This is a special guest blog from reader Pat Gray. He bought a Beeman C1 from me at the Arkansas airgun show. It had issues he and put it back into commission, so I asked him to write this guest blog about it. This is Part 2 of a great one because Pat is going to show us a couple things we haven’t seen!
If you’d like to write a guest post for this blog, please email me at blogger@pyramydair.com.
Take it away, Pat.
My new/old Beeman C1: Part 2
by Pat Gray
This report covers:
- How to do it
- KISS
- Does it work?
- Back to the rifle
- Power
- On to accuracy
- Summary
Before I start with the report on the C1 I want to show everyone a way I thought of to measure the cocking force of breakbarrel air rifles. When the idea first struck me it seemed that the way to do it would be to make a sling that would hold the gun while pulling down on the barrel with an archery type scale hanging off of the wall. The archery scale has a built in hold feature to determine the highest weight recorded during the pull.
How to do it
I kept running it around in my mind with various schemes to hold the gun during the process of measuring from cutting off a gun case to building something out of plywood.
Then it hit me. Just make a sling to go over the end of the barrel and hold onto the rifle myself! Keep it simple, stupid. I bought a cheap handheld digital scale on Amazon. I already had some scrap leather and a coat hanger, so I went to the leather store (Tandy) and put this together in about 20 minutes.
KISS
The first iteration of the cocking sling was simple and straightforward. The white handle is the scale.
The scale’s readout is in the handle.
There is the scale and sling hanging from the C1 barrel.
Does it work?
I tested the cocking stroke on the C-1 for the first 10 shots that went over the chronograph. I measured 22.xx lbs. for nine of the ten shots. Shot number eight was 17.42 lbs. To test the accuracy of the scale I broke out my Beeman R1 as it is a heavy cocking gun. Five pulls on it measured 41.xx lbs. for each cocking cycle. The decimal place reading varied about +/- .30 lbs. during each cycle. That’s pretty much in the ballpark.
I made a wider strap for the top strap as I did have the sling try to slip up the barrel once during testing.
All that said I have no way of knowing how accurate this method is but it is consistent for the most part. Hopefully it can be a good tool to monitor the health of your air rifle.
Back to the rifle
When we left off last time I was going to chronograph and shoot the rifle for accuracy. Since then I decided to send off and get a new seal to see if it made any difference in where the barrel stopped during the cocking cycle. I told you about that in Part 1. Do you remember that discussion? I received the seal and installed it but it did not make any difference in the lock-up that I could tell. Well, at least we now all know that.
I was also having a problem keeping a scope on the rifle. Heavy scopes wanted to slide off and lighter scopes let so little light through I could only shoot during the day. Day shooting is a problem for me as I’m still gainfully employed and married, either of which can eat up a lot of daylight. But I’m thankful for both.
Power
I wanted to calm down the shot cycle to make it easier to keep a scope mounted. When I took the rifle apart to determine the best path forward for calming the shot cycle, it was apparent that there were two choices. Either lighten the very heavy piston (9.8 oz.) or cut some more off the spring. I chose the latter and I used a different mainspring. In Part 1 I told you that this one is a Beeman R10 spring that was bent at the end. I have already removed three inches of the spring to straighten it. That gave me the following performance with Daisy 7.5-grain wadcutters.
High…..Low….Avg…..Std. Dev….Spread….Energy
707…….683…..693……9.13…………24……..…7.88
I now removed another 2 coils from the spring. After reassembly I shot the rifle over the chronograph again with the following results with Crosman 7.4-grain wadcutter pellets.
High…..Low….Avg…..Std. Dev….Spread….Energy
626…….606…..617……6.57……….…20……..…6.27
The shot cycle is now much calmer and I can keep a scope mounted!
On to accuracy
I shot the rifle off of a bag at 10 meters. At the end of the session I shot one group off a monopod to see if that would make any difference.
Six of the ten Daisy wadcutters tried to group.
Crosman wadcutters did not produce a good group.
RWS Diabolo. Again six of the ten trying to group
Eight of ten RWS Miesterkuglen Rifle pellets showed some promise.
0
RWS Match 10 Were shot off of a monopod.
One thing that is being revealed here is that Pat is not a very good shot.
