The Bullshooter

Filling Air Cylinders with a Hand Pump

2008-02-16T10:00:00.000-08:00

High pressure hand pumps have been around for a number of years now, designed to fill high pressure cylinders on pre-charged air pistols and rifles. I get asked a lot about the liklihood of getting moisture in the cylinder when using these pumps. Of course it is possible, but if they are used in the way they were intended, I believe getting moisture is a pretty low possibility.

There have been a few generations of pump offered on the market over the years, starting with the Axsor. This had a matt black painted body, and was built in Sweden. Next to come along for a short time was the FX Vari-Pump, with metallic blue body and a knurled nut on the top of the handle to adjust the ease of operation. Of course if you opted for an easier pump, you had more strokes to the fill, as the nut bled off some of the pressure to make the compression stroke easier. The latest of the Swedish pumps is the new generation FX, also with a blue body. The reason I mention body color is any of the above could be tagged with a different brand... wholesalers such as Gehmann tend to market them under their own name.

The only other pump you're likely to see in use amongst ISSF shooters is the Hill Pump, made in England, with a black/gray specked body. Interestingly the Hill guys have watched all of the internet speculation about how hand pumps can potentially load damp air into cylinders and now offer a bolt-on accessory called a Dry-Pac that filters moisture out of the air at the intake. Great marketing, and possibly worthwhile for a lot of shooters just for their own peace of mind.

But even without the Dry-Pac, if you always follow these basic guidelines, you should never have any problems. I'm talking target airguns here, that use a fill adapter that mates to a 200 DIN fitting. Field Target air rifles use a quick disconnect fitting; the theory remains the same but I have no specific experience with this system.

1. Make sure the knurled nut below the pressure gauge on the pump is finger tight. This is the bleed valve for the water trap.
2. Attach your brass fill adapter to the DIN fitting on the pump. Again, finger tight is all you need. Then screw your empty or partially full cylinder to the adapter.
3. Fill the cylinder using smooth, full strokes. If you short stroke, you will take twice the time to fill it. I generally pump 50 BAR at a time to keep temperatures down (both me and the cylinder) - this keeps the chance of generating moisture to a minimum. Just take a break of a couple of minutes between each 50 BAR stage.
3A. With most cylinders you would stop at 200 BAR as this is full. These include such as FWB, Morini and Anschutz (M10 pistols and all air rifles). Be certain to open the bleed valve - this will remove any moisture from the water trap. Then you can remove the cylinder. Walther falls into the same category; although most of them are rated to 300 BAR, the pump can't go that high.
3B. I push Steyr (or Anschutz LP@ pistol) cylinders to around 210 BAR, then carefully open the valve on the water trap to bleed back to 200 before removing the cylinder from the pump. The reason for the difference is Steyr cylinders are mechanically held open by the adapter when they are screwed on. If you simply open the bleed valve after filling it, all the air will escape. The other brands rely on higher pressure to open or close the valve between cylinder and adapter.

T-Shirt of the Year

2006-08-21T20:07:00.000-07:00

Maybe it's just me, but it makes me laugh uncontrollably every time I see it...

More on the Hammerli P240

2006-07-03T11:56:00.000-07:00

It bugged me while writing the former blog on the P240 that I couldn't dig up information I knew I had. The following barrel specifications are as published by Hammerli in their tech sheet dated December, 1977.

Measurement	32 S&W L	38 Spl
Bore Diameter (lands)	.3052" + .001"	.3425" +.002"
Bore Diameter (grooves)	.3118" + .001"	.352" + .002"
Twist	1 in 15.7"	1 in 19.7"

This makes a standard .357 projectile at least .003" and probably .004" oversize, which only further illustrates how careful you must be while reloading for the P240 in 38 Special. The tech sheet says further:
And we do know of course that many of the SIG-Hammerli P240 owners reload their ammunition in cal. 38 Spl WC and 32 S&WL WC we should like to emphasize once again the fact that our barrels have a tighter bore than is normal. The choice of the bore dimension is due to the fact that top accuracy was obtained when using various brands of commercial factory-made ammunition. The handloader must however take into consideration the exact bore dimensions when making the bullets very carefully.

It would be interesting to know if any of those tests involved higher than normal temperatures, since a fast-burning powder tends to increase pressure dramatically in very hot conditions.

Just to round out this topic, I'd like to add some hopefully helpful information to any P240 owners, just in case`they have any misbehaving magazines. The following are the factory-recommended gaps between magazine lips:

Measurement	38 Spl	32 S&W L	22 LR
Front lips	.378"	.338"	.224"
Rear lips	.295"	.295"	.204"

LP5 Match for Camp Perry

2006-07-03T10:48:00.000-07:00

Once again I'll be taking my place on Commercial Row at this year's National Matches, held at Camp Perry, OH on the beautiful (if a little breezy) shore of Lake Erie. Look in the last building on the Row, I'm representing Pilkington Competition Equipment, and will have on display match air pistols, the Rika electronic trainer and a few used guns.

Sadly, Sallie the cockatoo won't be making the trip this year. It's a long way from Louisiana to Ohio, and she still gets car sick.

Following its popularity at the Bianchi Cup, we have been asked by NRA to supply targets and pistols for a fun LP5 match, that will be hosted in the airgun range. The course of fire is two 5-shot strings in 10 seconds at the biathlon-style knock-down targets. To make things fair, all three Steyr LP50s we are loaning will have 30mm dot sights fitted, and of course shooters will be allowed sighters. Details are:

Introducing the Pilkguns AirStrike
The Airstrike is a new event designed to allow you some extra fun in between relays. It is has been an official side match at the Bianchi Cup for the last four years. AirStrike uses semi-auto air pistols and is based on the provisional rules for an Olympic Rapid Fire Air Pistol event. Steyr LP50s are provided for your free use in this event, but you are welcome to compete with your own repeating air pistol. Five falling plate targets are arranged in a horizontal line. Cash prizes for the winners will be based on the number of entries. The winner will receive one half of the entrance fees. Entrance Fees are $5 for 50 shots. Multiple entries are allowed and encouraged. There will be a daily winner and an overall weekly winner.

Procedure:
Rules for this match are based on ISSF rules 8.20 governing the Five Shot Air Pistol Event.
The competitor will stand at the ready position, with the .177 caliber repeater Air pistol being held at 45 degrees. The pistol will be held with the dominant hand only. At the command to “Start” a buzzer will sound. Each competitor will have a ten second interval to shoot five plates during the five shot string. The end of the time period will be signaled by a buzzer. The competitor will then reload the pistol to shoot the next five shot string on command. Each plate falling within the ten second interval will give the shooter one point. Shots will be fired on falling plate targets meeting ISSF requirements. Scoring is either hit or miss. Diameter of the hole in the falling plate is 30mm, approximating the nine ring on a paper target. Distance to the target is 10 meters or 33 feet. Sighter targets will be provided.
The match will consist of ten record shots. Competitors are given 50 shots or 10 five shot strings and the score will be based on the best two consecutive strings. Daily ties will be decided by earliest score. Aggregate ties for the week will be determined by a shootoff.

