I love nice walnut stocks. I have spent a fortune restocking classics over the years, Mauser’s, Drilling’s and a Sharps Borschardt. So when I saw the walnut stocked Skyhawk on PA’s what’s new site I lasted about 4 hours then waited weeks for it to arrive.
I had researched p15’s read many pro’s and cons on the forums and came to the conclusions the barrels are a lottery and the regulators creep along with quality control issues. I had followed the the rifle since Snowpeak sent the first ones to NewZealand for comment. I was always looking for a P-15 but the right moment just never happened.
When I finally had the rifle in my hands, it was indeed lovely, but shot terrible at 10 yards, a barrel inspection indicated a tight spot 1.5 inches forward of the chamber. I lapped it out and got some improvement. The shroud was a disaster in that the threads were machined out of alignment on both ends and caused bad clipping.
I sent the rifle to JSAR and had them install a LW poly chocked 20 inch barrel, a Huma regulator and check for defects. JSAR found the threads on the shroud were crooked and the rear stock screw was going in too far in and hitting the trigger linkage. They tested the rifle and although ported tp 4.5mm, found it to be a 30 FPE rifle at most even with upping regulator pressure and adjusting the hammer sprin and sent it back to me.
The result was it shot the cheap crosman HP’s at slightly over 900 FPS into one round hole at 10 yards, but I was after more than 28FPE.
I reset the regulator to 140 bar from the 130 bar Matt at JSAR had it set and started the next step in the Skyhawk journey
That next step was to send it to our own Lee545 to have a new longer shroud built and powder coated that fit the longer 20 inch barrel and bypass Snow Peaks lousy job on the shroud, then install his 25 caliber plenum extension. To say that the work and finish Lee545 did on the rifle was outstanding is a understatement.
I had not tried to adjust the hammer spring up to this point, but once I got a Caldwell chronograph to replace my old and disappointing chrony, I went to work to see what I could do for power with the factory hammer spring.
I started at two turns in with 22 cal JSB 25.39, I got 43 FPE/880 FPS, I went to 3.5 turns in and hit 46.6 FPE with both 25.39 and the 33.9 JSB’s. I returned the hammer spring to 2 turns for 43 FPE/880 FPS which is all the power I wanted although it shoots tiny one hole groups at my 10 yard range at all velocities.
I have also polished the trigger, and it breaks at around a pound and the safety still works and has little creep. I also applied several coats of Trueoil on the stock and cut it with 2500 grit paper designed for custom car paint jobs. I sanded a half round relief at the end of the stock to allow easier access to the hammer spring adjustment.
it is now wearing a Bushnell 4.5x18, AR Optics scope, I really like the scope as I can see the reticle with my poor eyesight. It does make the rifle a bit heavier, and the new shroud makes it longer, hence the name ‘Skyhawk Long’, but I really like the results.
I would post picture but that seems to be beyond the ability ofmy iPad Pro and my skills.
Roachcreek
I had researched p15’s read many pro’s and cons on the forums and came to the conclusions the barrels are a lottery and the regulators creep along with quality control issues. I had followed the the rifle since Snowpeak sent the first ones to NewZealand for comment. I was always looking for a P-15 but the right moment just never happened.
When I finally had the rifle in my hands, it was indeed lovely, but shot terrible at 10 yards, a barrel inspection indicated a tight spot 1.5 inches forward of the chamber. I lapped it out and got some improvement. The shroud was a disaster in that the threads were machined out of alignment on both ends and caused bad clipping.
I sent the rifle to JSAR and had them install a LW poly chocked 20 inch barrel, a Huma regulator and check for defects. JSAR found the threads on the shroud were crooked and the rear stock screw was going in too far in and hitting the trigger linkage. They tested the rifle and although ported tp 4.5mm, found it to be a 30 FPE rifle at most even with upping regulator pressure and adjusting the hammer sprin and sent it back to me.
The result was it shot the cheap crosman HP’s at slightly over 900 FPS into one round hole at 10 yards, but I was after more than 28FPE.
I reset the regulator to 140 bar from the 130 bar Matt at JSAR had it set and started the next step in the Skyhawk journey
That next step was to send it to our own Lee545 to have a new longer shroud built and powder coated that fit the longer 20 inch barrel and bypass Snow Peaks lousy job on the shroud, then install his 25 caliber plenum extension. To say that the work and finish Lee545 did on the rifle was outstanding is a understatement.
I had not tried to adjust the hammer spring up to this point, but once I got a Caldwell chronograph to replace my old and disappointing chrony, I went to work to see what I could do for power with the factory hammer spring.
I started at two turns in with 22 cal JSB 25.39, I got 43 FPE/880 FPS, I went to 3.5 turns in and hit 46.6 FPE with both 25.39 and the 33.9 JSB’s. I returned the hammer spring to 2 turns for 43 FPE/880 FPS which is all the power I wanted although it shoots tiny one hole groups at my 10 yard range at all velocities.
I have also polished the trigger, and it breaks at around a pound and the safety still works and has little creep. I also applied several coats of Trueoil on the stock and cut it with 2500 grit paper designed for custom car paint jobs. I sanded a half round relief at the end of the stock to allow easier access to the hammer spring adjustment.
it is now wearing a Bushnell 4.5x18, AR Optics scope, I really like the scope as I can see the reticle with my poor eyesight. It does make the rifle a bit heavier, and the new shroud makes it longer, hence the name ‘Skyhawk Long’, but I really like the results.
I would post picture but that seems to be beyond the ability ofmy iPad Pro and my skills.
Roachcreek
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