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Thread: Walther LP-53 @ 500fps

  1. #1
    Join Date
    Nov 2014
    Location
    Maidenhead
    Posts
    10

    Walther LP-53 @ 500fps

    After a hiatus of some years I decided to take up airgunning again earlier this year at informal target shooting/plinking/pest control level. I had only shot my guns occasionally over the last couple of years and some were in need of a service.
    One of my favourites was my Walther LP-53. I have got other more powerful pistols but this was the one I enjoyed shooting the most. Power was probably decent for a stock Walther (410-415fps with Hobbies) but I always felt that it could do with a bit more power. I tried some different springs in the past but never got beyond stock power.
    I even ordered Protek's tuning kit after having read an article in Airgun World where a potential 455fps was mentioned. Fitted the kit and while smoothness was improved it actually decreased the velocity with 10fps or so.
    I then stumbled upon this thread and saw Clarky's last post:

    http://www.classicapa.com/viewtopic.php?f=2&t=346

    Contacted Clarky who turned out to be a very friendly gentleman with a wealth of knowledge and experience, and he offered to tune my Walther with the aim to achieve a true 450fps (and increased accuracy). Sent it off to Clarky with a TR Robb piston head kit and the Cometa 50 spring from Protek's tuning kit. I was told the spring guide would be his own design. About a week or so later (and after many emails where he described the work he carried out in detail) he returned the LP-53.
    It still looked like a stock LP-53 but when trying it on paper targets I realised something was different....
    The notorious twang from the original twin spring design was essentially gone and it was clearly a gun that was far easier to get accurate groups with (even with my out-of-practise shaky hands and poor eyesight).
    Then ran some awful Gamo ProMagnum pellets through the Chrony M1 and got an average of 480fps!
    This gun had better velocity with the Gamo pellets than my slightly ailing BSA 240 Magnum had and could run rings around the Magnum in terms of shootability.
    The one thing Clarky kept stressing was to use Falcon or Finale pellets so I ordered two tins of Falcons. Ran them through the M1 again and got an average of 504.3fps!
    Equally impressive was the little difference between the lowest and highest (498.8 vs 505.7 fps).

    Clarky also sent a longer spring guide, which would not work with the steel top hat, but which makes it even smoother at the expense of 10fps or so with the Falcons. Actually the preferred application although it would not quite hit 500fps.

    I decided to fit the original spring again to see what results I would get in the chrony with the Falcons; 10 shots gave an average of 444fps so still rather respectable, though no-where near 500fps.
    The twang and recoil however, were a different story. I'd say Clarky's spring guide and the Cometa 50 spring got rid of the twang and recoil was reduced by 50% or so.

    This Walther is an absolute treat to shoot and is now my main pistol for targets, bean cans, small pest etc.
    Smooth cocking and although there is still recoil it is far less than with the original springs.

    I know there are many purists and collectors out there that would never tamper with this legend, but for anyone who like me just wants an original looking gun that will outshoot many of the "magnum" pistols, I can wholeheartedly recommend Clarky and his tunings.

    Cheers

    Tom

    Ps. Sent off my poorly Magnum to Clarky too as I was impressed with his friendly, open and honest communication. Hope it will kick less like a mule when I get it back...

  2. #2
    Join Date
    Mar 2013
    Location
    Vancouver
    Posts
    186
    Indeed Clarky's work with the LP53 has been very significant. Thanks to his thread about various aspects of tuning I was able to bump mine up to an average of 465fps with H&N Finale Match 7.56gr. And it's not difficult to cock and shoots much more smoothly with a properly fitted delrin spring guide. I used a cut down spring from an Industry Brand QB57, the ends ground and polished flat. I can't say it's my favourite pistol, as I enjoy shooting my vintage Webleys more. They're nicely tuned (though at lower velocities) so they shoot well, actually grouping better than the Walther for me. But my favourite remains the Pardini K12. Utterly different kettle of fish obviously, so I'm not comparing with the springers directly, just that the Pardini lets me hit a dime at ten metres where the others let me hit something something the size of a golf ball, at least on a good day.

  3. #3
    Join Date
    Dec 2012
    Location
    Bromsgrove
    Posts
    870
    Quote Originally Posted by Gerard View Post
    Indeed Clarky's work with the LP53 has been very significant. Thanks to his thread about various aspects of tuning I was able to bump mine up to an average of 465fps with H&N Finale Match 7.56gr. And it's not difficult to cock and shoots much more smoothly with a properly fitted delrin spring guide. I used a cut down spring from an Industry Brand QB57, the ends ground and polished flat. I can't say it's my favourite pistol, as I enjoy shooting my vintage Webleys more. They're nicely tuned (though at lower velocities) so they shoot well, actually grouping better than the Walther for me. But my favourite remains the Pardini K12. Utterly different kettle of fish obviously, so I'm not comparing with the springers directly, just that the Pardini lets me hit a dime at ten metres where the others let me hit something something the size of a golf ball, at least on a good day.
    Gerard....PM me for email contact...i can cut your recoil ...vibration and increase your velocity ....and completely outshoot any webley springer u care to mention...
    Mine currently running 505 fps and 3/8 groups at 8 yds....no webleys ive shot can get even half close to that ... since the original posts i have developed the work .
    Last edited by clarky; 21-10-2017 at 12:34 AM.

  4. #4
    Join Date
    Nov 2014
    Location
    Maidenhead
    Posts
    10
    I decided to try the RWS Meisterkugeln (4.49mm) as well and ordered a tin from JS Ramsbottom. Can warmly recommend them for target use. I ran them through the chrony and got an average of 501fps with very little difference between low and high. Slightly less energy than the Falcons so I will only use the Meisterkugeln for paper targets and the Falcons for everything else. Still cannot believe how good this Walther is and don't really need my HW45 anymore....

  5. #5
    Join Date
    Nov 2014
    Location
    Maidenhead
    Posts
    10

    Update - new HW0 mainspring!

    Three months later and a new mainspring fitted so I'd like to share the results. The previous mainspring was the shortened Cometa 50 spring that came with the Protek kit. It was OK for the first 1000-1500 shots, but I then started to notice a bit of drop in velocity and velocity was not quite as consistant as before.
    Clarky always pointed out that a shortened HW30 spring is the long-term solution. Supposedly one of the best ones out there so I decided to treat myself to one as a Christmas present...
    Contacted Clarky who once again offered to send me two spring guides with the HW30 he would shorten for me; one long guide for ultimate accuracy and a shorter guide with a top hat and slip rings for ultimate power (and still good accuracy).

    It was well worth it! The Cometa 50 spring with the shorter guide and top hat had now decreased a bit to an average of 495.4fps with Meisterkugeln and 486.2fps with Falcons.
    The HW30 spring gave these results:

    Long guide without top hat:
    Meisterkugeln: 503.3fps average
    Falcons: 499.7fps average

    Short guide with top hat and one slip ring:
    Meisterkugeln: 534.1fps average
    Falcons: 503.3 average

    The Walther is a real stonker power-wise with the short guide and the accuracy is well beyond anything a stock LP-53 can ever hope to achieve. Best of all, recoil and twang have been noticeably reduced compared with the already very good results achieved with the Cometa 50 spring.
    But it is the long guide that is my favourite here. Smooth and refined and still powerful enough to compete with the "Magnum" air pistols out there.

    I am very pleased with the HW30 spring and Clarky's work in general; VERY reasonably prices and always willing to share tips and tricks regarding anything airgun related. Recommended.

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