Today reader RidgeRunner, tells us even more about the Falke model 50 breakbarrel he got at the North Carolina airgun show. As he learns more he tells us.
If you’d like to write a guest post for this blog, please email me at blogger@pyramydair.com.
Take it away, RidgeRunner
Falke model 50 Part Four
by RidgeRunner
Falke model 50.
This report covers:
- What has happened so far
- At the range
- JSB 8.44 grain pellets
- H&N Baracuda Match 10.65 grain pellets
- Part Five?
- What has happened so far
A good bit has happened so far, actually. I pulled the stock off of this little thing and pulled the barrel block off. I then removed the rather ragged looking breech seal and discovered it was not that bad. The seal pocket has been scruntched (crushed) down from the top a bit, but with the rubber breech seal I think it will be OK.
Something I discovered when I did all of this is the transfer port is angled toward the middle of the compression chamber and comes up to meet the barrel bore.
When I reinserted the breech seal, put everything back together and tightened everything up nice and snug, the upward angle of the barrel appears to have been eliminated. Since I have already drifted the front sight over a bit, I am really looking forward to shooting this little gem some more.
At the range
I am once again out at my shooting bench with the Falke 50. I have worked on the sights a little bit, so I am hoping to do a little better this time around. As this little gem is not made to take a scope and the power level is not really that high, I am only going to be shooting it at ten yards. I am also shooting it laying directly on my bags. If it looks promising, I will switch over to the world-renowned artillery hold.
JSB 8.44 grain pellets
The first pellet I tried was the JSB 8.44 grain pellet. Time and again this has proven to be one of my top shooters in .177. After a few shots at my targets, it was not looking in the least bit promising. I had hung my targets on the top of my cardboard backer and there were no holes in the target or the backer. By taking a very fine bead, I was finally able to start hitting my targets at the top of them. Do keep in mind that no matter what bead I take, it is at the six o’clock position of the bullseye.
H&N Baracuda Match 10.65 grain pellets
H&N Baracuda Match pellets are the heaviest quality pellets I have in .177. I am also shooting this pellet with a very fine bead at the bottom of the bullseye. This “group” was finally on paper. Ten of them made a group of about 2-1/4 inches. Yeah, I know that is not really that good, most especially at ten yards, but that was also when I was not really trying.
2-1/4 inches at ten yards. Not much of a group.
Part 5?
Will there be a Part 5? Probably. It looks as though this barrel has indeed been bent in its previous life. I will likely resort to one of BB’s suggested methods of straightening it some. First thing though is I am going to have to finish my new garage so that I have a place to do this work. I would not hold my breath for part five. Though it will likely happen, it could be some time. Just go on breathing and reading BB’s posts.
BB’s turn
RidgeRunner has now determined that the barrel of his Falke model 50 is truly bent. Straightening it seems scary, but it’s actually not that hard.
Look at the photo from Part 5 of the report titled, Bending airgun barrels. I would read that entire report series if you intend trying this. But Part 5 was where everything came together for me.
The barrel is truly bent down — farther than necessary because it will spring back when the tension is released.
CAUTION: Every barrel is different and you want to go slow to not bend the barrel more than necessary. What I have discovered is bent barrels will straighten easily to their former straightness and then resist bending farther. Keep that in mind as you work.
Wow! This is wild! I actually get to post first! You folks must have had a pretty wild birthday party!
Just so you know, I was taking as fine a bead as I could on this little gem to even hit the target at ten yards. You can see some of the shots from when I was shooting the JSBs and started holding a very fine bead.
Looking down the bore, this barrel looks to be straight, so the issue must be in the block. There is not curving to be seen in the barrel.
This must be the reason the rear sight had been bent down so much. I have straightened it and this “old gal” shoots so high now that I am totally missing the targets at only ten yards.
RidgeRunner,
You didn’t shoot it before fiddling with the sights?
Siraniko
Siraniko,
I did shoot it some before I straightened out the sights. It was shooting high and to the left.
I am a little confused. The definition of “drawing a fine bead” is taking a careful aim. How can one “draw a fine bead” (aka: taking careful aim) at the same time he is “not really trying”? The reason I bring this up is two-fold. Number one is that maybe your definition of “drawing a fine bead” is different? The other is that if you were actually taking careful aim and the problem is a bent barrel, I think that the groups should be smaller but just not impacting where you were aiming. I think that there might be something additional to the bent barrel causing the large groups. Just my opinion based on what has been posted here…
Elmer,
I will explain next Tuesday. Drawing a fine bead is a very specific sighting term.
