Haenel 312.
Part 1
Part 2
Part 3
Part 4
Part 5
This report covers:
- Warm up
- RWS Hobby
- Qiang Yuan Training pellets
- RWS R10 Match Heavy
- Shooting behavior
- Cocking effort
- Trigger pull
- Summary
Today we look at the velocity the Haenel 312 has after my lube tune with Tune in a Tube. I will also test the other performance parameters except for accuracy, which gets its own test.
Warm up
I warmed up the powerplant with two shots before starting the chronograph. That’s my typical way with a spring gun and these days I try to do it with every gun other than a CO2 gun. Since CO2 cools the action it slows the airgun down as it shoots, so I never shoot a warm up shot.
I will report the velocity from the last velocity test in Part Two. I used all the same pellets in both tests. I also shot them in the same order.
RWS Hobby
First up was the RWS Hobby. I’ll show the results from the last test along with today’s test.
Shot…………Vel test 1……..Vel today
1……………….….791…………….…616
2……………….….757…………….…747
3……………….….685………………710
4…………………..833………………622
5…………………..617…………….…621
6…………………..633………………629
7…………………..638………………615
8…………………..656………………626
9…………………..635………………629
10………………….627………………623
11……………….…638………………636
12……………….…621………………620
13………………….636………………607
Oddly the rifle needed a few shots to settle down this time as well as the last time. That came from oiling the leather piston again. Even more oddly the rifle needed the same 13 shots to settle down both times.
In the first test the 312 was probably averaging somewhere in the low 630 f.p.s. region. In today’s test it probably averaged in the mid 620s. Call it a loss of 5-10 f.p.s. after using TIAT. That’s not bad, considering that 95 percent of the vibration is gone. There is a tiny twang on every shot that I will tolerate.
Qiang Yuan Training pellets
Next up were Qiang Yuan Training pellets. In the first test they averaged 579 f.p.s. with a spread of 17 f.p.s. Today they averaged 574 f.p.s. with a 34 f.p.s. spread from 559 to 593 f.p.s. That spread tells me the rifle hasn’t completely settled down yet, so the average could drop a little more as I shoot.
RWS R10 Match Heavy
In the first test R10 Match Heavy pellets averaged 583 f.p.s. with an 84 f.p.s. spread. I said that some oil was probably still burning off, but with that spread I didn’t think the R10 Match Heavy was suited to the 312. In today’s test the R10 Match Heavy averaged 573 f.p.s. with a 41 f.p.s. spread from 560 to 610 f.p.s. The 601 was the first shot and it was a detonation, so I still think this may not be the best pellet for the Haenel 312.
Shooting behavior
I watched as the test progressed and the rifle did not vibrate more at the end than it did in the beginning. I believe the vibration level is firmly established. The rifle has lost perhaps 10 f.p.s. and has become much smoother shooting. Cocking is smooth, and without the ratchet sound. The ratchets just held the lever if you let it go or slipped during the cocking stroke. Once the rifle was fully cocked the ratchets were no longer in play and there is no button to release them when closing the sidelever. The anti-beartrap that works fine keeps the rifle from firing as long as the lever is open.
Cocking effort
In Part Two the rifle cocked with 32 pounds of force. Did lubricating the powerplant change that?
Yes, it did. The rifle now cocks with 24 pounds of effort. I think that’s a pretty dramatic reduction!
Trigger pull
In Part Two the trigger tested 4.1 ounces in stage one and released at 11.1 ounces After fiddling with the front adjustment screw stage one is now 6.9 ounces and stage two is 14.4 ounces. I guess it’s okay but it sure isn’t a target trigger.
Summary
Well, I got through putting the rifle back together and I quieted the powerplant on my Haenel 312. Now I am curious what, if anything, this has done to the potential for accuracy.
I’m not that concerned about the ratcheting sidelever, though if I discovered the way to set it right I would. As far as forgetting how the rifle comes apart, as reader Roamin Greco suggested, he’s right that the time to do it is now, but I spent a lot of time writing how this rifle goes together so I wouldn’t forget. I did that with the RWS 45 several years ago for the same reason.
I know I gave you two reports in a row, but once the rifle was together I just had to know. I suspect all of you did, too.
BB,
That’s a little odd seeing that heavy pellets didn’t help much in settling down this rifle. Usually you would be reporting decreasing spread with use of heavier pellets. Then again this rifle probably just doesn’t like them.
Siraniko
B.B.
Once again proves that guns don’t need a tune. But they are more enjoyable to shoot when they are.
I thought silicon oil or neetsfoot was recommended for the leather seal. Not surprised it detonates with 3-in-one.
-Y
PS I bet it is more accurate now. Well at least I bet you shoot it better now that before the tune.
Subconscious and all that….
Yogi,
Reduction of the vibration always improves accuracy. Even with this not perfectly stable velocity spread.
BB,
From experience, this velocity spread – would it be much better when using modern silicone seal? I mean is the leather seal in general unstable?
tomek,
Several of the old gals hanging around RidgeRunner’s Home For Wayward Airguns have leather seals. Like I was saying to Yogi, once the excess oil is squeezed out, the velocities should settle down and be much more consistent. The leather seal is not unstable once it settles in.
