Revolver Tech.

[seth]

M66 Accuracy Improvement Attempt 2 : 7” Ruger Super Redhawk inner barrel

 

Since the 8” M629 classic had demonstrated superior accuracy compared to its 5/6” M29/629 brethren I assumed it was due to the longer barrel improving the stability of the BB. Therefore I reasoned that adding a longer barrel to my M66 should have the same effect and at 7” the inner barrels I salvaged from my deceased Ruger Super Redhawks were twice the length of the one on the M66. Surely the accuracy would improve considerably.

 

Disappointingly it did not.

 

Despite shooting from a bench rest to keep the revolver steady there was no discernable difference in accuracy over the modifications I made to the stock inner barrel of the M66 during my previous accuracy improvement attempt.

 

In his review of the new Tanaka S&W M10 M&P 4 inch, Seth makes mention of definite improvements in both consistency and accuracy over the other Tanaka revolvers he’s tried including the M500.

 

http://www.arniesairsoft.co.uk/forums/inde...showtopic=25455

 

Considering that the M10 has the same barrel length as the M66 there are definitely other aspects of Tanaka revolver construction that I need to take into account over mere barrel length.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

 

Looking down the barrel, the M10 has a much rounded and flatter hopup rubber than the one I observed on my old M29 6 inch HW, which was just a large, square, (and slightly crooked) piece of rubber.

 

Even with the horrible seam-lined Excel black .25 bio BBs, at 75 feet, every shot goes exactly where it's supposed to, unlike the M500, which does have the occasional random hooking at that range.

 

The 20 foot accuracy test was also amazing, even with the crude fixed sights.

 

Good experiment though. By any chance, was there any air leaking out of the hopup when you installed the longer barrels?

[Cerebus]

Looking down the barrel, the M10 has a much rounded and flatter hopup rubber than the one I observed on my old M29 6 inch HW, which was just a large, square, (and slightly crooked) piece of rubber.

 

Even with the horrible seam-lined Excel black .25 bio BBs, at 75 feet, every shot goes exactly where it's supposed to, unlike the M500, which does have the occasional random hooking at that range.

 

The 20 foot accuracy test was also amazing, even with the crude fixed sights.

 

Good experiment though.  By any chance, was there any air leaking out of the hopup when you installed the longer barrels?

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

 

The hop shouldn't have an effect on my tests since I always sand down the protrusion on the fixed ones and remove the mechanism on the adjustable ones. To check it's done properly I drop a bb down the barrel to see if it slides past the hop without catching.

 

As for air / gas leaking out of the hop the pressure will push the rubber into the barrel face unit that fits over the inner barrel and hop but that's going to happen whether the hop is fixed or adjustable anyway.

 

I have a suspicion the BB chambers in the cylinder are causing more of a problem. I've noticed on all my revolvers that some chambers grip the BB better than others and it leads me to wonder if the grip on any one chamber can also be uneven around the BB. The chambers on the M66 do have a weaker grip compared to my other Tanaka revolvers.

[Cerebus]

Abbey Silicon Oil :

 

I buy my silicon oil from AA. When I first started buying airsoft guns HFC silicon spray was the product available. It did the job but it attracted a lot of dust and would leak copiously out of the gun when shooting and during storage. It would also gum up if the gun was left unused for some time.

 

A little while ago AA started stocking Abbey Silicon Spray and it’s a far better product. Dust contamination is minimal, there’s very little leaking and I’ve yet to notice any gumming. Abbey cans also have twice the content for the same price as HFC (at the last prices I bought from AA).

 

If I have a complaint it would be that it’s harder to control the spray without getting splashback as it releases at a higher pressure but that’s a minor niggle.

[Cerebus]

S&W M500 Stainless Version :

 

Well this confirms that the stainless version has the same binding issue that I found on the original black version.

 

Comparing the two, design and construction are exactly the same right down to the molding imperfections under the stainless finish. The cylinder still angles and contacts against the barrel face when working the action and the frame still flexes away from the side plate when you hold the revolver right side up.

 

Of course like the original version it only takes the same polishing and lubrication to reduce the binding to acceptable levels (and unlike the cylinder of the black original the polishing didn’t affect the cosmetic finish), and accuracy and performance are still up to the same high standards.