Here's a gallery of what the .177 Hatsan Flash hammer looks like: It weighs just over 63.5 grams and, unfortunately, I don't think I can find a way to lighten it enough to really matter. I doubt I'll find anyone that wants to make an MDS hammer for this, so I'm left to less conventional methods. With the HST as low as possible and the hammer spring shim removed, I am seeing 10.34 JSB @ 815 fps, reg set at 120 bar/1750 psi. I can tell you that, with the same hammer spring settings, the gun will get valve lock at 3000 psi. My thought is that I could potentially set the reg around 2500 psi and see if that will give me a semi-valve locked shot on the reg. I don't know how that will effect consistency, but with the regulator keeping the valve psi at the same, I don't see why it wouldn't be consistent. I wouldn't get very many shots, but the whole point of this gun is to make it as silent as possible.
I'd try turning the reg up to 130-140 bar. That will help. I wouldn't turn it up to 170 bar. Your consistency would go out the window. You could also change out the hammer spring, or cut a couple of coils off. I certainly like your thought process of faster valve closing, the quieter the gun. A well tuned gun is always quieter than one that wastes air. Another thing you can do is open up the valve seat to 3/16 or slightly larger. The larger opening will make the valve close faster, but I don't know if you want to go that far with it(I do it on all my guns). I think your bigger limiting factor is the QE. You may want to remove it and put an aftermarket LDC on there. The factory barrel is threaded, so adding an LDC is as simple as removing the QE and screwing on the LDC. The QE on the newer guns just isn't as effective as it used to be, because Hatsan started making the holes in the baffles way larger than needed. There are some folks selling replacement baffles for the QE that some people have been happy with.At the power level you're shooting, the gun shouldn't be that loud, but you can always make it quieter. The NC LDCs are tops in quietness in my opinion. Many people like the Donnyfl LDCs, but the NC is better to my ears. There are many other good ones too, like Huggett, 0db, Trident, and even Huma makes some now. Rocker1 also makes a good LDC that won't break the bank. You could also order an adapter(from Donnyfl or ebay) that screws onto the end of your QE and add an LDC onto it. I have a NC on my Flash .177 and it is insanely quiet at the 17-18fpe it is currently tuned for. It is also pretty quiet at 40fpe as well If you are shooting in an enclosed space, the gun will seem much louder, than if you are outside. Get a friend to shoot it with you standing beside them outdoors, and you'll get a real representation of how loud it really is.
< looks at pictures of the hammer > Ugh, yeah I don't think I can help you with that one. I think Donny's advice is good. Both points about operating at partial valve lock are valid--it's quiet but the ES suffers--so it's a bad tradeoff unless you are keeping your shots inside of 30 yards or so. That's just an educated guess. It will depend on how consistent the hammer strike is (subtle differences in friction or sear drag) and how well the regulator maintains a precise setpoint.
Man, that is one poorly machined hammer! Yep, hatsan is getting worse and worse with their machine work. they may be fine to look at on the outside,but inside, virtual junk! Yet the prices are not what you should be paying for such sloppy work. Grrrrr!!!Yes, it can be easily lightened. First, how deep down the hole in the hammer that captures the spring go. Probably plenty of roon to extend it. If the depth needs to be kept where it is, use peek or delrin rod as an insert to fill what is drilled out. More importantly, I see no air channel that should be there to allow air go escape from in front of the hammer when it is released and traveling toward the valve pin. The air will act as a cushion and cause erratic valve hits. As a side benefit, weight is decreased as well when doing it. Anyone with a drill press can do the work on deepening the spring guide hole in the hammer. Anyone with a Mill can cut channels in the hammer. If no machinist is avaliable too you, Knifemaker is always around. and I don't' charge for it. I simply enjoy working on ag's. and unlike that workmanship shown in the link to the hammer, you won't get a sickening feeling in the pit of your stomach when you see it. Nothing leaves my shop before it is both right, and looks just as right! Knife
With your current settings, are you tuned above the knee? Below the knee? What does your shot string look like? If you are experiencing valve lock at 3k which I imagine is your max fill, you have to have slow first shots in your string. That is a jacked up tune. I think you may be approaching the quiet gun from the wrong direction. Tune it for peak efficiency first. Efficient guns make the most out of any quieting device. Then have someone else shoot it like Rallyshark said. That abomination of a hammer right next to your ear might have you thinking the gun is louder that it really is.
If I was going to lighten that hammer I would take weight off it the way you take weight off a crankshaft when you balance it. You don’t drill a hole you just drill in a little. Instead of killing drill bits on a hardened hammer, I would heat the back half cherry red and let it cool. That will take out the hardness. I’m not sure where your sear makes contact with the hammer but if it’s up front, you might be able to get away without hardening the whole hammer again. And you can test it as you take off weight. After you are happy with the weight I would harden and temper it again if necessary, then polish it.
Unlike some...and likely because I'm not looking for max-power, just getting as much as I can from a goal power...have noticed even a 15-20% change in weight (lets say from 58grams to 48ish).But I don't see an easy way to reduce that one (and by the way...that's a pretty rough machined striker....are variations I suppose, with some nicer than others, but that one is corn-cob rough). HAve had the Flash Pup's fully apart once...nothing looked nearly that rough.Mistake #1 would be to lathe it/smooth it all down to polished bright to a dead even surface as that would make the striker significantly smaller. Would then be a "rattle fit" in the tube, which would do nothing good for consistency (variable contact/friction) or sear release (variable sear engagement). Would be trading a rough striker for a loose fitting striker...pretty much an even trade. Wouldn't hurt to polish the high spots...not enough reduction in diameter to matter, and the high spots are the only ones in contact with the air tube, so would be the only real friction makers.Can swear that they were not all like that one...although I suspect none of them were the pretty-bright polish some folks want to see.
Well I do think you could get 25% out but admittedly probably not a whole lot more. And I bet you could pull it off with a $20 propane torch*. However if the idea of having to re-harden it is a bridge too far, here’s a twist to consider. Just heat the whole thing cherry red to anneal it, then drill out the nose and tap it for a grade 8 (SAE) or grade 12.9 (metric) grub screw. Grind/file/sand the tip flat and that becomes the part that takes the impact with the valve stem. The other upside is you now have an adjustable striker. On a regulated setup, it’s not as beneficial as if it were a traditional PCP, but it might still come in handy for making fine adjustments to the tune…especially if you can fashion a through hole to reach in and adjust it from outside. That feature has been really useful on my B51, for example. *such as https://www.walmart.com/ip/BERNZOMATIC-330923-Pencil-Flame-Torch-Kit-2-Piece/295966342
If it is tool steel, yes, cherry red will do it. If ss, no. If heatreatable ss, It has to be brought up to critical and the temp dropped 100 deg per hour until under 900-975 deg from 1875 to 1950 deg. If like the evenix hammers, it is only case hardened. Much work on it will destroy the hard shell. However, using micro grain carbide end mills, you can work it just fine in its hardened state. Luckily I have the equipment to do just about anything needed with any of these metals. Including the heat treating furnace. For smooth hammer, with little friction, nothing beats the f-i-r-t-h system, Where nylon, delrin, or teflon buttons are placed in the front shoulder and rear of a hammer. It glides effortlessly, and it will not damage the ture or mono block it rides in. Even over years of use. But it does take some work and fitting. Knife
UCCHris, I actually just asked hatsan last week if they have hammers instock for the flash and they do at $19.99
Advertise Here
Share This!