Umarex Hammer barrel problems?

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Greg_E

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Jun 13, 2021
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Ny, United States
I'm expanding my footprint on this question from another forum... Anyone having issues with their Umarex Hammer barrel? Anyone have video or pictures of the inside of their barrels?



My second rifle is back at Umarex right now, the breech was reamed off center, and the barrels have both looked generally like garbage with big gouges, dark carbon spots in the alloy, RUST, etc. so I'd like to compare notes with other owners and see if this is a limited problem, or if the scope of the issue is much larger.



It's an expensive rifle to have only had in my home for 3 days since the first one arrived. The barrel is made by Walther, they should know how to do this correctly.



Here is the first barrel https://odysee.com/@JAAG:c/HammerBarrel:8

Here is the second barrel before cleaning https://odysee.com/@JAAG:c/NewHammerBarrel:0

Here is the new barrel after cleaning and the "root" of the problem https://odysee.com/@JAAG:c/JunkNewBarrel:4



So far Umarex service has been really good, but I hope they do more than fling some rounds at a target 20 feet away to decide if it is a good barrel. Pushing soft lead over really bonded rust just smears it everywhere and covers some of the defects! I commented on this in the second video when I got down to the breech end, and after cleaning now I see what created the weird pattern of lead smear.



Teslong flexible camera and recorder (also USB) with 40cal lens attached. They have a lens set for the 20cal cameras that is well worth the price.
 
I worked at one of America largest barrel manufacturers. I drilled the barrels and ran the reamers But never the button rifleing machine. I learned a thing or two on how things really work. 17 cal barrels were a joke you could use a ruler to measure how off center the holes were drilled. Basic rifle barrels are really manufactured quite crude using wwi machinery. That being said they still produced some decent barrels but most of them were 30 cal and above, reason being the barrels were drilled straight. Your umarex barrel is a Chinese version, if you truly want a accurate barrel that looks like a mirror inside a machinest Marvel you must buy a custom lapped barrel from the bench rest manufacturers. Benchmark shieln Krieger broughton hart brux just to name a few. I think most air guns are inherently accurate but suffer from cheap barrels. I have a .510 Texan with a Lother Walther factory barrel it has a few rough spots that lead that requires frequent cleaning to keep accurate. I'm saving up for a Benchmark barrel at least with air guns you are never going to wear a barrel out with soft lead and 4500psi cold air. Opposite of hot fire pressure of powder burners. The cheapest barrel manufacturers I'd go with is green Mountain barrels. They have a good selection of .510 barrel s.
 
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I just started watching the video I didn't finish. The pits in the rifleing are horrible who knows what grade metal they used in China prob not stress relieved. They now it is for a air gun at low pressure so who really knows what grade of metal it is . I know were I worked we used 1137 grade steel for 45 acp that was softer a reamed better than 4140. Who knows how or what a no name manufacturer contracted for umarex made your barrel. Machining a barrel blank for a air gun is pretty easy compared to a powder burners.
 
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These barrels are made by Walther Manufacturing in Germany, the machining arm of the Walther Firearms company (and Umarex, they are one big company), they should know how to make barrels. I'm going to have to re-encode those videos down to 720p, Odysee hates 1080 and hates the mov that my borescope produces.



I was also told yesterday on the phone that there couldn't possibly be an issue at the breech, both of their gunsmiths have decades of experience and have travelled over the entire world for their skills. Obviously I must be a moron. Looking at the breech, it is clear that the "chamber" or "forcing cone" was machined off center in some way. For something this expensive you should be getting better quality, the AEA stuff is better than this and significantly less expensive. They could have had better barrels made here in the USA, could have had a TJs hammer forged barrel for not really any additional price. It is a $900 MSRP rifle after all.



I countered that I have 45 years of working on different types of projectile devices, because I do. I also machine things in my home and I know a screw up if I see one. Haven't had a reply today from them. I may just end up cutting losses and taking their refund, then I'll have to try and sell all the casting stuff I bought for this thing. Anyone need some .510 ammo or molds?
 
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I would get your refund. It seems like the Hatsun pile driver is pretty decent. I saw a used .45 in the classified for $500.00. The only negative with AEA is the weight they are steel and wood.im.most of the big bores. AEA new .58 cal on the Zeus gets 1000 fps with 400 grain slug. Not bad. What kind molds you got ? I have a .510 Texan
 
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I have a Lee REAL in 320grains that may not be worth shooting, even the black powder shooters are saying it is not accurate. I have a Lee 50-70 in 450 grains that once you size it down might be decent. I also have a custom Accurate Molds with a boat tail and a conical in the same mold, these drop at .511 so ready to lube and shoot.



I also have a .512 and .510 Lee sizing die. The 50-70 drops around .515 and going straight to .510 proved too difficult in one pass.



0319222102a.1648300335.jpg
IMG_20220226_211524.1648300336.jpg


First image is the Accurate, 385 and 370 grains, next is the REAL and 50-70 shown with an Umarex 550 grain purchased round. That Accurate Molds is really nice, I'll do business with them again!
 
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Just got off the phone with Umarex, they looked at all their barrels and called manufacturing, none of them are any better. Offered to refund me, so I'm cutting my losses. This model (really anything they sell) is now worthless to me. Support has been friendly, except where they insulted my intelligence and eyes, but not going to get into that situation with any of their products again. 

Be very careful buying a used one, there is no warranty for the second owner! Many things that you would normally repair may require special tools to fix, even o rings.

