Gat Gun, How Does It Work??

[termin8R]

I think you will find there is an air chamber round the barrel in the body of the pistol. As the barrel moves forward the chamber compresses the air enters into the barrel through a small hole near the rear. This is why there is a probe to put the pellet passed the hole.

There is a catapult action but not nearly enough to propel a pellet or dart.

Yes, the actual barrel is little more than 6mm or 1/4" outside diameter. What you see is an outer sleeve. IIRC, you hold the sleeve tight and push it in the direction of loading, it takes the pressure off the main spring and you can then unscrew the 'cork holder' from the front end of the barrel proper (assuming it hasn't seized up!). The barrel, fixed to the rear plug that the pellet probe screws into, is then withdrawn from the rear of the frame.

Cheers,
Doug

[snock]

Is it not possible that the corks just make a pop when you shoot them, because when you pushed the in, you must have expelled some air, and the pop is the sound of both the air rushing back in and the seal between the cork and the barrel separating?

[JD75]

Right, just had a look there are two holes on the horizontal axis about 1/2" in from the rear of the barrel.

The piston is the housing around the barrel which moves forward with the barrel.

There is a gap between the pistol and the metal body of the gun which is sealed at both ends this is like the chamber on normal springer. As the piston moves forward the air is forced out off this gap through the two holes just like normal springer.

If somene has some corks try firing it without the pellet probe then you will see it is not just a catapult action.

[Geordie]

The GAT operates using compressed air like any other pistol

Transfer port is just ahead of the pellet probe, when the barrel flies forward there is a piston ring that compresses the air ahead of it, which is then forced down the sleeve and behind the pellet.

As advised above - try firing one without the probe in and see how far the pellet doesn't go

[snock]

Does anyone have any sauce which goes with my hat?

[Nige]

Looks as if I remembered correctly about the corks then, so it IS air powered. At the same time as the Gats were every small boys gun, does anyone remember the Diana pistol which worked on the same principal, the only difference between the two is that the Diana had no provision for corks at the end of the barrel and it had nice wooden grips. Price difference...I think the Gat was something like 14/6d and the Diana 17/6d.......
But you could buy a chrome Gat as well for an extra couple of bob

[Belker]

It doesn't
I remember having a Gat when I was a nipper. I loaded it, pulled the trigger . . . . and watched the pellet drop out of the end of the barrel and onto the floor!!!
Great gun. Probably work better if you threw it at your target!

[nathan99]

The Diana SP50 (posh GAT) certainly was an airgun. Geordie's explanation is correct.

Its a bit difficult to strip one because the brass barrel is flared after assembly to stop you unscrewing the end piece.

Could be surprisingly accurate with the little feathered darts.

Was my first pistol. Used to add a few drops of model aeroplane diesel fuel for best results.

[TheShootist]

Still got a Diana SP50 in near mint condition... discovered it a couple of years back clearing out the spare room where it had been 'lost' for a couple of decades...

Re-lube and it works fine... albeit incredibly innacurate !

Definitely does work as an air pistol, as described earlier in this thread.

Tony

[scgevans]

Air powered definitely - explained how as above - and if it was catapult the vacuum behind the pellet / cork would actually stop it coming out or slow it down dramatically - I remember shooting myself (deliberately) on my foot with my Diana Model 2 (same action) loaded with chewed up paper balls (great wasp ammo) and was somewhat "surprised" at the power - even through a shoe!!
Tin cans at 25 yards were more hit than miss - but it would put a dent and occasinally a hole in at least one side....

Stu

[Gwylan]

JD and Geordie are right...! There's a description in one of the old books, but I can't remember which... that's really useful, Gus..!

Gus

[GATMAN]

[QUOTE=JD75]

"If it was momentum only the length of the barrel would slow the pellet down and it would probable just fall out the end."

This is especially true with the mighty .25 Gat.

Paul.

[scgevans]

[QUOTE=GATMAN]

"If it was momentum only the length of the barrel would slow the pellet down and it would probable just fall out the end."

This is especially true with the mighty .25 Gat.

Paul.

But not if you replaced the mainspring with a cut down Cortina rear suspension coil - of course the resulting need to have a foot wide bull barrel conversion would affect the pointability
S./

[Steve.]

Sorry for asking this every one but ive been trying to go over in my head how the good old gat-gun actually works. Is it an air pistol or does it merely work from the pellet being thrown from the action of the barrel extending forward at such speed and suddenly stopping( if I remember back to science that is kinetic or potential energy right?)

Personally I cant see how the pellet could be propelled by air due to the pellet pushing screw you place in the back, but I could be wrong

I can't believe that nobody has done a Tommy cooper and said

"JUST LIKE GAT"

[RATS TAIL]

And finally in the words of that great ender of arguments Mr Punch, Gat's the way to do it