Crosman 2300 S ultra build

[Hoosier Daddy]

WOW!
 
What did you use on the aluminum breech to give it the black color?

[Racer X]

After a light scuff with a scotchbright pad I painted it with epoxy paint made for appliances. I taped off the beeach and bottom and filled the cocking slot with putty.

I don't expect it to hold up but I am hopeful. I have a lead on a powder coater. After everything is finished and shooting I will think about sending all the parts out for powder coating. Except the brass and the barrel.

[Hoosier Daddy]

I have had good luck with appliance epoxy paint on motorcycle parts that see more abuse than an airgun ever should!

[Racer X]

That is what I use on my motorcycle frame and other metal parts. I like Rustolium on the fiberglass fairings. The problem with paint is it will scratch and chip. The good is it can be touched up or redone easy.

[Rivers3Plinker]

Two part automotive paint out of an airbrush would seem like the toughest and easiest to source. Powdercoating would be really durable and what I would want.  Small gun parts would be ideal to coat with these small, home powdercoat setups I've seen.

[Racer X]

The thing with powder coat is it is a single charge for all the parts. I would sand blast them and cork the threads. I would not coat the main tube because of the factory etching. The barrel I would not do because of the heat. All the brass parts would not get coated. That only leaves the frame ,breach ,scope rings and the air stripper. With the black metal finish of the barrel and main tube and scope. I would be tempted to add color. The idea of a dark red has always appealed to me for some reason.

I am also thinking about a fore stock from a 2250. Maybe hydro graphics on them. That could get crazy. I am going to have fun while I save up for the other parts. If anyone has suggestions PLEASE post up photos. I just want to enjoy the journey

This is called translucent mahogany. A friend did his bicycle frame with it.

[Underdog]

If I were paying money to coat my airgun parts, I'd probablly use Cerakote.

[Racer X]

Thank you for that. I forgot to even look into regular firearm finishes.

That took all of five minutes. I found a Crakote applicator just a couple miles up the road from me. And they do powder coating. Now I have someone I can talk to face to face and look at samples.

[Underdog]

Cool!  Let us know what you find out. Following your build with interest...

[Racer X]

I ordered a super sear today. After getting everything assembled and testing the trigger pull. It is over 2 lb. it's smooth and has no creep. It feels a little heavy. I am hoping the super sear acts as advertised. Two stage and less weight. If not I will think about the P rod trigger.

[Wayne52]

I'm seriously thinking about eventually ordering a Prod trigger group for my 2240 because I just love how my Prod is, best Crosman trigger out there IMO!

[Racer X]

I talked to the powder coater. He wants to see the parts before he can really answer any questions.

My questions are about color and different metal. I have a factory main tube with the Crosman logo and the serial number. Also 2300 T etched in the side. It's not stamped. I used bluing solution to remove all the warning label but left the caliber size. I don't want to loose any of that. So I am faced with choices. Copy all of it and powder coat the main tube then replace the logos and graphics. Or match the color choice to the main tube as it is. Or have the graphics lazer etched into the tube or something.

The frame is a strange alloy. The other parts are brass ,steel and aluminum. I don't want a bunch of different colors or shades. So I'm probably going to go with a mat black sort of thing. I did not ask him about Cerikote. He may do it or not. But he is very close to my house and comes highly recommended .

I am very close to the end of the parts list. I need one more barrel band and scope rings. And the muzzle brake. Once I get those parts I will take them and talk to him.

[Racer X]

More parts arrived today.
Brass end cap on the breach. Just for looks.
Aluminum barrel band. This needs to have the mold seam removed . Then finish and polish and powder coat. The band is the one that will go close to the breach. The grub screws are top and bottom.  This will hold down the breach and secure the forward end and take pressure off the tiny philips head screw holding the breach in place under the bolt. The second band will have two grub screws going into the main tube and nothing touching the barrel. This will allow the barrel to float around as it needs to.

And the Super Sear. Fantastic is the final word. But it took a couple hours of fiddle to get there. First it needed to be polished on all sides. It is stamped and ruff. Second the washers also need some work and are thicker than needed. I decided to use them and after polishing them I polished the inside of the frame plates to get a perfect fit. Zero side play and zero drag. Then the fun began.

The modifications I did to the original sear all had to be removed. The spring I was using was very thin . And I had another spring pushing the play out of the trigger. That did not allow the sear to fully lock in front of the hammer. After a lot of trial and error I installed the factory spring and removed the pusher. Now it works great. I can turn the adjustment all the way down. It is to light at under 8oztrigger weight. That is not safe. And I can turn it up and get a nice smooth two and a half pound trigger pull. And best of all it is super accurate to adjust between the two settings. I got the 1.5 lb weight I wanted with ease.

