Air Rifles

[OnOff]

I grew up with "guns". Had a big brother, ex Army, had shooting rights on the estate next to us for years. There was often rabbits etc hanging in the shed or being gutted atop the coal bunker with the cat scrounging for scraps.

As soon I was 16 I bought this air gun with my first wage packet circa 1983. Went through a phase of field target shooting, made my own "knock down" steel targets (resettable by a long string). Ratting of course too.

Just dug it out on the back of @kerching looking to buy an Air Arms PCP rifle.





I remember replacing the countersunk screws with cap head ones. Without this mod, the recoil was such that the scope mounts would gradually move back along the dovetail rail:





Brass trigger shoe and a little hardwood piece I added as I've got hands like spades:





The barrel...Oh dear! At the very least it needs some wet and dry then re bluing. Thinking to get some blueing cream, the nasty acid based one if still available. Hopefully the rifling is still good.





Custom made sling:

 

[binky]

are Air Rifles still leagl in the UK? Used to have them as a kid, and enjoyed many years of shooting targets. 

 

[revjames]

I think so, Scotland however, require licences.

 

[kerching]

In England , subject to age, Sub 12 ft lbs are legal with no ticket anything greater than 12 ft lbs is a section 1 ( Fire Arms Certificate) totally different to a section 2 (shotgun  cert)

never bothered with airguns since my GAt in early 70s

however, I bought a Umarex Beretta 9mm last September for garden plinking/target shooting (10m) and stuff

now decided I need a Air Rifle and am looking at a used S410 Carbine 10 shot, (mag feed) tomorrow

its a PCP ( pre charged pneumatic ) so it fires with compressed air in an onboard cylinder.  My beretta is CO2 powered ( sparklets soda siphon gun)

getting it for a bit of target shooting and pest control in my lads warehouse .......also has advantage of one building being 65m long so me and my mate ( already has an s410) can set some targets up. Another mate has a farm and some fields so we are good to go, hopefully

its all new to me so I'm hammering Internet at moment for info and reviews

 

[kerching]

I grew up with "guns". Had a big brother, ex Army, had shooting rights on the estate next to us for years. There was often rabbits etc hanging in the shed or being gutted atop the coal bunker with the cat scrounging for scraps.

As soon I was 16 I bought this air gun with my first wage packet circa 1983. Went through a phase of field target shooting, made my own "knock down" steel targets (resettable by a long string). Ratting of course too.

Just dug it out on the back of @kerching looking to buy an Air Arms PCP rifle.



I remember replacing the countersunk screws with cap head ones. Without this mod, the recoil was such that the scope mounts would gradually move back along the dovetail rail:



Brass trigger shoe and a little hardwood piece I added as I've got hands like spades:



The barrel...Oh dear! At the very least it needs some wet and dry then re bluing. Thinking to get some blueing cream, the nasty acid based one if still available. Hopefully the rifling is still good.



Custom made sling:

Oooh that barrel needs a bit of work! Was going to suggest rubbing down with some tinfoil,and gun oil until I saw the pics.  Now I think angle grinder

 

[Sidney]

TBH I would probably look at stripping the barrel off and chucking in a bucket for some electrolysis treatment.

I've got an unknown origin .22 that fell into my possession a few years ago, helps me keep my eye in occasionally.

 

[roys]

Must look mine out and a wee of target play, got a pcp BSA.

 

[Sidewinder]

I still have my Weirauch HW77k.

.22spring gun with silencer and 3-9x56 scope pinned.

 

[OnOff]

Started the strip down /resto! After all what are breakfast bars for?





Spring looks good imo, not rusty or dry. I did mind use good quality lubricants back in the day!



Trigger assembly looks in good condition too:



It's really just the trigger guard and of course poor old barrel!

Big fan of citric acid for derusting. I know though it'll strip the bluing as well as the rust. I plugged the barrel end with grease and tapped a .22 Ely Wasp in tight. (This really needs properly crowning in a lathe).



