Weird problem with my Condor .22
I have been having this weird problem with my .22 Condor that has to do the report/noice increasing or decreasing relative to the tightness of the forearm. I installed an aftermarket forearm (Talon Tunes) almost a year ago and I noticed the gun got louder after I put it on. I then discovered that if loosen up the screw where the forearm is barely staying in place, the the gun gets more quiet. I put the factory/stock forearm back and it’s doing the same thing, so it’s not the TT grips.
This all started when I installed a new frame (ordered from AF), or the issue could have been there all along. However, the gun never sounded this loud before at velocities below 1,000fps. Also any time I loosen up or tighten the forearm screw, the POI changes, and I have to adjust the scope. If I don’t touch the screw, the POI holds fine and it’s a tack driver. If I turn the screw slightly one way or the other, the POI changes, and if I tighten it, the gun gets noticeably louder even in the 900’s (with an Airhog shroud). It almost has a supersonic “crack” at 970fps, which it never did before with the old frame.
Could it be the new frame is flexing too much or is out of “spec” somehow or weak? I also installed new barrel bushings at the same time with the new frame, as well as factory/stock hammer weights. I also noticed the gun is more hold-sensitive than before. Hold sensitivity was never really an issue before with the old frame. Just trying to give as much info as possible.
Any ideas what is going on, or why the report is affected by the tightness of the forearm (screw) no matter which/what forearm I use? Anyone experiencing the same thing?
Thanks,
Harry
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Are your bushings nice and snug?
The only thing I can think of to explain this is that your bushings are loose,giving you some play + letting air into your frame and changing your setup depending on how the pressure in the frame behaves.
Here’s a few tests that would help narrow it down:
If you remove the foregrip entirely, does it shoot the same as with a loose foregrip?
Then, somehow seal the foregrip screw hole (not just tape) and shoot (no foregrip), how does it shoot?
Now try both, but without the shroud (without the shroud, there should be no pressure fed back into the frame at all)
This will take the foregrip+screw out of the equation, letting us know if its air pressure or mechanical pressure.
Air bypassing the screw giving you a vented frame of sorts?
Thanks. However like I mentioned, it does the same thing with the stock forearm. So there is no difference between the TT or the stock one. The screw does not go in too deep because I would feel it in the power wheel. Usually when you tighten the forend screw too much it touches the PW and the PW becomes hard to turn, but it does not do that.
But you are right. I suspect it’s putting some “undue” pressure on the frame, and air is escaping, because it sounds like the extra noise comes from the “receiver” more than the muzzle end. When I put a tissue/Kleenex on the breach and take a shot, I see it slightly move, and can’t tell where it’s coming from… but it doesn’t get blown off the gun.
Harry
I say it’s either the screw is too long and pressing on the barrel and pushing against it causing a shift in POI and allowing air to exhaust around breech o- ring.
Or, the TT forearm, when tightened, is leveraging against part of the frame fore or aft of the screw and torquing the frame resulting in the same barrel condition.
Check the length of the forearm mounting screw and make sure it’s just long enough to make it through the frame. Then, check the inner dugout of the forearm to make sure that the frame lays in here nice and easy. You might have to take aDremel and carve some on the bottom or sides of it to make sure it fits without pressure points.
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Yes, I forgot to mention that it was the first thing I tried. That is, I removed the forend completely and took a few shots. The gun was more quiet, and shot very similar (the POI) when I have the forend on loose. Once the forgrip goes on and I tighten the screw a little, the report goes up several decibels. My wife even noticed it when I was shooting targets outside and she was inside the house. She said it was noticeably louder. It has a little “crack” to it and I am only shooting Kodiaks in the high 900’s on PW 1 and 2100psi.
Now the bushings are nice and tight. 2nd thing I checked after shooting without the forend. I am not sure if you mean that there is a possibility that the bushings are just slightly smaller than the inner diameter of the frame, ie: not a good fit in the frame(?) or not.. but they are very snug. I also tried different tightness on the bushing screws, and it did not make a difference. This gun just does not like any additional pressure on the frame. And that started only when I replaced the frame.
I will seal the forend screw hole and take a few shots, and record the POI, but I am afraid I cannot shoot the gun without the shroud. My neighbor won’t like that at all and I don’t want to give him any cause, since we don’t get along to begin with. The POI is not the issue. Once the POI changes with the forend on, it keeps on shooting fairly accurately. It’s the extra noise I don’t like 🙁 Thanks for the suggestions!
Harry