Heanel Mod 1, Cleaning the Stock and Metal Work

A semi restoration.

While resealing and lubing the action I thought why not treat the stock?

When I first acquire a new (to me) rusty old air rifle, I always rub the metalwork down with some gun oil or 3 in 1 and some very fine wire wool and wipe clean with a kitchen towel - this removes the rust and shows me the condition of the metal. 

A quick rub with some oil and wire wool helped matters no end.

I can see either how much bluing or enamel is left and whether any of the rust has left any pitting, giving me the choice of leaving it as it is or completely rubbing down and cold bluing or painting with enamel spray paint.

State of the rifle when I first got it.

I did this to the Heanel Mod I when I first picked it up and found the barrel to still be in really good condition, and even though the compression tube wasn't so hot, the metal still looked dark where the bluing was worn. 

Lots of rubbing with 3 in 1 and 0000  wire wool and the metal is looking quite respectable.

So recently, when the stock was off and the rifle was apart, I thoroughly rubbed down every part until all the dirt and rust were removed. It took about an hour of rubbing which did reveal a little pitting along the compression tube just below where it sits in the stock. 

Pitting below fore stock line.

Having already spent a half hour doing this when I first got the rifle, most of this session involved the removal of accumulated grime, and seeing as it was over 75 years old, some of the grime was a little tough to remove. Once cleaned, the metal looked pretty decent, so I decided to leave it with it's protective coating of oil; besides, the rear sight and front sight hood are missing and I wouldn't really consider rebluing until they were replaced with original parts.

Rear sight in need of a competent bodge.

Front sight still useable.

The stock is made of walnut and has a lovely little oval brass Heanel badge on the side of the butt. The brass got a clean when I first picked it up but now that the rifle was apart, I decided to rub down and oil the stock whilst it was removed. 

Nice badge and a very old stock.

I had recently picked up a small pack of three grades of wire wool from my local discount shop, so taking a pinch of the coarsest grade, I rubbed down a test patch on the butt. 

Test patch with ingrained dirt from over 75 years.

It looked good, so using most of the rest of that grade, I cleaned the rest of the stock, first rubbing in a circular motion then finishing off by rubbing along the grain.

Four hours of solid rubbing with rough grade wire wool ... looks good but could be better.

Four hours of solid rubbing revealed a nicely grained piece of walnut. More effort was put into the end grains and the many dings and dents the stock had accumulated. 

The Butt needed extra attention, note the cracks that even steaming couldn't shift.

The wood is old and dry, and although the Danish oil is giving the outside a bit of a rejuve, the inside where the action sits is bone dry, so here I filled any light cracks with superglue and glued on some bits which had chipped off.

Loctite superglue fills those small cracks and rejoins any bits chipped off.

The accumulated years of sweat and dirt were still noticable, so one evening I used the remaining wire wool to get the stock as clean as I possibly could.

Hours more rubbing with wire wool and i'm a lot happier.

This was followed up with a rub down with the medium grade wire wool for about an hour, then about half hour with the fine grade just to get it really smooth. 

Look at the dust and crap on this, you can't beat a good damp cloth to show you what you've actually achieved.

With a fine cleaning of the brass badge, the stock was ready for oiling with Danish oil, which happens to be the only oil I have at the moment.

The first five or so thin layers of Danish oil tend to soak in to the wood before forming a laquer.

I have been told the best way to oil a stock is to rub on a light coat of oil every hour for the first day, one coat every day for the first week, one coat every week for a month, then once every six months to keep it topped up. During this process, the stock should be rubbed down with very fine wire wool after every third coat, and cleaned with a damp cloth. You don't have to follow the instructions to the letter but it gives you a rough idea. I have used this as a guide before and found it to produce very satisfying results. A couple of coats over a year with a light rub down now and again helps stop the sweat and dirt on your hands staining the wood, apparently.

Starting to look as good as I hoped it would.

So this stock got a coat of oil every few hours on the first day. Over the next seven days, it might've had two coats in a day, though I did miss a day due to being just too busy. But I did give it a rub down with wire wool after every third application without fail, just a light rubbing and a wipe with a damp cloth to bring back the silky smooth texture of the wood.

Baby wipes are very good for removing any wire wool bits.

