Canadian Airgun Forum

My Gauntlet 1 has been sitting bare for 3 months. I have purchased a few new scopes over the last months, so yesterday a placed a 4-16 x44 AO on her. I last used the Gauntlet for rats with the pressure turned down below 1000 psi with 14.8 FPE. I went through about 12 different pellets till I got to a tin of 21 gr H&N slugs. My first shot with the slug no air came out the barrel or the breach seal. I removed the mag and took another shot, again no movement just the sound of the hammer hitting the valve. The slug was tight, I had to tap it a couple of times with the 3/16"dowell to dislodge it out the breach. I shot the gun unloaded a few times no problems. I tried the next slug and again no movement.

I am going change the tank to the 1500 psi reg and give it try. I am amazed that it takes more than 1000 psi to move the slug. That is 38 pounds of force, I don't think I exerted 38 pounds of force on the bolt to install the slug, but maybe, it is hared to say.

Have a great all, Robert

I tried some .22 Rabbit Magnums in my .22 Gauntlet on CO2. Room temp at 68F, so likely running close to 850psi. They would not shoot
sticking in the breech. They were very tight, I had to use a rod to poke it out, from the muzzle. It had not moved at all from where it
was seated by the breech. It was a hard push to seat it.

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Best Wishes
Daryl

If slugs are larger than the groove diameter, they can get stuck because the lead displaced by the lands has nowhere to go when it is chambered.... I have had .22 cal slugs fail to launch at 3000 psi, size them just 0.001" smaller and they are fine.... I find the highest velocity is usually when the slug is 0.001" smaller than the groove diameter.... smaller than that and you may start to get blowby.... Pellets are MUCH more forgiving regarding the diameter....

Bob

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Dominion Marksman Silver Shield - 5890 x 6000 in 1976, and downhill ever since!
Airsonal; Too many! Springers, Pumpers, CO2, but I love my PCPs and developing them!
Proud Member of the 2000+fps Club!

Update, switched the tank today to a 1500 psi reg and had a velocity 5m downrange of 710 fps 21 gr slug 23.5 fpe. Velocity of 14.3 gr pellet 860 fps 5m downrange also 23.5 fpe. The slugs did give me a great grouping.

Sounds great, that's what it is all about. Being higher BC than pellets, they really shine at longer ranges - if they shoot well.
Good to know about the sizing, tks Bob.

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Best Wishes
Daryl

With a new gun is always better to do a barrel inspection first before firing anything from it.
Are there any tight spots inside the rifling (lands and valleys)?
Slugging a barrel will give you both, the tight spot inspection and the internal dimensions as well.
Earlier this year I learned about fire lapping, it is a game changer.
Also a pellet and slugs sizing can help.
A good cleaning + polishing is my normal maintenance usually after a tin of pellets, beside a fact I am washing+lubing those.

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FX Impact MK2 PP - heavy modded
Edgun Leshiy2 - heavy modded
and a lot of scopes with great optics