Would a modern seal be better? I do not know. I have been tempted to see. There are now adapters to use modern seals instead of leather ones. I would find it difficult to replace a working leather seal as I would find it difficult to replace any working seal.
My experience has been there is nothing wrong with a good working leather seal. With just a little lubrication every once in a while, they will last forever. I cannot say the same thing with a synthetic seal. I remember when the seal failed on my Gamo CFX and it detonated. It blew out every seal on that air rifle.
The reason leather seals fell from grace is the pursuit of high velocities. It is not that the leather seal will not work. it is that the oil that is usually used in leather seals will detonate at the higher pressures encountered. If you recall, the earlier synthetic seals did not do to well either.
RR,
Good answer! That’s what I would say as well.
BB
RR,
This sounds very logical. Thank you, I had only one leather-sealed rifle and never chrony it.
tomek,
It was likely an air rifle made no later than the sixties or early seventies and was not a real powerhouse. They were used before the “need for speed” race began. I have three with leather seals.
Yogi,
If I recall correctly, I soaked my new leather seal on my 1906 BSA in silicone oil. One does have to keep in mind that at the times these leather seals were used, light oil was far more common than any other oil, including neetsfoot oil. Very likely what is happening is the excess oil is being squeezed out of the seal and it will settle down after a bit more shooting.
Yes but now we have better oils for the piston. Maybe B.B. should have lubed the spring not with Tune in a Tube but whale oil. If thoroughly soaked that piston seal will keep detonating for awhile….sad but true.
-Y
Yogi,
It will settle down after a bit, but yeah, something more up to date could have been used.
Where can I get some of that whale oil?
Really enjoying this series. I can tell you that the Suhl 150 Olympic .22 rifles have a fine trigger that can be taught all kinds of tricks but are finicky to train. On mine the difference between can and can’t may be 1/16 of a turn on an adjusting screw.
Very interesting series, BB. I would like to see you keep working on the trigger and the ratchet, especially since no one has come forward to explain how it should be put back together. You would have a scoop on that aspect of this airgun.
Why did it detonate with the heavier pellet? I thought the usual warning with springers is not to shoot too light of a pellet.
Roamin,
It probably detonated because the R10 Match Heavy is too small for the bore. That allowed the piston to go too far forward too fast and ignite the oil droplets in the air. Notice that the Qiang Yuan pellet that weighs the same as this one did not detonate.
BB
Hey Roamin Greco,
Lots of great information on lubrication: https://www.machinerylubrication.com/Meta/Topics
Airguns are machines after all…also good general information for all your other lube needs!
The other thing you can do is learn about Pressure and Flashpoint of lubes with a search engine look around.
This is some of the most interesting stuff I found:
https://www.mobil.com/en/lubricants/for-businesses/industrial/lubricant-expertise/resources/extreme-high-temperature-grease
“Standard industrial greases based on hydrocarbon technology can readily degrade when exposed to high temperatures (~ 240 C). In order to ensure the performance characteristics of greases to release oil under high pressure and reabsorb it when the stress is removed, it is often necessary to use specialized basestock technology for extremely high temperatures.” The part about grease releasing oil under high pressure stress and then reabsorb it is interesting…unless the oil is burned in a diesel or DETONATION!
shootski
BB
Glad you mentioned your warm up routine. I assume you do this when beginning an accuracy test as well. I usually shoot 11 shot groups if the first pellet is a flier and then don’t use that first shot when measuring group size. I know this is fudging a bit but pellets are not to be wasted these days. I do the same when switching to a different pellet.
Deck
BB
I have a question for the good folks here that want you to go back inside and put that ratchet back to specs:
On Christmas Eve after spending hours erecting a toy and finding an extra part or two left over, do you take it apart and start over?
Have a great day!
Deck
Deck
I remember my younger days as a kid. I was always taking something apart to see how it worked or try to fix it if stopped working. Pretty much always parts left over when it was put back together. Mostly on purpose. 🙂
I know it would bother me if the ratchet didn’t work properly. I hate being beaten by a mechanical problem.
Derrick
At least if BB does go back and mess with the ratchet it will give people a better idea of how it is suppose to work.
I think this rifle is really cool, so I’m hoping BB writes several more installments.
Derrick
I agree. And I hope BB does do more reports on it.
No, of course not, but if I intentionally take something apart, I want to put it back together right. Especially since I know if I put it aside, it will be harder to recall the nuances of the teardown.
Roamin
Have to log in every time to comment now. Not good.
Agree it is best to finish the job sooner rather than later due to better outcomes. I was just having fun with the gifted readers I do appreciate. One true exception at least for me is a vintage LGV whose innards got disturbed by customs a few years ago. I got lots and lots of help getting the cocking lever to grasp the notch. Had to cock the rifle before mounting the stock and it has a hair trigger. It works fine ever since and is extremely accurate. No way I’ll ever remove the stock so long as the rifle works.
Deck