Stupid Newbie Question #1. bstately modification for Prod.

[MFannin]

Enjoying the PCP sport and now I'm learning there is a modification called the "bstately" modification that adds a bottle for more shots. I don't even know where to buy the parts and am interested in learning about it. Any references for videos or sources of parts is greatly appreciated. If anyone has completed this mod I'd really like to hear about the process. Thanks, Mark in Colorado.

 

[JohnL57]

Welcome Mark,

I'm looking into the B Staley mod myself. I haven't done it yet, but it's not a bottle conversion. Rather, in order to limit the valve open time and conserve air, o-rings are placed inside the air tube in front of the hammer to buffer the hammer strike against the valve stem.

To add a bottle to your P-rod you'll need a drop block that attaches to the air tube and likely some other fittings too.

I'm definitely not experienced with either process as of yet, hopefully some more experienced modders will chime in.

Here's a link to a post that explains the BStaley mod-with pics!

https://www.tapatalk.com/groups/yellow/bstaley-buffer-mod-picstory-for-a-p-rod-t201906.html

The only way to get smarter is by asking questions, so keep it up!

John

 

[Joedirt199]

The bstaley is adding orings in front of the hammer as a debounce to help efficiency. 

 

[ackc1234]

As the other two gentleman have stated the bottle conversion and bstaley mod are two different things. The bstaley mod places 2-4 #211 orings in front of the valve face to act as a buffer for hammer bounce and to limit valve lift. This mod is also usually accompanied by opening the transfer port to .140" and sometimes adding a heavier hammer spring. The hammer striker is adjusted all the way back against the hammer face, so all the way out. Doing these items allowed me to tune my dad's prod for about 24 shots in the 720 fps range, if my memory serves me correct. The velocity was also very consistent.

Now a bottle conversion is something else entirely and require a bit more investment. This will require you to get a drop block to add your bottle. Most people use a 13 cubic inch bottle for this conversion. I haven't done this mod, but it seems fairly straight forward.

Hope this helps,

Alex

 

[nervoustrig]

Here's a recent discussion on the topic, including some general bstaley guidance and diagrams from me and some Prod-specific guidance from John (fuzzygrub).

https://www.airgunnation.com/topic/how-to-maximize-consistent-power-shot-count-on-benjamin-akela-22/

 

[Saltlake58]

There are many mods for the Marauder. I have the rifle, not the pistol, but in the search for more shots, I too made many modifications. Finally, what worked for me?

To start, I have a .22. I tried every standard adjustment in the book. Always maxed out at about 30 shots per fill no matter what I did. After extensive conversations online, I purchased a regulator, new lighter hammer (kept old striker) lighter spring, and new transfer port. After many hours of tinkering, tuned it to about 850 fps with the JSB 18 grain pellet. Now, 50 shots per fill (actually more like 60 before it falls off the reg, but I like a little cushion),

I believe I purchased the parts from Tim Hill of Hill Airguns. Tim and Tom Holland were great helps. But beware, the journey took several months and you need your own compressor. Only way to adjust the reg is to degass, remove and adjust the reg, put it all back together, air up, shoot, and do it again.

I wish you luck in your quest, It can be done, I've never done it with the PRod, but should be similar to the rifle.

Enjoy!

 

[MFannin]

Thanks for the information and help. There's a lot to learn and there's a lot of smart and experienced people here. Smarter every day thanks to everyone's patient assistance. Best to you all. Mark in Colorado.

 

[MFannin]

That's impressive - 50 shots per fill at 850 fps. That's the sweet spot I hear. Thanks for Tim Hill reference. I'm building a list of sources for parts and such. Half the battle is getting the right parts and replacement rings, etc. Thanks again, Mark

 

[MFannin]

That Akela link is pure gold. Many thanks. Some mad skills in the group with the schematics, graphs, and such. There's a lot to this hobby/sport. I can see I need to purchase a chrono really soon then some sort of compressor, then a high pressure tank, etc... Glad I started off with the Prod and hand pump (Hill Mk V). Thanks again, Mark