The LP50 is a true semi-auto air pistol powered by compressed air. It was featured in the August 2005 Dope Bag in the American Rifleman. The LP50 and it’s predecessor the LP5 has been a favorite of Bullseye shooters for home training of the timed and rapid fire series. Superb accuracy and total commitment to quality make this gun just begs to be shot over and over again. This is the one gun that all your friends wish they could own. It is imported exclusively through Pilkington Competition.

AirStrike is sponsored by the NRA and Pilkington Competiton, LLC.

I look forward to seeing old friends and hopefully meeting a few new ones. I'll be setting up on Monday the 10th of July, and will be there through Sunday lunchtime.

FAS Semi Autos

2006-06-28T09:21:00.000-07:00

I recently had a request from a friend in NY for some guidance in making a FAS Rapid Fire pistol function reliably. I thought this would be a good opportunity to detail tricks of the trade for all of the FAS and Domino semis, as they each have their little quirks.

There are relatively few FAS pistols being used on a regular basis in the States. Those who know them, generally love them, but they do have reliability problems. Much like an expensive Italian sports car, when they go, they really go. When they decide to be hateful, they can be infuriating.

Domino was the original company, starting production in the 70s, and they changed their name to FAS (Fabrica Armi Sportive from memory, but my Italian is not that great) in the mid-80s. They are based in Milan, Italy. Various companies have imported them over the years, but their reliability in both function and for spare parts supply was sporadic, so importers did not last very long. Nobody has acted as their agent for almost 10 years now.

The basic design of their semis has not changed drastically since the first model was introduced. It features a top-loaded magazine that allows more rake angle in the grip without losing barrel length like the forward-mounted mag pistols (Walther GSP, Pardini, Benelli, Hammerli 280 and SP20, etc). Companies like Britarms, Unique (with the DES96U) and now Walther (with its SSP) have tried to emulate this format, with varying success. Trigger is designed to have a long rolling release, with either two or three stages. This is excellent for sustained or rapid fire, especially since the pistols point so well. The late Donald Hamilton apparently loved his 603 Center Fire pistol, and recent Olympian John McNally used a 601 Rapid Fire for many years.

I'll start by listing specific traits of each model, and end with problems common to all models.

Domino and FAS 601 22 Short Rapid Fire

Choice of ammunition is probably the biggest factor. The 601 does not like a lot of brands of 22 Short ammo. Obviously you should stick with target or standard velocity, as high velocity could lead to damaging the slide. Fiocchi ammo is most reliable, followed by RWS. CCI Standard and Winchester Rapid Fire Black (may not be available here in the States) can work okay, but here's the twist. It needs lubrication.

Contrary to all that is accepted in shooting, it seems that some Rapid Fire pistols function more reliably with oiled ammo. Many top shooters (when 22 Short was still used for Rapid Fire) would load their magazine, then take an oil bottle and put a drop on the middle of the top round before inserting the mag into the pistol. Obviously with the top-loading FAS you could do so after it was inserted, just before letting the slide forward. This extra lubrication seemed to allow the rounds to more reliably seat in the chamber. This fixes a bunch of FAS symptoms; the misfeeding, failure to properly eject, and most commonly the light strike (see below for more on that).

Also, some ammo comes with a hard, gummy lube. This can gum up the action and cause all manner of feeding problems. The drop of oil may not be enough to overcome this. It may be necessary to clean the bulk of the lube off the outside of the ammo before use. Dumping the packet into an old tea towel and a light spray of WD40, followed by a quick towel rub generally fixes the problem.

Domino 602, FAS 602 and FAS 607 22LR Sport/Standard Pistol

No surprise that the 22LR version is also very ammunition sensitive. Many people still maintain FAS stands for Fussy As S**t. In general it does not like American ammo. I have had most success with SK, Lapua, RWS, Eley, PMC and Aguila. CCI does give problems, and it seems to have a lot to do with the overall length of the bullet. The longer ammo rubs its lubricated nose against the inside of the mag body, leaving a buildup that slows down the upward movement. Obviously this results in mis-feeds.

For late model 602 and all 607 guns, the factory came out with a modified follower, that had a pin protruding out front to run up the inside of the mag body. This stopped the follower from fouling on the bullet lube buildup.

FAS 603 Center Fire 32 S&W Long Wadcutter

The most reliable of all the FAS autos, the only advice I have specific to this model is related to the reloads you may develop. In my experience it is a waste of time trying to get a decent group out of a solid base wadcutter. It seems hollow based are the best option for accuracy.

There is a tendency for the 32 to loosen screws. Something in the vibration under recoil, always double check grip screws and the front sight screw before a match.

All Models

Make sure you hold your hand over the mag when pressing the mag release button. It can easily ping out and hit the floor, possibly damaging the feed lips.

If you ever take a shot without the mag inserted, remember that the empty will now be sitting in the base of the mag well. The ejector is part of the mag. So the next time you try to insert a mag, it won't go in, and you will look like a goose when the range office comes over and finally works out what the problem is. Speaking from prior experience...

Getting light strikes does not mean the hammer spring must be replaced. This happens very rarely. In most cases the slide is not going forward completely, so when the hammer hits it pushes the round the last little bit into the chamber. Of course then the strike looks light. But the problem can be caused by a partial misfeed (which can also be in turn caused by the mag problem mentioned above) or a weak slide spring. If neither of these fixes the problem, the feed ramp may need to be polished, or in some cases filed to a more gradual angle so the nose of the bullet does not push up too quickly and foul on the top lip of the chamber.

If one mag is not reliable, you may compare the feed lips to see if one has been bent out of shape.

When adjusting the trigger it is possible to have too little first stage, or takeup movement. If you shorten this movement too much, the trigger transfer bar does not have room to reset itself, and the trigger will simply not engage.

When the gun gets a lot of fouling, there could be a problem with the trigger not re-setting itself. If you squeeze the trigger and there is nothing there (no stages, and nothing happens), chances are if you release and pull, release and pull a few times, it will eventually fire. When this happens, the slot that the trigger transfer bar slides along will have a buildup of possibly carbon and gun oil, creating a sticky paste. This paste prevents the bar from springing upwards to re-set and come into contact with the sear pin. It is simply a matter of stripping the pistol and cleaning the slot inside the frame. Of course, if you let it get to that stage, you may have a costly alibi in a match. It pays not to use too thick a gun oil; a light coating of a light oil is best.

I hope this brief guide is helpful. For more info on sight and trigger adjustments for all FAS pistols, see the Pilkguns TenP Files.

Where Do All the Juniors Go?

2006-06-27T17:58:00.000-07:00

Apart from sounding like a new verse to an old Bob Dillon song, I'm sure this rings true for many of the shooting disciplines.

There are thousands of junior rifle programs all over the US, which lead to numerous National Championships for both precision and sporter rifle shooting, leading to NCAA rifle shooting in college, from which a lot of America's best shooters of today have emerged.

Pistol has less framework, but USA Shooting and NRA both are fostering the growth of junior programs. The Junior Olympics are gaining momentum (as is the pistol section of the NRA Airgun Nationals), and of course pistol is a collegiate sport sponsored by the NRA.

Out of all the thousands of kids who participate in these programs, how many of them stay with the sport? Should we not be knee deep in twentysomethings at our clubs? Why does it seem every year that our active shooters are getting older? Is all the time and money poured into junior programs a complete waste of time?