Summary
In conclusion, I like how this rifle is now very easy to cock. It is an all day shooter. The shot cycle is very pleasant which goes with the extended shooting session.
Basically this C1 is a good plinking rifle that anyone so-minded could enjoy. If it had open sights it might be better suited for close-in small pest control at full power.
Pat,
Thanks for letting us look over your shoulder. Does the digital scale record the highest weight? How much preload was left after cutting three inches and 2 coils off the spring? Does the rifle calmly surge forward? Thanks again!
Siraniko
Siraniko, the scale has a peak hold feature which makes the process of measuring very easy. There was probably a half an inch of preload after all the cutting. The ‘surge forward’ is the best description for the shot cycle.
Pat
Pat,
That suggests to me there is still some room to decrease the impulse of this rifle by decreasing the piston weight. The trade off is that it may not handle heavy pellets as well as before. Mileage varies a lot.
Siraniko
Pat,
What a great idea about the cocking sling! Did the cocking effort change much with the new shortened spring?
Perhaps you could help B.B. develop a cocking barrel protractor to show the angle of break barrels when they are cocked?
-Y
Yogi, I think it’s amazing that BB can keep up a daily blog, even with a few guest blogs sprinkled in. I think you could have the info you seek if BB would simply take a picture of the rifles in question when they are cocked, against his standard white background. Then we could easily print out the picture, lay a protractor over it, and come up with a measure of the angle of the barrel relative to the spring cylinder that would be close enough for comparison to other sproingers. What do you think?
RG,
That would work. What would work even better is if B.B. could post pictures of more than one rifle at it’s cocking point. It would be easier to compare. This really is only applicable for BB’s that have compound linkages.
-Y
Yogi, it definitely takes less effort to cock now than originally. Too bad I did not have the idea for the measuring device until after the spring had been cut. My hope is the fine folks that like to tweak their sprinters will have a easy to use tool to monitor the health of their springs.
Pat
Pat,
I too am interested in how much preload you have.
Sometimes calming down the shot cycle will greatly improve accuracy and sometimes it will not. I am glad you did not do anything with the piston. There may come a day when someone will want that air rifle to jump and slam and twist to its full potential.
I too understand the lack of daylight to shoot as I also am still gainfully employed and married. Even with a ten and twenty-five yard range off my side porch, I am still fortunate to find time to shoot.
I have not forgotten about the picture. I will get one up this weekend.
P.S. Nice scale rig. Although it is likely very accurate, it does not matter as long as it is consistent. Like the chronograph, if you get the same readings over time, you know you are fine. If the chronograph and/or scale readings go down, you know you have to go in.
Rr, I even kept the original spring as it is in perfect shape. It could go back to original very simply.
Looking forward to the picture.
I agree about the accuracy, consistency would be the key. That and good record keeping.
Pat,
I have never been one with good record keeping. At this moment I would have to study my chrony app (software for us old fogies) to figure out how it keeps records and how to look at them.
All joking aside, good record keeping can be paramount to keeping a collection up and running.
RR, I start with the best of intentions on record keeping. Produced spreadsheets, binders, targets and so forth. But unless it is a gun that I’m working on usually I end up shooting my spinners instead of record keeping.
Maybe if I inherit some wealth I can hire a gunbearer/ clerk..
Pat
Pat,
Well, until you can hire a gunbearer/clerk, K.I.S.S. I guess all of the targets, spreadsheets, etc. have their place, but I can remember that my 1906 BSA likes the RWS Superdome and shoots them around 600 FPS.
Now, when I am rebuilding an old gal, I do not know what to expect, so I keep some notes in a notebook as I go along, but once she is up and running, most of that becomes useless information to me.
More often than not, I end up shooting at my spinners also.
Pat, I have a hand held luggage scale that looks just like that one, but I don’t think it has a hold function that will show the highest weight recorded. That would be an important feature.
RG, In researching the different models of digital scales the peak hold seems to be a common feature. The hard part is sometimes there is quite a bit of button mashing and timing to get it set to do what you want it to do. Just switching from metric to pounds can be frustrating. The good news is once set it stays set up how you want it. At least this one has so far. When I turn it on and pull the barrel down it has the peak reading. You do have to remember to touch the on/ off button just for a split second to clear the reading you just made, otherwise the old reading just stays.
