Hammer forged barrels

[Artfull-Bodger]

As the barrels don't get heated up on air rifles the difference is pretty much irrelevant, what matters is the production tolerances.

I find some BSA barrels really good and some pretty bad, the best barrels I have tried are the HW and Lothar Walther.

[happydad]

This may help explain a few things. https://youtu.be/HrmWN0igJY0

All down to cost.

I believe that CZ still hammer forge their barrels? (I do stand to be correct though by a more enlightened soul)

ATB
Mike

[bozzer]

I find some BSA barrels really good and some pretty bad ...

I have to agree that this must be the case ... especially the older style.

I've had loads of HW barrels that have all been good re air rifle pellets. Same with Falcon barrels which I believe are Lothar Walther and the CZ barrel on my S200 is very accurate.

I've had a few BSA 0.177 barrels and they are basically useless unless you use longer heavier pellets like Bis Mags, JSB Heavies etc.

Whenever there's a thread about BSA barrels ( rifles ) plenty people agree with that but several others will post and say their BSA barrel is excellent with the more popular, and lighter, JSB 8.44gr pellets.

So it seems it's a lottery.

A number of people figured that the BSA method left imperfections in the rifling and that was improved by polishing. Post polishing the accuracy improved.

The later BSA barrels are apparently polished post production and more people have claimed that they shoot the lighter stuff well.

Pushing pellets down my BSA barrels has shown a big variation in tight/slack areas.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bnnBoann6CY

[rgc_swanseaARC]

Im on my 3rd barrel on my TTR1, it took me that long to get one i was happy with.

The original would only shoot Bisley Magnums / Baracuda Match acceptably. I bought a HW blank and its bore was all over the place, couldn't get decent results with anything (confirmed by phil d)

Now on a LW machined to 14 inch that shoots JSB Express very well, but still not found the perfect pellet (unless the Express is it)

It is pretty much pot luck.

On the subject of hammered barrels, i believe Cometa still make their own hammered barrels also. I had one years ago and speak as you find the barrel was very good with accupells at the time. The internals needed work, but the barrel would have been a good donor for a PCP.

Regards,
Rhys

[RichardinDorset]

So according to the video, LW make smaller quantities of barrels than BSA as he says Button rifling is for medium quantity and Hammer forging is for mass production...

I'd have thought LW make a lot more than BSA???

[villaman]

Never had a bad BSA barrel

[bozzer]

See ... a familiar thread ...

Those that will claim the 0.177 are useless with anything other than Bis Mags/'cudas etc ... and those that say they've never had a problem.

'tis what it is.

[ChrisC]

Steyr used hammer forged barrels on the earlier LG100's...commonly referred to as 'barley twist'. I've owned 2 barley twist barrelled Steys in the past and they were both very unfussy with pellets, accurate at long range and didn't need much cleaning. The only Hammer forged BSA barrel i've used was converted to fit the Steyr and wasn't bad at all...pretty much the same as a converted CZ barrel i played with as well. the CZ and the BSA barrels needed more cleaning than the standard Steyr barrels i have so i decided to stick with the originals as there wasn't anything in accuracy or percieved more/less wind drift.

[Artfull-Bodger]

Makes you wonder if one of their mandrels is a bit dodgy?

My Scorpion barrel is a bit fussy but once I found the correct die it's a goodun, I have had two other BSA's in .177 and they were good too but had one on a Lightning which wouldn't group no matter what I put through it.