by Tom Gaylord
Writing as B.B. Pelletier
Hatsan Bullmaster semiautomatic bullpup PCP.
This report covers:
- The test
- H&N Baracuda
- Trigger
- Field Target Trophy
- H&N Sniper Light
- JSB Exact Jumbo Heavy
- Bug Buster performance
- Summary
Happy Thanksgiving to my U.S. readers! I hope all of you have lots to be thankful for!
Today we complete the first accuracy test of the Hatsan Bullmaster. Let’s get right to it.
The test
I told you how I sighted in in Part 3. Today I set up at 25 yards and started shooting with the H&N Baracuda pellets that were used to sight in. The first round landed on paper, and 3 rounds later I was sighted in. I normally don’t like to hit the center of the bull because it destroys the aim point, but the reticle in the UTG 3-12X32 AO Bug Buster scope is so clear and sharp that I could guesstimate exactly where the center of the bull was.
I shot off a sandbag rest. And you need to know one other thing. We learned in Part 2 that the BullMaster has a lot of shots on a fill, so I shot this whole test on one fill. Couple that with the semiautomatic action and you have a fast-firing and accurate rifle, as you will soon learn.
H&N Baracuda
Hatsan sent the BullMaster and the Sortie pistol with three different H&N pellets. I figured they might be the best in the gun, so I tried all three. The Baracudas were best in the Sortie, so it was no surprise to see them do well in the rifle. Ten grouped in 0.702-inches at 25 yards, but as the picture shows, 9 of them are in 0.42-inches between centers. That qualifies as a screamer. The dime will give you the proportions very accurately.
Ten H&N Baracudas are in 0.702-inches, with 9 in 0.42-inches. Yes, that includes the hole to the right of the main group.
Trigger
What a start! I figured it was all smooth sailing fpr the rest of this test. I will comment that the trigger feels too heavy, now that I’m concentrating on the target. But not one time in this test did the trigger pull me off target. I would just like it to break at half the weight.
Field Target Trophy
Next up were 10 H&N Field Target Trophys with a 5.53mm head. These have never done well in any of my tests, but the BullMaster seems to like them. Ten went into 0.758-inches at 25 yards. They will get tested at 50 yards, too.
Ten Field Target Trophy pellets went into 0.758-inches at 25 yards.
H&N Sniper Light
The only pellet sent by Hatsan that made no sense to me was the H&N Sniper Light with a 5.50mm head. They didn’t group well in the Sortie and they didn’t group well in the BullMaster. Maybe Hatsan has a relationship with H&N that compels them to use their pellets, but this is not one I would chose for this rifle. Ten went into a scattered 0.997-inch group at 25 yards.
Ten Sniper Light pellets went into an open 0.997-inch group at 25 yards.
JSB Exact Jumbo Heavy
The beauty of being independent is I can test an airgun with anything I want. Looking at the BullMaster’s power my first choice for a pellet is the JSB Exact Jumbo Heavy. At 18.13 grains it seems ideal for the power the BullMaster offers, plus it has a reputation for being one of the most accurate of all .22 caliber pellets. Ten of them went into a group that measures 0.536-inches between centers. Not only is this the tightest group of the test, it is also the roundest, telling us of the consistency of this pellet in the BullMaster.
Ten JSB Exact Jumbo Heavy pellets went into a very round group at 25 yards that measures 0.536-inches between centers.
Bug Buster performance
I have to say that the Bug Buster 3-12 scope did its job in this test. The image is not as clear as I would like, but at 25 yards I can see the concentric circles of the bullseye good enough. And the reticle that I said was about medium I will now say is thicker than I told you. It made aiming easy. It’s a great scope for this bullpup and for hunters — saving lots of weight and size, while delivering good performance. But it’s probably not the scope for shooting small groups at long distances.
Summary
I now have three pellets to test at 50 yards. And I will continue to test the Bug Buster scope, as well. This is turning into a very pleasant and fun test!
