Floating or clamped, pro's and con's

User avatar
darran77
Posts: 209
Joined: Wed Feb 18, 2015 12:53 am

Floating or clamped, pro's and con's

Thu Aug 22, 2019 3:03 pm

Out the other night with the TDR and as routine i have a check on zero, and found the poi had shifted a good 6" to one side?? so i grabbed the appropriate allen key and slackened off the barrel clamp, them locked it back up and retried and it awas back on zero.
So what are the benefits of having the clamp in the first place and would it be better without??.
daz
IFAC member

no avatar
tonyc
Posts: 376
Joined: Mon May 29, 2017 10:55 am

Re: Floating or clamped, pro's and con's

Sat Aug 24, 2019 1:35 pm

The barrel band is providing some protection against knocks. I've seen opinions posted saying it serves no purpose but I don't agree. A hard knock will bend the barrel with or without the support but it does reduce the length of the lever, so the force required to strain the barrel is greater with the band in place. If you happen to catch the end of the barrel any load at the block is reduced, which I'd suggest is the most vulnerable point when the barrel is unsupported.

no avatar
Archer50
Posts: 200
Joined: Mon Jun 20, 2016 5:06 pm
Location: Perth

Re: Floating or clamped, pro's and con's

Sat Aug 24, 2019 4:21 pm

I agree with Tonyc about the protection, so I use the barrel band, but I use an oversize one from Rowan so the barrel floats, but can only move a fraction if it does get a knock - not enough to take a bend (hopefully :? ).

Alan

User avatar
Blackbaronfish
Posts: 3690
Joined: Sun Feb 15, 2015 6:20 pm
Location: Nuneaton

Re: Floating or clamped, pro's and con's

Sat Aug 24, 2019 4:53 pm

You could remove the o’ring in the figure of eight to allow free floating with maximum protection

BBF
Did I mention that I'm the only one to have attended EVERY meet since we started

no avatar
RichieRich612
Posts: 128
Joined: Fri Apr 19, 2019 2:02 pm

Re: Floating or clamped, pro's and con's

Sat Aug 24, 2019 9:13 pm

I've tested floating fully and using the barrel band on my mpr and I'd say the grouping is a little tighter free floating but have to be very careful not to knock the barrel as with all free floating barrels.
Rich
P.s free floating does change the point of impact significantly so a re-zero goes without saying.

no avatar
poguemahone
Posts: 688
Joined: Sun Feb 15, 2015 10:36 am
Location: stoke

Re: Floating or clamped, pro's and con's

Sun Aug 25, 2019 12:27 pm

not sure of tdr rifles, but on the 400/410's leave the barrel band on and just float the cylinder. did my 400 in 2005 and never looked back ;)

no avatar
RichieRich612
Posts: 128
Joined: Fri Apr 19, 2019 2:02 pm

Re: Floating or clamped, pro's and con's

Sun Aug 25, 2019 9:23 pm

poguemahone wrote:
Sun Aug 25, 2019 12:27 pm
not sure of tdr rifles, but on the 400/410's leave the barrel band on and just float the cylinder. did my 400 in 2005 and never looked back ;)
That's a good idea, always thought to float the barrel not the cylinder. Mind you it's nearly the same but with barrel protection.
Rich

no avatar
poguemahone
Posts: 688
Joined: Sun Feb 15, 2015 10:36 am
Location: stoke

Re: Floating or clamped, pro's and con's

Mon Aug 26, 2019 4:27 pm

RichieRich612 wrote:
Sun Aug 25, 2019 9:23 pm
That's a good idea, always thought to float the barrel not the cylinder. Mind you it's nearly the same but with barrel protection.
Rich
dont know if you've seen this Rich, so i'll put a link to it mate.
dave brayford at staffs custom rifles floats the cylinder on aa guns he works on, and he's a bit of a wizard with em 8-)
i did mine in 2005, but in 2010 i did it how he does it, amazing mate ;)
viewtopic.php?f=5&t=632

no avatar
RichieRich612
Posts: 128
Joined: Fri Apr 19, 2019 2:02 pm

Re: Floating or clamped, pro's and con's

Mon Aug 26, 2019 10:47 pm

I've read it and they do float the cylinder sometimes by adding those 2 black pieces of thick tape found inside some stocks.
It's food for thought but I still think floating the barrel is better.
Never floated both barrel and cylinder yet though but will give it a try.
As for increasing the sweet spot it's impossible as floating either will not help the power curve when un regulated due to the physics of the hammer and valve working at different pressures within the fill pressure.
Can't beat using a chrono and finding that sweet spot between 150 and 120 bar for me.
Rich

no avatar
poguemahone
Posts: 688
Joined: Sun Feb 15, 2015 10:36 am
Location: stoke

Re: Floating or clamped, pro's and con's

Tue Aug 27, 2019 4:02 pm

RichieRich612 wrote:
Mon Aug 26, 2019 10:47 pm
I've read it and they do float the cylinder sometimes by adding those 2 black pieces of thick tape found inside some stocks.
It's food for thought but I still think floating the barrel is better.
Never floated both barrel and cylinder yet though but will give it a try.
As for increasing the sweet spot it's impossible as floating either will not help the power curve when un regulated due to the physics of the hammer and valve working at different pressures within the fill pressure.
Can't beat using a chrono and finding that sweet spot between 150 and 120 bar for me.
Rich
aye up Rich, them black bits of tape that airarms put at the front of the stock defeat the object of floating the cylinder. it must be floated from the butt end mate 8-) your gun cant pass the £5 note test with them pads in ;)
i never mentioned anything about increasing the sweet spot by floating the cylinder :o , its purely for maximum accuracy, and nowt else :lol:
people still cant see the benefits of floating the aa cylinder, even though that dave fella from staffs custom rifles floats em as standard to maximise accuracy and his reputation 8-)

Post Reply

Who is online

Users browsing this forum: No registered users and 26 guests