A long time ago I was one of those juniors. Actually, that's not entirely true. In New Zealand at that time I was pretty much a lonely junior. From age 11 to 15 I was active at club level, then until age 20 I was active in any major competition within 500 miles, as well as a few Internationals. In junior ranks I was a big fish, and amongst adult shooters I could pretty much hold my own, but was no threat to the big players. On turning 21 I fell victim to the myriad of life changes that come with coming of age. Having to pay my own way in the big world. Trying to find direction and stability in the workplace. Discovering that there are not so many hours in the day when you don't have a live-in cook and laundry service. Trying to fathom the greatest of all mysteries, the female psyche. On top of that, after years of winning matches, becoming an also-ran.

Luckily for me I stayed licensed, and shot for fun occasionally at my local range. I also stayed close to the sport after I started working in the gun trade. But it was to be ten years later that I regained my competitive edge and started competing again in earnest.

Maybe it's true that attrition due to coming of age is a natural thing. When lifestyle and circumstances change, many of them may come back to our sport. But even if they don't, all is not lost.

Even if not one of them ever fire another shot down range, they will have been educated about the true nature of target shooting. They will be well-versed in firearm safety, and will be a positive influence on everybody they come into contact with in this regard. One day they too will be parents. Every one of them is a walking and talking advocate for the positive side of gun ownership, and their cumulative value in neutralizing media hysteria on this issue is priceless.

Professional Kangaroo Shooting Part 2

2006-04-22T15:14:00.000-07:00

The most popular calibers I've seen used by pro shooters are 222 and 223. A few shooters use larger case calibers like 22-250 and 243, but these are relatively uncommon. You can always tell if the shooter uses anything that big, since you have to yell to hold a conversation.

Each caliber has its pluses and minuses. The 222 is relatively quiet, and does not unduly scare the wildlife. Consequently the roos are not spooked so much, resulting in closer shots. It's also an inherently accurate round. It has to be a dog of a 222 not to hold minute of angle or better. I once shot a Sako 222 that had so much rust pitting inside the barrel it looked like a lunar landscape... guess what? Still shot 1" groups at 100 yards. Most 222 barrels hold up well over 5000 shots, in some cases (using moderate loads and a relatively slow burning powder) 7-8000.
The 223 is not quite so economical to run as far as the powder charge is concerned, but it is possible to find good quality ex-military brass. The extra 30 or 40 yards in effective range can be handy in clear, open country.

The 22-250 has even greater effective range. Not so many pro shooters use this caliber. It could be argued that it's so loud that it needs the extra legs to get out there, since the kangaroos can hear it from miles away and are a little more wary. It also burns out barrels a lot quicker, between 2000 and 3000 shots.

Reloading practices are a little different in Australia. Twenty years ago and more, a company called Simplex manufactured a lightweight turret press (three and six position), designed to take 5/8" threaded dies. This system became wildly popular. Only neck sizers were made for bottle necked cases, since the turret press lacked the rigidity to full length size - although a vice type full length sizer was available (slow but effective). Die size was similar to the old Lyman tong tool dies, but I don't believe they were interchangeable. Pro shooters typically neck size cases until they start to get a little sticky to extract, then full length size.

A typical reloading bench would include a Super Simplex press and some form of standard 7/8"x14 O-frame press pretty much for the full length sizing. The Super Simplex bullet seater is marvelously direct and simple to use. Unlike the clumsy 7/8"x14 seating dies, where you have to balance the bullet on top of the case and hope it doesn't teeter to one side as the ram pushes the case way inside the die, you can hold the bullet on the case mouth all the way to the seating plug, ensuring far more reliably concentric rounds. The other neat feature of the old Super Simplex is an adjustable depth primer seater, so the need for "feel" is not required.

Powder measurement can be a little on the agricultural side. Because many of their reloading benches may be somewhere like the corner of a tractor shed, setting up a set of scales is pointless. Even a slight breeze will upset the readings. I've seen widespread use of the Lee powder scoops, and a lot of cut off cartridge cases with a handle brazed on. These are surprisingly accurate if used with a consistent technique, and of course the load should be mild enough to make it nigh on impossible to overload even with a heaped scoop.

Choice of rifle is always a good way to start an argument among pro shooters. They all have their favorite, as well as their own reasons for their selection. Tikkas are very popular due to their detachable magazine, however the earlier LSA55/65 was more prized for its all-steel construction. Plastic pieces don't last too well in the bush. Sako, although a little pricey, has a slick little action with less bolt lift than the twin lockers. There are a lot of Winchesters in use, despite the long throw of the action even for the shorter shells. In the larger calibers there are still some Parker Hale (Mauser 98 actions) in use. The Brno Fox (CZ) was a cute little rifle, again the detachable magazine was a great feature, although the double set trigger was not always appreciated. Also notable are the Zastava Mini Mauser, Howa (in various brands), Parker Hale Midland, Anschutz in 222 and the Remington 788. The Remington 700 had the disadvantage of so little bolt tolerance that a small amount of sand or grit could lock up the action. I even remember trying to fit the bolt in a brand new rifle, to find a minute piece of packing foam had stuck to the bolt head and would not permit the action to close.

In rifle scopes Tasco World Class took a lot of beating, if only for the unlimited lifetime warranty. I remember this being something of a millstone to the company at one stage, as their manufacturing base moved from Japan to Taiwan to Korea, and finally to China. I've been out of that part of the trade for a few years now, but still see the Tascos widely advertised, so I guess the quality control must have improved.

Since all their shooting is done in the hours of darkness, light gathering is of utmost importance to pro shooters. A surprising number of them used high quality and even higher priced European scopes with a 56mm objective. The 8x56 Kahles was so bright you could almost use it without a spotlight under a full moon. Pecars were popular, and I even saw an occasional Zeiss. Some were so old they had friction screws for adjustments, and were not image-moving (the crosshairs actually moved, so you may be shooting in the bottom corner of the image). But we had a very good instrument repair company in Brisbane who would strip these old scopes completely and clean up the optics to give them a new lease of life.

Lightforce probably owes its existence today to the success of its 100w spotlight system. Originally called Nightforce, they were a remarkably bright light in a very lightweight plastic housing. I remember the sales rep had a set performance where he would throw one of their spotlights along the length of the shop floor as he walked in to prove how tough and durable it was. It was also cheap enough to replace if it got smashed by driving too close under a tree.

But the best light available (and I heard at the time possibly the second best hand held spotlight in the world) was the Nighteater. Made by an eccentric Victorian farmer in his spare time, these had a distinctive orange housing. They would darn near start fires (and would easily melt the vinyl of your car seat if you put it face down too quickly). Smarter pro shooters know the value of a strong beam. If it had one disadvantage, it was that you could easily spot roos that were way past the range of your rifle.

Professional kangaroo shooters have a tough life. To make a good go of it they have to work ridiculously long hours while staying alert. To goof off mentally could result in serious damage to his vehicle, or get him lost with little chance of ever being found - unless cell phone coverage has improved about a million percent. There's also the chance of being wounded by a kangaroo that is still alive... a buck can rip you open from throat to navel if he grabs you with his fore arms and rakes you with his hind legs. One old shooter I knew always carried a stick and a tire lever when he went out to pick up carcasses. If the roo bounded upright he could poke the stick in front of him to give it something to grab with its paws, then conk it on the head with the tire lever. He said he learned this from a scary prior engagement.