B.B.,
I’m glad to see this performing well enough at 25 yards. Is there no way to adjust the trigger?
Siraniko
Siraniko,
I didn’t get a manual with the rifle, but I looked at the one online (PA_) and I can see no way to adjust the trigger.
B.B.
being you cant get an ounce trigger pull gun is garbage, throw it out lol. the trigger fanatics really get me. look how you shot at 25 yds with the “bad” trigger. with patience and practice any stock trigger can be mastered and you just started with the rifle. really like to see you go to 75 yds if you have the time
Mildot52
You know I have used trigger pressure to help tune my hold technique.
Sometimes more trigger pressure is a good thing.
Remember when you suggested the trigger stop on my pistol.
getting a good trigger on a bullpup with the linkage is not easy
Mildot52
Yep that’s what they say.
Mildot52,
I can’t do 75 yards very easily, but if 50 yards shows real promise I can do 100 yards.
B.B.
B.B.,
That would be real treat, but I would not holdout much hope for a .22 with a bullpup barrel. The biggest reason in my mind being the lack of retained energy (fpe at target) and the increasing instability in the projectile as the fps/fpe decreases. But,.. by all means do, if you feel it is worthy of a 100 yard test.
Chris
Chris
Have you talked to Buldawg lately. He has a bullpup now. For a while actually. It’s not this paticular one but it is a .22 and it does shoot good out at a 100 yards.
And crazy as it may be. My 10 meter FWB 300 target gun I modified is actually pretty accurate out at 100 yards. I can hit a 12 oz. beverage can out at a hundred just as well as I can with my .22 Maximus.
Now take my .177 QB79 and HW30s and it’s a different story. It’s tuff to hit at a hundred yards with them.
Now here is something to make you think more. All 3 of the .177 guns are shooting JSB 10.34’s at around 690-725 fps. But the FWB300 will out perform the QB and HW at all distances. Why do you think that is.
If the trigger were to be adjusted it could disable the Semi auto function, the sear is holding back a lot of hammer spring tension. Also in order to make a semi auto PCP function properly timeing is very important, if you have ever been trained on an M2 then you would know what I mean.
Airgun Scout,
Welcome to the blog. By M2 I assume you refer to the .50 caliber machine gun and not the Carbine? Headspace and timing are essential to the safe and continued operation of the M2. A buddy’s M2 wasn’t headspaced properly and he blew the top cover apart when a cartridge exploded outside the chamber.
B.B.
Thank you for the reply. And yes I am refering to the Ma Duce .50 cal. Naturally the results would not be as catastrophic as a cartridge exploding out of the chamber but there is some similar functions.
Airgun Scout
I had a couple FX semi-auto Monsoons.
Adjusting the trigger on them is a bad idea. You will get everything from mis fires to complete leak down of the air resivoir out the barrel.
Sometimes leaving well enough alone is better.
Airgun Scout.
Also haven’t had the privilege of shooting a .50 caliber. But sure would like to.
Happy Thanksgiving to Everyone in the United States!
First
Happy Thanks giving all. Don’t eat to much. 🙂
And next. Ok so far from today’s test I don’t think I’m concerned about everybody’s comments about how ugly this gun is. 🙂
And if it does well at 50 yards I’ll act like I never heard a word about ugly.
Then if it could shoot out to a hundred. Well that’s another story. But darn it should be good for something out at a hundred. And if someone wants to send me one I would most happily obliged to try. 🙂
B.B.,
Nice shooting. I shoot left, so this one is out for me regardless of how well it shoots. Looking forwards to the 50 yard testing. The 50’s are always the treat.
Happy Turkey Day to you and to all,…. where applicable 😉
Chris
Remember taking your pistol apart and all the parts and peices. Don’t know if you seen it on yesterday’s part 3 blog of this bullpup. But I took the Wild Fire apart and put the PCP tube back in since I now got me a PCP compressor again.
But I took pictures and posted them at the end of yesterday’s comments. Figured I would do the pictures so people could see how easy they are to work on.