The super sear is a real two stage trigger. The spring I added pushed the trigger into the sear and removed the first stage. That's no good. So now I need to reverse the spring. Instead of a push spring I need a pull spring. I don't like the trigger to just rattle back and forth. So that is the next thing to do.

[Racer X]

Ok you can't drill a hole in a hardened Allen screw. Haha
 
I ended up cutting a hook and wrapping the bottom ancor of the spring to it. Then a hook/loop at the trigger. Now I have a nice smooth two stage trigger. No play no slop no creep and no drag. It's adjustable for weight from 8oz. to 32oz.

[Racer X]

   As we come to the end of the year I thought I would do a project 2230T summery. I will order the barrel Friday. Then a week for that to arrive. I am going to paint all the parts with epoxy paint to see how I like the look of gloss black. Then fully assemble the pistol.
 Once it is assembled I will do some chrony testing.

  The final thing will be to build a display box. That will be fun. I want to have it with powerlet's ,oil ,tools and pellets. Maybe a short barrel. All set in velvet lined foam.

This what I have so far.

Frame.
Seams removed, trigger stop added, trigger spring anchor. Aluminum side plate
Custom made pins

Breach.
Aluminum long breach. Left hand cocking slot.

Bolt and cocking arm .
Brass long probe, custom Made cocking lever.

Barrel.
10.5 inch Lothar Walther
 
Barrel brake. Aluminum

Trigger. Brass roller polished trigger shoe, return spring.

Super sear. Polished with adjustable spring

Two barrel aluminum barrel bands.

Factory grips with fiberglass filer for sound deadening.

Inside valve.
Pro top valve with p rod hammer. Adjustable striker, Teflon coated and relieved for sear clearance.
Adjustable hammer spring

Other goodies
Brass safety lever
2300T main tube
All screws are custom made slotted black ,rifle screws.

Total adjustments...
Trigger pull weight
Trigger stop travel
Hammer spring pressure
Striker stroke length

[AmBraCol]

This has been a fun build to follow.  Thanks for sharing.

[Racer X]

I'm thinking about the barrel and how it is mounted into the breech. I don't want to over tighten the grub screws and distort the bore.

 I have two on the breech and one on the band. I am thinking of using a thread locker like blue locktight and running it around the barrel in the area of the grub screw. Then gently tighting the screws. I'm thinking this will sort of bed the barrel and prevent it from moving and then the screws will just be a little extra security.

[Rivers3Plinker]

I'm thinking about the barrel and how it is mounted into the breech. I don't want to over tighten the grub screws and distort the bore.

 I have two on the breech and one on the band. I am thinking of using a thread locker like blue locktight and running it around the barrel in the area of the grub screw. Then gently tighting the screws. I'm thinking this will sort of bed the barrel and prevent it from moving and then the screws will just be a little extra security.

I could be mistaken but I find it hard to believe using hand tools in a reasonable fashion you could distort the bore of a LW barrel by over tightening the grub screws. The loctite blue on the screws themselves should be adequate. I use that product on those particular screws every time I put the two together. I would think putting loctite on the barrel or in the breach bore where the barrel is installed would make it really difficult pain in the rear to remove it later should the need arise. Seems to me like needless overkilled overkill.

[Racer X]

I would not think so either. But when I put the forward barrel band on. I put it all the way to the front of the main tube.  I did not tighten the grub screws tight at all. Just test fitting the band and it caused the end screw cap to feel tight. I know the main tube is very thin. And moving the band back 5 mm was enough to reduce pressure on the threads. This got me thinking about the barrel. I definitely did not and would not over tighten the screws.
But I was thinking a plastic like substance like locktight would be bennifical to accuracy.

I am using two barrel bands one at the breech. The first one has a top and bottom screw like the factory band. It's  purpose is to secure the barrel and breech and remove pressure off the tiny forward breech screw. The forward band is from alchemy airgunworks and has two grub screws that secure it to the main tube and none touching the barrel. This is to protect the barrel from shifting mostly as added security.

[Racer X]

I got some more parts ready. I am still waiting on the barrel. But I got the muzzle brake and the forward barrel band.
I painted the parts with gloss black epoxy paint. It seems to be holding up. I also got a set of scope rings.
They grip from both sides of the scope rail and center well. They are not to high.  I don't like to raise the scope up more than I have to. I should be able to get a pellet into the loading port OK.