Calling all Falcon "experts" - advice needed...

[gravity sucks]

Took delivery today of a "sold as un-seen" Falcon FN12 Raptor 0.22" bought from an auction site.

It's a bit rough a round the edges but all the "old dog" needs is a bit of TLC to get it back into shape.

Put it over the chrono (Combro) and imagine my disappointment... It's only chucking out a 16.0gr AA Field at 8.5-ish ft/lbs. Having tweaked the hammer spring I'm getting a reasonably consistent 10.3 ft/lbs for 15-20 shots.

A recent thead I started suggested 11.5 - 11.7 ft/lbs is achieveable so that made me look elsewhere of the power loss. A dusting of talcum powder around the breech shows a major air loss from the breech (around the probe) when firing. You can feel the blast against your cheek.

Not those cheeks...


Any ideas ? is this leak normal ?

Plus this gun seems to snag eight out of ten pellets, even with NEW magazines.

Are AA Fields OK with Falcons, are there easier fitting pellets or is this normal/acceptible. In fairness I dont know if its the pellets snagging the breech or the probe snagging the magazine port.

These and so many other questions remain unanswered...

Thanks to Rapidnick for some earlier assistance and the single shot mag mod.

ATB Toby.

[tsuobi]

There is a small 'o' seal in the breech block where the probe pushes into. This may well have worn giving you the breech leakage. Pull the cocking handle fully back and lock it down then shine a torch into the breech hole and you will see it.
I remove mine with a straightened paper clip with a small right angle bend into the end of it. Ensure you smooth and round off the end of the wire before you use it. I cannot remember the size but once removed it shouldnt be too hard to get a replacement. It is fiddly to do and just as fiddly to put back in
Alternatively contact Falcon at:
Falcon Airguns
Unit 5-6, Hailsham Industrial Park,
Diplocks Way, Hailsham,
East Sussex BN27 3JF.
England.

Tel:: 0845 6588616

and talk to Mr Cooper and arrange for the gun to be serviced. About £30 if memory serves but the gun comes back in top order. There may well be damage to the valve if previous owners have over zealously tweaked the hammer spring but the service will sort that out.

AA field work very well in these guns. Least ways they do in mine. I have had no problems with them clipping the breech as the probe locates the pellet. A problem I did have with Accupells.

11.5 ftlb with AA field is very achievable and you should get over 32 shots(4 Mags) at that level. You will need to find the heart of the fill which in mine is a 150bar fill.

[Mnementh]

Hi Toby.
As Tsuobi says, first thing is to replace the breech seal. This will immediately "up" the power. You'll probably need to back off the hammer "pre-load" to keep the rifle in limit.

The magazine problem is a doddle to fix, as follows.

Get hold of a drill or chamfer bit. (drill bigger than 3/8")

Dismantle your magazines, noting carefully the edges of the holes, with respect to input and output sides.

CAREFULLY, chemfer the FRONT edges of the front flange, front edge of rotor AND front edge of exit flange.

This should cure your indexing problems, "at a stroke".

NOTE, only a very small chamfer is needed and if you use a sharp drill bit, be very careful or the bit will dig into the soft plastic, "BIG time".

Try one magazine first and check with Matchpells, or RWS hollow points. These were the two pellets that gave me trouble.

If you still get indexing problems, then as Tsuobi says, get in touch with Falcon, for a service.

HTH,
Sandy

[ikarma70]

i agree with the falcon service,these are the guys that build them and they will have your falcon as good as new.
i regretted selling my fn19,even tho it was the single shot version,it was superbly made,excellent quality finish and accuracy was more than i ever could have expected.

as for the aa fields.....imho you cant go wrong with them.i use them in my s410k,s200 and my hw90k and i never questioned the quality and accuracy of these pellets in the 5.52mm size.

[throdgrain]

I use mine all the time, and I can get eight mags, thats 64 full power shots with most pellets, though mine likes RWS Superdomes.
I have a chrono , and it makes about 11.4 ftllbs with those pellets, or 11.7ftllbs with Bisley Mags.
This is in .22 calibre by the way. I fill to 185 as recommended by Falcon, and after my 8 mags the pressure is down to about 100, which is about right.

[neralcm]

Found AA Fields to be good only surpassed by Bis Mags in 4.51, very consistent power and accuracy is spot on.
Stuart

[baz]

Sounds like the indexing needs a tweak, common on these Falcons

Baz

[Rapidnick]

There you are Toby! Lots of help at the touch of a button! Sounds to me like the Falcon service is the way to go.

[gravity sucks]

My thanks to all of the above contributors...

I've got plenty to go on now and I'll let you know the outcome.

Thanks Again
ATB Toby....

[gravity sucks]

Home now, checked the breech using specially bent paper clip and a torch and guess what, no o-ring, recess around inside of breech is completely uncluttered by "ring-like sealing articals. I guess that's why I get more air in my face than goes down the barrel...


Spoke to T.R Robb this PM and for a fee he's sending me a Raptor servicing kit with video instructions...


All the springs, o-rings, valves, greases, in fact all those bits to make your evening complete and litter your shed/front room/kitchen with springy bits that were there until you removed that cap and then you heard summat hit the wall behind you head...


If it ever works again I'll let you know. I now know why people buy new or from people they know, coz if it doesn't work you can get your money back or slash their tyres...

ATB Guys
Toby....

[neralcm]

If it ever works again I'll let you know. I now know why people buy new or from peple you know, coz if it doesn't work you can get your money back or slash their tyres...

I thought the same when my second+ hand raptor would not perform, now that it does I can't stop shooting it. Well worth the time and effort to get it right.

Stuart

[gravity sucks]

Well Guys...

New breech o-ring, new hammer spring and brass hammer. Countersunk the magazine "holes" and converted one tatty mag for single shot.

Thirty rounds over the chrono 11.5 - 11.7ft/lbs and I love it....


Job done.