So I'm kicking around the idea of building up a Discovery a bit, and was wondering...in the bbl. dept, how much more accuracy could I expect out of a riser breech, and a LW bbl. as opposed to simply re-crowning a factory bbl. and adding an extra band? Obviously, I want the most accuracy I can get out of a gun, but if we're talking a relatively marginal differences here, I might be better off saving my hard earned $250 or so.

Unfortunately, I'm kinda stuck away from my guns and just benchracing the ideas for another month or so, until I get home from work, but I do enjoy thinking about these things...it helps getcha through the hard days, ya' know?

Anyhoo, you thoughts, opinions, and suggestions would be most appreciated!

I have a .22 disco from mac 1 which has the recrowned barrel and polished lead in. I am quite impressed with it's accuracy. Most 30 yard shot groups are under 3/8" and at fifty, I can keep them under 1" if I do my job. There is definately more accuracy to be had, but it depends on your intended use. I feel comfortable hunting crows and squirrels at ranges up to 80 yards with mine.
here's a typical 30 yard group, there is more accuracy shooting in my other vids.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PrAX36w3be8

..but also a bunch of Crosman 24" 2260 barrels, which are the same thing as far as I can tell. I'm not real thrilled with free floating those thin 24" barrels from the Discovery platform, they can shoot well that way, but don't seem to want to shoot to the same point of aim then next day.

Tuned up and recrowned, have found most of them to be able to stay inside of 1/3" at 20yards, 1" at 50 (four 5-shot groups). Very good barrels with well liked pellets might do a little better at short range.

Of the LW and HW barrels used, best accuracy with theuir best pellets are a bit better... but more important, those LW barrels seem to like wider variety of pellets while the stock Crosman barrels usually only shoot a few pellets well.

I have not measured my groups at any distance....not like I need to! Awesome gun!

re-crown your Discovery barrel first...then decide...My MAC 1 Discovery .22 shoots 1/2" groups at 50 yards...I did not change or add a barrel band...and left the Discovery muzzle brake as is...

http://www.spiralsol.com/airgunmod/1001.htm

Here is 5 shots at 50 yards...bull is 1 3/8" dia...(NRA A36 target)

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3 shot group @ 30 yards from a stock, not blessed by anyone Disco .177.



3 shot group @ 30 yards from a Mike T tuned .22.



I think I will invest more money in pellets. LOL

Every rifle will produce an occasion Oh- my- God group, but thats no more an indication of the rifles true accuracy that the occasional pure-crap group that the same rifle will occasionally toss.

Here is the freak Oh-my-God group (5 shots at 20yards):
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But somewhere in the average of many targets, will find the true potential of a barrel/pellet/shooter combination.

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This actually isn't bad, its a bit better than the average 24' Crosman barrel seems to want to do. The occasional 1/10th to 1/8 group mixed in with the occasional 1/2 - 5/8 group. Call it 1/4 to 1/3" for most pellets it likes.

The main trick with Crosman barrels seems to be to keep trying pellets. Can see from the above, even some pellets that everyone knows shoot great obviously don't in this barrel.

So once you find a combination that works, sight in and go hunting. In this rifle's case, tend to sight in about 1/2" high at 20 yards (the favored target would have you aim at the center bull with the groups forming in the rectangle... it just doesn't pay to blow your aiming point to hell with pellet holes.)
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With this rifle, with a 17 5-shot group average of .26" @ 20yards withy it's favorite pellet, am not going to rebarrel.

Common sense usually indicates that a person should shoot the hell outta the gun first, and then do the next cheapest thing, which is to re-crown and maybe add an extra bbl. band, etc.

My odd exception is that my (or my son's Disco) is .177, and I'm looking at converting to .22 anyways.

I thought I had a brainiac idea earlier...I was gonna try to get a Katana bbl. to put on it. By all appearances it looks a bit thicker, and it's choked. If I could get one of those, I could save money AND get a pretty snazzy bbl. But....Alas, the lady at Crosman would not sell me one. I might try again another day, she...didn't seem very nice in any way, shape or form....

Oh well, I still have a month at work until I can even lay my paws upon it, so..lots of time to figure things out I guess...

I sure appreciate y'all's thoughts!

of fitting the LW)I think I'd try tuning up a few crosman barrels before spending half the cost of the Disco on a premium barrel.
It's not tough to cast a lap in a .22 barel(.177 is a PITA)so you can learn a lot, cheap, if you are willing to put the time in. Somewhere there's the barrel lapping tutorial I wrote a couple years back...which includes how to make a ball bearing hand piece for your lapping rod, from a bicycle hub.