drove to the range in a $80k, lifted SUV 4×4 with $6k of wheels and tires on it too? Man, credit cards, the miracle plastic!
As far as investment into the shooting sports industries, I think it is a solid one. I bought Ruger years ago at approx $9 and it’s at $20 and change again today.
For financier/investors, I think the liability issues may keep them away from start-ups and other direct investment (capital) into these companies. Not sure.
Unless Chairman Obama does something drastic, the industry has less capacity than demand for the good stuff, and looks to stay that way. Always a good sign for investors, large or small.
Matt61,
PA has been importing all the IZH airguns for several years now.
B.B.
Matt61,
I’ve made that same observation. It’s not uncommon for shooters to buy outside of their means. Not very different from car buying habits. In southern CA, if you drive through some poor parts of town you’ll see lots of Cadillacs. Drive around other poor parts of town, and you’ll see lots of BMW’s. In fact, it’s not very different from people with other hobbles, including golf. I don’t think it’s such a bad thing, if it’s what really brings joy in your life. There are lots of ways of blowing money and not getting anything from it. To each his own, really. The question with shooting is, can you really afford to support that expensive gun with ammo and other necessities?
Victor
Victor
You can if it’s an airgun!
Slinging Lead,
Absolutely! Not only are airguns affordable, but also make shooting much more accessible. Most of us own our own airgun range!
Victor
Slinging Lead,
One pattern that I often see at the range is high power rifle shooters not shooting for very long. As Elmer Fudd might say, “I’m owuv boowits”. lol After shooting a few hundred .22 rounds, I switch over to my air guns. Thus far I’ve done all of my shooting at 50 yards. I love it!
Victor
Victor
50 yards? Color me green with envy. I can stretch my legs that far every once so often, but I have to be very careful. What magnification scope do you use for such distances? Please don’t say “open sights.”
Slinging Lead,
On my Gamo Hunter Extreme, I use 9x, and on my Titan GP it’s 16x (no open sights). Both are .22 caliber. With 9x you can still see the pellet, it’s just harder to see. If there was a way to install target aperture sights, that would be my first choice, but no such luck. With both, I was able to hit a 7″ frying pan at 100 yards pretty consistently, but that was out in the open desert. I haven’t tried 100 yard shooting at the range yet. I like the effect of hitting the pan because you can see it move.
If I had the equipment and wood working skill, I’d build stocks for all my air rifles that are similar to the Bell & Carlson Odyssey stock (i.e., with a pistol grip for better trigger control, and an Anschutz accessory rail). The weak link in most of these air rifles is the stock. Target air-rifles and some Field Target rifles have the right idea. Some would say that I should just stick to target rifles then, but I wouldn’t agree. The right stock, accessory rail, and open target aperture sights, are in my opinion, the best way to extract the full potential of any rifle. Just my opinion, of course.
Victor
Matt61
You know – there’s a proverb “Drunkard always finds money for another bottle” 🙂 If you are ill with your hobby, you’ll find means to pay for it.
duskwight
duskwight,
I’d prefer to use the word, infection (or infectious), over illness. There’s nothing wrong with us.
Victor
“There’s nothing wrong with us…”
That a new airgun can’t cure!
Everyone who is ‘ill with your hobby’, raise your hands.
OOoo, oooo, me me! (both hands)
Simon says “Everyone who is ‘ill with your hobby’, raise your hands”
I’m certainly infected.
Victor
Joshua,
Thank you so much for bring us you story. It seems like you were on the journey to Pyramyd AIR a long time before you realized where you were heading. I’m glad you finally had that epiphany.
Lloyd
Josh,
Thanks for another riveting chapter in the history of PA. Can’t wait for the next one!
B.B. / Edith,
I heard back from the Evanix rep, Siyoung Lee, who was out of his country for a while. I requested only a hammer spring from him, and believe it or not, he sent me two replacement springs, completely free of charge! Talk about great customer service. I don’t even want to imagine what the cost of shipping was from Korea. His only request was that I keep using Evanix guns. LOL.
Here are a few video links teasers he sent me on his last email that show the semi-auto and full-auto Evanix actions that are going into production as early as the end of April. Any chance PA/Air Venturi will import these?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TpZeMYEpi8o&feature=BF&list=ULGzE2HfdG4Hk&index=4
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5Br9Lyc0_6k&feature=BF&list=ULGzE2HfdG4Hk&index=3
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BAKHQWc1E3A&feature=BF&list=ULGzE2HfdG4Hk&index=2
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zxu1632zG8c&feature=BF&list=ULGzE2HfdG4Hk&index=1
– Orin
Orin,
Since Pyramyd AIR is the U.S. distributor for Evanix, there is a good chance these guns will be available. I was already aware of them, but thanks for the links.
B.B.
Mr. Ungier
Wait just a danged minute here… BROWN party balloons? I can confidently state I have never seen BROWN party balloons in my entire life. Brown valentine’s balloons? That’s a real coup. I’m not doubting your story, I’m just a bit…overwhelmed. That’s some crazy gift shop.
Thanks for the great tale. BTW if you need someone to drive your tractor up and down your 65 acres, I know a guy…
Way off topic –
I had left a note for Pete Z the other day regarding the nuke reactors in Japan and why they’re still throwing off heat. I assume Pete didn’t see that or is just too busy right now to get back to me. I just got off the phone with an industry associate who served in the nuclear (or nucular for you Texans) Navy. He said first that it takes a while for the rods to cool down, second, the reaction doesn’t completely stop. I believe he referred to it as “decay heat” or 7% of full operation which is the reason the rods still need cooling even if the reaction is damped way down.
