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All Springer/NP/PCP Air Gun Discussion General => Machine Shop Talk & AG Parts Machining => Show us your Custom Airgun Parts (TRICKS-N-TIPS) => Topic started by: PigButtons on November 05, 2014, 05:56:47 PM
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I've been shooting my Condor for a few years now and while I like the power, options, and multiple calibers, I am less than thrilled with the accuracy from most of my barrels. I have a 12" .22 that is fantastically accurate when detuning to Talon kind of power, but none of the others will do any better than MOA. Which is ok for hunting but frustrating when wanting to punch paper.
Well having read for so long about FX accuracy and the Smooth Twist technology I decided to get a barrel blank from Airguns of Arizona in .25 and fit it to my condor. I have an antique Craftsman mini-lathe that offers minimal but adequate precision so I went to work. I turned down the breach end to fit the breach slide and then made a one piece barrel bushing out of a piece of 1" nylon rod. It took about 12 hours because the barrel steel is very tough and the lathe is not really meant to work on something that long. I had to chuck up the barrel by the breach end and build a rest to support the middle of the barrel off the bed. That meant losing 3/4" of barrel length to the chucking stem, but 23 1/4" is probably plenty long enough.
The results are very good so far, that's because I'm still breaking in the barrel after about 100 pellets. A couple of surprises however, first is that the FX barrel likes it clean, I mean really clean. To the point that at least for now accuracy drops off after about 20 to 25 shots. Clean the barrel and accuracy returns. Next is that without a moderator high power accuracy is pathetic. Fortunately my Hatsan 44AT moderator fits the FX barrel. With the moderator I can hold 1/2 MOA at power settings up to 10; without the moderator power setting 3 is max before groups start to open up. If I get to it this weekend I'll post some pictures.
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Good news in the accuracy department ...
Just an FYI ... pretty universally found also that the ST barrels DO NOT like any sort of pellet lubes be it wax or oils.
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Thanks for the tip Motorhead. I'll try washing my pellets and see if that helps in keeping the accuracy stable longer.