Tuning Webley Osprey

[leadhead]

Gentlemen - Could I get the currently perceived wisdom for tuning (for smoothness not power) on a Webley Ospray. Seems to be a complete mishmash of info. Piston chops with parachute seals, button pistons, o ring conversions. I am a fairly experienced tuner but never tackled one of these. Your kind assistance appreciated.

[yorkiets]

Watching with interest.

I also have one that is in standard trim. It would be interesting to see if it could be improved.

[coburn]

Errrr... leave be

Don't do it, Had a mate in the 80's who gave his Osprey to John Bowkit to tune, even appeared in AGW, end result, a hand grenade looking for a war.

My .177 Supertarget runs about 8ftlb's why does it need more?

Whoops, just re read your post, agree smoothness could be improved.

P.S see you at the next arms fair at Bisley?

[hwtyger]

Had my osprey supertarget revised and optimised for 6yrd oldtimer competition.(close to 7.5J)
Pistonseal was changed, as was the spring with one with different thread thickness. Completed with HW springguide.
That said, its stíll harsher to shoot than my mk3 supertarget. Probably due to the taploader design. But its recoil is quick and it shoots without twang.
Can cock it with my pinky too.
Also, check barrel- taploader hole alignment.

[johnbaz]

Think I read somewhere that the piston can be swapped for a Tracker piston for a much smoother firing cycle as the Osprey piston seal is a proper nylon seal rather than two bronze impregnated rings! (Or something similar!)...

Can't say for sure as i've not stripped a Webley sidelever that far before!

John

[hammy]

I've a project Supertarget.
Before I received it someone had turned it into a carbine by cutting it down with a hacksaw and not finishing the crown .
I had it the crown done and threaded for a moderator.
I modded the piston for a HW seal and gave the piston a polish and fitted a new spring.
I believe I have now produced the most horrible rifle to shoot ever devised, lol . It is truly awful.
I'm going to go back to it again and give it another go .

[leadhead]

Well I WAS told it would be a challenge!!

[johnbaz]

I've a project Supertarget.
Before I received it someone had turned it into a carbine by cutting it down with a hacksaw and not finishing the crown .
I had it the crown done and threaded for a moderator.
I modded the piston for a HW seal and gave the piston a polish and fitted a new spring.
I believe I have now produced the most horrible rifle to shoot ever devised, lol . It is truly awful.
I'm going to go back to it again and give it another go .

Ha ha!!

Glad I wasn't drinking my tea at the second I read this!!

I have an Osprey that was dropped and the barrel had snapped off! I fitted a carbined Tracker barrel (I Call it an Ospracker now!! ), And like yours, The cycle is appaling but then so is the ordinary Osprey that I also have, I just put it down to both guns being worn on the piston seal or the tap being kaput!!


John

[I. J.]

Why bother with that trigger?

[leadhead]

Just perversity!!
But did rebuild a Tracker trigger by remaking a curved metal trigger unit and with a bit of jiggery pokery it can be much improved. Will attempt to repeat that in the Osprey.
If you own that particular Tracker, it has a brass HW looking trigger guard also. I would very much like to hear from you please.

[hwtyger]

The motor-like piston seals never seem to give good results. The Hawke's have the same issue.
I dont know whether the Osprey has those seals though. If it has than this has been altered as well to take normal seals on mine no doubt.
I havent messed with the trigger in any way. The Supertargets trigger is light and crisp.
So is the trigger on my ex museum Tracker.
Waaaaaaaaaaaaaay different than the one on another Tracker I used to have.

Nope, a shorter barrel wont make it a nicer shooter What a stupid ass anyway to do such a thing...it totally ruins the collectors value of the rifle

[johnbaz]

Nope, a shorter barrel wont make it a nicer shooter What a stupid ass anyway to do such a thing...it totally ruins the collectors value of the rifle

The gun was dropped and the barrel snapped off! The only barrel I had available was on an old Tracker action that I had lying about!

I made a working rifle out of a broken one, Hardly 'Stupid ass' But thanks for the vote of no confidence!!



John..

[hammy]

Ha ha!!

Glad I wasn't drinking my tea at the second I read this!!

I have an Osprey that was dropped and the barrel had snapped off! I fitted a carbined Tracker barrel (I Call it an Ospracker now!! ), And like yours, The cycle is appaling but then so is the ordinary Osprey that I also have, I just put it down to both guns being worn on the piston seal or the tap being kaput!!


John

glad I'm not the only one.

I'll get back to mine one day, I will get it to shoot nice .

[johnbaz]

The gun was dropped and the barrel snapped off! The only barrel I had available was on an old Tracker action that I had lying about!

I made a working rifle out of a broken one, Hardly 'Stupid ass' But thanks for the vote of no confidence!!



John..

Oh dear!!

It seems that I owe Yana an apology!!

I thought he was having a dig at me for fitting a carbine barrel to the Osprey!!

Please accept my sincere apologies Yana


John..

[harry mac]

The Osprey is a doddle to smooth out.
First, line the piston with a sheet of aluminium cut from a drinks can, but leave the cocking slot clear to avoid the cocking shoe rubbing against the sleeve and wearing it out (if you don't leave the slot clear you will get slivvers of ally being ripped off the sleave, and these can find their way inside the gun). Next, replace at least one of the piston rings with an appropriately sized O ring. If it has one of those f+*&in9 horrible square section mainsprings fitted, bin it, replace it with a standard one, find the original owner and slap him for fitting it
If spring guides float your boat, you can either get a delrin one made up which wedges between the spring and the back block, or have a "floating" one made that just slides inside the spring.
My own .22 Osprey shoots very smoothly with the lined piston and an O ring fitted, and I have a Hawk MkII that shoots nicely that I did all the above to, including the floating spring guide. You'll never make them perfect, but the shooting characteristics can be improved.