Thoughts on 13ft/lbs Webley Tracker

[fatttmannn]

Does anyone else think 11.4 ft/lbs just seems a little to perfect for it not to have been fiddled with?

I would say its a safe bet its had some work done on her to consistently reach that power.

[Tatts84]

Pete Wilson: http://www.geoffwilsons.co.uk/

I've never had any work done by him, but have purchased a number of guns and the customer service has always been very good.

You learn something every day thank you. Really surprised he's a gunsmith though, thought they got someone in.

[Mach 1.5]

My friends .22 runs at 11.4 and is nice to shoot..Has for early Venoms using ox springs...is it April the 1st?..They always used their own springs which were swedish steel. Mach 1.5

[capt hindsight]

My friends .22 runs at 11.4 and is nice to shoot..Has for early Venoms using ox springs...is it April the 1st?..They always used their own springs which were swedish steel. Mach 1.5

I've just had a flashback and remembered visiting the venom arms showroom when I was a kid - only once and I don't think I was old enough to get what they did but despite being back into airguns over the last couple of years I've only just remembered that experience!

I'm trying to remember where it was, I think I was on work experience with a firm called Peter Moss photography and Venom were very close by.

Did they ever do a Tracker?

[fatttmannn]

My friends .22 runs at 11.4 and is nice to shoot..Has for early Venoms using ox springs...is it April the 1st?..They always used their own springs which were swedish steel. Mach 1.5

and has that been tunded
all the ones I have ever seen have struggled to reach 10.5 looks like I shot the dud ones then would love to see whats been done to reach that power wonder if it would work on my Viscount

[capt hindsight]

I seem to remember them never being marketed as a full power rifle, though are they not the same basic gun as the Osprey? Are they full legal power?

[fatttmannn]

I seem to remember them never being marketed as a full power rifle, though are they not the same basic gun as the Osprey? Are they full legal power?

There an Osprey with the Vulcan Internalls if memorey serves, because of the lost volume of the loading taps they wernt supposed to be has efficent :confusedbut your mates and Mach 1.5 seem to have guns that knock that arguement guns can vary after all

[Airsporterman]

I'm sure I read somewhere that Gerald Cardew (or someone) worked with an experimental/modified Airsporter (wouldn't know which marque/series) producing 18 ft/lbs.
There were problems with inconsistencies/harshness etc.
These older rifles (BSA and Webley) were designed to produce around 10.5 ft/lbs which was found to be their 'optimum' power for consistant performance. Certainly, my experience has been - more power = poorer performance and I think others have found the same.

ASM

[Mach 1.5]

Venom didn't do much in the way of tuning work on the tracker. I remember at the Gun Barrel works they did a project bull pup version. It can be seen on the Feb 85 cover of Airgunner.
My friends is just a tracker with an ox spring but runs ok at 11.4 in .22. The Ox gets some bad press but HW used them in the MK2 97 and so did the airgun centre in the Zephyr. Mach 1.5

[fatttmannn]

I'm sure I read somewhere that Gerald Cardew (or someone) worked with an experimental/modified Airsporter (wouldn't know which marque/series) producing 18 ft/lbs.
There were problems with inconsistencies/harshness etc.
These older rifles (BSA and Webley) were designed to produce around 10.5 ft/lbs which was found to be their 'optimum' power for consistant performance. Certainly, my experience has been - more power = poorer performance and I think others have found the same.

ASM

yes I have heard that story has well, and found the same findings,

[Papa g]

I'm that dipstick - at least I was when I was 16...

The Airsporter in question was lower in power with it's mighty Ox spring & when I took it out a week later it was full of swarf, somehow the square section wire in the spring had been eating the inside of the piston.

As Richard said ox springs are ok in a well made gun, so long as they've been set to the correct length & proper top hat/guide & sleeve are used, I've had no problems with them, just a bit of common sense needs to be used with them I.E you wouldn't put one in a meteor that would be asking for trouble!
Regards Graham

[Troubledshooter]

As a Webley Tracker fan, I have several, but the highest powered one was fitted with a Theoben gas spring by Phil Bulmer and featured in one of his 'strip' articles. When I got it back and chrono'd it, I had to do it several times as it was very close to the legal power limit @ 11.7 if I remember correctly.
I haven't fired it since but must test it again before it gets sold just to make sure it's still legal.

[oliver13]

I'm sure I read somewhere that Gerald Cardew (or someone) worked with an experimental/modified Airsporter (wouldn't know which marque/series) producing 18 ft/lbs.
There were problems with inconsistencies/harshness etc.
These older rifles (BSA and Webley) were designed to produce around 10.5 ft/lbs which was found to be their 'optimum' power for consistant performance. Certainly, my experience has been - more power = poorer performance and I think others have found the same.

ASM

It was John Bowkett that made the 18ftlb Airsporter, the mind boggles, I'm not surprised it was a bit ill mannered.
The lost volume in the loading tap is a reall handicap, whatever he did it was a bit more technical than just bunging a big spring in it.
Anyone remember his adverts in AGW for a 12ftlb conversion kit for Meteors?

[Airsporterman]

It was John Bowkett that made the 18ftlb Airsporter, the mind boggles, I'm not surprised it was a bit ill mannered.
The lost volume in the loading tap is a reall handicap, whatever he did it was a bit more technical than just bunging a big spring in it.
Anyone remember his adverts in AGW for a 12ftlb conversion kit for Meteors?

You could be right mate - my memory isn't what it wasn't!
ASM