Spring Bash May 17th and 18th May 2025

[TonyL]

67 to go, peeps.

BOING!

[flyingfish]

You know the way I think Tony
I am not really a collector
If I am told this is going to take a while to heal (someone I know had this and was suffering for 18 months) I will look for something else to shoot and move on what I can't

[Waddy]

Mmmmmmm.......managed to have another quick go yesterday and it didn't go brilliantly!

The groupings are erratic.....it'll one-hole two or three shots and then spray others a good bit off. Tried with 'Domes and Hobby so far.

That breech latching, which I thought was okay initially, exhibits a little vertical play. I don't know if shimming the breech latch spring up will help (it feels okay and it's a new breech latch lever) or if there's some wear on the cylinder plug where it locates.

After about every 30 shots the breech bolt backs off, too, making the barrel swing "looser". I've never had this before, ever, on all the HWs I've had. I might try and degrease the threads and re-tighten, but it seems weird. And the larger stock bolts also come loose after about every 30/40 shots. This might make you think it's too harsh and needs a de-tune. And reducing preload and power might well help, but the cycle does feel nice.

So I'm undecided what to do with it now. As I have four other 35s (and many more other HWs), I could bail out of it. It doesn't owe me a lot. But then it's got that 'O' ring seal and is performing so nicely. I think best to chill for a while, not let it wind me up and come up with an action plan.....

That sounds very frustrating Tony.

It does sound like it's resonating or something, it makes me wonder if something like a barrel weight or metal silencer might cure it rather than cutting the spring down Have you got one on another rifle you could swap over ?


I ordered some new belleville washers from H100, they also do an adjuster with a guide to hold the washers,( so I wasn't the first person to think of that ) I bought one of those too.




.

[TonyL]

You know the way I think Tony
I am not really a collector
If I am told this is going to take a while to heal (someone I know had this and was suffering for 18 months) I will look for something else to shoot and move on what I can't

I fully understand that, Pete, and it's nice to have guns that you can use and enjoy.

I fear the day that I have to replace some boingers with PCPs!

[TonyL]

That sounds very frustrating Tony.

It does sound like it's resonating or something, it makes me wonder if something like a barrel weight or metal silencer might cure it rather than cutting the spring down Have you got one on another rifle you could swap over ?


I ordered some new belleville washers from H100, they also do an adjuster with a guide to hold the washers,( so I wasn't the first person to think of that ) I bought one of those too.

.

Good news re the washers and guide & adjuster, Paul. I hope all works out nicely.

Re the '35......as it's probably now had 150 + shots through it, I thought I'd re-chrono it and be guided by that......

I THINK MY OLD F1 CHRONY IS FINALLY GOOSED!.

Using 14.5 grain Superdomes,, the average was 867fps for 24ft.lbs!....Now, it does feel healthy, but it can't be THAT healthy. Must be near enough an impossibility, methinks, especially with the short stroke it will have! The only thing is now, I don't want to be altering the set up until I know what it's actually doing.

I ended up taking the scope off this morning. I do prefer the '35 on opens. If I don't wear my glasses I can see the sights fine. And shooting at a larger target at 11 yards, the target was also visible. I'd struggle to see, say, a one inch bull clearly.

Checking the finances to see if I can make a chrno purchase happen........

[TonyL]

P.S........I'm hoping that cleaning the threads up on the hinge bolt / jaw works, as I really wouldn't want to be using threadlock there. I'd rather avoid it on the stock fasteners, too, so hoping the future de-tune works.

I still have the old barrel latch so might grind the end off that a little more and see if it takes care of the vertical play.

I take your point re resonance / harmonics, but I think softening and slowing the cycle down would pay dividends. If it's anywhere above 10ft.lbs but super-sweet I'll be happy.

[Waddy]

Good news re the washers and guide & adjuster, Paul. I hope all works out nicely.

Re the '35......as it's probably now had 150 + shots through it, I thought I'd re-chrono it and be guided by that......

I THINK MY OLD F1 CHRONY IS FINALLY GOOSED!.

Using 14.5 grain Superdomes,, the average was 867fps for 24ft.lbs!....Now, it does feel healthy, but it can't be THAT healthy. Must be near enough an impossibility, methinks, especially with the short stroke it will have! The only thing is now, I don't want to be altering the set up until I know what it's actually doing.

I ended up taking the scope off this morning. I do prefer the '35 on opens. If I don't wear my glasses I can see the sights fine. And shooting at a larger target at 11 yards, the target was also visible. I'd struggle to see, say, a one inch bull clearly.

