subsonnics’ Bolt conversion

When I got my Airarcher, I could not put it down, it was so much fun. But eventually I had to, I have arthritis in both basal thumb joints, and with the heavy spring that Tagdagger had supplied, I was paying a heavy price in pain.

Then the knob came off the breech bolt. I had cross threaded it a few months earlier, weaking it, again due to weak thumbs and it finially gave up the ghost.

Tagdagger immediately sent me two breech bolts when I explained my dilema, but I still had to use that little knob to cock the heavy spring.

Then while reading a post about muzzle breaks on this forum, I saw a picture that Subsonnic posted, attached to his breech was the answer to my problem and I knew it as soon as I saw the picture, a bolt to supply leverage against that heavy spring.

I PM’ed Subsonnic and asked how it worked with a heavy spring, he explained that was why he had made it in the first place. I called Tagdagger and he wanted to know more, so I told him to look at Subsonnics picture.

I sent a breech bolt to Subsonnic and asked him to make me a bolt knob and to drill and tap the second hole required to attach the bolt, which he did.

When it arrived I installed it and immediately went out and tried it.

What a difference, now I simply push it with the heel of my right hand, and it cocks effortlessly. No pain, the leverage must be increased 20 fold for it is like I said, effortless.

I plan on having him make one for my Condor, I will put it on the left side, yes they are interchangeable, so that I can open the breech at the bench with my left hand and load with my right, like you would with a high class custom single shot varmit rifle.

I have my tophat set out to .10 due to the mechanics of the Airarcher and needing a longer column of air to push the arrow shaft out, as it came from Subsonnic, there is no play. I would imagine that if material were left on the bolt base, one could remove material to gain a perfect fit between the tophat, bolt base and rifle frame.

Working the bolt will be different than that of a bolt action, it is of course backwards in the movement, but within 5 shots, I had it figured out.

For a rifle that the safety has been disconnected, it makes lowering the hammer and recocking much safer.

I love it, my thumbs love it even more.

Roachcreek