Guess I need to decide what I'm going to do with the molds, sizing dies, muzzle brake (DonnyFL mount), and scope. What an expensive pain in the @$$.
 
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Those are the only 2 that use 510, everything else is 495 (that I know of). Hatsan support might have a worse reputation than Umarex, so not all that interested. And recent posts about Airforce support leave me with a cold feeling. It's one of those if it wasn't for bad luck, I'd have no luck at all.



I did have one person tell me that if AEA had built their Challenger in 510 he would not have bought one in 457, he does have an Airforce in 510 so it would have made sense for him.



The Lee REAL I'm not too worried about, I'll probably build a muzzle loader for it. The 50-70 has no use in that world, and neither does the expensive Accurate mold with two different shapes. The Accurate will be hard to sell and I'm going to lose a bunch on it. Not sure I'll be able to unload the Donny adapter (with free muzzle brake), but maybe.



Had Crosman made the Bulldog in 452 and the Gunnar in 452 to take advantage of all the 45acp molds, I may not have gone with the Hammer in the first place.
 
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Still no refund yet!

And being a dumb@$$ I bought a used one. Price was low enough that I think I can afford to screw with it, and it shoots good 50 yard groups right now so bonus is that I can see it functions.

Now if I can only find a parts diagram for this stupid thing. I asked support early on in this process and they said no. Are there other countries that require service info like this to be posted? I'll happily use a TOR node in that country to grab it if someone can link it (might be geo locked, so need a proxy in country).

And since there is no warranty on used Umarex products, I can do what I wish with it. Might have to do a complete teardown and measure o rings. My only concern here is the barrel breech o ring is installed in a weird way, if anyone knows about this process, please enlighten me.

I did look at a used Texan, more than twice the money, and it just doesn't appeal to me. Don't know why, I just don't like it. Probably going to have the same barrel issues since they are both made by Walther, just different outer machine work. I know people love them, just doesn't appeal to me. I'll probably regret my decision, again. Maybe AEA will save me with a 510 Zeus, or Benjamin will build a Bulldog 510 with a big regulated bottle on the front. Or maybe I end up getting a barrel made, either in 510 or 45acp.
 
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Umarex uses Walther barrels, all part of the same conglomerate. The one I bought had a 50 yard at a very small group, so fairly comfortable that it will be decent. I want to get out to 100 yards and from their boasting about high accuracy, I'd expect around 1 inch groups. But I think my skills might only allow 3 to 4 inch groups. Also want to be able to hit the 12 inch plates at the 200 yard range at the club, should be able to do it because the rail seemed like it was angled, with the right ammo it should do it.

I hope that boat tail I bought is going to work, was a leap of faith thing. The regular bullet shapes should be fine. But I do know I need to polish out my sizing die, .510 is really loose in the magazines. Since it is a blow through, can't really put an o ring in there to hold the ammo tighter. The previous mags both measured .511, so that may be my new sizing standard.
 
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Your boat tail mold will shoot just fine. Like you said Texans are expensive. I don't know what it takes to remove and replace a barrel on a hammer... Barrels from normal production manufacturers are pretty reasonable. Green Mountain barrels make some normal priced production barrels. More .500 barrels.than .510. They r on the cheaper side. Worth a look
 
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The Hammer seems to need a special tool to install the barrel o ring, but otherwise it screws right out with no problems. Something I'll have to overcome I guess. I have a feeling there are a lot of other areas that require special tools, and since Umarex won't provide even a simple parts diagram, its going to be a hard road to travel.



The barrel, regulator pressure adjustment, and hammer adjustment are the three things I'm most interested in. Since I'm planning on shooting mid weight ammo, I'm guessing that I can reduce hammer spring or reduce regulator pressure slightly and get 4 shots that don't waste a bunch of air. I doubt I'll ever be shooting the giant 550 grain ammo, if you believe the marketing materials you can get most of the power out of an unspecified Lyman design that is 200 grains lighter. That's my goal, highest velocity that can get me over 600fpe, maybe as close to 700fpe as I can get while maintaining above 800 fps. May not be realistic goals, but worth a challenge.

And it must be accurate while doing this without hearing the ammo to pieces in the barrel.
 
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Sounds like you just have to make a tool bit and cut the groove on the barrel. Do you have to drill a port in your barrel. A throating reamer will cut you rifling to your slug . lots of people have a manual lathe and can cut threads. I shoot with a regulator off my scba tank . Might be easier buying a regulator for your scba tank. Everything constant than. I can get 20 to 40 regulated shots on my Texan depending on which size scba tank I use. Going from 4500 psi to regulated 3625psi.
 
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I have made a reamer for my Bulldog out of a tapered pin reamer, the angle on the reamer was more shallow and allowed one of my rounds to chamber better. I turned it by hand and it worked fine after making an adapter to keep it centered. I may do the same to this Hammer if the breech is again off center. Wishing I had a lathe, but if I get things moved around, I'm buying one for work like this. Just need to make sure it can do both metric and imperial threads. If I recut the Hammer, its going to have a bunch of free bore jump before it hits rifling! For some rounds it might be close to an inch.



No tanks for me, so a 5 to 10 minute pause every 3 shots. Not ideal, but what I have to work with. I'll probably grab my Bulldog while refilling, or my Empire X. The Empire X gets more than 40 shots on a fill before it starts to slow down. Haven't used it much, need to get it back out.
 
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