A demijon full of dissolved citric acid, 800g in 4.5l of hot tap water:



I really wanted to cover the barrel right up to the breech but hey ho!


 

I do have a walnut blank bought years ago to make a crossbow. I might see if that'd be any good to make a thumbhole stock which I've always fancied.

 

[kerching]

Bit late but could you not make a bath out of a bit of guttering and two end caps, or a bit of waste pipe and a stop end

just thinking

im interested to see results of the dip

 

[OnOff]

Bit late but could you not make a bath out of a bit of guttering and two end caps, or a bit of waste pipe and a stop end

just thinking

im interested to see results of the dip

Did think that but the breech is in such good nick so didn't want to touch that. As I expected the citric has taken off the bluing. 







The pitting is a nuisance. I might try the electrolysis bath for that.

Somebody has suggested cerakote rather than re-bluing.

It might even be etch primer and black spray paint!

 

[kerching]

Black gaffer tape

 

[OnOff]

Got a quote for a professional, hot salt re blue. £50 for just the barrel and breech, £95 for the whole gun inc all screws, trigger guard etc. That includes return postage. I've seen the guy's work. Guaranteed better than new. Said he's seen much worse than my barrel and not to worry as he'll sort all the pitting out too. 

 

[kerching]

That sounds like a good price.  Who is it?

 

[OnOff]

That sounds like a good price.  Who is it?

Paul Chell:

https://www.airgunforum.co.uk/community/index.php?threads/2-77s.271697/#post-2303000

 

[OnOff]

Being the big chap that I am my stock has never really fit me properly. I always hankered after a custom made walnut, thumbhole stock. About 30 years ago I bought a piece of walnut locally. Been sat in a damp stable ever since. I don't rush things...

(It was intended for a crossbow stock that never happened. I did though make a full size working crossbow from mahogany and a chunk of Dural. I'll find the bits and post pics sometime). 

So I dug the walnut out to use to make a new rifle stock.

The blank is nom 41mm thick and the Original stock 46mm wide at the base where your support hand sits. If it was straight, or thicker it wouldn't be an issue but...

The walnut blank is bowed between 2 and 4mm. I soaked the concave side hoping it might swell and bend it a bit straighter. Long shot tbh. It still might be no good. Prices on eBay for a walnut blank seem to start at about £110!



Figured to make a ply or MDF pattern first then a softwood one and finally the walnut one. 

I'm just playing here with a bit of scrap 18mm ply. To be comfortable the butt needs to be about 2" lower for me. So avec une Sharpie I drew round the Original stock. Then moved the butt down by 50mm and sort of extended the pistol grip.



Cut No.1:



Then realised I want a thumbhole stock so cut another:

 

[kerching]

Is the walnut thick enough to fit the action and barrel, ' need to leave some meat on it

 

[OnOff]

Is the walnut thick enough to fit the action and barrel, ' need to leave some meat on it

The cylinder is 32mm dia. Sits in here with about 4mm either side, so 32+ nom.8 is 40mm and the thickness of the walnut is 41mm. 



The stock widens to 46mm.

 

[kerching]

Looks like enough Wood then , just!

ill try and get some pics of mine tomorrow, just tidying woodwork up.  Also in process of making a bench rest/gun vice/holder to  aid in maintenance and zeroing of the new toy

 

[OnOff]

Looks like enough Wood then , just!

Maybe, the bent wood is still an issue.

I'd love to have the money to be fitted for, then have a custom gun stock made just for me. I imagine they must use a contraption like a target rifle with everything adjustable and tweaked until it fits you just right.

Tbh even the 2, ply stock blanks I've made feel a little small and I think the butt could go even lower. As it is I'm going to have to use a bit of the waste section of the walnut to graft onto the stock to get the depth needed to drop the butt. I've not really any experience of working with hardwood aside from the bit of mahogany I used to make the crossbow butt 35 years ago. Need to try and find my spokeshaves...