Pat
Everyone, off topic, but following up on my past question about cleaning the white powdery oxidation off of old pellets. I tried soaking them in white vinegar, 5% acetic acid. A lot of the powder came off, but there was still a lot of white residue in the small grooves around the waist and inside the skirts of the pellets. My conclusion is that this not an efficient way to reclaim pellets, and I will eventually melt them down or give them to someone locally who casts their own bullets or fishing sinkers. The fluxing process, in my opinion is the only way to convert that oxidation back into usable lead, and does not produce a waste solution that must be disposed of.
RG
What happens when you just go ahead and shoot the pellets with the oxidation on them?
Gunfun1, my understanding is that the lead oxide is very toxic, especially if inhaled or if it gets into your mouth or eyes or a cut. So I will not shoot these in the basement under any circumstances as shooting them will spread the dust directly into the air. Outside might be another matter, as with smoke, the dust would dissipate, but still, I would think that it would not be a good idea to be downwind. I’m not a chemist or a doctor, but since I have kids, I will error on the side of safety and prudence.
Roamin Greco,
Oxides of Lead (Orange Lead, Red Lead and a few others) are much different from surface oxidized Lead; see my post below.
California WARNINGS are…well…typical for folks who just didn’t study (Ghostbusters quotes) apply here too!
shootski
RG
My local aluminum can recycling location also takes lead.
Sounds like that’s what you should do with your oxidized pellets.
GF1,
My Diana 340 N-Tec in .22 loves the H&N copper coated pellets. The more corroded the better. I assume it is because the oxidisation helps grab the rifling better.
Go Yogi. 😉
Gunfun1,
They hopefully hit what you aimed at!
shootski
Shootski
How would you know unless you tried. 😉
Gunfun1,
I haven’t met a “dusty” pellet or bullet (SLA?) that has refused to be shot! ;^)
Powdery Cartridges are another matter.
shootski
Shootski
Somebody has to do it. 🙂
B.B., Roamin Greco, Gunfun1, and other interested readers,
This Pb Metallic Lead corrosion thing comes up every few years!
BY The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica
FAST FACTS
2-Min Summary
lead (Pb), a soft, silvery white or grayish metal in Group 14 (IVa) of the periodic table. Lead is very malleable, ductile, and dense and is a poor conductor of electricity. Known in antiquity and believed by the alchemists to be the oldest of metals, lead is highly durable and resistant to corrosion, as is indicated by the continuing use of lead water pipes installed by the ancient Romans. The symbol Pb for lead is an abbreviation of the Latin word for lead, plumbum. chemical properties of Lead.
lead-206 lead-207
Element Properties
atomic number 82
atomic weight 207.19
melting point 327.5 °C (621.5 °F)
boiling point 1,744 °C (3,171.2 °F)
density 11.29 gram/cm3 at 20 °C (68 °F)
oxidation states +2, +4
electron configuration [Xe]4f145d106s26p2 or 1s22s22p63s23p63d104s24p64d104f145s25p65d106s26p2
Occurrence and distribution
Lead is mentioned often in early biblical accounts. The Babylonians used the metal as plates on which to record inscriptions. The Romans used it for tablets, water pipes, coins, and even cooking utensils; indeed, as a result of the last use, lead poisoning was recognized in the time of Augustus Caesar. The compound known as white lead was apparently prepared as a decorative pigment at least as early as 200 BCE. Modern developments date to the exploitation in the late 1700s of deposits in the Missouri-Kansas-Oklahoma area in the United States.
On a weight basis, lead has nearly the same abundance in Earth’s crust as tin. Cosmically, there is 0.47 lead atom per 106 silicon atoms. The cosmic abundance is comparable to those of cesium, praseodymium, hafnium, and tungsten, each of which is regarded as a reasonably scarce element.
Although lead is not abundant, natural concentration processes have resulted in substantial deposits of commercial significance, particularly in the United States but also in Canada, Australia, Spain, Germany, Africa, and South America. Significant deposits are found in the United States in the western states and the Mississippi valley. Rarely found free in nature, lead is present in several minerals, but all are of minor significance except the sulfide, PbS (galena, or lead glance), which is the major source of lead production throughout the world. Lead is also found in anglesite (PbSO4) and cerussite (PbCO3). By the early 21st century, China, Australia, the United States, Peru, Mexico, and India were the world’s top producers of lead in concentrate.
