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Western Airguns Sidewinder

Thanks a lot for sharing your experience, I did not disassemble the barrel nor do I intend to. I just took off the shroud and the suppressor that comes screwed in it because I need a gun that is quiet enough for my backyard, and the Sidewinder definitely is not, that's why I took off the stock suppressor. I now know how to quell the bark. Will share when it's done.
That's going to be a chore... 😊 Like having a suppressor on a (carbine/long gun) firearm, it matters whether it's mounted on a single shot, bolt action, or semi-auto. (Also, caliber and cartridge. Not including pistol ammo in this as that's an entirely different rabbit hole.)
A single shot and bolt action. I suppose some modern lever guns, they all have a positive locking bolt sending the majority, or all the gases out the muzzle end.
Semi auto and full auto dumps gases from both muzzle and bolt.
On my buddies Rattler, I reduced the diameter of the baffles on my lathe about 1.5 mm so that I could wrap an aluminum screen and felt around the baffles. It did help in a minor fashion. Like a semi-auto firearm, a significant amount of gases and sound waves exit on the breech end. No way to put the "hush" on that.
Unless you sacrifice power by lowering the reg, these are going to bark.
I hope you're not taking this as a discouraging, you'll never accomplish your goals type of reply. I hope you uncover a solution. 😊
I tried a direct fit using a Donny. I even tried an adapter so I could try using my Gemtech powder burner suppressor. They all sounded similar to the factory suppressor from Western.

Good luck! 👍🏽 I'm anxious to hear about your results.
 
Well... I got my ammo shipment in last night, and amongst the lot, were the NSA .303 slugs. The .30 slugs just dropped straight through the cylinder. These however "seem" a little tight. As you can see, when just dropped into the cylinder, they sit quite a bit proud. I can thumb it down in there, and the length is no problem. I just hope that the probe that rams these pills into the breech is not adversely effected by how tight these fit the magazine. Weather permitting I'll find out tomorrow.
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That's going to be a chore... 😊 Like having a suppressor on a (carbine/long gun) firearm, it matters whether it's mounted on a single shot, bolt action, or semi-auto. (Also, caliber and cartridge. Not including pistol ammo in this as that's an entirely different rabbit hole.)
A single shot and bolt action. I suppose some modern lever guns, they all have a positive locking bolt sending the majority, or all the gases out the muzzle end.
Semi auto and full auto dumps gases from both muzzle and bolt.
On my buddies Rattler, I reduced the diameter of the baffles on my lathe about 1.5 mm so that I could wrap an aluminum screen and felt around the baffles. It did help in a minor fashion. Like a semi-auto firearm, a significant amount of gases and sound waves exit on the breech end. No way to put the "hush" on that.
Unless you sacrifice power by lowering the reg, these are going to bark.
I hope you're not taking this as a discouraging, you'll never accomplish your goals type of reply. I hope you uncover a solution. 😊
I tried a direct fit using a Donny. I even tried an adapter so I could try using my Gemtech powder burner suppressor. They all sounded similar to the factory suppressor from Western.

Good luck! 👍🏽 I'm anxious to hear about your results.
I also thought about the same thing as you, reduce the diameter of the baffle and put a layer of felt but there isn't much to reduce to make it efficient. And yes big bore guns will always bark more and I don't wanna reduce the reg pressure to lower the noise level because in general I prefer shooting heavier slugs with high pressure. My objective is not to have a super quiet gun I need something backyard friendly. My FX Impact M3 in 35 cal was loud as f**k but a DonnyFL Emperor made it backyard friendly. And that is the level of noise I'm looking to get.
The best combination is definitely to have an expansion chamber and a suppressor. So I also thought about keeping the shroud and stock baffle and add a modular suppressor like the Huma Mod40 with only 2 or 3 stacks. So for now a 0db 160 is on its way and I'm gonna try it hoping that it'll be enough.
To be followed!
 
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As luck would have it I got some time to shoot this morning. So, wanting to try these slugs, I realized after one mag, in need to adjust the regulator. But how exactly? The rifle came with no literature. So... I turned the reg screw 12 clicks counter clockwise. It honestly doesn't seem to have changed the gauges reading. Which direction increases, and which decreases? And by how much?
 
As luck would have it I got some time to shoot this morning. So, wanting to try these slugs, I realized after one mag, in need to adjust the regulator. But how exactly? The rifle came with no literature. So... I turned the reg screw 12 clicks counter clockwise. It honestly doesn't seem to have changed the gauges reading. Which direction increases, and which decreases? And by how much?
Screenshot_20230310_103828_Brave.jpg


Yours didn't come with an owners manual?
I'm not sure what your max reg pressure is on your .30.
Mine in .357 is 190 max. That said, once set on 190, mine would adjust itself up to 210. No noticeable gain in velocity when it would do this. Just loss of useable air in the bottle. (Which is why mine is currently back in the hands of AOA.)
Read all of this before you jump balls deep what I've done with mine. 😊
To adjust your reg. Remove the bottle if you're reducing reg pressure. Dry fire to empty rear reg pressure. Leave the bottle on to increase.
Counter Clockwise increase, Clockwise decrease. Or, when facing the reg as oriented in the attached pic, up is increase, down is decrease.
In my attached pic, circled in red is your reg adjustment. Has 4 holes in it I believe... And with each 1/4 turn, you should feel a "click" from an internal detent. At least that the way my .357 is. The "1/4" turn my be slightly less.
Increase pressure with minimal adjustments. I increase about the diameter of the little through hole on the adjuster knob. (Used a 1.5mm Allen wrench)
Easier to increase in minor increments vs removing the bottle and pressure to reduce pressure.
After each increase, fire off about 5 shots to get that reg settled in. Make sure your mag is empty! Or if you have a safe backstop setup, send em in that direction. 😊
Research the max reg pressure for your model.
This was how I adjusted my Rattler .357.
I can only assume the sidewinder is the same.
Futz'n around with the reg can be risky. These Western Airguns, Rattler at least, are sensitive. Using what I've written, proceed with caution. I'm simply sharing what I've done.

