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Thread: Quietening down an Air Arms Combat help !

  1. #1
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    Quietening down an Air Arms Combat help !

    OK next project is making my AA Combat quieter, I know the plastic stock is a sound/echo box and some fill it, but ..best fill material?
    Next any other tips to calm the beast please, lovely gun but so noisy a firing cycle....
    Cheers

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    foam in the stock - not the expanding type, it will break it. Or bits of rubber matt (and foam). old rags. you get the idea.

    Firing cycle - biggest gain is to find a spring that fits the guide properly, to stop the twang. Then add a piston sleeve to stop it rattling around inside the piston, and gob some grease on it all - you are not going for FT level consistency.

    All that's then left will be a bit of muzzle crack - that's part of the fun, so leave it alsone... but obviously a silencer can be fitted if you really must.

    PS Don't fit a PTFE piston head
    Always looking for any cheap, interesting, knackered "project" guns. Thanks, JB.

  3. #3
    tinbum's Avatar
    tinbum is offline Killer Vampire Lesbians on scooters
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    Ignore what he said, it's all rubbish!

    Sell it to me


    Ok, proper spring etc will help I suppose........

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    Quote Originally Posted by Shed tuner View Post
    foam in the stock - not the expanding type, it will break it. Or bits of rubber matt (and foam). old rags. you get the idea.

    Firing cycle - biggest gain is to find a spring that fits the guide properly, to stop the twang. Then add a piston sleeve to stop it rattling around inside the piston, and gob some grease on it all - you are not going for FT level consistency.

    All that's then left will be a bit of muzzle crack - that's part of the fun, so leave it alsone... but obviously a silencer can be fitted if you really must.

    PS Don't fit a PTFE piston head
    was going to try expanding!! had not considered it could break the stock...doh...I could brace it correctly. I really fancy expanding as it would fill void very well and should be the best way... and light !!
    Oh shall I try it and let you know LOL !! It is near mint and do not want to break it........oh but the challenge !

    As for the PTFE... ha ha, yea will give it a miss

    Cheers

  5. #5
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    Quote Originally Posted by Shed tuner View Post
    Firing cycle - biggest gain is to find a spring that fits the guide properly, to stop the twang. Then add a piston sleeve to stop it rattling around inside the piston, and gob some grease on it all - you are not going for FT level consistency.
    Also would it not be ok just to change spring guide rather than all the rest??

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    Quote Originally Posted by hellsquad View Post
    Also would it not be ok just to change spring guide rather than all the rest??
    yes it would, whichever is easier... but I seem to recall I didn't do that on mine for some reason - I can only guess that the guide was either fixed, or had some annoying size / machining to the rear... eather trhat, or I just got lucky finding a spring that fitted and went with the simplest solution ?! Who knows, it was years ago

    However, even the std spring rattled around inside the piston, so you need a sleeve regardless...
    Always looking for any cheap, interesting, knackered "project" guns. Thanks, JB.

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    Quote Originally Posted by Shed tuner View Post
    yes it would, whichever is easier... but I seem to recall I didn't do that on mine for some reason - I can only guess that the guide was either fixed, or had some annoying size / machining to the rear... eather trhat, or I just got lucky finding a spring that fitted and went with the simplest solution ?! Who knows, it was years ago

    However, even the std spring rattled around inside the piston, so you need a sleeve regardless...
    You were right it is a fixed guide Anyway I had the day spare so went for it !

    I stripped it fully and DID use expanding foam I checked a few specs and used a B3 grade expanding polyurethane foam. I kept a few "blow holes" clear as it cured and dripped warm water in the blow holes to make sure the foam cured all the way through fast !
    It worked better than I could have hoped !!! sorted !

    I changed the piston ring, degreased everthing. Made a plastic "oil bottle" spring guide with internal "slip" washer.

    Next as no way to get a suitable spring today or make new guide, I resorted to the good old Maccari tar, but only all over the spring guide end!
    bit of moly here and there and a smear of some silicon stuff hanging round.

    All back together and like a different gun !
    Thank you for giveing the tips and causing a happy day !

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    [IMG][/IMG]


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    Quote Originally Posted by tinbum View Post
    Ignore what he said, it's all rubbish!

    Sell it to me
    ..
    It is soooo good now! Even more not for sale

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    good job.. I knew there had to be a reason with that guide
    Always looking for any cheap, interesting, knackered "project" guns. Thanks, JB.

  11. #11
    look no hands's Avatar
    look no hands is offline Even better looking than a HW35
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    I had a Combat project a couple of years ago but sold it on, the rear guide is indeed fixed and I had a friend of mine machine the guide down and then had him make up a delrin guide that slipped over the reduced fixed guide and then fitted the new spring snuggly, I never got the rifle back together to see if it worked.

    Pete
    Far too many rifles to list now, all mainly British but the odd pesky foreigner has snuck in

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    Quote Originally Posted by look no hands View Post
    I had a Combat project a couple of years ago but sold it on, the rear guide is indeed fixed and I had a friend of mine machine the guide down and then had him make up a delrin guide that slipped over the reduced fixed guide and then fitted the new spring snuggly, I never got the rifle back together to see if it worked.

    Pete
    I did - yes it did
    "But we have our own dream and our own task. We are with Europe, but not of it. We are linked, but not comprised. We are interested and associated, but not absorbed."
    Winston Churchill 1930

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    The standard spring is sloppy on the fixed spring guide (only the first few thousand sussex armoury models had a separate spring guide) but there is plenty of power potential there, the simplest way to tame them is use a narrower spring that is tight on the guide as Jon said, this leaves room for an extra liner as well as the original factory black one, make sure you fit a new o-ring (make sure its the correct imperial one not a metric) and that the tap isn't leaking and that the barrel is nice and tight in the action - all this reduces the slam. pellet choice can effect power by a couple of foot pounds as well as keep the slam down, I find superdomes the best all rounders for AA sidelevers.

    I recommend against playing with the spring guide or polishing the piston, due to the nature of the sear engagement and non hardened parts any play at all back there will produce a dangerous light engagement.

    HTH
    "But we have our own dream and our own task. We are with Europe, but not of it. We are linked, but not comprised. We are interested and associated, but not absorbed."
    Winston Churchill 1930

  14. #14
    look no hands's Avatar
    look no hands is offline Even better looking than a HW35
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    Quote Originally Posted by Mr. Gen View Post
    I did - yes it did
    Phew that's a relief Pat, glad it worked

    Pete
    Far too many rifles to list now, all mainly British but the odd pesky foreigner has snuck in

  15. #15
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    Wasn't the point of the Sussex Armory/AA plastic fantastic to be LOUD?
    "My gun looks modern, and sounds more real than yours " "Those plastic toy soldiers are going to get a bad day"

    I'm surprised it didn't come with a bayonet; the Airfix one did.

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