He further said that the newspapers don’t know what they’re talking about and making things way more intense than the situation is. He stated as long as the pressure containment vessel is intact, the situation is not dire. Also, flooding with seawater has always been an option for emergency cooling but it’s your last option as the reactor is done when that option is selected. There are emergency procedures for doing this in the Navy.
He added that we had foreseen (the US Atomic Industry) this type of situation back on September 11th – a nuke losing power to run valves and pumps for cooling – a black plant – and new designs allow the water to circulate on its own without any power. I guess it uses the Stirling engine principal. I’m not trying to downplay the situation in Japan. Just trying to bring some more facts to the table from someone who’s knowledgeable on the subject. Thought you would all appreciate this.
Fred PRoNJ
All good points Fred, and yes, the “papers” and the media in general are clueless on this topic…re CNN the other night, and that sterling pillar of ethics, Elliot Spitzer (re-tread) interviewing a retired Admiral USN and nuke physicist. Spitzer finally gives up when he cannot cajole the Admiral into the crap he wants to sensationalize for TV ratings. What a jerk.
ES so tell us again Admiral why there should be no meltdown as we Americans know it?
USN I don’t know what you mean about “we Americans”, the laws of thermonuclear reactions are universal
ES well, what I mean is, we are all aware of the so-called “China Syndrome”, when and how can this happen in Japan and what does it mean for our own (US) reactors?
USN that is pure Hollywood tripe, there has never been a melting-down of reactor components/ fuel rods that even comes close to the fantasy portrayed in that movie, not even at Chernobyl
ES still… aren’t we headed for irreversible disaster at the Japanese power plant?
USN No! and I understand that you would like me to equate the actual science involved here into a more blood and guts story, but there is no such story to tell. As a last resort, the Japanese and US Navy has the capability to flood those reactors with sea water at the rate of over 35,000 gallons per minute if the need arises.
ES Admiral, thank you so much for your time this evening…
PZ hasn’t been watching this blog too closely. I’m on deadline for a report commissioned in January about the national consequences for the electric power grid of a great earthquake in the New Madrid Seismic Zone (near Memphis; the largest quakes ever recorded in North America were at New Madrid, MO in 1815-1816 and seem to have been roughly the size of the Sendai Quake of 2011), and specifically the effects on the nuclear reactors in the area.
This is all just coincidence.
However, it’s my second pass at the cooling pond question. The first was for the US National Academy of Science in 2004-2007. We actually found a way to design a cooling pond so that it could not ignite even with full loss of coolant. The only link I found to the appropriate section was on an anti-nuke website, which is really crazy. http://www.energyjustice.net/files/nuclear/security/nasrptsfp5.pdf But here it is if you want to read it.
The problem now isn’t getting the water pumped — it’s figuring out how to get the hoses into the cooling pond and securing them, when the spent fuel rods are exposed and radiating. I won’t go the way Spitzer might have tried to get his interviewee to go, but it really is a very bad situation. Tokyo Power has not had a good record with the safety of its nuclear plants.
Unfortunately, it does seem that one of the containment vessels has cracked.
Fred,
No, the passive safety does not exploit a Stirling engine. It’s totally passive.
pete
Thank you, Pete. I appreciate your input. I didn’t mean to imply that a Stirling engine was being used, just that the heat differentials between heated and cooled water, were utilized to move the water through the reactor, similar to a Stirling engine but I was only guessing here.
Fred PRoNJ
I read in today’s paper that the Japanese have given up on trying to stop one of the reactors and are going to let it go ahead and melt down. I don’t know what that means but it sounds bad. They gave up because there is too much radiation and they can’t get to it to do anything. Anyone else hear that?
-Chuck
Pete Z thanks for weighing in on the reactor topics. Yes, TEPCO has a spotty record on their PR and fact finding. I worked for Mitsubishi Industrial (huge) for many years and even they were tough to deal with as employers. As I told Fred in earlier posts, when we had issues at one of the large chem plants in Japan (Toyohasi being one of them) the co. spokesman would make statements such as; “The problem is very severe but, we are taking the most extreme measures to counteract consequences”. End of statement! Part of this is the English/JP translation, it is not linear! But, the greater problem is their cultural inhibitions and fear of failure on a personal and corporate level.
Bottom line, depite the technical complexities at these reactors, their PR and info stream is horrible.
Very good comments on the situation with the Japan reactors. It’s nice to hear from someone that knows what they are talking about. Thanks.
Mike
I blew off more than half of the air in my Condor tank today. Got some air back in so far. I still have 30 bar to go. Thats 20 strokes to pressurize the hose and adapter again, and another twenty for each 10 bar.
I am going to sleep good tonight.
twotalon
TT I’m assuming that was a good thing? ie you shot outdoors and the Condor was working well?
I shot that much because things did not go well.
Scope problems again. Went back to the 18″ barrel and adjustable rings after attempting to sight in the 24″ barrel. The centerpoint which adjusts OK in warmer weather goes nuts when it gets cold. Decided that I don’t want that much barrel. Tried it before in stock Talon configuration and it was super accurate, but the length kept getting in the way.
I need to get 2 or 3 more scopes (different kinds) , a couple more adjustable mounts, and a set of risers. The risers are so I can install a set of rings on something and get enough clearance to completely roll the scope when centering it up. That will be their only purpose.
twotalon
Ok Brian…
Got it in the groove now.
Problem….scope adjusts well and holds zero in warm weather. Cool or cold weather the scope does not adjust right and does not hold zero or groups.
Cause….scope run to far out of limits. Works when warm, but gets flaky when cold.
With AF rifles you start right out with about 3″ that you have to make up for because of scope height. Then you add in trajectory and any necessary adjustment for the way the barrel is pointing. It can be too much for the scope.
twotalon