Oh... And the dial below your stock, I've got it maxed minus 2 clicks.
Maxing it out may leave you scratching your head if it locks up and won't screw back in.

Reach out of this happens, I'll walk ya through getting it back to spec.

Cheers,

K9
 
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View attachment 339317

Yours didn't come with an owners manual?
I'm not sure what your max reg pressure is on your .30.
Mine in .357 is 190 max. That said, once set on 190, mine would adjust itself up to 210. No noticeable gain in velocity when it would do this. Just loss of useable air in the bottle. (Which is why mine is currently back in the hands of AOA.)
Read all of this before you jump balls deep what I've done with mine. 😊
To adjust your reg. Remove the bottle if you're reducing reg pressure. Dry fire to empty rear reg pressure. Leave the bottle on to increase.
Counter Clockwise increase, Clockwise decrease. Or, when facing the reg as oriented in the attached pic, up is increase, down is decrease.
In my attached pic, circled in red is your reg adjustment. Has 4 holes in it I believe... And with each 1/4 turn, you should feel a "click" from an internal detent. At least that the way my .357 is. The "1/4" turn my be slightly less.
Increase pressure with minimal adjustments. I increase about the diameter of the little through hole on the adjuster knob. (Used a 1.5mm Allen wrench)
Easier to increase in minor increments vs removing the bottle and pressure to reduce pressure.
After each increase, fire off about 5 shots to get that reg settled in. Make sure your mag is empty! Or if you have a safe backstop setup, send em in that direction. 😊
Research the max reg pressure for your model.
This was how I adjusted my Rattler .357.
I can only assume the sidewinder is the same.
Futz'n around with the reg can be risky. These Western Airguns, Rattler at least, are sensitive. Using what I've written, proceed with caution. I'm simply sharing what I've done.

Cheers,

K9
My rifle is the Sidewinder. I've never put hands, or eyes on a Rattler. And "yes" my rifle came with nothing but the box it was shipped in, and the magazine. Being new to this platform, I'm having to learn as I go. Intuition told me that the photo pictured below the regulator, was an adjustment for said regulator. I'm really only guessing at this point. If it isnt... What is it? And what is it for? And while my rifle has the fixture you have highlighted in your photo; my rifle came with no tool to adjust this fixture. (Kinda reminds me of an AR armored tool.)

20230310_101024.jpg
 
My rifle is the Sidewinder. I've never put hands, or eyes on a Rattler. And "yes" my rifle came with nothing but the box it was shipped in, and the magazine. Being new to this platform, I'm having to learn as I go. Intuition told me that the photo pictured below the regulator, was an adjustment for said regulator. I'm really only guessing at this point. If it isnt... What is it? And what is it for? And while my rifle has the fixture you have highlighted in your photo; my rifle came with no tool to adjust this fixture. (Kinda reminds me of an AR armored tool.)

View attachment 339326
Check your pm. 😊 I'll send you over my number. Might be able to help ya figure this out without typing.
 
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They are 2 pieces but put together. The shroud and the stock suppressor are linked so that the former is an expansion chamber. So if you wanna put an after market suppressor you need to cut the shroud to let the 1/2" barrel thread appear above the shroud so that you can screw in a quieter suppressor.

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too much tech for me i aint touching anything just shooting and cleaning
 
As luck would have it I got some time to shoot this morning. So, wanting to try these slugs, I realized after one mag, in need to adjust the regulator. But how exactly? The rifle came with no literature. So... I turned the reg screw 12 clicks counter clockwise. It honestly doesn't seem to have changed the gauges reading. Which direction increases, and which decreases? And by how much?
the manual is in gun case
 
Dust cover for the fill probe
Oh... 😊

With my Rattler, it didn't come with a foster cap either. Then again, I'm not crawling through areas where I'm going to need to worry about dirt and debris getting inside.
I am around literally a "Crap Tons" of muddy cow crap, sheep crap, mud, and dust from grain bins, hay/straw/silage... When I use my airguns for pesting. None of them have a foster fitting cap. 😊
What you can use of you're concerned about it. A valve stem cap.
Like on your car/truck/bicycle tires. 😁 One of those caps will fit nicely and ya won't feel bad if you're filling and lose it or forget to replace it. 😉
Dropped my FX Impact M3 foster cap in cow crap/mud... 😂 It was forever gone after that moment. Same with my Brocock. Put it in my pocket, and it vanished to a 3rd dimension of some sorts... Poo happens. Fill caps from a tire are near free if needed.

Cheers!
 
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Like I wrote earlier in this thread, the gun was delivered with no pressure at all, the gauge was indicating zero pressure and the bottle was loose. I wrote to Western Airguns that I want either an exchange or a refund. I don't want a defective PCP gun knowing how dangerous it can be.
did you tighten the bottle? lube the orings?