Lead may be extracted by roasting the ore and then smelting it in a blast furnace or by direct smelting without roasting. Additional refining removes impurities present in the lead bullion produced by either process. Almost half of all refined lead is recovered from recycled scrap. (For commercial production, see lead processing.)
Uses of the metal
Only a single crystalline modification, with a close-packed metallic lattice, is known. Properties that are responsible for the many uses of elemental lead include its ductility, ease of welding, low melting point, high density, and ability to absorb gamma radiation and X-radiation. Molten lead is an excellent solvent and collector for elemental silver and gold. The structural applications of lead are limited by its low tensile and fatigue strengths and its tendency to flow even when only lightly loaded.
When freshly cut, lead oxidizes quickly, forming a dull gray coating, formerly thought to be lead suboxide, Pb2O, but now recognized as a mixture of lead and lead monoxide, PbO, which protects the metal from further corrosion. Similarly, although lead is soluble in dilute nitric acid, it is only superficially attacked by hydrochloric or sulfuric acids because the insoluble chloride (PbCl2) or sulfate (PbSO4) coatings that are formed prevent continued reaction. Because of this general chemical resistance, considerable amounts of lead are used in roofing, as coverings for electric cables placed in the ground or underwater, and as linings for water pipes and conduits and structures for the transportation and processing of corrosive substances.
That last paragraph is the most important for those who handle Metallic Lead (Pb); don’t put it in your mouth, don’t eat stuff while you are handling it, wash your hands after you are done. For those that melt or swag it do it in a well ventilated area and totally avoid inhalation of fumes.
Metallic Lead can be handled with relatively low RISK!
Want to read all the info this excerpt was found in; to include the symptoms of Lead (Pb) poisoning and treatment:
https://www.britannica.com/science/lead-chemical-element
shootski
Shootski, WOW! That was an interesting read; thank you. 🙂
thedavemyster,
I found it some years ago during one of the Lead (Pb) poisoning outbreaks among airguners at about the same time as the Lead Pipe problem in Michigan caused supposedly by the Flint River. If you understand the Chemistry in the Britannica article you can see what the causes of that crisis was on the political side!
Lets not let sociopolitical science get the best of B.B.’s blog too.
shootski
Here is another interesting read on how the Roman military actually used lead bullets in battle. All they had to do next was invent a pneumatic or “sproinger” delivery system, and history might have taken a different course.
http://www.thehistoryblog.com/archives/42725
FawltyManuel,
Great piece!
Almost nothing is truly new under the Sun.
I have the kettle on brewing up some new potions for my hollow points, Muh Ha Ha! A little daub of wax over the cavity and….
shootski
PS: As far as the Romans having a different outcome; perhaps in the Brit Isles. But in the rest of the Republic the issue was all the folks that wanted it to be a Democracy…Hmm….
Pat,
I like your rig for measuring the cocking force; and I really like that you choose smoothness over power with this rifle. It is now in the same power ball park as my HW30S, which is the smoothest shooting break barrel I have ever owned. Thanks for another great report. 🙂
Happy shooting to you,
dave
Dave, Thanks, it was entertaining to come up with a way to make a tool.
I do prefer a smooth shooting rifle. I suppose if it was necessary to put food on the table, a harsh shooting hard hitting but accurate rifle would be just the thing. I would suppose when hunting you not taking many shots.
Pat,
I really enjoyed Part 2 of your Guest Blog! The Cocking Force Scale Sling is a marvelously done adaptation.
Just a guess to make your group shrink vertically; try taking a bigger breath and then letting out a little more breath before holding it for the shot. ONLY if your health allows you to do that.
My apologies for the hijacking of your Replies Thread with my Pb RANT!
shootski
Shootski, Stop it. You’ll give me the big head.
Thanks for your kind words sir.
As far as the shooting goes, my shooting is more of a Zen thing. To me it is trying to clear my mind to pay attention to: settling in, the sight picture, the hold, the trigger, the shot cycle and “did I hit anything” . Really a lot to try to focus on at one time but the attempt seems to be calming to me.