It's April 1st!

2006-04-01T00:01:00.000-08:00

Exciting Sixgun Developments

Great news for anybody looking for the ultimate in revolvers for the Harry Reeves match at Camp Perry. An imaginative new reworking of the single action Russian match pistol, the Toz 36, has resulted in an amazing unit that should be unbeatable on the firing line.

Rechambered and rebarreled in 38 S&W Special Wadcutter, the new Toz 38M will be available sometime in the next two months. But what makes it exceptional is the gas-operated piston that recocks the action and rotates the cylinder, using a measured charge of gas bled from the barrel. Once the hammer is cocked for the first shot, it operates exactly as a semi auto for the rest of the five-shot series. This makes it a more sophisticated concept than the Italian Mateba that was launched a few years back.

Most of the original features of the Nagant-inspired Toz revolver remain the same. When cocked, the cylinder slides forward to seal against the barrel, thereby eliminating the bullet jump to the forcing cone. This makes for much improved accuracy over the standard revolver design.

The gas port in the barrel is "cut" with an EDM (spark eroder) to eliminate any possibility of a burr in the bore, leading to lead buildup. The gas system borrows from the M14 rifle, an ingenious hollow piston that cuts off the gas that is bled from the barrel as soon as the piston has moved a few millimeters, thus preventing any excess pressure of an overload from causing damage to the internal parts of the action.

This exciting new model will revolutionize the target revolver market. While primarily designed for the ISSF Center Fire event, there is no doubt of its potential in NRA 3-Gun matches.

Left Handed S&W Model 14

You heard it here first. Now lefties aren't left out in the cold, with the imminent release of a left-handed version of the famous K38 Masterpiece. It's very important that you contact your dealer today for more details on either of these special models.

Professional Kangaroo Shooting Part 1

2006-03-29T12:02:00.000-08:00

This is not going to be a discussion about the rights and wrongs of slaughtering "innocent" creatures. Most of the vocal lobbyists for demanding a stop to Government controlled culls have never seen a kangaroo in the wild, and seem to want to draw a parallel with the decimation of the buffalo in America. Nothing could be further from the truth. Improved water distribution to the semi-arid areas in Australia have provided conditions that sustain higher kangaroo populations than existed when Captain Cook landed. The latest population figures I've seen indicate a marked increase since private firearm ownership has been dramatically reduced by legislation. In a good year (plentiful rainfall), kangaroo numbers swell enormously. In the following seasons any droughts lead to widespread death from starvation. Professional shooters are regulated by government bodies in an effort to control the roo population.

I'd like to discuss the rifles and equipment used by the pro shooters I have encountered over the years. My perspective is dated by a few years now, but I doubt much has changed. There must be few places in the world where so much shooting is done by so few. Most centerfire rifle shooters, certainly hunters, never wear out a barrel in their lifetime. In contrast to this, it's not unusual for a pro shooter to rebarrel in less than a year.

I'll start with a brief job description. The work day starts in the late afternoon, not long before dusk. Kangaroos are nocturnal animals, and in any area a few hours' drive from the coast, if you are driving at night, there is a high risk of hitting one on the road (you will notice all the locals have roo bars on their vehicles).

A skilled roo shooter will take note of the weather conditions and the prevailing wind, and make a decision as to the most likely area of high roo concentration. He typically has a territory of many thousands of acres, sometimes incorporating several properties, sometimes just a corner of a giant station. He may use the shearers' quarters, or if he is lucky an unused homestead, but home comforts such as air conditioning are very unlikely. Any electricity is likely to be provided by a generator.

There are generally two periods of activity for kangaroos; from dusk until around midnight, then again from around 2am until dawn. For a shooting wagon most pro shooters favored the Toyota Landcruiser, this being the most rugged and reliable unit for copping a lot of abuse and hard usage. A typical rig is a flat tray on back with a 6' high steel box frame for hanging carcasses. Most shooters work alone, and shoot from the driver's seat. There may be a bar covered with soft rubber fitted to the outside of the driver's door, used as a rifle rest. At least one spotlight is fitted through the roof with a remote handle.

The shooter typically will be sweeping the surrounding area with his left hand, while driving slowly along his track. The spotlight beam needs to have enough brightness to hold the roo while the shooter takes the truck out of gear and slows to a stop, getting the rifle into position as he does so. This is where a lot of skill comes in to play. If there is a load of roo carcasses on board, he cannot afford to wait until the truck stops swaying back and forth, since the roo will only stay frozen in the spotlight for a few seconds. The better shooters can time their shot to release at the moment the truck coasts to a stop, just before the hanging carcasses swing backwards. Since roos normally congregate in a "mob", there is a chance of killing several before moving on.

It is surprising what noise will spook them. The report of smaller calibers such as 222 Remington may not immediately scare off a mob, but strangely enough the metallic click of a truck door will. Most of the time roos are shot within 150 yards. A single shot to the head is the preferred method, and government regulations prevent the use of rimfire calibers. I found that the guys I met took pride in using quality equipment that left as little to chance as possible for a clean and painless kill.

After a full night's hunting a successful shooter may have accounted for between 40 and 70 roos. If he is shooting for pelts he will have to skin them as the night goes on. If the carcasses are left to cool the job becomes extremely difficult. Otherwise, if shooting for pet food, there is less work in the field. Kangaroo meat for human consumption is a fairly recent development, and the cost of getting set up with a rig that conforms to sanitary regulations (virtually all surfaces stainless steel) was so high that very few shooters were interested. This may have changed in the past few years however.

Every roo shot must have a tag attached (bought from the state Parks and Wildlife Service); this is how the cull numbers are controlled. By first light the shooter drives to the nearest town to sell his truck load to a skin buyer or pet food processor. Given the size of these areas, just the trip into town may take hours. If there is a refrigerated box in the town, the shooter may also supplement his income by shooting wild pigs. Some of this wild pork is exported to Germany.

Our shooter has now been working all night, and may (if he is lucky) be back to his base by early to mid morning. Now he has to service his vehicle, fix anything that has broken, load ammunition for the coming night, cook and eat something, oh, and if he gets the chance, get some sleep as long as the temperature allows some chance of resting. I haven't mentioned the tendency for punctures if he works in mulga country or chassis damage on the rocky terrains. He should be more than a fair bush mechanic, since RACQ (local version of AAA) isn't likely to bail him out in some 10,000 acre paddock in the middle of nowhere. And it's a long walk home.

The next installment will deal with the rifles, scopes, reloading equipment and practice, as well as other accessories such as spotlights.

IWA Part II

2006-03-29T08:37:00.000-08:00

It was notable that on the Lapua stand this year there was no signage visible for SK rimfire ammunition. Could this mean SK as a brand will disappear in the near future? Obviously the factory will continue making excellent match ammo, but it may mean all production will be marketed as Lapua in future. Remember, you heard it here first!

The Lapua 22LR ultra-match Midas L and M will be replaced by a single line of Midas. Not sure which bullet diameter (.223 or .224) will survive.

