Ram options for Trail XL 1100 with low FPS

[JR]

I got a used Trail XL 1100 the other day, it's less than a year old,  fired a few shots across the Chony to see what it was reading, I got a average of 785 with 14.3 CPHP, kinda low. I had ordered new seals for it so I tore it a part, the piston seal was under sized and hard. All I had to do was tip the gun and the piston slid right out, no drag on the seal at all. I cleaned everything up, lubed it and put a new Crosman seal on, which was .015 larger diameter than the original. I also installed a new breach seal with high hopes that I would gain some of the missing speed. Took it out the other day and shot it again with the new seals, only gained about 30 FPS,average was around  807 fps,  kinda disappointing. However! the spread before and after was less than 10 fps, so it is consistent, just low, so the problem must be the ram.


SO......ram options....do I just get a replacement from Crosman or get a N-forcer or other ram? I'm looking for a ram that shoots the 14.3's in the range most XL's do, high 800's to low 900's. OEM ram is the cheapest choice I'm sure, probably the easiest way also. I order a 25 cal. barrel for the XL also because I wanted to try it, kind of a waste right now might only get 400 fps. ....Shoot me some options and ideas!

[56S]

Just so happen to be dealing with similar issues with a Titan.  Measure the ram and post here.  Check cylinder and piston diameter, piston exposed length and cylinder length or just the Over All Length.  Having these numbers makes it easy to match.  For my Titan, I am unable to find a replacement other than the OEM.

[OleTomCat]

JR,

If the N2 Ram is defective you basically have two options:


    1.) replacement with OEM from Crosman
    2.) Modify gun to accept larger Industrial Die spring ram like the N-Forcer MF19-125-?...

See this thread here:

http://www.gatewaytoairguns.org/GTA/index.php?topic=55716.0

[JR]

Yes I have been following that thread thanks for the link. Mostly looking to see if anyone has swapped out to a different ram in the Trail XL, how much was involved and the results. I have read a few things about swapping rams in different models/brands of guns but not this particular gun, least that I could find. If I got a non-OEM ram hopping to get one that is close to just right, read a little on ram swaps that were weak and so hard they bent the barrel when cocking. Though it wouldn't hurt to ask around and maybe save myself some grief.

If one of these two rams ( N-Forcer MF19-125-red or yellow) would work and give me the OEM FPS or even a tad better 925+ fps and only requires removing some of the retaining block that's no biggy. Still need to read a little not sure of the difference in *red* vs *yellow*

As a side note....when I tore this gun down I did find a one part to many and missing. The metal disc that is between the end of the ram and the retaining block....mine had 2 not 1.  Then there are 2-3 shims between the retaining block and the threaded end plug, mine had none. I put it back together as it was with 2 discs the first time, speed was only 800'ish fps with new seals. Got to thinking that the extra disc might be robbing me of some volume so I tore it down again and removed the extra disc. Tried the Chrony again and gained a little speed, those discs really aren't that thick. Don't know for sure that removing the disc really did gain me the 10 or so fps or something else.

[silent_airman]

I sold the gun to JR. I have no chrony so I had no way to know it was defective. I hardly shot it, so it had to be that way from the factory. There's really no way to know if a gun is defective without a chrony? I don't have any extra money for one unfortunately. Guess I am at the manufacturer's mercy. Oh well.

[OleTomCat]

JR,

If you want to spend the money on one that will fit exactly you can contact N-Forcer and they will custom cut one to your size requirements but they are $100.00 each, that is why I have been trying to modify the gun to fit the stock 125mm, so far with the ram forward I am getting slightly better than stock results with  extremely lightened piston and N-Forcer ram, I need to make a few more mods before I can get it to work the other way and hopefully get more than 12fpe out of it.

Al

[JR]

Ya I'm not blaming anything on George.....with out a Chrony and having a gun that shoots about the same you might not know. If anyone is to blame it might be Crosmans QC people, or lack there off, but maybe it was good when it hit the boat?  I shot it 4-5 times as soon as I got it out of the box just to see what it was like. Some say it kicks, so I was thinking with the speed it should have and being a so-called "scope killer" it would give a good jolt like my Hatsan 125 Sniper. After a few shots I thought this is nothing like the Hatsan, so I tried the Chrony and saw why the shot cycle wasn't much more than my trail. I had already ordered new seals figuring it would need them and hoping the ram was good.


It is what it is, I'll just get a new OEM ram for now and look at other options for a winter project, not quite winter yet and I want to shoot. If it had the power of the Hatsan and the shot cycle of the Trail it would be the gun everyones looking for! But...power comes with a price

[silent_airman]

Guess I better think about a chrony, maybe for Christmas. I plan to bulk CO2 on some of my guns and it would be helpful in setting those up right. Good luck, JR and keep us posted.

[JR]

Yep gota have a Chrony, for a air gun they can show you if it is shooting the speed it should ( or how much slower than bs claimed speed), what pellets the gun likes, how consistent it shoots, etc. A Chronograph is almost more useful for a air gun than a real gun I think, more info out there for ballistics on powder burners than pellets.  I use mine all the time for checking hand loads for my center fire handloads. I think a lot of people think it might be one of those extra toys that you will hardly use, but after you get one and see what info it can tell you then you wish you would have got one a long time ago. I had a buddy that had some hand loads I checked for him that were way faster than he thought and shot like &^^&. After seeing what the chrony showed us he went and got one a few days later and shot close to 100 rounds with misc guns just to see what the speed was.


So...anyway....I just ordered a OEM ram from Crosman, it will work for now as long as it is up to power, I'll look into a ram upgrade in a couple months. There has to be somebody that has done a ram swap on a XL that can give me some insight/direction to go. I'm not asking for much really...18 gr pellet at 950 fps or 800 in 25 cal. with a shot cycle like a Crosman Raven, simple enough.

[JR]

Got my new ram from Crosman today, I'll get it put in this weekend and see how it does. I have 1 more new OEM seal left so I'll put it in also just for a warm fuzzy. I was going to order a new piston seal from ARH but forgot.