It is important that each layer is as thin as possible, because after the oil has soaked into the grain it starts to build up like a lacquer and if it is applied too thickly it will feel bitty and take ages to dry. If there was the slightest tacky feel to the wood before rubbing with wire wool, I left it another hour and just gave it a wipe with a cloth in the mean time; the worst thing to do is rub down while it hasn't completely dried. Once a good lacquer base had been built up I left it to dry for 15 hours, then, using very fine wire wool I rubbed along the grain in single light strokes to remove any bittiness. A cloth was used to remove all the bits of dust that came off the wire wool, leaving a shiny smooth stock. I could if I wanted apply another thin coat of danish oil but will leave it for now as i'm happy with how it looks.

Ready for a good rub down with wire wool finally.

After the third day, I put the trigger guard and action back on the stock; any further applications will be made with the trigger guard left on but the action removed. 

After three days all bits and blemishes were rubbed out of the stock, I was left with a very smooth base to apply more very thin layers of Danish oil.

I was very pleased with the results as there are some lovely grain features in this walnut stock, and even though I couldn't remove all the dings and scratches it's still a damned sight better than it was originally.

Stock with many layers of oil, rubbing and wiping after a week.

TTFN

Wing Commander Sir Nigel Tetlington-Smythe.




And the Lord said "Let there be Weasels", and there was.        

BSA Mercury, Friction in the Piston

And Finding The Most Accurate Pellet For a 70's British Springer

Out in the woods testing the .22 BSA Mercury.

I have done a far bit of tinkering with the .22 mercury, but i know it needs a little more. It's knocking out RWS Superdome's at 10.5 ft/lb then slowly dropping down to 9 ft/lb, this i'm sure is down to the tight fit of the rubber O ring piston seal. 

The new piston seal O ring below is a bit over sized.

 I've read that it's a common problem that the piston seal can be a little oversized when new, and i did have to use some force to push the piston into the compression chamber with this one. Most people usually put a tin of pellets through to wear the piston seal down, but i reckon in this case i would need nearer two tins of pellets before any wear is noticed on the O ring.

Repeatedly putting a 1000 pellets through the Mercury would get a little tedious to say the least.

My other option would be to dismantle the rifle yet again, and use wet and dry to wear the O ring down, i would need to turn the piston in the lathe and apply the abrasive to give it even wear, 

It doesn't look over sized when fitted on the piston head , but believe me it is.

Then i would size the piston now and again till it was just short of a sliding fit, so once the ruff edge of the seal had smoothed out after reassembly it would fit perfectly. 

I would rather avoid going through this rigmarole again.

My only concern for the rifle is for the thread on the breech block getting damaged with all this taking apart and reassembly, i also have a concern for the spring compressor because of the mighty preload.

These were good value and sorts out the problem of the scope rail dovetails being set too forward on the compression tube of the Mercury.

A 1970's .22 BSA Mercury has a barrel that is 5.6 mm as opposed to 5.5 mm that is more prevelent now a days, and the older pellets that were a tad wider are not available any more. Eley Wasps in the blue tin are sized at 5.6 mm but are crap compared to how they used to be, 

No 2 5.6 mm Eley Wasps are not the pellet they used to be.

i have found that RWS Superdomes fit just as well in the breech and are infinetly more accurate. So with this in mind i reckon it would be best to see how the rifle performs after i put a tin of Superdomes through it, at 7 quid a tin it sounds like the fun option to me and i usually take a second rifle with me when i go down the woods.

Accuracy

   I have found the Mercury shoots most consistantly with a light hold and supported by my off hand just in front of the trigger guard, from personel experience most springers are more accurate for me if i support them at where they balance and this is where the Mercury balances out. The trigger breaks lightly and cleanly with no first stage travel so it's easier not to pull any shot of target, both my BSA Meteor and the Webley Hawk have similar triggers to this so i reckon it must be some British thang.

Ready for the off.

Testing the accuracy in the woods means i can't test from a bench rest, but the results will be more indicative of how it will perform in a hunting situation. The rifle was sighted for 28 yards and i will test at 15 yards and 30 yards, and with the shelter of the woods i don't have to worry about wind effecting the results.

Resting the rifle, uncocked and unloaded, while i go of to check the target.