Touch-Up Blueing at Home

2006-03-22T08:05:00.000-08:00

What many people do not realize is that the blued finish on your rifle, pistol or shotgun is actually a form of controlled corrosion. Blueing itself is not a protective coating against rust, which is why guns need to be wiped over with gun oil after use. Even the acid in our finger marks can result in rust starting - sometimes within hours (it depends on just how acidic the individual... so keep your mother-in-law well away from your gun safe! Har har! Just kidding, Dear!).

The depth and quality of the blued finish can depend not only on the process used, but also the composition of the metal. Not all gun steel is created equal. The more ferrous the metal, the easier it will take on a deep blue finish (also the easier it will rust). Most rimfire barrels are made from a very low grade of steel, called black steel. This is not a bad thing, since it only has to deal with very low pressures and soft lead bullets. But black steel has a high carbon content, and blues beautifully.

With modern technology some factories have, for reasons best known to themselves, taken some unforgivable liberties in using high alloy content steels that result in ugly old age. The classic example if the Winchester Model 94 lever action. Somewhere in the 60s or 70s the receiver was cast in a new high-alloy metal. I'm sure the decision was economic. These rifles are mostly carried with a hand wrapped around the action, and even with moderate use the blued finish wears off. I'm afraid there is nothing I can do to help this type of rifle... even the methods I'll be giving you for optimizing cold blueing will result in nothing better than a sickly gray smudge.

If you have any form of firearm that is (or could one day be) worth money, don't fool with it. Give it to a professional gunsmith for a proper reblue, or simply leave it in its original finish - most often collectible firearms are best left that way.

If, on the other hand, you have granddad's old single shot, that has mountains of sentimental value, but will never be worth more than a few beans, and you want to tart it up a bit without spending buckets of cash (professional reblues are not cheap) - then you're in the right place.

This can also work for touching up parts that have lost their finish, but be aware that if you intend touching up only part of a larger component like a barrel or receiver, the new finish will likely not match the old.

There's really no fail-safe way of knowing exactly how the steel will react to the blue, but a good way of finding out if you're dealing with high ferrous content is to try a strong magnet against it. If it sticks like crazy, it will probably blue okay. If it shows limited interest in attaching itself, chances are it's high alloy content and the blue won't take very well.

You Will Need

Quantities of steel wool, OOO Grade (the finest), and maybe a couple of slightly coarser grades.
A bench polisher, with wire wheel (ideal but not absolutely necessary).
Safety goggles and protective rubber gloves.
Acetone.
A tube or bottle of touch-up blue. My favorite is G96 paste, as shown, but any reputable brand will do.
A bottle of gun oil.
Scraps of cloth that will NOT be useful for anything later.

Preparation

Ideally the part(s) you are blueing should be taken back to bare metal. A bench mounted polishing wheel does this admirably. Not as good because it takes a lot of time and effort, is steel wool, which I always use wet with gun oil. Never, ever use sandpaper. Even the finest grade of wet and dry will leave scratch marks that will show through the blue.

When the part is polished, don't leave it for any amount of time "in the white" (bare metal), because even though you may not see it, rust takes a hold immediately.

Before applying the blue, you must first degrease it completely. Acetone works great, although there are some gun degreasers that would probably work okay.

Don't forget the gloves at this stage. You're dealing with some nasty chemicals here. And make sure you have good ventilation so you're not getting too much of a whiff of this stuff.

IF POSSIBLE leave the part where it will get warm. Heat helps the blue "take". Sitting it in the sun on a hot day for 30 minutes would be perfect.

Liberally apply the cold blue solution to a wad of OOO grade steel wool, and rub it into the metal. It should darken immediately. Do not be too concerned if the finish is not entirely even at this stage. Sit the part down and leave it for about 30 minutes, NO LONGER.

After 30 minutes, take a cloth, apply gun oil to it, and wipe the part over completely. Don't overdo this. When you have wiped all of the blue solution off, and the surface appears to have a thin film of oil, set it down and leave it.

24 hours later you MUST give it another heavy coat of gun oil. The first coat will 90% neutralize the chemical reaction of the metal to the blue. When you come back a day later, chances are the surface will be dry, and may be showing outward signs of corrosion, maybe a brownish powdery tinge. This second coat of oil should stop the blueing (or corrosion) completely.

Of course you should regularly check for any spot that may have missed being neutralized over the next few days.

Most of the cold blue instructions will tell you to wash the part in water immediately after application. This is their safe way of ensuring that chemically-induced corrosion stops there. Unfortunately it also limits the effectiveness of the blue. My technique grew from dissatisfaction with the patchy results I was getting from following their instructions. Your mileage may vary, so I'd recommend starting with minor parts to see if this technique gives you the results you expect.

The Rise and Fall of the XS40 Sporter Air Rifle

2006-03-19T14:47:00.000-08:00

Nothing has shaken up the 3-Position Sporter Air Rifle program here in the US like the arrival of the Daisy Valiant XS40 pre-charged air rifle. When it was introduced 5 years ago there was widespread grumbling to almost outright rebellion amongst junior program coaches who saw it as the beginning of an equipment race that would escalate costs to remain competitive - and the whole concept of Sporter Class was to keep the equipment affordable for the myriad of 4-H, Boy Scout, Jaycees, JROTC, NRA and USAS-based programs.

With the introduction of the XS40, ceiling cost of eligible rifles jumped from $200 to $350. It did not stop there, either. With the fall of the US Dollar against the Euro on top of raised factory prices the ceiling had to be lifted again to $475.

Last year Daisy announced that it was no longer supplying the XS40, and the 3-P Council stated that any rifles after a certain serial number would no longer be eligible for competition. What follows is a blow-by-blow account of the rifle's checkered career, its teething problems, personality and its strengths.

The XS40 was based on the CZ 200 - a mid powered pre-charged air rifle marketed primarily in England and Europe. It was fitted with accessory rail for a single point sling, as well as Gamo target sights. The stock was made adjustable both in cheekpiece height and length of pull, with the use of spacers. Velocity was set to just over 570fps, giving 90 to 110 shots of fairly consistent velocity from a fully charged cylinder.

The fact that it did not have a regulator was the only reason I can see that a pre-charged rifle could be produced so cheaply. The system works okay at 10m velocities. There is a slow spread of velocity, starting at around 570fps when the cylinder is full, at 200 BAR (or just under 3000psi). It slowly increases to about 590fps when half full, and tapers back down to 570 by the time cylinder pressure has dropped to about 120 BAR. This spread of velocity does not make any appreciable difference to the fall of shot at 10m, although to continue to shoot below 120 BAR will result in shots dropping low.

Some shooters tried to increase velocity by winding up the hammer spring to shoot FT and metallic silhouette. This had two unfortunate results; a far wider spread of velocity, and a much reduced number of shots from the cylinder. But in its standard guise it was acceptable as far as accuracy was concerned, if a little more picky about the pellets that worked well when compared to the Walther-barreled Daisy 853, 753 and 888.

With the arrival of the first batch of rifles it became clear that somebody had some funny ideas about the physiology of junior shooters. I'm 6'4", and the length of pull, before any spacers were added, was about right for me. Added to this, when the Gamo rear sight was fitted to the receiver, it was almost impossible to get the head in a position to see through the sight. Even with no spacers fitted, the cheekpiece was too high.

So for the first batch of rifles Daisy had to rush sets of riser blocks from England to make them usable. Riser blocks are normally not allowed in Sporter Class, and an exception was made for the serial range of those rifles in the rule book.

