Anschutz 335 - a candidate for piston seal conversion?

[evert]

I also recall some debate on here at some point on whether the internals were up to Anschutz/FWB standards, the sense being that, roughly, despite the brand name, barrel, finish, etc, the unseen bits were more like those in a Webley Vulcan or BSA Mercury rather than Olympic match quality in a springer format (e.g. FWB Sport).

The piston and spring guide seems really well made, and the trigger group as well. I'd say the unseen bits are better made than the Mercury and Vulcans In my collection.
What I am not too impressed about is the varying friction when pushing the piston down the bore. Seems like the tube varies quite a bit. I don't have any tools for measuring this, but to my eye the Vulcans seem to have better tubes.

[jonnyone]

The Anschutz is like the Hammerli, they never went all the way with it so it is a mixed bag. It's a basically sound design, with a far better trigger and breech arrangement than a Merc or a Vulcan and should not really find itself in the same sentence as those two British bunny-bashers. I shot a two pigeons through the head at 40 yards with mine, with RWS Match pellets, no Merc or Vulcan could do that in 1982...

I'd echo everything said here. Yes the main focus of criticism is the piston as its rolled sheet steel. That said the rest oof the internals are fine with cylinder finish being excellent. The piston gets by. Quite why Anschutz soldiered on with leather piston heads when the whole world was going synthetic beats me. A little more smoothness and power could have been unlocked at the factory but hey ho its history now.
Super accurate guns and largely forgotten nowadays.
Dave

[I. J.]

Could you look at the transfer port and guesstimate the diameter? Would be greatly appreciated!

I would 'guesstimate' approx 4mm.

Bowkett went the O ring route and I found it smoked like a chimney way past a tin of pellets. That said it could be I was unlucky back in the day.
Dave

The one I have doesn't seem to smoke.

I recall getting a tiny bit of counter-battery fire on here the last time I mentioned the shearing stock mounts. Pleased I'm not the only one to have encountered that.

I have also seen the weak mount weld problem in a couple of examples.

[evert]

I'd echo everything said here. Yes the main focus of criticism is the piston as its rolled sheet steel. That said the rest oof the internals are fine with cylinder finish being excellent. The piston gets by.

Even if the piston is rolled and welded steel, it is one of the better made pistons I have seen, and superior to most, rolled or not, of its day and age.

But then again, I consider meteors an engineering wonder, so I might be biased.

[evert]

I would 'guesstimate' approx 4mm.

Thanks! That is about what my "F in pentagon" version has too.

[T 20]

I would 'guesstimate' approx 4mm

Yes Ian, I think Jim told me they were 4mm but about 29mm long.

I think he gave up with his 335 as the cylinder was swollen where the stamping were, so he fitted the barrel onto a HW95.

[evert]

Yes Ian, I think Jim told me they were 4mm but about 29mm long.

I think he gave up with his 335 as the cylinder was swollen where the stamping were, so he fitted the barrel onto a HW95.

I'll try and get some port measurements tonight, but 4x29mm sounds realistic based on my visual guesstimates.

[I. J.]

Im sorry I couldn't do a more precise measurement but the rifle is still complete and I dont like working around the breech jaws area no matter how tight I hold onto the barrel.

[junglie]

I find pushing a bit of blue tac into the transfer port & removing it & measuring with a mike gives a pretty accurate size, you could always get a volenteer to do the fingers in the breech bit Ian...lol.

[I. J.]

...... you could always get a volentee to do the fingers in the breech bit Ian...lol.

I will ask my mate Freddie Three Fingers.

[weebster]

What I am not too impressed about is the varying friction when pushing the piston down the bore. Seems like the tube varies quite a bit. I don't have any tools for measuring this, but to my eye the Vulcans seem to have better tubes.

I'm afraid the tube does let the rifle down a bit due to it being slightly 'squashed' where the name is stamped/rolled on...mine has the problem as do most others I reckon,probably why they stucked with the leather seal.

I have tried the ptfe,got more power but also a little harsh... I also tried a diana synthetic parachute seal but opted in the end for a vortek (vortex?) synthetic seal,looks like the diana seal but gives a slightly better result.
My .22 cal 335 is doing a shade over 10ftlbs max and a shade under 10ftlbs depending on pellet but is nicer to shoot around the 10ft lbs mark than 11ftlbs+ using the ptfe washer.

[I. J.]

Has anyone tried honing the cylinder parallel ?

[evert]

The port measures 4.1x21mm if I measured correctly.

[averageplinker]

Has anyone tried honing the cylinder parallel ?

If the issue is really down to the Mk1s bulging where they were stamped honing probably won't work?

[T 20]

The port measures 4.1x21mm if I measured correctly.

I'd be sleeving that down after fitting a synthetic piston seal, what is the piston stroke of the 335 ?