Got to go though. Got to get back to the food cook’n. 🙂
GF1,
I did see. People should work on stuff more. A little homework goes a long ways. Much can be learned, most often improved upon, not to mention the self satisfaction aspect.
It does help to have at least some semblance of mechanical aptitude. Not much,.. but some. Most things are pretty darn easy. Plus, you have all of the You Tube stuff of people doing it already.
Good point (for me), Chris USA. I’m working on my own guns little by little. I mentioned before in this blog how I heavy-handedly broke my plastic FWB 127 trigger while trying to replace the spring and piston seal. Believe me, I did a lot of reading and observing videos to get back on track with this and after it all, it seemed pretty easy. The hardest part I had was recovering the bump at the second stage for the trigger. It amazes me that hardly anyone ever mentions that. I finally got the new metal trigger set so that it hit that tangible “click” at the second stage and then released with a few more ounces of pressure. Those German engineers really came up with an amazing trigger with some few moving parts.
Happy Thanksgiving to All!
Larry in Algona
LarryMo
Good to hear from ya. You been keeping up with the blog or you just stopping in today. Lot of good discussion and mods going on that you missed if you haven’t been.
Gunfun1 – I’m like the fly on the wall. I read the blog daily and have been in much admiration of all the mods you guys are capable of – I never had to work much with my hands so I’m pretty inept.
The other thing is that I’ve noticed that the vast majority of you guys have gone over to the dark side so that leaves me with darn little to say. I’m too dumb to do any more than stick with the springers. (And, too tight to throw all that money into PCPs – 🙂 )
Larry in Algona
Larry
Ok glad you do read. It’s like people pop in than you don’t here from them and it makes me wonder.
And springers are cool. I definitely had my share. And I absolutely love my little HW30s. And even open sight’s with it.
And as far as messing with getting inside them. I bet you would surprise yourself if you was to give it a go. Some are a pain. But others are not to bad. The Tx 200 Mrklll is a very nice gun to learn on as to taking a springer apart.
And yes I know what you mean about pcp’s. But I got a heck of a HPA compressor for 300 bucks shipped. And it’s lightning fast filling a gun. Anyway there is cheap ways to get into pcp’s. Just got to do some looking.
Larry,
Yes, it does get easier. The best you can do is to get as informed as possible going in. Then, take your time. Be in the right frame of mind. I had my TX200 down 3 days the first time and studied every part. I could do it in a rushed half hour now. PCP’s are cool and so much easier to shoot well. The entry level is becoming cheaper and cheaper too. I am thrilled with my Maximus,…and that is approaching the bottom of the barrel. Gunfun got that $300 pump. It can be done. Darkside?,…Mmmm?,… I used to call it the same. Now it is more like the light side. Keep plugging forward! 🙂
Chris
I just did a search and don’t see where anyone has removed those 4 parts from their 1077 or Wild Fire that I listed yesterday.
So maybe I’m the first on this one. 😉
GF1,
Once again,… breaking new ground! 🙂
Chris
Maybe not. I didn’t search real hard. 😉
But I’ll take credit for it now. For a bit anyway till someone finds it out there. Then all the glory will be gone. 🙂
GF1,
It must be really tuff trying to stay ahead of the pack? Always someone trying to take you out,… that is if you don’t do it yourself first! 😉 and a 🙂
Chris
I been doomed for a long time.
There’s just too many smart people out there now days.
But darn I’m sure trying though. 🙂
BB,
This Bug Buster sounds like a good woods hunting scope like the rest of the Bug Buster line. I really would like to see these also offered with etched glass reticles. A light, compact scope suitable for longer ranges would be nice.
May everyone have a Blessed Thanksgiving.
BB,
Really good groups. That first group with the H&N Baracudas looks especially good – the one flyer looks like an anomaly.
Dennis
Happy Thanksgiving for this most recent in a series of good airguns and everything else. I am not displeased to see the Star Wars looking gun do well. I consider it in the fine tradition of the IZH 61 which one reviewer described as the rear end of a spaceship.