The next batch of rifles had shorter stocks with lower set cheekpieces. Unfortunately the extra spacers that were now going to be needed, were only produced after months of waiting. Many coaches made their own.

All the drama was not yet done with however. With no notice, the original metal trigger shoes were replaced with molded plastic trigger shoes. These shoes were adjustable on a trigger bar to allow for setting up the correct reach for each individual shooter. It was locked in place by a screw pinching the opposing parts of the top of the shoe onto the trigger bar. This worked fine while the shoe was metal, but the slippery plastic shoes (needing more tension to stop them from moving on the bar) would snap like a carrot when the screw was tightened. Larger headed screws, that spread the load more evenly, eventually solved the problem, but not before a bunch of trigger shoes bit the dust.

About the same time, another engineering surprise was the replacement of the rear stock mounting bolt, which changed from a conventional slotted screw head (that anybody could tighten if it became loose) to a slotted hollow nut over a threaded rod, that now required a special two-pronged tool.

But the biggest headache yet was brought about by somebody (allegedly in the CZ factory) taking it on themselves to "improve" the trigger release weight. Of course, this only surfaced when several brand new rifles failed pre-competition inspection at a major shoot when they failed to pick up the minimum 1 1/2 pound weight. The wailing and gnashing of teeth by frustrated coaches could be heard echoing all around the range. Closely followed by similar wailing etc at Daisy, after we discovered the cause of the problem... not one, but two springs had been changed in the trigger unit, and one of them could only be changed back by completely stripping the trigger parts from the receiver. And no small number of this new batch of rifles had already been shipped to junior programs all over the country.

It gets even better. When discovering the trigger was too light, the coach would logically think that he could increase trigger weight by following the instructions in the owners manual (which were at best misleading). By doing so he would logically wind the so-called weight adjusting screw all the way through the receiver body to fall inside, leaving both screw and associated spring floating around the guts of the action. And needing a special tool to remove the butt stock to gain access to it.

More accurate trigger adjustment instructions can be found on Pilkguns' TenP pages.

Somewhere along the line the forend slipped my mind. The first few batches of rifles had the forend attached from underneath, into the front of the receiver, with a disappointingly insubstantial looking hex-headed screw. Remember now, the accessory rail is mounted on the underside of the forend, in which the sling swivel is clamped. You could grab the front of that forend and waggle it from side to side with very little pressure. Of course the air cylinder provided a sort of built-in waggle-limiter. This was not the most conducive to accurate prone shooting however.

Smarter coaches would train their kids to alter their position as they moved from one column of bulls to the next (shooting on a 12-bull card). If they did not do this, if they simply pushed the rifle sideways to get on target, the difference in side pressure to the forend would cause a change in the point of impact.

Eventually the forend design was changed to incorporate a forward clamp that fixed the front of the forend to the barrel. This improved the group shifting a little, but the clamp could not be retro-fitted to an existing forend, a complete new forend assembly had to be purchased.

Apart from these minor problems, everything was plain sailing.

Or was it?

There was the batch of brass fill adapters that had not been properly threaded to accept the air cylinder. And the cylinders that developed slow leaks through the pressure gauge at the front, sometimes pinging off the plastic gauge cover. We believe this was caused by some seals that were past their use-by date, as many of them leaked from new. Then there was the front sight base, that started out metal, but was suddenly changed to a plastic piece. When locking it to the barrel with the set screw it was very easy to crack the whole piece if it was not tightened very carefully.

Through all of this Daisy bent over backwards to keep these rifles in operation. I must stress that Daisy had no part in the manufacture of them, they imported them specifically to supply Sporter Class teams, and they took their responsibilities very seriously in a difficult situation. I am certain that the whole junior program is run at a loss by Daisy, but in the end the losses with this model simply mounted too high. This is why I believe the XS40 was retired.

After looking at just the negatives, it's important that I try to balance the account somewhat, because a lot of teams around the country have benefited greatly from buying and using these rifles.

The obvious advantage of a pre-charge is that the shooter does not have to move out of position between shots while shooting in the prone position to recock and load the next shot. The old Daisy 853 (and its fancier-stocked and sighted 753 brother), being single stroke pneumatic, forced the kids to roll on their side to work the compression lever. In fact some of the smaller kids lacked the strength to close the lever.

The stock adjustments made it easier to fit the rifle to the shooter.

The trigger was vastly superior to the standard trigger in the 853 family.

And despite the sorry list of problems, they occurred over several years and by no means affected all that were imported, which amounted to thousands of units.

Looking to the future for Sporter Class, what does the future hold? I hear Daisy is developing an adjustable stock for the excellent CO2-powered Model 888. And John McCaslin of AirForce is working on a pre-charged air rifle as we speak. I hope to have news of its development very soon.

IWA 2006

2006-03-17T09:41:00.000-08:00

Held in Nuremburg, Germany every year, the IWA Show is where all of the European manufacturers announce new products. This year's IWA ended a few days ago, and I had my spies on hand.

Ragnar Skanaker, probably the most famous pistol shooter in world, was there, with an absolutely brilliant design for shooting glasses for both rifle and pistol shooters. Look to see these available from American dealers such as Pilkguns sometime in early May.

Gehmann was showing a new adjustable iris triangle front sight for rifle shooters.
Also announced was the marketing collaboration between Gehmann and Matchguns. It is hoped that the Gehmann interface and perhaps influence will minimize the technical problems that have plagued Cesare's many forward-thinking designs over the years at various companies. Another rumor going around the show was that Matchguns production was being moved to Spain from Italy. Time will tell if this be the case.

AHG Anschutz has a very fine looking bolt cover for use when transporting smallbore rifles with the bolt removed from the action.

AHG also announced a new deodorizer for shooting jackets and boots, which is very effective at removing the body odors present from hot sweaty shooting clothes not allowed to air properly during a busy travel schedule. The story is this product was developed for the funeral industry in particular for the transport of bodies prior to their being embalmed.

Walther had big announcements of its Hammerli acquisitions, and was showing all the current Hammerli line inside their booth. The new Walther SSP sport pistol was also heavily promoted there. Unfortunately this pistol has not yet made it to American dealers' shelves.

Feinwerkbau seems finally to have realized that many shooters are sick of the aluminum or laminated construction that modern stocks are made of and would like to have a modern gun with a traditional look. It is now offering its top air rifles in a very dark, walnut-looking natural wood. However, the wood is a stained beech to minimize costs.

Steyr was offering a new air rifle, the LG20. Based somewhat on the earlier and popular LG10 action, it is offered as a less expensive alternative to the top of the line LG110 action. The LG20 is available in wood stock configuration only, mostly in blue and gray laminate, but walnut will be available as well. The new LG20 will share the same cylinder design as the LG110, as developed in the LG100.

Norbert Ussfeller, in conjunction with AHG and Gruenig & Elmiger, is the is in his third year of production with his F27 rifle. It is believed by many to be absolutely the finest target rifle in the world. Each action is hand tuned and each barrel is carefully selected before being mated to the action. Top American shooters Jason Parker and Matt Emmons have recently purchased F27s for themselves.