Using the large cardboard boxes that were left over from Christmas presents as targets i took Scatterbone down to the woods and paced out 15 yards, 

Handy large cardboard box left over from Christmas, inside is foam packing and a piece of ply wood, after a few tests i can stick targets to it with the Gaffer tape i always carry around with me. As i say," If counceling won't fix it, Gaffer tape will."

i shot from a sitting position with my back against a tree while holding the rifle lightly with my off hand supported on my left knee. Out of AA Diabolo's, Falcon Accuracy Plus, Eley Wasp's, and RWS Superdomes, i found the Superdomes to be the most accurate in the 5.6 mm barrel of the Mercury. 

RWS Superdomes in any caliber are the best all rounder in my opinion.

At 15 yards 6 shots came inside the size of a two pence piece with the Falcon's coming a close second, the Eley Wasp's were all over the place thinking i had lost my mojo but then the the Superdomes did it again.

I'm pretty happy with these results, cleaning the barrel and perfecting my hold will improve results no end.

I tried to test the Mercury out to 30 yards but it was pretty windy even in the shelter of the woods, with the wind push the pellets two inches over to the left. I managed to do some shots compensating for the wind and managed to get on target, but as it was i was well chuffed with the results of the 15 yard shots. Having put just over half a tin of pellets through the Mercury since i last tinkered with it i have found the best hold for me, being happy with that i reckon i should just put an other couple of tins through it till it beds in and the velocity rises and settles down. I really would like to keep this air rifle as the surge and recoil are quite mild and as a .22 it carries a lot of knock down power down the range, and above all it looks bloody sexy for an air rifle.

TTFN

Wing Commander Sir Nigel Tetlington-Smythe.   

.22 Air Arms s410 Carbine Review

There is a part two on this air rifle written after using it for a year, you can find it HERE

  My latest joy!

I'm in air gun heaven.

It took a while but I finally got my .22 S410, paid off in installments over the last three months. I have to thank Allsports of Gloucester as well as my wifey for  this as it was a Christmas and birthday present combined, and Allsports were very happy to hold the rifle for me until it was paid off, just like they did with my AA Shamal last year.

Allsports of Gloucester.

It cost £550 secondhand with a 3-9x40 Bushnell Trophy scope and Air Arms moderator. As expected for it's age it is not anti tamper which is always a bonus. Being a carbine it is very short even with the moderator fitted.

Sits nicely  when kneeling.

Just the right size.

The stock being made of beech makes it very light compared to the Shamal and easy to handle. It weighs 6.27 lbs without a scope and moderator, is 41 inches long with the moderator and 36 inches without. In .22 it is capable of up to 70 shots from a full 200 bar fill, although I find it best to give it a 175 bar fill and get 50 shots, just how many shots do you need when out hunting anyway?!

Sits nicely to the shoulder

Typical of all Air Arms, the blueing is very deep and well polished, and the aluminium is adonised to the darkest black. For a secondhand rifle it is in near mint condition, and that is what you will find if you get an air rifle from Allsports.

Looks new, near as dammit.

The magazine holds ten pellets and cycles easily if you cock the bolt firmly, 

Cocking bolt curves upwards making it more comfortable to cock.

being solidly built it can take this and I found if I cycle it lightly, it doesn't rotate the next pellet every time.

Magazine loaded and fitted, it does help to have a seating tool for loading the pellets though.

Pull the cocking handle back to remove the magazine.

Though the moderator may seem long in comparison to the rest of the rifle it is whisper quiet when fired, and still would be ideal for use in a hide or from a motor. In fact I had trouble telling the difference in volume when firing a pellet and firing it with no air in it, all you can hear is the hammer striking.

Unbelievably quiet moderator, to be this quiet it has to be this long.

Below the moderator is the fill valve which is a clip on type with a solid aluminium screw on cap to protect it, as a carbine it is good for 40 to 50 spot on shots.

Brass filling port and protective end cap.

There is an on-board pressure guage to tell you how much air is left, though I generally prefer the guage on the pump for a more accurate reading.

Built in pressure guage, it's all new to me.

The stock has checkering on the pistol grip and the forestock, but I like to support the rifle with my finger tips as this let the rifle move up and down with my breathing.

Chequering on the pistol grip

Chequering on the forearm.