Gunfun1, thanks for your thoughts on my 1077. I’m convinced that your solution might be right, but you badly overestimate my capabilities in fixing guns. Besides, I recycled the gun for someone who might have more ingenuity than me. It is all I can do to prepare for the next round of testing of my M1 Garand gas settings which will be done during this all-American holiday. I’ll be buttressed with my newly arrived WWII paratrooper uniform which looks really cool. It even has long straps hanging down from inside the legs to tie around the enormous cargo pockets to secure all the hand grenades and tnt blocks that one might put in there… Now a question for those who were in the military. I bought blousing bands for what the sales description called a “professional appearance,” and I see that is how the trousers were kept so neatly tucked into the boots which I had wondered about as a kid. I figured out how they work too, but the question is whether they were just for parades or for combat as well? True, the design is very simple, but it’s hard to see it holding up battle.
BIL, yes, tigers busting loose would be a direct analogy with Jurassic Park where the dinosaurs prove too fast and smart for the restraints that were made for them. By way of response, I will adopt the pose of one of the geneticists in the Jurassic Park project who was confronted by the chaos theory mathematician and replied, “We’ve thought of all this, we’re not idiots.” Actually they were. 🙂 But anyway, here is the plan. Industry research has shown that portable and secure fencing can be made to secure tigers. This has already been done by an organization called Big Cat Rescue which can create vast fenced structures on the fly to move their animals around. But like any good military plan, mine has defense in depth. To supplement the fencing, the tigers will all be fitted with tracking collars. Should they escape, they will instantly be run down by the same type of helicopters used to hunt pigs, and they will be tranquilized using 100% reliable air rifles from PA.
Legal advocacy for the pigs is something that had not occurred to me, I have to admit. But it can be handled within the basic structure of my plan and mission. I would assemble a coalition consisting of tiger conservationists, farmers trying to protect themselves from the pigs, and hunters who worry that if tigers are prohibited, the machine guns used to hunt pigs might be next, and I expect that I would carry the day.
Matt61
Matt61
Basically I was changing the air tubes and figured it would be a good time to show what I eliminated in the gun. Plus I was shooting my Wild Fire a while back and the plastic in the receiver broke and that pin, flap and spring got lodged in between the valve and hammer. Trigger would not budge. So that made me think of what you described with your 1077.
Took those peices out which are items 3, 4, and 5 on the Crosman diagram. And also item 25 which is a little bushing. Removing the bushing picked up the guns velocity.
And don’t underestimate yourself. You never know till you try. And plus you always got the blog to ask questions if you get in a jam you know. 🙂
Matt61,
Well,.. there you go. Just remove parts 1,2,3 and 4 and “poof!”,.. better than ever. Uh,.. wait,.. that was 3,4,5 and,.. 25,.. the little bushing. For the price of a 1077, you can well afford the experience.
I see you are still hard at solving the feral pig dilemma. 😉 Keep at it! Your mind works in amazing ways,.. good ways that is. 🙂
Chris
Matt61, about your blousing bands.
I remember when I was in bootcamp (USMC) and the D.I. told us we were allowed to blouse our boots and unbutton the top button of our utility shirt. Man, the angels were singing in heaven! After that, and for the rest of my service, whenever the uniform of the day was utilities, we turned out with polished boots, starched utilities, bloused trousers and starched cover, even if we were scheduled for a forced march. As for combat, I was in Thailand in a support capacity but even in Nam if you were airwing you had bloused trousers. I can’t speak for the grunts but if I was in the field I would have count on the bands to help keep leeches from going up my trouser legs.
Larry in Algona
Chris USA and Gunfun1,
Thanks for your responses. I know I can always count on you guys if I have a question about anything that would apply here.
I had a good reason for referring to PCPs as “the dark side” because “the dark side” actually refers to my inner demons. I could afford the costs but knowing myself, I just can’t afford another distraction.
