Canadian Airgun Forum

Was considering getting a steel breech for my 2240. But the cost, added weight, loss of open sights and having to put up with dovetails, turned me off the idea.

With so many talented tool makers in this forum I wonder if anyone has attempted to build their own steel (or aluminum) breech with a picatinny rail? If not, why not consider the idea? Could be a winner if the cost can be kept below what Crosman charges for their dovetail breech.

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I've read few people have but all aluminum. So much easier to mill. With no metal on metal rubbing aluminum is fine. If you mill one for yourself I can understand. Not sure you could offer a similar product with a lower cost to what is already out there.

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I have some airguns.

Gmac makes a model that allows you to put the factory rear sight on. Theyre around 80$. But the sights are low enough that using both will be a problem. But cost of making a picatinny rail would drive up the cost. I know BNM makes one ( but theyre like 135 USD ) When a set of low profile dovetail to weaver adapters are only 11$. But with a picatinny rail you would have to raise up the sights. So again more cost being that gotta spend more time at the mill. I don't think your going to get a breech made by someone for less the cost of the 60$ crosman steel breech.

I like the steel breech because it supports the barrel much better. But than again I shoot PBs all the time so a 2-3 lb gun isn't a issue.

Why at first did you want a steel breech? For barrel stabilisation, mounting a scope or a better open sight? On my own 2240, I wanted to have a stable base for my LW barrel and Williams notch sight, and I actually find the added weight (not that much) is helping to stabilize the pistol. Anyway, the Crosman steel breech is the cheapest one to my knowledge, and a good one to boot.

FWIW, I work in a CNC machine shop, and I can tell you a Picatinny/Weaver rail would be more work/cost than a dovetail. It would be cost effective if you were to produce a good volume of parts, but a single one would be expensive, much more than a Crosman steel breech. Machining time is not free, given the knowledge and equipment it needs, even if you use conventional lathe/mill. You have to set-up the tools and machine the part while respecting the needed tolerances. And then you have to give the product a nice finish, be it bluing or paint or something else. Not that hard, but it takes time and you must know what you're doing.

Just my 0.02$

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If everything's so lovely yeah, then why don't I, why don't I, why don't I, why don't I feel lovely?

Thought that if there was a way to mass produce a breech with a picatinny that it could be a good way to make a few bucks, for those with the equipment and knowhow. But if it is that laborious a task then yeah, I can see why it wouldn't be viable. Don't suppose 3D printing these would do much to hold the barrel firmly in place.

I have a few red dots, scopes, lasers that are for picatinny and only so many dovetail optics to go around. Even the dovetail to picatinny you sold me is being used elsewhere. And I do like to swap things around, from diff optics back to open sights, etc. Part of the fun, but not if it is this much of a headache (and cost)

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No, no, it was bigger than that! It looked like a weird monkey-dog thing!
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