Anschutz was celebrating its 150th year anniversary, with a new logo reminiscent of old Chevrolet hood ornaments. Anschutz was also celebrating numerous successes at the recently concluded 2006 Winter Olympics where nearly all biathlon medals were won using the Anschutz biathlon action. One of the hits of the Anschutz display was a music video someone had put together with a popular song ÂPush the ButtonÂ along with a sexy model and some Anschutz air rifles

Parallax in Rifle Scopes

2006-03-09T17:02:00.000-08:00

Telescopic sights have always been something of a compromise. Depending on age, quality of optics and how much adjustability it has built in, will decide just how much of a compromise.

I want to talk today about just one aspect of scopes, that being parallax.

Obviously this will not directly relate to any scope with adjustable objective, or other range focus function. Well, maybe just a little...

Your average run-of-the-mill telescopic sight has been focused at a set distance. Sights designed for rimfires rifles generally are set to somewhere around 70 yards, those for center fire rifles somewhere over 100 yards. This means that at that distance, for that particular scope, there will be no parallax error. At any other distance, there will be some parallax error.

Parallax error is something that can be seen when shooting from a fixed point, like sand bags on a bench rest. Set up a target at a known distance, then align the rifle so that the cross hair is pointed at the center of the target. Without moving the rifle, then move your head from side to side, checking to see if there is any movement of the cross hair on the image of the target. When there is no parallax error, the cross hair will remain unmoving on the target until the image disappears. But if the cross hair moves as you move your head, your potential group size has just been magnified by the amount of movement you now see - and it all depends on how you position your head in relation to the scope from shot to shot.

It is common for a center fire rifle to shoot poorly at a 50 yard target for this reason. There may be an inch or two of parallax error, making the unfortunate shooter crazy since it's only logical to expect groups twice the size at 100 yards.

Of course I have a solution to this problem, at least when shooting from a bench, that does not involve buying an expensive new scope with bells and whistles. Feel free to send contributions to the author's beer fund when you see how well it works...

Set up to shoot from your rest as normal. Now, move your head backwards, away from the eyepiece of the scope. You will see that the circular image becomes smaller than the ocular lens. Centralize this image in the ocular lens, making the black band a perfect circle. If you sight each shot like this you will ensure your eye is in exactly the same place, eliminating the parallax error.

If this is a hard kicking center fire rifle, make sure your recoil pad maintains good contact with your shoulder, or it could be a painful experience.

Many target scopes have adjustable objective, that will focus the scope to a particular range. These have yardage settings on the adjusting ring. It is still advisable to use the side-to-side head method to test for parallax error, because in my experience the settings are not often very accurate. For shooting metallic silhouette you may need to make your own graduation marks for each distance. It just takes another variable out of the equation.

If your rifle has adjustable windage scope mounts, it may be advisable to adjust as close to zero as possible using the mount adjustments before moving the scope adjustments. Modern "image moving" scopes bend the image to be viewed in the center, even when the adjustments are at their extremes. You can set the adjustments at or very near their optimum position by winding each adjustment (windage and elevation) the full extent of its movement, counting clicks as you go. Then, bringing them back half that number will give you center. Lower quality variable scopes in particular can move their point of impact when the magnification is adjusted, and this is exaggerated if the scope adjustments are well out of center.

An Embarrassing Bulge

2006-03-08T18:07:00.000-08:00

Before I get started on this, I'd like to make it clear that I love the SIG-Hammerli P240. To those not familiar with this model of target pistol, it was made in the 1970s in 22LR, 32 S&W Long Wadcutter and 38 Special Wadcutter. It's a semi auto made with all the Swiss precision you'd expect, and was very popular as a UIT Center Fire gun. The 22LR version was pretty rare, I only ever saw some conversions kicking around in that caliber. But as far as balance, trigger and feel were concerned, this was a peach.

By far the most common caliber for this pistol was the 32. I had seen a few 38s on the line around Australian clubs, but they had this reputation that they were not suited to your average Joe shooter, they needed the guiding hand of an experienced shooter. Then there was the other thing about the 38 - the first thing a dealer would do when checking it out would be to look down the barrel for a bulge.

This never really stuck in my mind too much, until a couple of years back I chanced on a letter sent to all owners of the 38 P240s by SIG. Dated August 1979, it announced the cessation of the production of P240s in that caliber. The full text content follows:

Important Communication

On purchasing the SIG-Hammerli P240 pistol you have received a perfect firearm with regard to technical characteristics and quality, for which we guarantee as such.
Unfortunately it has been pointed out to us for some time already that the ammunition .38 Special Wadcutter, as well as hand-loaded ammunition, which is available for this firearm, can lead to damage of the pistol in rare cases. We are in no way responsible for these disadvantages which are in the form of retained shots (approx 1 case per 100 000 shots) or even of causing cracks in the barrel (approx 1 case in 1 000 000 shots) and thus cannot accept any liability for them.
Numerous tests and expertises which we had carried out immediately, clearly indicated that the firearm operates perfectly with regard to its design, material and manufacture and that the damages mentioned were only due to the use of faulty ammunition.
We have seen to it that the firm, Dynamit Nobel Ltd (Geco), assumes the responsibility for such ammunition produced and that this company also accepts the full liability. Our attempts in this direction with other ammunition producers have been unsuccessful up to the present.
Although we are convinced of the quality of the P240 pistol, we cannot however have an influence on the ammunition used by the marksman. It is with great regret that we have thus decided to discontinue the manufacture of this excellent and very popular pistol.
We hope to have made the situation clear with this communication. We would like to emphasize and draw your attention to the fact that, should you have sold or lent your pistol to anyone in the meantime, it is your responsibility to inform the present owner of this communication, since you are fully liable for any damage which may be incurred. It need hardly be said that we deeply regret such a development, especially as we have no influence on it. We feel obliged, however, to provide you with this information.
This communication only applies to .38 calibre Special Wadcutter and not to the .32 calibre Smith & Wesson Long and .22 calibre long rifle.

I guess this only goes to prove that nobody's perfect.

When you build a precision target pistol with an undersize bore and not much room for anything but a very thin walled barrel (the 32 had thicker walls because of the smaller hole), you're asking for trouble. Throw into the mix some home reloads; heck, even throw in factory loads in the heat of an Australian summer, and you have the makings of a problem child.

The letter proves that there were "issues" - enough of them to halt production. One "retained shot" (a.k.a. stuck skirt) in 100,000 may be the case under perfect conditions, but those perfect conditions just don't exist in the real world. I'm very surprised that even one ammunition company would admit to any sort of liability, when they have no way of knowing that Young Norman of Birdsville, Queensland wouldn't plink at tin cans somewhere on the outskirts of the Simpson Desert in mid summer. I do applaud the imagination of whoever came up with the concept of blaming everything on poor quality control of the ammo factories. A master stroke.

Enough of the Swiss-bashing, that was never my intention. The P240, even in 38, is a marvelous machine, a pleasure to shoot. Nothing I have outlined here is any excuse not to own or shoot one with full confidence. However, a little common sense must be used.

If reloading using hollow based wadcutters, you should stick with a mild load, and a very light crimp. Remember, a heavy crimp will build pressure. Use a brand of bullet that does not have a reputation for having easily detached skirts - and I mention no names here, but ask around and you will make a safe decision.

Keep your ammo cool, or at least out of the sun.

