I have been reading some of the posts about the 34/ 350 and 460, now I know that the 350 will do 22/23ft/lb but did you know that a 34-45 can be tuned to 20 ft/lb and still be very shootable and if you tune it yourself not very expensive.
A 38 with a 15.5 barrel tuned to this power is nice looking, light, and not clumsy and powerful enough for a spring gun like someone said in a previous post if you want very high power its PCP but I think we all like spring guns
hear.
I think that a lot of you will disagree about the 20 ft/lb but I can prove it. Lee.
I agree with the carbine models as far as handling and balance goes. I have them as short as 12 inches. But going from 13-14 up to 20. I cannot imagin.
Tom
Please tell us more. I don't understand why the shortened barrel though. I like the long barrel of my 34. I am not the type that could tune my own gun, and would not want to take a chance of not doing the right thing. Do you do tunes? I think we all would love to see some pics of your guns in that is not to much trouble. Thanks
The barrel bit is only for the appearance and being compact with the nice stock on a 38.
Now in the uk when the 34s first came out a few top tuners took them up to 20ft/lb now each gun will be a bit diffrent but you could try this, first you need the right spring,a F1 might be the best or a SFS spring, or even a John Knibbs spring, then you need to weight the piston and keep as many coils as you can about 32 you can do this by using a heavy piston sleave, you can still get a old type 45 one from Chanbers I think, its best to have a steel spring guide and you have to sort out the piston seal you could try a p.t.f.e one, a bit more straight forward tuning and that might do it on your gun.
I have seen hear that someone called Mulbry I think was getting 17ft/lb from a untuned 38, but you could email Sandwell field sports they might confirm about the tunes they used to do on the 34 but I don,t know how thay done there tunes.
Threr is a cheaper powerful tune but the one above is smooth and quite.
any comments Lee
The tune that I am suggesting is nice to shoot smooth and no twang.
The tuner
at sfs told me that they had one of these 34 come back for a service after a year and it was still doing 20ft/lb and still ok but as I said I don,t know how they do there tune just it can be done.
I think that T R Robb fetchers a 34 .177 in one of his videos at this sort of power he also told that he could get high power from these guns.
I was just wondering how one of these 34s would compare to a 350 with accracy and recoil. I know that the 350 will do a few more ft/lbs but look at the size of it 115mm to 85mm stroke would the firing cycle make a diffrence to the shoot ability of them? I have never shot a 350 but would like to have one to play with.
Could anyone tell me how many coils they have on there springs and is the piston sleave steel or plastic and is the cocking arm the same type as the 34. Thanks LEE
I don't know the internals of my 350, but I have read at least 2 people's posts in other forums that with a only a lube (thorough) tune, their 350 became a 24.5-25FPE with 14.3+gr pellets (Crossman Premiers and Beeman FTS). It was also reported that they were a little smoother and that with a good trigger the 350 becomes even more accurate and easier to shoot.
The main problem I have with the 350 is that's it's too heavy to hold and shoot without leaning on something or having some support. It's too front heavy, not too well balanced in my opinion. I don't have much trouble getting good groups though when I rest my hand (the forearm of the gun) on something. With a scope I have dropped a squirell in its tracks more than 40yds out and have shattered several groundhog skulls up to 35yds. I have actually not missed anything I have aimed at so far and that includes starlings and a dove. Only 1 time I made a quartering shot on a groundhog at 42yds and he was able to run down his burrow where he expired later. I got 2 starlings and a dove with open sights. The dove was about 23yds out. However I don't think I could have gotten some of these if I were not using the window sill as support and sometimes a dresser near one of the windows. I use a small decorative pillow that I place under my hand that holds the forearm of the 350, and it works out great. I would not take this gun to the field unless I took a bipod with me.
There are several springer tuners out there that have tuned plenty of 34's using a Macarri kit (spring, guides & lubes) with deburing, and doing a thorough lube tune, etc. I have read that the 34 becomes much smoother and can gain 50fps, sometimes a little more, but I don't know about 20ft-lbs.. It would have to get an extra 150-175fps to become a 20 FPE gun. Even if you can get 700fps (from 610-620) with a CP 14.3gr .22 cal. say, that's still 15.5FPE. Maybe you can get more out of a tune on a .177 34, but it would still require a TON of modifications and probably a new piston & seals, and even then.. I can see maybe 17ft-lbs like someone wrote. I would not attempt to get more out of it. Something has to give.. If I had a 34 I 'd get it tuned for sure. The Macarri kit is out there, but not for the 350..
Even Diana say that the 34 is designed to operate at over 18 ft/lbs not using fps con, email them if you don,t believe me
Macarri kits are for smooth performance not power he says that on his web page.
I have been interested in spring guns for years and I think two of the best designs are 34-350mods and the R1/HW80 and are at there very best at 20ft/lb although the 34 is cranked up but if tuned right still ok.
What do you make of these swept volume figures?
name bore stroke swept volume
Gamo hunter 25mm 100mm 49.1
Diana 34 28mm 85mm 52.3
Tomahawk 27mm 100mm 57.2
HW80/R1 30mm 83mm 58.6
Diana 52 28mm 100mm 61.5
Diana 350 28mm 115mm 70.8
Gamo 1250 29mm 118mm 77.9
Patriot 31mm 112mm 84.5
Although the patriot will do up to 30ft/lbs most indpendent
airgunners think they are useless it seem it is a must to get the bore/stroke combination right and I think that Diana and Weihrauch seem the best, anyone agree?
Lee.
Harry, have you thought about a gun pod. I love mine. I bought a cheap o at Walmart and it will balance my heavy 460. very nicely in the standing position and the sitting position. You still use the artillery hold but the stick just supports the weight. I had to use tape to keep it from sliding down do the weight of the gun and the cheapness of the stick. I was in Dick's Sporting Goods today, and they have a really nice stick but it cost $60.00. My $10.00 stick with the tape does just as well. I also now use in with my 34. as it really gives a nice smooth hold.
