My 257 Condor Build
I am going to start a thread here on my .257 condor build. I bought a older model from AF with a spin lock tank and the older style trigger and safety. It is a new gun just an older model. I wanted black but all they had was blue or red so I chose Blue. It is a .25 Cal. I will probably sell the barrel for some money on this project.
Here is a picture of it with a Hawk scope mounted on it. The TJ barrel is by it and I have the breech end turned down and the muzzle is crowned. I have to get the dimples yet and cut the leade. Also I started a one piece bushing for the barrel. I thought a one piece would help the stiffness of the frame and tie everything together better.
Here is the Crown I did this morning.
The Breech end of the barrel is .374 dia as per Dougs advice. I am buying a valve from him and that size will match his top hat.
That is it so far. I am going to order some delrin so I can get the breech made and some stuff to make a heavier hammer. I will post updates as I get stuff made to this thread. I am excited to do this project.
A big THANK YOU to tofazfou and Doug and all of the people on the forums that post their projects so people like me can learn and do the same thing. To be continued……..
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I would be inclined to lower the PW a little on the higher fill pressure to try and flatten that string out a little and get a few more shots.
Great looking numbers! In fact, I’m jealous as hell. 😥 😆
I would fully expect apx. 2 1/2 to 3″ low at 10 yards, due to the high scope mounting point we have, But 5 is a bit puzzleing.
Is the higher shot count with teh bottle that you got from TD?
I have one on hold at Dougs. Just trying to figure out how to use it with the MadDog Stock I have everything mounted in.
May-be I should consider a trigger guard like yuo have made here. I see that you added tabs to futher strengthen the set up on the Trigger Guard. Nice Touch!
Knife
Well I had a chance to go shoot alittle today. All my goal today was to see what the chrony says. It was to windy out to really sight it in plus I need to get an adjustable base so I can get my point of aim close because I centered my scope on the turrets yesterday. I want to keep it as close to the scopes center as possible. Right now it is 5″ low at 10 yards. I know I can adjust the scope to get it sighted in but it is better if you keep the scope close to the center of adjustment. A good read on the subject is here: http://www.fekete-moro.hu/bfta-setup-manual/index-en.php
Any way I got a few number on the chrony.
3000 psi fill PW-0 .100 tophat spacing
1. 988.8
2. 988.0
3. 991.8
4. 985.5
5. 973.2
3200 psi fill PW-4 .100 tophat spacing
1. 1024
2. 1020
3. 1007
4. 1003
5. 1001
6. 994
Doug sent me a thinner tophat spacer so I can go with a .115 tophat space but I forgot to bring it to try. If was so windy and still snow on the ground so I didn’t shoot it much. I will try the thinner spacer at another time. Maybe when my adjustable rail come in I can get it sighted in and try the other spacer. Plus I can try diferent PW adjustments.
So far I am really happy with it. I hope it shoots good groups. Will find out on a better day when it isn’t so windy and I get my scope sighted in.
To be continued…………………..
OH, She’s Beautiful!!! 😯 😀
I would love to have a lathe, but sadly, no more room on the shop!
Knife
I have an old Southbend heavy 10 lathe. Definitly old school. The picture is from when I first got it home. I do my milling on a Harbor Freight Mill Drill. The green one they have. I just do machining as a hobby. I have access to a bigger enco mill at work if I need to use it. So far I have been able to do everything on this build with my stuff at home. I need more tooling but been getting by. I’m not very rich so a little at a time. I don’t have a picture of my mill drill.
BTW your build is coming along quite nicely…. If i may ask what are u using for a Lathe and Milling machine ? any pics of your machines?
In my opinion it would have less drag because of less surface area riding on the smaller barrel dia. verses the area of the outside dia. Plus it is more stable.
Air shooter I was just looking through your thread and noticed that it looks as if your hammer will be riding the outside of the barrel vs the way stock a/f has the hammer riding the inside of the frame what are your thoughts on that Maybe doug can chime in also … seems it would be a better way as the barrel is steel and won’t wear where as the frame is an aluminum . Id love to do this to mine. I’m just shooting it as a .25 for now.. learning the gun.
