SPA model M25 in .35 cal

[anti-squirrel]

My wife and I went to our property today, and once we were about an hour out (the drive is 2 hours-ish) she looked at me and said, "We shoulda brought the big bores".  I mentioned these threads on the M-25 and she's really jonesing to see just what hers is capable of (after you guys blaze the trail).  I've barely even sighted her M-25 in with a no-frill cheapo scope and she's knocked beer cans into next week at over 80 yards.

[bear air]

Your comments on the m25 helped secure one in my herd lol. I plan on taking mine out tomorrow. Hopefully the wind isn't as bad this week. I did some more work on the leade today and polished with flitz. The barrel looks good minus the sub par crown. I plan on addressing that as well.

[Blowpipe Sam]

I’ve been following this thread with a lot of interest.  I’m happy with my pumpers and springers for small game.  I’ve always felt the price for entry into the PCP club made them ridiculously expensive for small game hunting.  My interest in PCPs is big bores.  Hunting bigger game is the only way to justify the expense of a PCP for me.

I want to invest approximately $500 in a PCP rifle, scope, handpump, and a few hundred pellets to get me started.  I would use this rifle for hunting hogs mainly but also would like a decent predator gun for hunting coyote.

So what’s ya’ll’s opinion?  Would this be a reasonable entry level gun for a PCP novice to hunt hogs with?

My impression from reading this thread is they might be a bit rough for a beginner.

[sculbert1]

I’ve been following this thread with a lot of interest.  I’m happy with my pumpers and springers for small game.  I’ve always felt the price for entry into the PCP club made them ridiculously expensive for small game hunting.  My interest in PCPs is big bores.  Hunting bigger game is the only way to justify the expense of a PCP for me.

I want to invest approximately $500 in a PCP rifle, scope, handpump, and a few hundred pellets to get me started.  I would use this rifle for hunting hogs mainly but also would like a decent predator gun for hunting coyote.

So what’s ya’ll’s opinion?  Would this be a reasonable entry level gun for a PCP novice to hunt hogs with?

My impression from reading this thread is they might be a bit rough for a beginner.

I had been looking at a Gauntlet 30 for a coyote gun and ended up buying a M25 in 30.  I'm completely happy with what I got for the money spent.  My only complaint has been the way my crown looks, but it's shooting pretty good at 30yds with pellets.  I'm going to shoot it again tomorrow at 50yds and also try 2 different weights of NSA slugs I've bought.  If it will do 1.5" at 50yds I'll be satisfied. My coyote hunting is all less than 60 yards or so in the areas I'd be hunting with it.  The more open areas I can use a powder burner without worry 

[Keesbo]

Never buy a handpomp. The M25 .35 can shoot only max 10 shots a fill of 250 Bar. The airreservoir is very big.
A handpump is for a bicycle tire.

I think the M25 is great value for the money BUT you must do some work on it. I explaned it above.

[bear air]

I did some more work on the barrel today. The crown is looking a lot better now. I think it still needs a touch more and the leade is still relatively tight for the fx slugs. Here is my 6 shot groups at 50 yards using fx pellets, jsb pellets and fx hybrid slugs. Next up is tearing it down and doing a good cleaning inside and chrony work. So far it seems like a decent gun for the price. I would get a cheap compressor to fill it tbh. It would take a whole bunch of pumping just to shoot six shots lol.

[Blowpipe Sam]

Never buy a handpomp. The M25 .35 can shoot only max 10 shots a fill of 250 Bar. The airreservoir is very big.
A handpump is for a bicycle tire.

I think the M25 is great value for the money BUT you must do some work on it. I explaned it above.

Thanks.  I do think this gun is just too rough for a beginner.

[Back_Roads]

Never buy a handpomp. The M25 .35 can shoot only max 10 shots a fill of 250 Bar. The airreservoir is very big.
A handpump is for a bicycle tire.

I think the M25 is great value for the money BUT you must do some work on it. I explaned it above.

Thanks.  I do think this gun is just too rough for a beginner.

AEA would be a good starting point for budget big bore, the dealers have been reported to be giving great service for the most part. Yes
I started with a Recluse my first PCP, and a handpump, Cheapest hand pump back then was $150.,  I was younger and dumber then and had no issues plumping 85 times to top off a 500 cc double tube. Then I bought an Airforce escape ul .25 still pumped for another year, then caved and bought a Shoe Box, most reliable home compressor at the time.
 So many more options now it can be mind boggling.

[smythsg]

  I have a compressor but still hand pump often, especially my Notos and my Airforce Escaoe UL.

[bear air]

I hand pumped for two years or better. But it only had a 215 cc tube filled to 3000 psi. I was pretty happy with my groups with the m25 yesterday. Now I know it can shoot decent I need to chrony and see how it's shooting.

[nervoustrigger]

I feel like I'm overdue to post an update but I want to start first by saying I'm happy to see others posting their experiences.