I’ve been retired for a couple of years now and I still can’t figure out how to do everything I want to do – there’s just not enough hours in the day. With all the work I’ve been doing on my springers I’ve really been neglecting all the other things that I should be doing and working on. I’ve been trying to catch up with books I should have read many, many years ago like Steinbeck’s East of Eden – after a week, I finally made it to chapter three. I’ve gotten nowhere with learning Spanish and made no advancements with my ukulele. My Harley is languishing in the driveway.
The JAWHORSE that was my makeshift spring compressor is now doing great service as a bench rest device so I was able to stretch my 10’ across the living room indoor range to my present 16 yd living room to bedroom range. (Shooting outside in the yard is definitely not recommended.) My FWB 127 is back in shootable condition and sighted in, and I’m working out the best pellets for my Walther Terrus and Melick tuned XS25. The Browning Leverage seems to shoot just about everything. I got my Beeman SR1 back in shootable condition when I discovered that the safety was somehow making the sear slip – and, I never liked automatic safeties anyway.
Well, enough rambling. I’ll keep watching what you guys are up to – we’re all in this together.
Larry in Algona
Larry,
Thank you for the heads up of not getting it all done. I am 10+ years from the “life of leisure”,.. and still find things slipping. I think that is called being a Renaissance man,… having a wide variety of interest in which you passionately pursue. Yup,….that sounds good,…. I would use that as an excuse! Just sayin’,… if it were me.
🙂 Chris
LarryMo
Things you want to do and things you need to do will always be there.
I say do the ones that are fun. The others will always be there. Seems like there is never enough time to do what is there.
Staying happy is the important thing.
Have to agree with you there, GF. That’s pretty much what I’ve been doing anyway.
LMo
Well, since I just mentioned it again, I might as well present a question I’ve had since reading thru this blog from the ’05 entries. Am I the only one that really gets off on those old FWB 124/127 triggers? I’ve got guns now that have pretty good triggers including a really decent copy of T05 on the XS25, Walther’s pretty good trigger on the Terrus, a quattro trigger on a Hatsan 95 Vortex to name a few.
First a little background: I am looking for a hunting trigger most of all. That means a few ounces for target shooting is off the table. I’ve had too many winters freezing my hands to the point of frost bite and suspect I’ve damaged some nerves. Also, I never learned how to shoot until I got in the Corps and cut my teeth on an M-14. I mentioned before we were taught BRASS – breathe, relax, aim, slack, and squeeze. To this day, I’m not absolutely sure what you guys are talking about when you mention two-stage triggers. Is the first stage the “slack” that I’m familiar with? And, since I don’t recall any gun I have not having that first stage, what would a single stage trigger be like?
OK, that being said, I know a lot of you guys have had and fired the older FWB 124/127s. Is there any other trigger on the market that has the feel of that “click” separating the first and second stages?
Larry in Algona
Larry,
I can not help you with the “click” explanation. Most triggers just hit a stop, (the second stage), in which additional pull will fire the gun. I do believe that stop point is also called the let off. The slack that you take up is the first stage. That first stage is also advancing the internal trigger mech. and getting it to hold/stop at the second stage. 90% of the work is done at that point, if not more.
That said, I think that an ideal example of a single stage trigger would be like what is found on a Red Ryder bb gun or even my 499 bb gun. That is just constant pressure and you keep pulling until the shot goes off.
There is also single (action) and double (action) gun actions, not to be confused with single (stage) and two (stage) triggers. The (action) always confuses me, but in one, the single I think, the trigger would advance a cylinder and also cock a hammer like on a revolver. The other, being the double action, would be like a semi auto in which the next round has already been chambered and the hammer is also cocked, like on a blow back design.
