Hammer, brass bushing and valve pin wear
Grabbed a few images from my Vulcan 22 during its early break-in.
You can already see how the parts wear even early on.
The valve pin is developing a flat spot where the hammer strikes it. I expect this will expand until it reaches stable condition.
I wouldn’t be surprised if this is part of the early shifts in energy output.
Tip of the hammer looks like it includes an insert. I suspect this is a harder material than the rest of the hammer.
There is an odd pit at one point of the tip shoulder.
The brass bushing in the 0.22 is used to create a free floating hammer strike. It stops the spring’s forward motion
when the bushing hits the breach housing. Then the hammer flies forward freely. This debounces the hammer strike
to improve air efficiency. (Apparently this isn’t done on the larger caliber version(
However, the bushing takes a horrible beating and makes noise. If you look on the forum, there are reports of
a brass bushing that fractured and others with visible brass shards in the hammer chamber after a few hundred
rounds. I like that we can have a free floating hammer, but this promises to be a point of failure.
My gun has only about 100 rounds through it and already there is visible wear along the periphery
of the brass bushing.
Also galling where the spring engages the brass bushing.
I don’t have a Delrin replacement, but have instead encased the entire bushing in a rubber bumper. It reduces the
noise, cushions agains the impact and should help with keeping the part from wearing. We’ll see how
long the bumper lasts. I think an acrylic panel to allow continuous inspection is this weekend’s project.
All Replies
Lose the brass, lose the oil…go dry lube, and forget these problems. Why do you think God created Delrin and Ernest????
Hoot:
I haven´t changed to that Delrin thingie yet but will do so in a very near future. :fishinghole:
:bow: :bow: :bow: Amen for Ernest.
:hoot:
Lose the brass, lose the oil…go dry lube, and forget these problems. Why do you think God created Delrin and Ernest????
Hoot:
I think it is a good thing that the brass wears. it would be a big problem if it was the action
you don’t want that.
brass bits can be replaced.
:hoot:
I removed every one of those little hex-headed bastards and replaced them with Phillips head screws. Now they can take some punishment. A black Sharpie makes them the same color as the gun.
http://www.metricscrews.us/index.php?main_page=index&cPath=13_216
M3x16mm Zinc Flat Head Machine Screw #10601
M3x5mm Black Oxide Flat Head Phillips Machine Screw #20820
M3x6mm SS Flat Head Machine Screw #10111
Hoot:
All I need is a PM with your address.
Oh, Did you check the length of the 2 #49 loose screws ❓
The manual calls for M3x14. But mine are shorter :butkick:
Maybe they need loctite but even blue loctite proved too much for one of my sideplate screws. I stripped out the tiny allen head 😳
Maybe Zonk will order some and supply them to us :rofl:
Yikes. Both of the breech body bolts were finger loose. The alignment seems okay.
Thanks for getting me to check those bolts.
I ended up pulling the entire breech body out, cleaning and lubricating with some moly grease.
The only gotcha was putting the little plastic spacer back into place. At first I didn’t realize you
can insert it from the slot. I was struggling to put it in first and then the brass breech body.
Simply insert the breech body and then place the plastic spacer through the slot that
the bolts go.
I’ll check again later to see if as much brass swarf is being generated. Bolt action feels smooth now.
The tension of just the little cocking spring is enough to push the cocking rod and breech
body nearly all the way forward after cocking.
:suprisedn: While you’re at it, check if the 2 breech body screws are snug and see what you think about the alignment when cycled. The breech body can exit rear when you remove the upper plastic plug. Makes it easier to clean it out and re-lube.
I was thinking of putting a small spacer between the breech body and the cockong link. It might straighten out the wear that is on the back end of the breech body.
I think I’m going to nickname my Vulcan the “Brass Rubbings” machine.
Took a peak inside the action top cover and was surprised by the amount of brass wearing off the pellet probe mount.
It was like a pool of metallic paint inside the housing.
Definitely plenty of oil. The swarf was swirling about as the bolt cycled.
Maybe it was better not knowing…
Here is another image showing the spray of brass particles. You can see brass particles radiating outward from impact point against breach housing.
This brass bushing is already covered by its rubber cap in this picture. With the new rubber cap in place this wear should lessen.
Here you can see the rubber cap through my new clear plastic window.
Now, like Lurker #1, I can keep track of how things are wearing without taking the gun apart.
After about 300 rounds the cap doesn’t show any signs of wear, but I do see it has stretched and hole is about same diameter of hammer’s barrel section.
Guy
Hell yes Lurker what do we have to loose???
Zonk, its not as interesting a view…but you might see a shinny wear area on the back end of the breech block. I cleaned mine up and put a smear of moly on it.
I do have some thin acrylic that could possibly be heat molded if you want to try it. 😐
Lets see ya make a see through for the top cover Lurker……..hehehe
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guykuo, you need to cut away the wood on your see through so that we all can see better……That wood stock is blocking our view.