I went to the shooting range with my BIL and a friend a couple of weeks ago and my BIL remarked how much better I was shooting since taking up airgjns.
I was able to keep all my shots through my Sig 365 within a 6″ target at 20′. Not great but good for me.
Anyway appreciate the shooting tip and we shall see if the shooting gets better.
As far as the hijacking, nothing here except a few pictures and words are mine. It is a community with lots of different ideas and experiences.
No apologies needed.
Pat
Pat,
The ZEN (Zone, Mindset, Locked In, or whatever you call it) in shooting for score in competition or when hunting are the way to go! When my Coaches/Instructors broke down the steps for practice they frequently only had one element/thing to focus on sometimes without even having the device in hand. For shooting it was usually Dry fire for Procedure/Flight Simulators it was one evolution or Emergency Drill at a time. Compound Emergencies were actually not permitted because they were shown to have negative training outcome!
shootski
PS: 6″ is good enough at 20′ to get a good score on a LEO Qual.
It makes sense to focus on one element at a time. I’m doing good if I can do that.
I’m all of your years of training do they setup situations sometimes that do have pressure type scenarios?
Pat
Pat,
Having seen both the student’s and the instructor’s perspective over the years on instructional flights as well as check rides the pressure comes from needing to keep Aviating, Communicating, and Navigating. Dealing with the Emergency falls into the Aviating part mostly and the mission that needs to be completed if at all possible. Making the decisions on what is important and what isn’t at that moment was the hardest part to learn and also to teach someone else. Practical shooting instruction in a Shoot House or Shoot Town is exactly the same. The US Navy even has a name for it: Headwork.
The pressure is intense because your pride and reputation are on the line.
shootski
Finally people are getting it that less preload means easier cocking a smoother shooting gun and what is hidden is less wear and tear on the gun mechanism and the shooters body.
Less preloading is a win win situation. Wish I could remember how many times I said that. 😉
Gunfun, having read almost all the comments here over the years I have noted your findings about reducing preload on springers. Sometimes you have even noted an increase in velocity while reducing preload.
So I thank you and all the other folks for sharing your findings so people like me don’t have to proceed blindly down this path.
Pat
It seems that what is thought just might not be true. Who would think that velocity would go up if you chop a spring off.
At least we have the blog where people aren’t afraid to try and report what they find. Like you did. 🙂
Gunfun1,
So true! And not just for spring piston! Just think of all the multi pumps in valve-lock because 1 more pump must give more power. Or the valve-locked PCP overpressurized for the same reason.
shootski
Shootski
Yep and that too.
Pat,
Great report .
I have wondered about a good way to measure cocking force. I like your approach. The leather “seat” is flexible, keeps its grip, and protects the muzzle/barrel during use. Well done.
And your shooting is nothing to be ashamed of. It is better than mine! 🙂
StarboardRower
Even a blind hog finds an acorn occasionally. Lol
B.B. and Readership,
Thoughts on shooting after dark.
Obviously if you are hunting the rules in many places limit how and what you can hunt in the hours of darkness. Using a spotlight will get the Game Warden’s or Sheriff’s attention in hurry in lots of places.
But we are talking about target shooting or good old PLINKING in the back or side yard after work or for the retired folks most of the chores are done. How much illumination do we really need? These days even a battery powered LED lighting system uses very little power and supplies impressive LUX/Lumin for the target(s) and the shooting bench. With an extension cord skies the limit on how bright you can go.
So why all the harping about not being able to shoot after work in the dark? It usually is less windy after the Sun goes down and the surface winds decouple.
Too COLD? There are heaters and clothing for that.
Too many bugs? There are ways to deal with those…DEET comes to mind and some other things like a fan to blow them away and keep you cool; just keep it away from blowing on the muzzle.
shootski
Shootski
The moonlight on a aluminum can is plenty with a scope.
Try it. You will be surprised how well you can see that aluminum can.
Gunfun1,
Been there done more than aluminum cans ;^)
If you practice red light/goggle protocol and breath 100% Oxygen for 30 minutes before looking for those aluminum cans on a Moonless night you will be surprised too!
shootski
Shootski
Your always over the top.