I hope some of that helps. I think I have most of that right. It can be confusing. Heck, I confused my self writing it! 😉
Larry,
A quick search right here pulled this up. I did not read it, but the from the first few words, it sounds like it covers everything that I just wrote about. I wonder how bad I screwed it up? 🙁
/blog/2012/11/trigger-happy-part-2/
Larry,
Me, again,… I did read it, and some more. As you read it and other articles, you will find these terms:
Single Action Trigger
Double Action Trigger
Single Stage Trigger
Two Stage Trigger
Trigger Creep
Trigger Take-Up (1st stage)
Single Shot
Repeater
Semi-Auto
Full Auto
Oh yea,…. and more!
Have fun! Is it any wonder that people can get confused? 😉 I made some notes as I will surely forget all or most this in a month or so. Heck,.. who am I kidding? It will be next week! 🙁 Ok, maybe not that bad, but it is quite a bit to get your head wrapped around and retain.
B.B.
This blog is one of the very few things that I have to be thankful for this Thanksgiving.
So, Mr. Pelletier Thank you.
-Yogi
Chris USA,
Thanks for your response. You really hit the overload button while attempting to answer my question. (Just joshing you! I DO appreciate your efforts as it shows you are kind, caring and willing to instruct.)
I should let you know that going into my 70th year, while not an expert I’m not such a novice either so the fault is mine. True, I never had the upbringing that included guns, but once in the Corps I took to it quite readily, qualifying as Expert in both rifle and pistol during my 10 yr tenure. I have no problem identifying trigger actions and even have a triple action Daewoo 40 S&W. For forty years I never had a problem with trigger pull unless it was just extremely heavy. I just adapted to whatever it was I was shooting at the time and since I was never a target shooter, it never mattered.
It wasn’t until I got to reading a variety of blogs that I realized there is a great obsession with triggers in the airgun world. Since I wanted to join that world I re-examined my position on triggers and took stock of all the triggers available to me.
Narrowing it down to my top three (four, if I included my Hatsan quattro) I would say my Mike Melick tuned XS25 has a very good trigger (Chinese copy of T05), my Walther Terrus and of course, my FWB 127 (and the 124 my brother is hanging onto). The XS25 and Terrus triggers both hit that wall you referred to and release cleanly- easy to shoot. My FWBs on the other hand don’t just hit that wall but also have a very tangible click that signals you are in the second stage. I thought of comparing it to the double set trigger I have on a black powder flintlock – you pull the rear trigger until it “sets” with a click then move your finger to the front trigger for a very light and crisp release. This trigger acts the same way but of course one would have to refer to it as a single set trigger.
I just shot a few pellets to also confirm that the trigger resets itself if you pull off of the “click” stage. In other words the trigger returns back to the first station and you would pull thru the first stage again for another click. Of course, if you’re into safeties you would have to manually reset the safety at that point should it be needed. Once you are riding that bump where it clicks, there’s no discernible movement, just a few more ounces to fire.
Two things amaze me about all this. First, how the German engineers were able to come up with this in such a simple design (I had the trigger apart. There’s not much to it. No weight pull adjust except for changing out the springs.) and second, no one ever talks about these triggers except to mention how inferior they are to the Rekord or T06.
I know first hand how difficult it is to achieve the let-off I described here since it took me several days of trial-and-error tweaking and there’s only ONE screw to adjust.
My question was, since I haven’t had the opportunity to try every trigger on the market, is anyone familiar with another trigger that offers that single set feel. Also, I guess I was hoping for the subjective reinforcement from anyone with any prior experience with their FWB 124/127s.
Larry in Algona
Larry,
Thank you for the kind words. I just try to pass along what I have learned, (or THINK that I have learned),…. 🙁 You sound far ahead of me on trigger experience and understanding and actually having tried many. It is tuff to know who knows what and how much experience that they may, or may not have. It always amazes me that as time goes on, more and more details emerge from regular posters on their past experiences. That makes me appreciate this blog for that, as much as learning new air gun stuff.
Best of wishes on getting some input to your inquires.
Chris
LarryMo
I have had a couple FWB300’s. But none of the models you say.
