Discussion: Will Shorter Lock Time Improve CO2 Velocity?

I think we can all agree the Condor/Talon guns deliver the highest FPE on High Pressure Air. It should, because that is how the gun was designed… to use HPA.

The guns used with CO2 produce less muzzle velocity. But IMO, it’s not because of any inferiority of CO2. Instead, I’m coming to think that the guns are not set-up to use CO2 to its full potential. I’ll explain…

We know that CO2 operates at 1/3 the pressure of HPA. We also know that the hammer slide and hammer slide mechanism within the Condor is designed to use HPA, and remains the same design configuration for either HPA cylinder or CO2 bottle. Since the hammer spring is sufficient to open the valve on a cylinder pressurized at 2700psi, I feel it is over-tensioned to open the tophat valve on the CO2 cylinder, which COULD open at much lower pressure, instead.

As a result, the hammer slide (powered at HPA pressures) opens the valve on the CO2 cylinder with more force against lesser resistance (meaning a faster opening). Likewise, the spring behind the tophat (in the tank valve) has to overcome the stiffer tension of the standard hammer slide to close the valve at shot’s end. So, it takes LONGER to close the valve than it needs to with CO2.

As a result, the FASTER OPEN + SLOWER CLOSE means a total lock time longer than necessary for CO2. This explains why even the 24” Condor barrel spits CO2 out the muzzle, even on the lower power settings. There is liquid CO2 in the system!

We all know that CO2 is most efficient in building velocity when all the liquid vaporizes behind the pellet just as it exits the barrel. However, the longer lock time of the standard set-up means an excess of liquid CO2 is allowed to leave the cylinder and accumulate in the breech slide/barrel. The excess liquid CO2 cools the total charge as it tries to vaporize, decreasing its ability to convert to gas completely before the pellet leaves the bore. This explains the spitting, and more important, the lower velocities attained with CO2.

The challenge is to adapt the gun itself to operate at the lower pressure demands of CO2. One option is to adjust the tophat so that it closes the valve sooner. Easy enough to do, I suppose. (How?)

The other option (and more complicated) might be to de-tune the hammer spring, so that its lower tension: 1) takes longer to open the valve, and 2) allows the tophat to overcome the hammer spring tension sooner, closing the valve faster.

All this makes for a SHORTER lock time, less liquid CO2 dispensed, and hopefully, more complete vaporization — leading to more pressure — for more velocity.

Thoughts?

And sorry for my lengthy post…