Frank Clarke – airgun genius. The conundrum of one of his last inventions.

[Benelli B76]

Don't think anyone would like to make these lower power than they already are. How does the air get by the larger diameter pin ?

Baz

[ccdjg]

No, nothing to do with altering lost volume or power level. Much more significant than that.

[averageplinker]

In-built pellet sizer/former?
Used to push the pellet past a transfer port?
Rich.

[johnbaz]

I always thought that pushing a gas through a smaller opening made for higher presure!


John

[averageplinker]

Does it allow 2 projectiles to be loaded? First one goes in then is pushed in deeper, out comes the pin and in goes projectile 2???

[johnbaz]

Does it allow 2 projectiles to be loaded? First one goes in then is pushed in deeper, out comes the pin and in goes projectile 2???

That sounds entirely feasable!


John

[pjbingham]

Perhaps to increase life expectancy of the threaded sections. If a pellet is pushed in then the pellet probe is offered up and then without screwing in,the plunger is pushed in pushing the pellet down far enough that as you screw the probe in there is no resistance from the pellet to increase wear in the thread. Over thousands of shots perhaps the inventor feared it would lead to excessive wear. The photo where it’s extended seems to show that the length of the extension is slightly longer than the thread which would make sense. Also the thread appears more tapered on the plunger version with a short collar,perhaps this helped keep the probe straight when loading as described rather than sitting awkwardly on the biting point of a deeper cut thread. Also with the pellet now forward of the transfer port a non returning fixed probe would be sitting in front of the port creating resistance & turbulence in the air flow.
The plunger design sort of reminds me of a spring loaded Stauffer pot to look at.

[ptdunk]

I do like these collectible conundrums....

As said above is it to push the pellet past the transfer port, then retract so as not to interfere with the airflow from the transfer port, as a normal insertor would remain partially covering the transfer port?

Btw thanks for identifying one of these on a Briton I acquired, I had no idea what it was!

Matt.

[DT Fletcher]

The machining, and maybe the materials, look different between the two items. I'd suggest that perhaps these were "after market" accessories, which would explain why they appear to be rare.