Well I finally got some time and a little warmer weather so I made some more stuff for the 257. The gun is pretty much built now. It is ready to get a scope mounted on it and go do some chrony testing and see what groups I can get. I will still have some cosmetic stuff to do but I want to wait till I see how well it shoots incase I have to change something.
Here I got the top slot cut wider and notches for the handle to fit in. I like the idea of a forward notch incase the hammer slips off the sheer it won’t pinch my thrumb and blow a hole in it when I’m putting a bullet in it. I’m sure with 3000 psi it would do a lot of damage to your thumb. Your thumb would be trapped between the breech and tophat and the air has to go somewhere. I have seen a 3000 psi power washer cut the hell out of a guys hand before.
Here I making a more solid trigger guard. I made it so I don’t use the bottum little flimsy plate. It is a solid one piece chunck of aluminum.
I’m using the stock trigger handle on mine. I milled out some of the plastic so it would fit the aluminum piece I made.
Here they are together
Here they are mounted on the gun. It has a nice solid feel to it.
Here it is with the front forearm mounted. I milled a little on the forearm to get it to fit nicely as I could.
So there you have it. Everything is made for the gun. The barrel is fire lapped and hopfully ready to go. I got about 200 or so Lymands bullets cast up and lub with Lee Alox. All I need now is some decent weather. Freezing rain right now. 😡
Looking Good!!! 😀
Gott’a love a good LDC for keeping things on the down low. Don’t need a knock at the door!
I really enjoy living out in the country! 😉 Hell, I can touch off a .50 Barrett anytime without worry. (Been known to do that from time to time.) 😆
Knife
Well I got Dougs valve the other day. I finished up some odds and ends I needed to do to it. I wanted to shoot it so I got it together enough to fire lap my barrel. I had around 2000 psi in the tank and PW on 0 I shot 5 shot with the 320 grit then cleaned and then shot 5 more then cleaned it. Then I switch to the 600 grit and in 5 shot increaments shot 15 more shots. I them cleaned it and bore mopped it with JB bore paste. Then I cleaned it real good. Should be ready to go. I still need to get my top slot cut wider for the breech handle and my trigger guard finished. I just couldn’t wait any longer to fire it. It is so cold here to shoot outside I shot it in the house into my rubber mulch trap. So far no cops has showed up because I do live in town but in my own house.
This is the paper target I shot on my very first shot 😯
The backing cardboard had a lot of holes in it and when the 257 slug hit it it blew out a big wad of the mulch. Holy shit this thing is going to have some power. I didn’t even have the tank full with my PW set up. So I put in a new double thickness cardboard and finished my fire lapping.
I added an 90d o-ring for the hammer to help hammer slap. Thanks Doug for the o-rings.
Doug 257 valve he sent me. Has the stock lighter spring in the picture also.
This is what the gun looks like today when I fire lapped it. Still got a few things to do to finish it.
To be continued………………….
Yeah, they are kinda high, but the quality is first rate, and you gottl love the free shiping. AND—-It still comes in at less than a full order from PA for a bunch of .25! 😉
Got the flux ordered. Thanks for the heads up! 😉
Roto metals has the already mixed 20/1 lead tin in 5lb. bars. CLEAN stuff!
Knife
Yea if I can’t find any lead locally I will probably order some from them. If I spend over $100 get free shipping. That can mean a lot when shipping lead.
Truly a thing of beauty! 😀
Got the flux ordered. Thanks for the heads up! 😉
Roto metals has the already mixed 20/1 lead tin in 5lb. bars. CLEAN stuff!
Knife
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I would fully expect apx. 2 1/2 to 3″ low at 10 yards, due to the high scope mounting point we have, But 5 is a bit puzzleing.
Is the higher shot count with teh bottle that you got from TD?
I have one on hold at Dougs. Just trying to figure out how to use it with the MadDog Stock I have everything mounted in.
May-be I should consider a trigger guard like yuo have made here. I see that you added tabs to futher strengthen the set up on the Trigger Guard. Nice Touch!
Knife
Yea I am using the 53 ci tank. I don’t have the original tank no more. I sold it.
I got the idea on the tabs on the trigger guard from Doug. I think it is in his 308 build that he had pictures of it. Since I have the safety out. I added more tab area. It is solid.