Barrel band?

[jooleyen]

Newbie question - naturally to pick up and carry my fx streamline with one hand, I want to grab over the shroud, stock, and reservoir with my hand. Since the barrel is just floating, it moves and pinches against the shroud. Could the barrel bend by doing this, or is the shroud close enough to the reservoir to not let this happen? I could be more careful, but I’m used to rim fires and am kind of rough with gear. I don’t like babying things or having to baby them.

would a barrel band fix the touching between shroud and reservoir? Is this why barrel bands exist?

 

[elh0102]

Air rifles are different. Almost all are much less robust in construction than a rimfire rifle. FX are, IMO, among the less robust of air rifles, although the Streamline is one of their best. The barrel is centered within the shroud, attached at the breech, and at the muzzle by an air stripper. When you press the shroud and air cylinder together, the barrel within is moving too. Hopefully, it returns to its original position when you release the pressure, doesn't always happen. Handle it some as you describe, ans see if the POI changes. There is a lot of trial and error testing in this air rifle stuff. My best counsel, treat it like an air rifle, not a rimfire rifle.

 

[MikeVV]

On one hand, what elh0102 says.

In the other hand, many spring guns are "cocked" by the barrel only.

Then again, If it were mine, I'd minimize squeezing the barrel down onto the air cylinder as much as possible. The way that the barrel is attached into the breach, repeated bending could damage this assembly point. 

Mike

 

[elh0102]

On one hand, what elh0102 says.

In the other hand, many spring guns are "cocked" by the barrel only.

Then again, If it were mine, I'd minimize squeezing the barrel down onto the air cylinder as much as possible. The way that the barrel is attached into the breach, repeated bending could damage this assembly point. 

Mike

True Mike, but those springer barrels are attached much more securely than an FX pcp barrel. My HW97, although an underlever spring rifle, has a much stronger barrel attachment than most PCP rifles. And I agree totally on being careful with the handling of the rifle. Most of these PCP rifles will not take handling that many of us would consider routine with cartridge rifles. 

Ed

 

[biohazardman]

Well if the barrel moves when you push on it with your finger then you should be careful with it and not lean it against the wall or grab it by the barrel. 

Barrel bands are sometimes a good thing especially if you have POI changes when you pick the gun up to shoot it one day to the next. 

Although they can help with accuracy they can also hurt it depends on the barrel band, the tune and the gun. 

If you feel you have reason to be concerned about it do a search for a band for your gun and read what others have done and their results.



Another way of making your barrel more stable would be to tension it. Depends on the gun how easy this is.

Although My Impact shot lights out and seldom had any POI problems I still tensioned the barrel so that it would not move around as easy as it did. Accuracy was not improved and the mod may have helped only slightly with POI changes but the barrel is very stable now and I don't have to worry about how I handle the gun or if I lean it against a wall.

The easiest way to do a tensioned barrel is to make yourself a spacer out of Delrin or metal or hardwood for that matter and put it between the frame of the gun and the shroud. The length of the spacer needs to be a mm or two longer than the distance from the frame or breech of the gun to the shroud so when you tighten the shroud down it will put tension on the barrel. It is surprising how much difference this simple mod can make.







Another way of doing the same thing is shown in the link below.

https://www.airgunnation.com/topic/finished-up-on-my-impact-barrel-tension-mod/?referrer=1