Another DEzrauder in the works...LOL

[ezman604]

I'm FINALLY stealing an hour here and 30 minutes there to get to the shop. Bench time is therapy for me. I'm immersed in Gen1 MRod play right now. I finished up one in .22 and it has a new home.
What a laser it was. I'm now knee deep in a conversion from .177 to .25. It's taken a few days since, like I said, I don't have time to just start and finish, I have to work when I can as long as I can. But this one is coming together QUITE well. I hope to get some photos taken shortly.
I did a bit of valve work, opening up the intake port, necking the poppet stem and adding a light weight poppet spring. Then build my version of the Bob Sterne/Travis Whitney SSG into my light weight hammer. I used a factory shroud with about a 3" extension made by my buddy Rocker1. He did this extension to add extra baffles. I also added my external SSG spring tensioner adjustment that will allow you to very easily and quickly adjust the power level. The adjuster also serves as an onboard degas tool.
I finally got everything together in time to sling a few rounds across the Chrony. With the present configuration, at max power, it slings a JSB 25.39gr round about 940-945fps. That's around 50fpe. And quiet? MANY thanks David, it is VERY quiet!!!
This afternoon I had time to test a bit for accuracy and to see what different rounds would do. I set out my targets at 30 yards, topped off the reservoir at 3K and filled two mags. One with Predator Polymags (26gr) and the other with JSB 33gr rounds. Remember, I had previously already zeroed at 30 yards with JSB 25.39gr so I fully expected to see the POI shift, especially when I switched to the 33gr rounds.
The Polymags....dead on. And stacked them. Hmmm.....
Shot a mag of 8 then switched to the 33gr. Dead bull and stacking. Hmmm.....
Okay, airgun is definitely NOT pellet picky. Excellent. I'll sling across the Chrony as soon as I get enough after work daylight.
Shot count? Well, I didn't shoot a full string. But after 2 clips and one dry fire (17 shots) the accurate gauge was still reading 2600psi.
Hmmm.....sips air and puts out just under 50fpe?
Now I'm wondering, should I regulate this one? I have an Audrius I can drop in but I'm thinking it doesn't need it.
The spring I used is a medium load so it is still really easy and smooth to cock. I CAN swap the spring to a heavier load one and most likely get more power on the top end. And the adjuster can bring it back down to personal preference or for the user required power. I may keep playing with this one.
Give me some feedback on this one. Should I leave it as is and move on to the next? Go for more power and possibly make it a bit harder (but not unreasonably) harder to cock? Or keep it at a max of 50fpe and adjustable down from there? Regulate it or leave well enough alone?
Thanks for any input!!!
SAFE & Happy Shooting!!!!
Dave
 

[Kailua]

Well I think you know airguns and what you want more than just about anyone in the GTA.  But I sure do appreciate you sharing the love.

[nervoustrigger]

Dave, that sounds like some nice work.

In my opinion, whether or not to regulate is based on a couple of key factors:

1.  How well it behaves as unregulated - After you see how it does over a full string, and tweak it to give a long shot count and acceptable ES...then consider if you would do better with a regulator.  And let's face it, getting good results with a regulator is so easy it feels like cheating.  I think we've all dealt with a rifle at some point in time that seemingly refused to give a good shot string.  Lots of variables to play with.  Hammer springs, preload, hammer weight, stroke, transfer port size, etc..  Somewhere around 20 strings over the chronograph and 500 trigger pulls, a regulator begins looking pretty attractive.  I know you have a lot of experience with the Marauder platform so I doubt you would run into that situation, just talking generalities. 

2.  Does it produce sufficient energy at low-ish pressure - You want a setpoint that will give you a good working pressure differential.  For example, a regulator at 2500psi and a fill pressure of 3000psi isn't too appealing.  But if it will make good energy at 2000psi, that sounds like a good candidate for regulation.  Normally I would also recommend looking at this in terms of what pellets the barrel likes but it sounds like yours isn't very picky.

[UCChris]

Shoot. After my experience with your V1 Dezrauder, I might have to sell my soul to the devil to buy this one too.

[Motorhead]

Appears the "Dezrauder" moniker stuck   

[ezman604]

HaaHaa
Yep Scott, I found it funny and thought I'd soak it for what it's worth.