I don’t feel no kind of click from the first to second stage. I can feel the second stage. But no click. And yep the trigger can be adjusted many different ways and from light to very light and different pull lengths.
I wonder if the 300 has a different feeling trigger than the one your describing on the FWB’s that you have.
I have had single pull triggers, double pull but no single set or double set triggers. I can see where they are different in the way they latch compared to when we talk air gun triggers.
Gunfun1
I’ve always wondered about the triggers on the FWB300s. If they can be adjusted so many ways like you describe, then they put completely different triggers in them compared to the old 124/127s. The older triggers are stupid simply as far as parts, and like I mentioned there’s only one screw for adjustment. If you want a different pull weight you would have to experiment with swapping out one or the other of the two springs or both. I’m not sure which. There HAS to be somebody that reads this blog that knows what I am talking about. I don’t think I’m senile just yet!
Larry in Algona
LarryMo
The triggers on the 300’s are a bit more complex some people say anyway.
I have pictures saved on my lap top I believe. But haven’t used it for some years now.
I’ll see if I can post some pictures of the 300 trigger assembly.
LarryMo
Here’s the assembly.
Here’s the trigger componants.
GF1,
That thing looks like a nightmare. It looks like there is enough parts there to make up 2 or 3 trigger assemblies. 2 at least.
Chris
🙂
Gunfun1
Some people say? This is such a far stretch from the 124/127 trigger that it boggles my mind! So, I don’t have to spend out the rest of my days senile, just boggled.
I’ve been doing some reading here in the old entries on FWB 124s and FWB 124Ds and while everyone just drools over the old gal, one went as far as to include “except for the trigger”.
Larry in Algona
LarryMo
I would have to say that the 124 trigger sounds alot like a modern day HW30s trigger.
Gunfun1
Interesting. Do you mean in it’s subjective feel or it’s objective makeup?
LMo
LarryMo
Read my last comment. We was posting at the same time.
And again velocity. Couldn’t tell ya.
Just sounds like they have similar shot cycles and trigger response.
I know people that have 124’s but never shot one. Could a HW30s be a modern day 124? Don’t know. Sounds like it even though their different makes.
LarryMo
I should rephrase that.
It sounds to me like the 124 is so similar air gun to a HW30s.
I never owned a 124 but it sure seems like it has the same characteristics as a 30.
GF1
As I understand it the HW30 can’t touch the 124 in velocity, right?
LMo
LarryMo
Again replying at the same time.
Here is my last reply.
“LarryMo
Read my last comment. We was posting at the same time.
And again velocity. Couldn’t tell ya.
Just sounds like they have similar shot cycles and trigger response.
I know people that have 124’s but never shot one. Could a HW30s be a modern day 124? Don’t know. Sounds like it even though their different makes.”
Gunfun1
Seems time to sign off. 11pm here on the west coast and I don’t know how many time zones east of me you are. I’ll be back here tomorrow after I set up my chrono to see how the Maccari spring replacement is working – the cocking effort still seems to be very light.
LMo
LarryMo
It was 12:33am on my last comment last night. But my comments show up as a hour later in time. But yep I was down for the count last night.
And I like to hear how that spring does for you. That’s the spring I have in my modded FWB 300. It’s a higher power spring but does still cock easy. I like it. It did help transform the way the gun shoots. Plus I have a o-ring in the piston groove instead of the factory cast iron ring. No blow by on the compression but a free moving piston. It definitely picked up the velocity on the gun.
Gunfun1,
Well, I got the FWB 127 on the Chrono today. It occurred to me that testing for improvement after replacing the spring and piston seal would be totally useless unless I had test results for the pre-change. I had nary a record on file. Unfortunately, before I ever had access to a chronograph, the 127 had been in hibernation slowly rotting its piston seal and, before I ever had access to a (proper) spring compressor, I managed to shear off the original plastic trigger.
