HW45 barrel clamp bolts - Are these a standard metric size?

[Mark A]

As seems to be common with these guns the bolts that secure the barrel to the frame were made from cheese and cross threaded. Luckily the allen heads weren't rounded and the female thread seems to be ok, its just the bolts are unusable so need to be replaced.

I googled it but cant seem to find out what size they are and whether they can be replaced with off the shelf bolts, or am I going to have to buy two overpriced bolts from Chambers?

Thanks, Mark

[Mark A]

It looks like they might just be 6mm long M3 countersunk bolts which can be had for cheap on the bay. A German gun would use standard metric bolts wouldn't it? Its a Blackstar with fibre optic sights, so must be fairly new.

[Mark A]

48 views and no one knew the answer?

Well I ordered some metric bolts, 99p for 6 M3x6mm stainless countersunk head bolts (The hole is deep enough to allow for longer bolts, so 8mm would be better). They fit perfectly . The reason the old bolts were stripped was because the little steel plate that holds the barrel into the frame was being pushed out of alignment with the holes due to the rough edges. Filed them off and now it aligns perfectly.

The threaded holes go down a few extra mm than the standard bolts, so if you have the opposite problem to me and the threads in the hole are cabbaged, then you could re-tap it and get some longer bolts.

http://i29.photobucket.com/albums/c2...psc66zpks3.jpg

[fox87]

48 views and no one knew the answer?

Well I ordered some metric bolts, 99p for 6 M3x6mm stainless countersunk head bolts (The hole is deep enough to allow for longer bolts, so 8mm would be better). They fit perfectly . The reason the old bolts were stripped was because the little steel plate that holds the barrel into the frame was being pushed out of alignment with the holes due to the rough edges. Filed them off and now it aligns perfectly.

The threaded holes go down a few extra mm than the standard bolts, so if you have the opposite problem to me and the threads in the hole are cabbaged, then you could re-tap it and get some longer bolts.

http://i29.photobucket.com/albums/c2...psc66zpks3.jpg

handy to know about the screws,ive just removed my .22 barrel and am replacing it with a .177. I found the plate holding the barrel in place quite hard to remove so got some long nosed pliers covered in a piece of cloth to help remove it.

[Robet]

I'm thinking of changing my .177 to.22. It's only 2 years old.
Managed to loosen 1 of the barrel screws which has some red gunge on it. The 2nd doesn't want to move & I'm reluctant to use more force as I think it'll round off the hex socket.

Wondered how you managed to get yours out, any help welcomed.
Rob

[airgunnut]

I'm thinking of changing my .177 to.22. It's only 2 years old.
Managed to loosen 1 of the barrel screws which has some red gunge on it. The 2nd doesn't want to move & I'm reluctant to use more force as I think it'll round off the hex socket.

Wondered how you managed to get yours out, any help welcomed.
Rob

Don't bother! My 45 is .177 I was given a .22 barrel, it was quickly swaped back to the .177
Try using a needle flame blow torch to warm the area to loosen the loctite

[Robet]

Hi airgunnut,

very interested to know what didn't you like about the .22. Could save me a lot of hassle changing!

Thanks, Rob

[airgunnut]

Hi airgunnut,

very interested to know what didn't you like about the .22. Could save me a lot of hassle changing!

Thanks, Rob

.22 in sub 6ftlbs pistols is pointless, the pellet is too heavy and doesn't have the speed to give a reasonable trajectory which is pronounced!

I now it back and await the abuse from the poor misguided yokels, who think .22 pistols are best!

[rockdrill]

I have an HW45 in .22 that was a Christmas present back in 1986.

It still gives a muzzle velocity of 420 fps with Superdomes - yes chronographed in the last week or so - and is still on its original spring. It has seen reasonable use over the years.

.22 isn't perhaps the best calibre in most air pistols, but to be honest I haven't found it a disadvantage, I just learned how to use it. Very satisfying to knock down a field target a 50 yards using open sights - not a feat I could do every shot, but enough times to show it wasn't a fluke.

Pretty much all pistols (& revolvers), whether airguns or firearms are hard to use and I have noticed a tendency for those who don't have the skill to use them to criticise them.

[airgunnut]

.22 pellets are more efficient with air than .177 but sub 6 ft lbs the weight of a .22 is too much.
it's all good and well saying those who criticise haven't got the skill to use the gun there critcising but pistol shooting is not the easiest of sports to start with, so why make it harder by introducing a very pronounced trajectory?
I have won a few club and regional 10m air pistol comps.

[rockdrill]

Fair point for competitive 10m pistol shooting....

But that really isn't the primary use for a gun like an HW45 though is it?

[airgunnut]

Fair point for competitive pistol shooting....

But that really isn't the primary use for a gun like an HW45 though is it?

The hw45 is not intended to be used for hunting (no pistol is recommend for hunting!)
So that just leaves plinking, which is ment to be fun, my idea of fun is not constantly compensating for the loopy trajectory of a sub 6 .22 pellet out of a pistol!

[Robet]

Just did a quick compare on chairgun, airgunnut I see what you mean about trajectory difference at longer ranges.

177 at 50yd drop = 15" and at 25yd = 1.24"

22 at 50yd drop = 28" and at 25yd = 3.5"

At 11yd (10m) not such a huge difference but 177 has a wider kill zone so I guess easier to hit the target.

Assuming I've got my chairgun numbers about right.

Looks like I might have a 22 barrel up for sale then!

Thanks for your help & explanations.
Rob

[Mark A]

I wonder if the .20 would be a good compromise? There seems to be a good selection of pellets available these days at the same price as .22. The barrels seem to be very rare though.

Also, I ended up buying some 8mm M3 stainless bolts. The 6mm ones were fine really, but just wanted that extra length so I could tighten them up without worrying about stripping the female thread. Added some blue loctite so they dont work loose.

[airgunnut]

I have thought about a .20 but it's still too heavy and .20 pellets are very hard to find around here
I would have used nail varnish on the new bolts, paint the tread with nail varnish, let it dry then screw in, this prevents it shaking loose but still soft enough to remove unlike loctite,
As far as I'm aware the 45 barrels are tuned to give the same power regardless of calibre, so if you put a .20 in its still going to be the same power just with a more pronounced trajectory, this is one of the reasons why the .25 never became popular (and the fact the .25 pellets were like hens teeth in rocking horse poo!)