No don’t need to practice all that.
But you go Shootski. 😉
Gunfun1,
Your right!
All the Grampa and Grandmas will be upset about using their Oxygen Concentrators, Lol!
Shootski
And that too. We all need to breathe. Start mess’n with someone’s breath’n air and I bet you won’t like to see the other side of what those grandma’s and grandpa’s will do. 😉
Shootski, you are right, of course, about finding the time to shoot. Mostly just excuses to do something else.
You reminded me about Tom’s article about what kind of airgunner are you. My interest in air rifles is a mile wide and an inch deep.rifles
My problem with finding the time to shoot is there are so many things in airgunning I want to do. Tuning, refinishing stocks, rebluing metal parts, making tools, ect. ect.
My hobby time dedicated to shooting is probably 20%.
That said it is frustrating when I can’t get a decent group out of something like the C1. The good news is there are guns in my collection that will put together good groups even with me at the trigger.
I’m not through with the C1, maybe cleaning the barrel or a different hold will make all the difference.
Pat
Pat
You have NO right to be frustrated!
You have accomplished any number of things, evident in this Guest Blog, that should be giving you a sense of deep satisfaction. One of my coaches told me frustration was a useless emotion that never leads to accomplishment unless guickly converted into determination and perseverance. That same coach had a favorite saying: “You can not chase two rabbits and expect to have even one rabbit in the pot.” He went on to say that catching one rabbit gives you the skill and confidence to do it again and again.
I’d work on my breathing first; after all it is The WIND that effects the projectile before it even leaves the barrel.
shootski
Pat,
A very nice blog, way to go! I have had a love for the Beeman C1 ever since B.B. mentioned his that had lockup issues…that you bought! And for such a price. You put in the investigative work to make it shoot better, you achieved some gain, and now you have a fun plinker that has great provenance! I also like the cocking force scale, I wonder how many other people will make one up at home after seeing yours!
The C1, with its Western style stock, is quick to shoulder and fire one off, so they say. That description makes me want to shoot one! I really like the look of that rifle. I drew up a scale picture of the stock from internet photos, to carve one for myself. I was going to fit my trusty Crosman Quest into it. But frankly I’m daunted by cutting out the bedding properly. Maybe someday I’ll get up the nerve. I hope you enjoy yours, Pat, have fun!
Cheers,
Will
Thanks Will. I do like how the C1 handles.
Vana2 (Hank) has some good threads about stock making and could probably give you some excellent tips.
Happy Sunday, all!
While we are a-waitin’ on the next report from B.B., I thought I would share this data from a gun that is “almost an airgun,” the Chiappa Little Badger 9mm Flobert shotgun. I spoke about it once before, but I couldn’t get a reading on the actual velocity of the shot column. However, today, it was very sunny in middle Georgia; and with some monkeying around, I was able to get velocity numbers by shooting very close (like 2 feet) from the chronograph. I am seeing velocities of 630 fps, which is in good agreement with the stated velocity of 600 fps. So, the ammo maker is saying 600 fps for 84 fpe, and I am getting 630 fps for 96 fpe (from a 25-inch barrel). As you can see by the can (which was placed 25 feet away, using the tab to hold it in the ground due to some wind), this gun is useful for pesting; it works well on venomous snakes; but I consider it a 10-yard pesting gun, not really a hunting gun. And due to the velocity, I consider it “almost an airgun;” the cool thing is, it is very quiet, so much so that I don’t use hearing protection (which I do use even with .22LR rounds). It’s a fun and useful little gun…if you can still find one. 🙂
Happy shooting to all,
dave
P.S. The energy calculations are based on the payload of 1/4-ounce of #9 shot.
Cool gun Dave. Similar to my Stevens .410. that I use dove loads in. I just saw an add in in you tube for a 5 shot revolver based action shotgun like it at Gun Prime,that costs a little more, but it takes 1/5 0z slugs too, and has a scope rail for 100 yd. shooting. Dbl or single action. 9mm is close to .410 right? I have my tin foil hat on and a N95 mask, be well.
Happy shooting!
Rob
Rob,
I love a good .410, especially an old Stevens; they’re very cool.
