Difference between 8 yards and 15 yards with a springer pistol

[Steveoo]

Groups shot off hand, using a 2 hand grip. 

As you can see, the shooter needs to restrict range with the springer pistol, even for the pistol marksman. My 8 yard group of 3/8” is pleasing but double the range and i am just about holding a kill zone group at 1.1 inches cc...So thats the limit I place on myself for the effective range.

For the record, at 20 yards i have lost the battle to hold kill zone groups as pellets start to stray across 1.25” to 1.5”....proving how quickly increasing range can catch up on you. Having said that, I am so pleased with the work I carried out on this gun which will remain with me until I have passed.

Penetration on the 3/8 “ pine was almost clean through at the 8 yards, splintering the back of the wood. At 15 yards the pellets are well buried into the pine. 

For reference for shooters wanting to try the penetration test who do not have Chronys, the wood is std. Joiners pine ...the gun making 520 fps at the muzzle with 8 grain AA pellets.

 

[Parrotculler]

That's "real" shootin', nothing for sissies. Well done!

 

[Duckfish]

What pistola that is?

 

[Steveoo]

Its my own rebuild of a Walther LP53, shortened the barrel slightly and high level tune of the internals. Pretty much un matched as an air pistol.

520 fps out does most SSP by over 100 fps and matches most 1377 pump ups with one single cock but single figure consistency. No reliance on gas bulbs or air tanks always a bonus...while at 9.5 inches total length is a much nicer size than most match pistols...

Gun opens with a few turns of the grip cap for servicing, unlike the 2 hour event with a P1.

 

[Steveoo]

With the opens ...and a .22 version i did at 400 fps..

Hours of work for the .22....The only one of its kind as far as i know.

 

[Duckfish]

Nice. I have seen just a few of those in the US for sale. Next time I see one I’ll snag it.

 

[Parrotculler]

With the opens ...and a .22 version i did at 400 fps..

Hours of work for the .22....The only one of its kind as far as i know.

Hats off !

 

[Steveoo]

Thanks guys....the .22 was a bit of a task and risky too. The barrel on these, coming pinned to the one piece trigger guard/ cocking lever, is probably worth in excess $300 all on its own....even if you could locate a spare. Getting it wrong here would have been quite traumatic...

I had to set up the barrel in the lathe using a shell of Nylon. Had to bore out the lump of Nylon to the same slight angle of the O/D of the barrel. Then split it in half with a slitting saw in a Milling machine. The 2 halves could then be clamped around the barrel.

I was then able to clamp this solid lump into the chuck jaws, without marking the precious barrel..

Next step was to drill out the OEM .177 barrel liner to 8mm dia. Drilling from both ends, I luckily met in the middle of the barrel, without disaster and everything looked concentric to within 0.1mm.......Needing a stiff Whiskey, I rested down from the project the following day. (6hrs work so far) 

I then took some stock .22 Walther barrel from Chambers and machined it to 7.9mm dia. I got an error of 0.1mm end to end, which was not bad, but polished the 8mm dia end until I achieved a perfect 7.9mm diameter along the whole length. I had to achieve this as i was aiming for the barrel to slide into the 8mm bore I had drilled, but without any hint of a drive fit, which could potentially crack the valuable outer casing if i had to hammer it in due to any tightness. (3 hrs) ...left the work alone for another day.

The next day, I machined the groove for the breech O ring, crowned the barrel and checked for any burrs. (2hrs) 

Finally, I pushed the barrel into the outer casing with some 638 bearing fit. Left it to set for 24 hrs and tested.

.22 JSB Exact put 5 pellets into a 1 inch circle at 10 yards and hit 397 fps ...A real rat cannon at that sort of range, but I noticed the pellet starting to nose dive at much after 15 yards or so, striking a good inch low and 2 inches at 20 yards. The .177 is dead flat across the first 20 yards so that is the gun I use most. Even so, still a very satisfying project and one of a kind..

 

[AirNGasman]

As one who has done a lot of perverse things with air pistols (none sexual, mind you), welcome the the very exclusive No-one Else Could, Would, Or Ever Will Do That Club! Matter of fact I would never have imagined the LP53 capable of what you've achieved with them. RESPECT!

 

[Steveoo]

Thanks ...Your stunning workmanship here putting mine in the shade...

The LP53 makes power easily, but most assuming it will not due to the power plant having to fit in the grip.....but...Its piston diameter is actually bigger than the HW45 and the stroke quite decent due to a very short piston. With a short in line TP, they certainly made the most of it....more volume than a Webley Tempest but no restrictions to the TP. Chuck in a 1lb 2 stage trigger and your in, provided you chuck out the 2 mainspring idea for a single good spring. Walther assumed in 53 that 2 springs would be better than one, but as we all know now....it aint.

 

[Steveoo]

The .22 bore can be seen here. ....and this is how I re-fitted the foresight..

I am not going to begin to tell you how i separated the sight from the OEM 9.5 inch barrel....Hours of careful workmanship.