My 15 minutes of fame.
This is not an advertisement, not intended to be. I'm really at a point that I want opinions and to see what others would do or want. I just enjoy the bench time and have plenty to work on.
It seems to sip air and is putting out right at 50fpe at the present max adjustment. I seriously wonder if I should press on massage it for more power or leave it as is. I think with it seemingly sipping air to generate that power it would not benefit from a regulator....as configured now. Going for more power, may need a regulator.
I just need to see opinions to help me decide to lock it down or press on with experimenting to see where it can go. LOL
This one will most likely appear in a future GTA raffle so it would be nice to know what a majority of folks would really like to see in a .25cal Gen1 MRod.
I'm just excited to get on the bench again and try to rekindle the passion that brought me here in the first place.
Thanks for indulging me.
 

[Dairyboy]

I would just leave it as is. You are building a .30 cal right?

[ezman604]

I would just leave it as is. You are building a .30 cal right?

Yeah Dillon, it's in queue.
I have "Blueboy", one of my other .25cal MRods, going on the table first. Then I'm excited to start on the .30cal build.
Will sport a TJ 20" barrel and Cothran Powerhouse valve and garden hose TP. Will need to do a little machining on the barrel and cut a new light weight hammer. Also waiting on the .30cal magazines and probe. Those should be here by the time I'm ready to toss it onto the operating table.

[Dairyboy]

garden hose TP

  now that's funny. I feel like if it's an air sipper as is not to mess with it. I bought my .25 set up for high power from caniborrowsomeammo and although it was great I wanted a better shot count and with the porting it wasn't goin to happen and now that I converted it to a .30 I just think it's a much better match for higher power. Shot count is great as well with a few tunes, 5 shots within 1.5% ES at 85fpe, 10 shots within 1.4% ES at 77fpe and 20+ shots at 70fpe under 4%. I couldn't get numbers out of my .25 like that. Just my 2 cents  and now I got a WARP to fill my .25 void and get good shot count so all is well.

[Booger]

Didn't I hear where David made an awfully powerful B50? Maybe you should go that route. Get as much power as you can. Instead of just knocking down a target, just tear it up by the roots with each shot.

[ezman604]

LOL
NO thanks. Will leave that kind of power to David and his mighty B-50!!!

[moorepower]

How many shots @ 50fpe, with what e.s.?  It sounds like possibly 3?

[ezman604]

Will try to fine the time to shoot a full string soon and post it. I'm curious myself.

[ezman604]

Well, I took some time today (with the present settings) to shoot a string just to see where it was at. Topped off at 3K. No regulator.
JSB 25.39gr ammo. After 4 mags (32 shots) gauge reads 2150psi.
817.07
809.48
820.78
823.80
828.31
795.17
835.57
846.44
866.25
840.79
861.99
856.14
895.40
873.62
869.42
858.44
879.27
878.63
871.55
881.25
869.54
869.67
865.07
859.60
884.41
887.91
880.55
855.83
851.62
848.28
833.56
822.51

I like the shot count. Ending pressure 2150psi so it has several more shots to go before refill. Strange the jigsaw pattern though. Makes me ponder 3 possibilities or a combination of all three.
Either the tin of pellets not uniform, the new hammer and SSG need to wear in to settle or I need to just tweak a bit like a bit more preload. I will try the preload adjust this evening and a different tin of ammo. If it is still jigsaw string, I may cut a tad heavier hammer. But then again, I may just leave it as is and ship it, that shot count to me is pretty darn good for a .25 caliber.

Thoughts or opinions?

[Geoff]

great shot count indeed.  heck, I may look into a 25 cal if I can get 30ish shots from it.


sounding like a great gun Dave

[Booger]

Thoughts or opinions?

Call Rocker. He will show you how to get 100 FPE. LOL

Seriously, "Good Job".

[ezman604]

Wait, where do you think he learned that?
 
I'm building a power beast SOON. Working my way around to it, it's coming.
 
This one is going out to a bench shooter so I think it's set pretty good for the intended use.
But....we are our own worst critics and hate to just stop, tag it and ship it.
 

[Booger]

Wait, where do you think he learned that?
 
I'm building a power beast SOON. Working my way around to it, it's coming.
 
This one is going out to a bench shooter so I think it's set pretty good for the intended use.
But....we are our own worst critics and hate to just stop, tag it and ship it.
 

Been there done that. In use to build computers as a hobby, and always wanted faster and more efficient. There was always something I could do to enhance the speed and efficiency either hardware or software. I was never happy. LOL

[mobilemail]

Wait, where do you think he learned that?
 
I'm building a power beast SOON. Working my way around to it, it's coming.
 
This one is going out to a bench shooter so I think it's set pretty good for the intended use.
But....we are our own worst critics and hate to just stop, tag it and ship it.
 

That's silly. Shooting benches is just plain reckless. 

[ezman604]

Not when they're in season!!!!