BB
Thanks BB! Also, I think that the large groups might be due to a need for the artillery hold. Maybe that’s part of what is meant by “not really trying”?
Elmer,
I was taking aim with the very tip of the front sight at the very base of the notch of the rear sight. That aim point was at the six o’clock position of the black of the target. That is what I meant by “drawing a fine bead”. I was just laying the air rifle on my shooting bags to see where it might be shooting. I was not really trying to get a tight group. I was just trying to see just how far off it was.
Thanks for the explanation, that makes sense to me. 🙂
Even with a barrel bent at the block, I would have expected better groups at 10 yards.
Try some other pellets if you have them. For such a low-powered air rifle, try Hobbys, HN Econ II, HN Plinking, Meisterkugeln Pistol, and JSB RS or Express or the similar AA Falcons.
RG,
At this point I could care less about group size. I have quite a large selection of .177 pellets, but if the air rifle will not shoot where I aim it, why waste them? I used the Baracudas as they were heavy compared to most of what I had and would drop the most to show me where the thing is shooting.
Good Morning RidgeRunner,
Sorry that the Falke 50 is making you work extra hard to set up so it shoots well. Sometimes we have to undo the damage that others did to these old guns that we bring home. I am also quite taken by the looks of this gun. She isn’t too far gone and when she becomes more enjoyable to shoot, you will have brought another old gal back from the brink. Looking forward to the next installment, patiently not holding my breath.
Will
My Falke 60, the big brother to the 50, shoots nice at ten yards.
Delivering nice groups using Hobby pellets.
After being abused and surviving hurricane Katrina he’s living the life of Riley.
Ya got to remember she’s a little girl. She can’t do what big girls can do!
Let’s hear about her doing damage to the local feral can population.
Milk jugs would give a gratifying smack down.
Breeze,
First, she has to hit those feral soda cans. I am going to have to try and get her to shoot a little lower before she can work on the local population.
RR
I was thinking ( if one could call it that) about correcting the seriously high POI you have been getting. The barrel may not appear to be bent, but since you need to bring the POIs down, it might be forgivable to simply bend the barrel to make that happen. It wouldn’t likely take much of a bend to do it and then once you get into the can killing range you can begin looking at the group size issue.
How far along are you with your new garage? Mine has become a rather slow process since I’m too cheap to hire help.
Ed
Ed,
At the moment I am still waiting for the rebar and concrete pour. The forms are built and the footers are dug. It could be done in two weeks, but that is not gonna happen.
RidgeRunner,
Comments on your continued work with/on your Falke can wait.
Much more importantly is cautioning you to NOT pour (although tempting with schedule/spouse pressures) concrete on/in soil under 40°F.
You will potentially suffer all manner of issues with your foundation in both the short and long term.
Some COMPROMIZE solutions:
Cover the trenches with foundation blankets to retain heat when not in direct warming sunlight.
If the soil is cold enough (below 40°F) you could resort to using construction heaters to blow hot air under those blankets or electric concrete blankets; expensive.
Have the water (if you are mixing on site) heated. If delivered premix get them to deliver it hot and/or an extra strength cold mud mix.
Wait until the soil temps rebound before continuing on the foundation pour.
You do not want the concrete to FREEZE and freeze-thaw-freeze is even worse for terminal strength.
hth,
shootski
I think you have bend the barrel. BB showed you how.
If that fails I will buy it back.
Breeze,
Not yet, but maybe.
RidgeRunner,
When you reassembled the gun you mentioned that the apparent bend had disappeared. I was rather puzzled by the high Point of Impact relative to the Point of Aim considering that the rear and front sight are on the same plane until you did point out that you are now convinced that the barrel got bent somehow in the past. So it’s either you bend the barrel or build up the front sight.
Siraniko
RidgeRunner,
I remember seeing an article (many years ago) that showed a gentleman checking for barrel straightness. With a barrel in one hand and the other hand holding what looked like a bow, with the string (a thread) going through the bore. I guess that the thread would show how straight the barrel was, while sighting down the bore.
I’ve never tried it, but it just popped into my memory. It might be an inexpensive way to check barrel straightness. (And I’m all for inexpensive.)
Bill
Billj,
Wow!
That sounds like a “poor” man’s WILMA wire laser alignment instrument.
I remember seeing one in a Metrology (Calibration) Lab.
I think your method might work for discovering most bent barrels or misaligned barrel blocks i would suggest replacing the string/thread with monofilament fishing line.
Great remembering!
shootski