Checking the finances to see if I can make a chrno purchase happen........

I got one of these chronos off Ali Express https://www.aliexpress.com/item/1005004820929140.html

Dirt cheap & works. Gave exactly the same reading on my 510 as an FX that a chap had at the range. It fits over the end of the barrel & even works indoors after dark. has it's own internal battery too.

Only down side is the power reading is in Joules, but there are online converters.

I think that my 80 can stay on opens, it was a bit of a revelation using them. I might even get a foresight raiser & try a diopter on it.

[TonyL]

Well......I'd messaged Mick, T20, earlier, and asked his thoughts. And he wondered if it was detonating. "Can't be", I thought. Or even if it was combusting a little (as there was a feint whiff of smoke), surely it wouldn’t double the power?

But one thing I hadn't done was to run another gun over the chrono. I did a short while ago. My HW70 with Superdomes, which I'd say are a tad heavy? Result? 1.5ft.lbs. so looking like the chrono isn't goosed!

I'm going to strip and thoroughly degrease the 35. And then very sparingly relube. I might take a tad off the spring to soften it down further, also slowing down piston acceleration. 24ft.lbs out of a 35, eh? Well, I never!!!

[Waddy]

Well......I'd messaged Mick, T20, earlier, and asked his thoughts. And he wondered if it was detonating. "Can't be", I thought. Or even if it was combusting a little (as there was a feint whiff of smoke), surely it wouldn’t double the power?

But one thing I hadn't done was to run another gun over the chrono. I did a short while ago. My HW70 with Superdomes, which I'd say are a tad heavy? Result? 1.5ft.lbs. so looking like the chrono isn't goosed!

I'm going to strip and thoroughly degrease the 35. And then very sparingly relube. I might take a tad off the spring to soften it down further, also slowing down piston acceleration. 24ft.lbs out of a 35, eh? Well, I never!!!

That's incredible, must be that short stout spring + detonation ? Mine does a fine impersonation of a Napoleonic musket when fired, maybe that's doing silly ft/lbs too ?


* Dashes off to test it*



.Edit, it's doing 10.88 ft/lbs, that's less than it was before I changed the seal, but these B r i t seals tend to be a tad tight, as they bed in the power goes up a bit.

[TonyL]

And a big thank you also to Jon Budd for his observations, Jon also pointing out that 'O' ring piston set-ups can sometimes generate significantly higher pressures. So I think this is what was happening here....higher pressure leads to higher temps leads to even higher pressure leads to.....on and on and BOOM!

[TonyL]

That's incredible, must be that short stout spring + detonation ? Mine does a fine impersonation of a Napoleonic musket when fired, maybe that's doing silly ft/lbs too ?


* Dashes off to test it*



.Edit, it's doing 10.88 ft/lbs, that's less than it was before I changed the seal, but these B r i t seals tend to be a tad tight, as they bed in the power goes up a bit.

Yep, I remember you saying that those seals tended to be a tighter fit. Definitely a good idea to keep checking that as it runs in, then. It's not actually that many fps difference from 10.9 to Naughty Land.

[TonyL]

Oh yes.....one thing that chrono testing the little HW70 demonstrated yesterday was how little power a gun needs to be effective and fun. That little pistol is a good few years old. I bought it used probably approaching ten years ago. I don't know when it last received any attention but it's so nice and smooth to use and so accurate it's staying as it is. And at last year's Autumn Bash it wasn't half knocking the cans about on the tin can alley!

[TonyL]

66 to go, peeps.


BOING!

[Neil54]

I find this the better option for an airgun chrono.
https://a.aliexpress.com/_ExVMxdK

You don't need all the vertical spacers supplied. Works on 18650 battery or USB power.

Reads in mps or fps at the touch of a button.

[CLOGGER]

The 13mm mounts for the old '35 arrived from JSR yesterday morning. Usual, brilliant service. Ordered them on Tuesday evening, arrive Thursday morning.

Hi Tony - which mounts did you buy from JSR in 13mm to fit the old HW wider dovetails?
I could only see 11mm or 15-17mm sizes.
I have several older HW35's with the 13mm dovetails that would benefit from the correct size mounts. Some are scoped with the old style 13mm Parker Hale mounts with the thumbwheel (or coin) type clamp tightening method. I would rather have the correct size in Allen key type clamps.

Note to self - must stop buying old 35's

Atb, Clogger