Yes, this is like a “.410 ultra-light,” with a little less shot than the old .44 shotshell that preceded the .410 shotshell. 🙂
http://www.fourten.org.uk/mwpre410.html
Happy shooting!
Dave
Rob,
Is that “…5 shot revolver…” you looked at a rifled barrel? Found it! External Arms that is legal some of the Taurus Judge clones with smoothbores are are illegal in the USA.
“9mm is close to .410 right?”
.410 is also called 36 gauge and yes that makes it close to the 9mm at a nominal diameter of 9.01 mm (0.355″) sounds real close to the smoothbore diameter.
shootski
Dave, cool gun, looks like fun. I have a old 410 made by a bicycle company. It is fun to shoot too. It is good for certain types of pesting.
Don
Cool! Perhaps you could post a pc? I’d love to see that; thanks. 🙂
thedavemyster,
Thanks for tis Mini-Blog Dave. I almost missed it and it is a really great starting point to gain a little more factual information to develop loads for my DAQ .410 Shot Pistol. You are shooting rimfire totally Brass hulls in your Little Badger? So no way to easily reload as B.B. showed us with his Blog on reloading rimfire cartridges but it could be done.
Where do you get your ammo for it?
Cool little tool for pesting if the ammo is available and not all too expensive.
shootski
Shootski,
I searched for one of these little shotguns online (got it off Guns International) after seeing this review on them here:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OKKZXHoy_Co
As you noted, it is rimfire; hence, it is not easily reloaded; but I was able to get a couple of boxes (they come 50 rounds to a box) of Fiocchi ammo. As far as I know, they are the only company currently producing 9mm Flobert ammo. The ammo wasn’t cheap; I paid about 40 cents a round for it, and that was BEFORE the ammo crunch; in retrospect, I wish I’d bought a couple more boxes, at least! It’s a cool little gun…IF you can find the ammo for it. Wait, I just saw some for sale online:
https://www.midwayusa.com/product/1002044062
But wow! That’s over a buck a round. Still, it is a fun little gun. 🙂
Looking forward to a report on your .410 pistol,
dave
My Crosman 362s came in last night. I was like a kid at Christmas waiting for morning. One box was really beat up so I opened that one to try first. The second box was in great shape so I will save it for later. I am sure B.B. will be reporting on it soon so I will hold off on most of my comments till then. In general I am pleased with the quality and workmanship of the gun. I have already added the steel breach and tuned the trigger. Here is a picture.
Gunfun1, The tube is the same diameter as the pistols. That is what I was wishing for. That way the aftermarket valves, pistons etc should be a direct fit. The piston is much longer than the pistol piston and is aluminum instead of plastic. So far the accuracy is better than I expected out of the box.
Don
Don,
Thank you for the updates; sweet-looking rifle! 🙂
Have fun with her,
dave
P.S. How easy was it to install the steel breech?
Dave, the plastic breech has two machine screws a small allen head under the cocking bolt and a flat head through the rear sight. Just remove those and the breech lifts off the transfer port and slides off the barrel. Installing the steal breech is the reverse with the addition of a set screw to hold the barrel and a breech plug with a new screw where the rear sight was. The steel breech comes with instructions and takes just a few minutes. It took me much longer to mount the scope but I tend to be a bit anal when mounting scopes.
Awesome! Thank you very much for that information! 🙂
Benji-Don,
Two of them! Hope they both shoot great for you.
Is there any adjustment of the piston pushrod possible? That was always my first modification to get the headspace as close to zero on Multipumps and then valve work to maximize the valve volume to get the most out of the least pumps.
I wonder if a STEROID version is on the horizon for this. With the soldered on barrels you went through a number of guns looking for precision; with this there will be barrel swaps and upgrades available. Maybe even caliber swaps.
Enjoy your twins!
shootski
Shootski,
It does not look like the head space is adjustable. An aftermarket adjustable piston for the pistols could be used with a longer threaded rod. I bet a steroid kit will be available soon.
Don
Mine is still on the way.
And it looks good. The scope looks right at home on it.
And that’s good news about the accuracy. Can’t wait to get mine.
GF1,
I only had high rings on hand, but like the way they alow my head to be more vertical. I may keep them on it.
Don
Yep the rings might work out. Might make it so you don’t need as much hold over or under when you shoot too.