Never, ever, shoot when there is oil in the barrel.

Final Note

The P240 in 38 was also a joy to shoot because it plonked its empties right at your feet. It was civilized in every way, not making the shooter poke about like a barnyard hen looking for cases. It's also interesting to note that its magazines were interchangeable with the S&W Model 52.

Bulged Barrels

2006-03-08T12:56:00.000-08:00

Experienced hands may not have anything to learn here, but it surprises me how many shooters are unaware of the pitfalls that can cause damage to their firearm.

A bulge, or pressure ring, is generally caused by an obstruction in the barrel. The bullet, as it encounters this obstruction, has immense pressure buildup behind it until something gives. In most cases this is the inside surface of the barrel (the bore). Of course in more extreme cases the barrel will burst or the action will fly apart.

Typically a bulge, when looking through the barrel, looks like a dark concentric ring. It may be a few millimeters long, and its depth depends on several of the circumstances; the severity of the blockage, the wall thickness and the quality of the barrel metal. Some will show external evidence in the form of a raised bulge (obviously a shotgun is prone to this with its thin walls).

So, what can cause this to happen?

What Constitutes a Blockage

1. Oil. The coating of rust-prevention you may apply to the inside of the bore after cleaning. This should always be removed by pushing through a dry patch, before shooting. Most oils will not compress, and as the tight-fitting bullet accelerates down the barrel it pushes the oil in front of it... there is no way it can pass. Lower power firearms such as 22LR may seldom build up enough pressure to cause a bulge (or as I like to call it, a "passing bay"), but it's better to be safe than sorry. Certainly I have seen a lot of center fire rifles that have been ringed from this very thing.

2. The skirt from a hollow based lead projectile. In most cases this will happen to a handloader, but not always. If there is too much pressure for a hollow based bullet, the skirt can separate from the main body of the projectile, and lodge somewhere in the barrel. The next shot, when fired, will clear the obstruction, but most likely will also leave a bulge.

Hollow based target wadcutters are the most common culprits here, shot widely in both target revolvers and semi autos. It would be easy to say that the loads that cause separation are too hot, and in many cases this is the end of the story. But some loads, that are safely worked up in mild temperatures, can become too "hot" when the temperature climbs. The fast burning powders typically used for target loads have a very steep pressure curve, which is why they use such a piddly charge. By their very nature, pressures don't gradually increase, they go up in a rush. If the ammunition gets hot (for example from sitting in the trunk of your car on a summer's day), a load that was mild and sedate can become punchy and downright dangerous. You may be lucky and see some evidence of skirt separation before any damage is done. I once witnessed a 5-shot target with 10 bullet holes. Needless to say the shooter in question put his gear away and headed home to spend some quality time with his kinetic bullet puller.

Even factory wadcutter ammo should be treated with respect, and we may discuss this further in an upcoming installment.

3. A bullet. Most often from a reload, but even factory loads have been known to have no powder. The firing pin hits the primer, and the blast from the primer may or may not have enough oomph to clear the bullet from the barrel. If not, the next shot can cause a bulge.

It appears luck has a lot to do with outcome here. I've witnessed one instance, and have been guilty of another, when a bullet has been shunted out with no visible sign of damage. My lucky escape came in a 4-second string of Service Match (using a revolver of course) - and for me to get six shots away in 4 seconds means I'm squeezing as fast as I can - the third shot was, I thought , a click. But I had 6 empty cases, and 6 holes in the target (only 10 yards away). My "click" was obviously a primer shot that lodged the bullet just inside the barrel, and the next shot cleared it out. If it had have been further down the barrel I'm certain the shunter would have gained much more speed and done damage to the barrel when connecting with the shuntee.

4. The famous "Clean the Lead Out with a Jacketed Round". I have no proof that this has ever bulged as much as one barrel in the past. But I figure it should have. I'd advise going the traditional route of actually cleaning the barrel first. I know it's painfully slow, even with modern solvents, but there's something about the alternative that smacks of swinging a sledgehammer to kill a fly.

Consequences

What will happen to the accuracy if you have a bulge in the barrel of your target pistol? Does it mean you immediately have to rebarrel?

The most important part of any barrel as regards to accuracy is the last inch or so. If the bulge is before that area, chances are the accuracy will still be acceptable. There may be a tendency to lead a little more quickly.

If you bulge a center fire rifle barrel, I would certainly seek advice from a gunsmith. The higher pressures that rifles are subject to make it nothing to be trifled with. In theory, pressures would be lessened by the bypass of gas at the point of the pressure ring, but there is also more chance that it has created a weakness in the metal.

SHOT Show 2006

2006-03-03T09:02:00.000-08:00

Once again the SHOT Show, premier trade show for the Firearms and Outdoor Industries, was held in Las Vegas a few weeks back.

For coaches and participants in Junior Sporter Air Rifle were the prototypes of a new compressed air / PCP rifle at the Air Force airguns booth. John McCaslin, the owner and manager of Air Force has been producing a highly regarded American made hunting air rifle for some years, and is now ready to tackle the Sporter air rifle market. While there are still issues being addressed, it is expected that this gun will be available by late spring or early summer. The next challenge is sourcing a sight system that will be as reliable as the old Gamo sights, yet be affordable enough to keep the entire gun legal according to the 3 Position Air Rifle Council's cost limitations.

USA Shooting had a booth overflowing with clothing items and trinkets bearing their logo, and the crowds responded with a vigor. By the second day, most of the tables were bare, with nearly all sizes except the extremes being sold out. USA Shooting's cooperation with Ruger and Talo distributing with a special edition of 2008 of their popular 10/22 in a red white and blue stock of racy proportions is reportedly completely sold out.

Steyr was there with their new 10m match air rifle, the LG110, of which the first production copies were received in late December. In conjunction with the new rifle, Steyr importer for the US Scott Pilkington created a new inspirational poster, featuring Apollo 11 astronaut Buzz Aldrin holding the new air rifle on the surface of the moon. Scott says the highlight of the show for him was when the owner of Umarex and Walther, Wulf-Hienz Plfaumer stopped, looked at the new poster, and said, "Perfect, that is the perfect advertisement".

Daisy were celebrating their 120th year in the business and had lots of neat goodies for showgoers.

The biggest news for pistol shooters was that the famous Swiss target pistol producer Hammerli will be no more. German rival Walther has bought out Hammerli lock, stock and barrel, so to speak, and will shortly be moving everything to Germany. Nothing seems quite clear as to Walther's intent at this moment, as conflicting stories abound, but it seems quite sad for such a famous name to be bought by a lesser rival. However the writing has been on the wall for Hammerli for nearly a decade now.

Stay tuned for more information on new products and developments from the IWA Show in Germany later this month.

Shooters to the Line

2006-03-02T09:44:00.000-08:00

This blog is for anybody who enjoys the fine art of target shooting. From airguns to magnums, handguns to longarms, I’ve had my fair share of punching paper, busting clays and flipping steel. Even plinking at tin cans and other assorted items as an excuse to burn some powder.
I started competitive shooting in 1975, and have worked in the gun trade since 1988. I’ll be tackling topics that are controversial, obscure, general and downright specialized – with a bias toward precision pistol shooting, since that is my great love. My contacts in the trade will provide up-to-the-minute news on new products and industry developments.