Finally got my 18" barrel
It was worth the wait! I see no down side going 18″ from 12″ at all. Yes the gun is slightly heavier, but doesn’t bother me a bit. My gun is more accurate, it now seems even QUIETER than before. I think the sound of pellet impact hitting the steel plates in my target box may actually be louder than the gun with my frame extender installed.
I also noticed that the aluminum barrel bushings were not a tight ‘press’ fit on the barrel, (like the old delrin ones on the 12″) but secured by set screws, which if loosened, can easily turn or be removed from the barrel.
Anyway, here’s some groups I did in my backyard with the 18″. I used the Crosman 14.3 gr Hunting pellets, which work pretty good for me. I’ve never been quite this consistant before.
I took it to my freinds house who has a few acres. Obviously there is more power here than with the 12″ as there are major dents in this sheetmetal. This was 210 ft away from my shooting position. My buddy measured the distance with one of those roller measures on the ground. Used Kodiaks here.
I also have one of those little metal chicken spinner targets that I put out at 50 yards, and it wasn’t even a challenge nailing it everytime. So it’s my feeling this barrel is a terrific upgrade for the SS, without making your gun to long. In fact, if noise isn’t a issue, you can just install the Talon/Condor type endcap that comes with the barrel. The barrel ends up perfectly flush with the end of the cap, so it looks good and your gun retains the original demensions, with all the added performance.
So, if anyone here is sitting on the fence about doing this, I say “JUST DO IT” I can’t see how anyone could be sorry.
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This may be cool, I just remembered a freind of mine telling me about this place and looked it up. It’s a rifle range just off the 210, right in between you and me Steve. I just called, and they welcome airguns. 14 bucks per person on weekends for a whole day. Shoot at any distance you want, bring your own targets ect. http://www.angelesranges.com/
I will definitly be checking this place out, and it’s only about 15-20 min from me. 🙂 Be great to get away from the backyard!
Edit: Then we can go get a beer at the Hideaway, a cool rustic place right by there!
Hey Steve, I believe you said you live in Santa Clarita in a PM to me some time ago? If this is true you live farther away… But regardless, PM me your address/phone # if you want and sometime we really should hook up eh? As I’ve said before I only have about 20 yrds in my back yard to shoot, not a whole lot, but I’m just glad I have that much.
I’ll get my gun cronied in Van Nuys, I really owe this guy a visit anyway, he’s done alot of FREE work on my 2250, and it’s been a while since we hung out. His name is Greg Fuller, you can see him listed here with other great airgunsmiths/tuners http://airgunartisans.com/AARepair.htm
He’s the one I bought my SS from, and he’s been wondering how it’s been going. He’s really not in the business anymore, so I wouldn’t recomend calling him, to anyone reading this. It’s become a very ‘spare time’ thing for him latley, and he’s kind of a private guy. I’m a bit surprised he still even advertises on the site.
Anyways, it would be cool to get together sometime, you to Adam, the more the merrier. Lets work on something.
I just use my backyard which probably isn’t much better than yours. There is a great place less than a mile away, but it was recently posted “no parking”. That means that we would have to walk down the road carrying our equiptment. The deputy sheriffs would definitely have something to say about that.
If one of you guys has a nice place to shoot. Then you need to invite us over to shoot the hell out of these guns…LOL I am not far from you guys
😀
Who is closer, me or him?
Hey Steve how ya been? Don’t have my own crony yet, I’ll have to go visit a airgun buddy of mine out in Van Nuys to do it. I must be in the low to mid 900’s I would think, I’ll post the results soon as I do it.
Hi Sagus, that looks like some very good shooting to me. 😀 Have you chronographed it yet?
Hey! Waht is this! No pic of th egun??
I love my 18″ bbl.
I take it your not in NY City!!! HeeHee!
Mike
It really does reach out much further with the longer barrel.
That seems real good for a 16″, I was hoping for a solid 950 with mine, so it looks like it’s doable with the 18″. Cool… 8)
I lose about 30fps taking off 2″ from the barrel but I gained about 50fps tuning my valve. My valve is ported and polished with stock spring. So what I lost cutting the barrel I gained by with the valve. My main concern is to keep it quiet without getting too long. So I am able to have a 8″ shroud and that make my Talon SS 42″ long. And that is about just right.
It really does reach out much further with the longer barrel.
That seems real good for a 16″, I was hoping for a solid 950 with mine, so it looks like it’s doable with the 18″. Cool… 8)
Thanks for the post.
Rick
Good deal Rick…. You’re probably gonna wonder why you didn’t do this a long time ago. 😀
My Talon with a 16″ barrel is shooting CP .22 at 955.
It really does reach out much further with the longer barrel.
Yeah the target is really cool, i’m surprised my buddy wanted me to use it to shoot at. I had to hit him before he got me, he’s got some big bore action there lol.
No problem hitting his hat at this distance either.
Gotta get this gun cronied now, I figure it’s somewhere in the mid 900’s now with 14.3 gr. with powerwheel up.
I switched recently and I could finally hit something at 85-100 yards…
But now it kicks something wicked and sounds like a rimfire .22… 😆
And when the pellet gets there it goes in the duct seal further than at 25 yards with the 12″ barrel, me likey a lotty… 😉
Cool metal target!!
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OK so I went to Gregs last night to BS over a beer, and use his crony. The results are pretty much what I expected. I only had 1 tank fill on gun to work with, @ 2800psi to start. The gun was fired twice before I cronied, and the first crony shot was a error, so I figured the first couple of shots would have been above 950fps. I only used 14.3 gr, except for a a couple of Kodiaks where noted.
PW on 10
#1 Error
#2 949.39
#3 944.65
#4 Error
#5 940.83
#6 Error
#7 921.35
#8 Kodiak 834.85
#9 920.72
#10 936.10
Lowered PW to 4
#11 862.64
#12 868.52
#13 Kodiak 822.14
#14 Kodiak 823.15
Does this look about right? I’m wondering if this is showing that the top hat is about where it should be? I found it interesting that the Kodiak numbers were so close together, being 4/5 shots apart, with one being on PW 10, the last two on PW 4. Any input would be appreciated as I’m trying to dial top hat in the best spot for this gun.