Breaking 120 FPE with cast 25 acp bullets

Well I tried a different fire control system in the Condor.

I had been going stock hammer and weight and spring with the RL valve stem and Condor top hat set to .1.

I suspected my spring was a little tired, I have had it for 2 years and countless thousands of shots, not to mention leaving it cocked overnight on several occasions..

Marvin was using a stiffer spring, and I had some around made of the same wire, Airarcher springs, so I went to work on the old gal this morning.

First I opened up the inside of the Airarcher spring to allow the PW to fit inside, the wire being .80 as opposed to .62 would not allow it to snap in.

Then I shortened the spring to 3.5 inches, then reset the end flat.

Next I drained all the air out of my tank and tested to make sure I was not bottoming out on the RLAirguns valve stem with it set further out. I found that at .13 top hat setting, I still had a fully spring supported valve stem.

I put it all together and started shooting over the box. Before I was averaging around 930 FPS for 100 FPE with 2800 PSI which was the mazimum PSI that I could open the valve. I gradually increased my fill to 3200 PSI, if my gauge is correct and I suspect it to read a little low, and at that PSI I hit 1013 5 yards from the muzzle.

Two things changed at that level.

My trigger which was below 1 lb, started self discharging, I am glad I have good gun handling habits and had it pointed in a safe direction. So I set it around 3 lbs for now and will play with it later.

Accuracy improved. Marvin had said when he picked up the velocity, his improved, it seems mine does also. Shooting off the top of the 58 Mercerdes in the garage without a bag, just resting on my hands on the metal of the car roof, I shot a 10 shot group that was 1 inch vetically and 3/4 inch horizontally.

Adjusting that velocity back to the muzzle gave me 1024 FPS with the 52 grain bullet and that folks according to Hand loads .com is 121 FPE.

In the field where it counts, that means with a 70 yard zero, the bullet never rises above 1.1 inches to 70 yards, and gets to 85 yards before it approaches 2 inches of drop.

Comparing it to the 25 acp, you get to the actual muzzle velocity of the pistol round at 245 yards.

I suspect once I get the sizer dies, so that less pressure is wasted sizing down that slug in the lead and bore when the air hit it, I will see both an accuracy improvement and a veloctiy improvement.

Regards,

Roachcreek