For my part, I tried a few more things and I'm just not happy with the accuracy I'm getting.  At this point I am turning my suspicion back to the threaded stub at the end of the barrel.  It's common for the bore to open up ever so slightly from having the OD turned down, like the inverse of a choke.  This barrel was no different.  When I was lapping it, I could feel the resistance drop when the lap reached the muzzle.  I lapped the bore until I could no longer feel it but my guess is I didn't carry it far enough.  SPA: 1, Jason's judgment: 0

Trying to decide now between two things.  Either pour a new lap and work it some more, or chop off the offending section back to the full barrel diameter (and machine an adapter for the end of the barrel so I can continue to use the factory air stripper and shroud).  Pretty sure I'm going with the latter.  Didn't have any suitable rod stock on hand so I went ahead and ordered some.  I have a couple other projects in front of it though so it may be a few weeks before I can return to it but I'll definitely post updates when I do.

[2K1TJ]

Wonder if you could ream out back as far as the threads go, slightly over bore size, and re-crown the newly-exposed rifling?

Seems like I've heard somebody mention some barrels being made that way.

[avator]

I have a Made for Crosman Mendoza RM 377 that I know I got from the original owner and it came out of the box with the muzzle end of the barrel drilled back a couple inches to the rifling. I have a mate to it that the rifling comes all the way out to the end of the barrel.

[K.O.]

Wonder if you could ream out back as far as the threads go, slightly over bore size, and re-crown the newly-exposed rifling?

Seems like I've heard somebody mention some barrels being made that way.

it is called counterboring and is done for this very reason and others... some as repair some from the factory just to protect the crown..

[K.O.]

I did some more work on the barrel today. The crown is looking a lot better now. I think it still needs a touch more and the leade is still relatively tight for the fx slugs. Here is my 6 shot groups at 50 yards using fx pellets, jsb pellets and fx hybrid slugs. Next up is tearing it down and doing a good cleaning inside and chrony work. So far it seems like a decent gun for the price. I would get a cheap compressor to fill it tbh. It would take a whole bunch of pumping just to shoot six shots lol.

I do agree it would be a bit of a chore to re pump and the .30 only a little less so... but as a pure hunter for me would be worth it... I mean a big bore for near the same price as my Crosman Icons and Benji Fortitude

but every spa barrel/rifle I got... had bad crowns and damage to rifling from the piloted crowning tool...almost all of my Crosman/Benji barrels benefited from some tuning also tho..

my Spa/Crosman Icon .22 did end up with a replacement barrel that was without probs after going thru a return/replacement only to get another bad barrel on the replacement first...  the .22 Icons were nicely accurate and not very pellet picky till the rifling damage leaded up..

[Rob M]

I feel like I'm overdue to post an update but I want to start first by saying I'm happy to see others posting their experiences.

For my part, I tried a few more things and I'm just not happy with the accuracy I'm getting.  At this point I am turning my suspicion back to the threaded stub at the end of the barrel.  It's common for the bore to open up ever so slightly from having the OD turned down, like the inverse of a choke.  This barrel was no different.  When I was lapping it, I could feel the resistance drop when the lap reached the muzzle.  I lapped the bore until I could no longer feel it but my guess is I didn't carry it far enough.  SPA: 1, Jason's judgment: 0

Trying to decide now between two things.  Either pour a new lap and work it some more, or chop off the offending section back to the full barrel diameter (and machine an adapter for the end of the barrel so I can continue to use the factory air stripper and shroud).  Pretty sure I'm going with the latter.  Didn't have any suitable rod stock on hand so I went ahead and ordered some.  I have a couple other projects in front of it though so it may be a few weeks before I can return to it but I'll definitely post updates when I do.

have you considered heating the barrel in the lathe , then knurling the end to create a slight choke ? this stratgy requires a good bit of heat and rigidity

[K.O.]

the chop and adapter to me is most fitting for this rifle for a few reasons...

 lapping further well... the rifling looks to me to be enough but just if slow twist... if 16 twist... so no not an option... well maybe if had another barrel..

counterbore is not in keeping with this being a budget rifle seeing as reamers are not cheap... $100+

could get a barrel but do not want 1:16 so not a l.w. barrel...

 friend's .357 Rossi 92 made me believe in 125g-158g in 30 twist... think that would also be right twist for/with pellets/lite nsa slugs... so for/at the fpe 30 twist is what I hope it is...

so yep chop and adapter... also because... could possibly make an adapter with a further function which may help fine tune for different ammo..  

https://www.pyramydair.com/product/fx-removable-harmonic-barrel-tuner-1-2-unf?a=10708

just my thoughts..

[mackeral5]

If the rest of the gun is sound, perhaps it deserves a couple feet or so of TJ's 1:26....

[Baco]

So now the bold/probe is retained by 2 M5 bolt and now it is safe.
When the one M5 bolt snaps off, you will get the bold/probe wright in your face!

that m5 locking bolt is the same one that cocks the hammer right? that's asking for disaster we need a bolt upgrade or bullpup conversion on this .35

edit: i did fix the bolt kickback on my pr900 .25 by using a slightly thicker leade oring but that was at 35fpe only(although the m25 bolt probe is way heavier), another option is turning a bolt with the sealing surface protruding a bit more inside the barrel

[bear air]

Couldn't the bolt be tapped so a heavier more stout bolt could be used? That was something I was considering later down the road.