The monte carlo cheekpiece is ideal for hunting and HFT shooting, though I have to admit it's not as good as the one on the Shamal, but all the same it is very comfortable.

I just love the styling of the comb!

At the rear of the rifle the rubber butt pad is very comfortable, and even though it's not adjustable it fits perfectly.

comfy ventilated butt pad.

Standing, kneeling or prone at any anglem, the butt sits comfortably against my shoulder, giving me a perfect picture through the scope.

Don't worry, it wasn't loaded!

The trigger is very light and although there is no safety there is no chance of a premature shot. It's two stage with several points of adjustment and though i've not looked into it as yet it is perfect as it is. It's not too thin and is set back which I find really helpful when taking a shot, it's different to the trigger on the Shamal which is also a pleasure to use.

excellent trigger, nice and light.

With a fill of 175 bar, the rifle is set at the start of it's sweet spot and is good for at least 50 shots before it starts to drop of it's POI, though in a hunting situation I wouldn't need more than 20 shots at the most.

While looking over the Bushnell scope I found the serial number for my rifle, it's printed on the tube where the hammer hits the valve below the magazine index assembly.

serial number should tell me it's age when I can be arsed to look into it.

The 3-9x40 Bushnell Trophy scope is a splendid upmarket scope; though there is no adjustable objective or illuminated recticle, the quality of the lenses is superb. 

The mag ring on the left is very smooth

The view is crystal clear with amazing constrast and still holds a picture in near dark conditions, it certainly puts my Nikko Sterling to shame even though they are pretty impressive as scopes go.The caps for the cross hair adjustment are set very low, which is something I really like the look of and has a very fine mil dot rectical.

Nice low turrets.

Also being short sighted and having to wear glasses, something I find with a lot of cheaper scopes is that I have to slip my glasses up my forehead to get a focused sight picture , but with the Trophy I simply have to wind out a ring on the eye piece to get a focused picture with my glasses on or off.

I took the S410 down the woods to see how it compared to the Shamal which is unbelievably accurate.

The AA Shamal is unbelievably accurate and feels almost twice the weight

 At 30 yards the scope was out by 4 inches to the left and 6 inches down, but after several sighting shots the rifle was shooting true to 12 and 30 yard. All shots were taken sitting with my back to a tree, supporting the rifle with my off hand resting on my knee. I had to crane my neck to get a good sight picture without parralax as the scope is set up for your more traditional shooting positions.

In the woods and ready to go with a bag full of different pellets.

I sighted in with Air Arms Diabolo Express as they tend to be brilliant in PCP's, but I might give Falcon Accuracy Plus a go as they are lighter and I have been spoiling myself with .177 lately. They will give a flatter trajectory and certainly proved their worth in the Sharp Innova, but AA diabolo's with their 16gr of knockdown power will do for now without a doubt!

These first shots left me with a smile on my face, now to concentrate on a good 10 shot grouping.

.

At 30 yards, out of the 10 pellets in the magazine, 4 were used to fine tune and the final 6 made a decent ragged hole, though when the breeze started you could see the difference.

Just trying to compensate for the wind as i haven't used .22 for a while.

But when I waited patiently for the wind to still I managed to get a pretty decent group from 28 yards, again resting my back to a tree and supporting the rifle with my hand on my knee.

Actually 9 shots in the ragged hole as the bottom one was a flier.

All in all I must have put about 7 magazines worth of pellets through the rifle which left me with under 100 bar reading on the guage from 175 bar from the pump guage. This is the start of the sweet spot for this carbine and in hindsight I should have only put 5 magazines worth of pellets through in this session, because unwittingly I left the rifle with too little air pressure in it, and by the time I got around to pumping it back up again two hours later, all the remaining air had leaked leaving it empty. I won't be making that mistake again, that's for sure!

Just one more picture as it's so nice.

I'm not sure if I should fit sling studs to it as it is light enough to carry all day, but I do want to get some flip up covers for the scope as Allsports has a whole load of them at £5 each at the moment. Also i'd like to fit a bipod and lamp, as I don't think the extra weight will make any noticeable difference to this well balanced excellent piece of British engineering. 

TTFN

Wing Commander Sir Nigel Tetlington-Smythe.