So, anyway, I ran two strings of pellets thru the chronograph using 14.3 gr CPs (boxed) and 13.43 gr RSs. My results with the CPs averaged 601 fps for 11.47 fpe, an extreme spread of 29 and standard deviation of 7. The JSB Jumbo RSs averaged 647 fps for 12.49 fpe, an ES of 17 and SD of 5.
I pretty happy with how it all came together, especially after doing all the work myself.
I looked up the specs for comparison to the HWs and power-wise it falls between the HW50 and HW80.
After all these years, this is still the rifle I would reach for first to head out for a rabbit or squirrel hunt. (But, No Pigs.)
Larry in Algona
LarryMo
You know I do read on back comments. But don’t make it a habit. If you don’t reply to me I’ll probably miss it. So don’t be mad if I don’t reply down the line. Cause I’m sure I’ll miss at some point in time.
But yep that was something I thought about last night. Your gun probably falls some where in between the HW30s and a HW50s.
Which I had both of and both were fine shooting break barrels. It’s making me think your gun is fitted well with your new spring.
I have a few things to report on today first I came up with a poor man’s scope level. I am sure it has been done before. I never know if I have my targets plumb unless I use a level and that is a lot of work. Today I just hung a string with a fishing weight from the frame on my pellet trap. I am not sure how it will do in a good wind but did not move today in a slight breeze.
If the target is not plumb I can tell and use the string to line up my cross hairs. It seems to be giving me a little better groups. More testing will be required. The main thing it does is reduce my concern whether the target is plum or not. The stick that the string is tied to will rotate out of the way for storage and transport. I trimmed the stick so it fits across the top of the pellet trap frame after the picture below was taken.
The less things I have to consider while shooting the less stress I have and the more fun it is to shoot.
You may need to click on the photo to see the string.
Don
I have also been working more on my Crosman 1322 with the Maximus barrel. I now have the trigger just about as good as I can get it. It is single stage with no perceptible movement before the break (no side to side movement and no take up before the break). I think the break is about 1 pound. I hope it gets more uniform with use, it seems to be a little lighter or heavier once in a while. I have moly on the moving parts so it should become more consistent with time.
I used shims on the trigger pin to remove the side to side play. I used a couple of empty .22 rimfire cartridges as spring guides top and bottom. The bottom one is necked to fit on the existing short spring guide and has the rim cut off. The top one is shortened and still has the rim to provide a good contact against the sear.
I added a plastic sleeve from an electrical crimp connector to stop on the top of the trigger see the red plastic in the picture. The sleeve eliminates the slop in the trigger before it comes into contact with the sear.
I also added a set screw trigger stop. To make sure the set screw would be snug in the threads and not work loose I stopped the thread tap just before it got to the full size for the treads.
The trigger now is just as good as any of my triggers (even if it is single stage) on any of my guns except for a double set trigger on my Thompson Center Hawken 50. caliber black power rifle. A good double set trigger has to be experienced. My double set trigger was set for target shooting once the back trigger was pulled there is now squeeze in the front trigger do not even touch it until you are on target and then just the slightest touch and it breaks. That means that you have to shoot once you pull the back trigger or keep the gun pointed in a safe direction while you carefully put the hammer back on half cock.
Below is a picture of the 1322 trigger. I has just a few cents in parts but quite a few hours getting the tolerances just right.
Don.
Below is a Target from today at 25 yards using the 1322 with the Maximus barrel. I is getting a little better each time I get it to be more stress free. The first five shots were in the same hole and 0.09 inches c2c. After 10 shots it opened up to 0.35 inches C2C with shot 9 going a little high and right.
I will be moving out to my maximum range of 42 yards next and see how it does.
Don
Don
Benji-Don
You replied on today’s blog that none of this got posted.
But as we see it did. I have to say I like what I see. Good ideas.
Benji-Don,
All very good ideas. I like your resourcefulness. I do the same thing and anything under the sun can be used to improve and tune. I am glad the Maximus barrel is working for you. That is some super fine 25 yard shooting there. Let us know how the 42 yard test goes.