Is it doable? Condor shotgun.
Hi. I”m newly registered here, but I’ve been reading with interest for a while.
I’d like input on my mad idea of making a condor shotgun. I enjoy the Gamo viper express, minus its lack of power and the irritating twang when it fires. The condor is just more fun though. How possible would it be to modify a condor/condor barrel to fit the gamo shotshells?
http://www.pyramydair.com/cgi-bin/pellet.pl?pellet_id=485
The viper is in .22, and uses an insert shaped like a shotshell to shoot .22 pellets- so my thought would be to use a .22 condor barrel and modify it to take the shells, since they are sized to empty into a .22 barrel. I’m thinking there wouldn’t be enough “meat” at the breech end though, and I am not sure how to work around this. The increase in power would allow more #9 shot in the shell (standard load is 20), but my brother and I have reloaded them with over 40 with more room to spare.
I really would love some input on this, is it worth it or at all possible, am I missing an easier way to do this, and so forth. Thanks!
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I have been tossing around my head amusing things to load it with. My brother has some 25 pounds of #9 birdshot, so that ‘s an easy possibility. Also several .177 balls. Really twisted idea I had is iron filings a la shotgun breaching rounds. I’d worry about the harder material hurting the barrel though, so maybe not.
9mm pellets seem to average 80-100 grains, so with a barrel of 10.75mm theoretically it should be able to move a similar sized mass? At 8.2gr apiece thats 10-12 .177 roundballs, right? That sounds fun.
Cool idea. I could smile thinking of DAMAGE to come to whatever I shot after loading an inch & a half of some heavy grains! Man, make a mess of of some game.
If you dont want to load very fast and want more power and more room for shot ,I might try making a Muzzel loading shot gun . That way you dont have to make the shell ,,I made a shot gun set up and it was ok ,but It wouldnt take a large or long enough shell at the breech ,, I just havent gotten around to douing the muzzel loading version. You would have to make littel plugs out of ,,maybe 1/4″ foam (easy to make with a hole punch) The plug would go in the muzzel first ,them the shot them some wadding or another plud ,, You could probably make them up in shell form with some very light plastic tubing or something of that nature so they would load,Oh well its just an Idea. a smooth bore barrel is what I used ,,It was around 9mm,, I was wanting to try a .410 size too !!
Am still on it.
I dont really want to start making a valve body for it when i can use one that i bugger up. ( happens quite a lot )
Soon as i make some progress al update the thread.
Work’s still a bit patchy for me at the moment so i get the odd unexpected day in the garage.
It’s breaches tomorrow 😥
Its easier to make half a dozen at a time. But it bores the liver out of me.
Atb, Sean
any update on this project?
Glad you like.
I dont have a gun so when and if it gets finished i’ll send it over for you to test.
Al have to make a big bore valve for it and maybee a shroud as i think it’ll be easily silenced by venting the barrel as per a 410 shotty.
Sean.
Wow. I’m amazed. Thats really awesome blodnob. Reloading the viper shells we use slices of old foam earplugs and a cottonball with melted wax to seal the bottom and the top. It works well, better than the factory shells actually. (We compared patterns- reloads were tighter). I can’t wait to see how it all comes out.
➡ Ahhh…. you’re going with reuseable shells of shot for the air gun. Cool ❗
can’t wait to see how that works out. I have contemplated trying something similar, using modified .45cal pistol cases as refillable “shotshells”.
nice. 😀
bore 10.75mm
length 30″
The brass case will have a card “wad” at each end to contain the shot ( possibley plastic beads )
I may have to put a yhin O ring on the case to keepo it in place in the barrel.
I think if a smooth bore tube was used of say, 9mm or 10mm, and brass cartrages were made with cardboard wads at each end with a screw on cap it could work.
Al get some tube and have a go over me jollys.
Might even be able to quiet it down a bit if the barrel was vented over the last quater of its length.
A barrel length of 30″ or so could be used without having an overly long gun as the shroud wouldn’t have to be as long.Maybee 3 or 4 inches past the muzzel.
It’d be like having a 24″ barrel with a normal ( what ever that is ) length shroud.
Sean
Jeryy wrote:
“At worst you’re going to end up with a jammed mess that doesn’t work worth a hoot if at all and at best you’re going to get good results out to about 10 yards.”
That was a GREAT fear of mine. A jammed MESS! “lucky” I was! My TSS with a 12″ barrel (about 6″ more hollow frame. Remember for mensioned again) in .22 cal has an outside breach dia. that is thesame as the air shot shells. Of course the outside of the shell should be as the inner of the barrel; This “problem” kept the shells from jamming down in the barrel! To get the shell to fit to even use, + with the previous mensioned “problem” then being a usefull factor I took a rasor knife and cut six (6) double cut slits lengthwise to the rear of the “shell”. Removed the six little strings of plastic so when the shell is inserted to the barrel it (the shell) tapers (not a problem though). Now, the 6″ frame beyond barrel end keeps it from spreading to fast. Oh, by the way,
🙄 TAKE OFF YOUR END-CAP! If using the TSS….
Not wanting a jam, I had my gun on #2 power and about 2700 psi in the tank.
Only did a couple shots and knocked a tight group ( 12+” ) of leaves from a bush @ near 14 yds. Never did it but will some time pack more shot shit into the shell and re-cap it. I know it’ll then be worthy to play with @ 20 yds.
:2
You’re trying to put a square peg in a round hole. At worst you’re going to end up with a jammed mess that doesn’t work worth a hoot if at all and at best you’re going to get good results out to about 10 yards. If you want to have an air shotgun that is worth the trouble you’re going to have to invest in a larger bore barrel. Think .50. If you can assemble a .50 barrel to a breech end from a compatible AF barrel, you might get a useful muzzle loading shotgun.
Air shotguns really don’t work well unless they have lots of power. Moving shot just isn’t as efficient as moving a single slug or pellet so you need extra power to make up for the fact that a good bit gets wasted.
Now, if all you want is 20 pieces of bird shot to go 5-10 yards in some pattern that would stop a small bird, then just use some paper and make up a shot shell for your .25 barrel.
Edit: I’m not trying to sound too harsh here. You may not have to go up to .50 for instance but you will need power and it seems to me that you were headed towards a mis-match in parts.
I pulled out the calipers, the OD at the tip is 7mm and the stepped collar at the base is 8 and then 9 mm. ID is of course .22 (I did check) I got out the condor and unscrewed the tank, and dropped an empty shell into the breech while it was uncocked, and it fit, except for the rim at the base of the shell. It is shorter then the uncocked hammer part- pushing the knob halfway to cockedis about when the shell starts to pop out from touching the end of the barrel. The shell also seemed to be too close to the striking portions of the breech- but if I shaved a shell down might it work friction fit deeper inside with that extra length? Also I wonder about keeping the inside of the shell aligned with the barrel perfectly- the OD of the shell is larger than the ID of the .25 barrel in the gun now… so .22 wouldnt fit over or under the shell to hold it in place.
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How about something that will just blow through shit; At about even 15yds? Maybe one of these guys on here with kick ass home shops
(or already have…) will do somthN like take thend vap off, have a slip in tube only sufficient size to load some just shy of marble sized load; that blows\shoots from a “short plate” hammer settup. Not to many shots, say 9 or so. Shit, bursting all that much air? 9 shots then change or reload a high-flo tank? Man maybe some further than 15yds. Imagine the possible enforce air units of hunting could be…. :10