Airgun Technologies Applying Heat Shrink Tubing to Outside of Barrel?

Jump to latest Follow Reply
Urban2212

Urban2212

Member
Feb 21, 2025
46
20
Oceanside, California, United States
I have been thinking about noise reduction the noise from a Bara 250z I have ordered but not yet received. I realize I am getting aheadn of myself but it's fun to think about.
Since the barrel is inside the air cylinder which.they claim "acts like a shroud" it doesn''t its the air.cylinder holding compressed air and therefore cannot redirect or disperse any air coming from the muzzle. I purchased a moderator for that.

But, as I was reading about the topic many people will mention that the loudest sound they hear is the sound of the hammer strike and the valve poppit. So, I started thinking since both the hammer and the valve occur at the breech of the barrel, does the barrel applify those sounds being that it is a metal tube. If so, since I cannot shroud the barrel of the 250z on the inside, I could line it. Then, I started thinking about what would be the ideal outside barrel liner.

I concluded, as delusional as it may sound, that a 3:1 heat shrink tube might do the best job. I would start with a 2.5" diameter rubber tube, apply heat until it shrinks and adhears to the barrel (it has adhesive too).
I am estimating approximately .75 inches outside barrel diameter.

Has anyone thought of doing this or have any ideas about how effective it would be in reducing the sound from the internal mechanisms of an air rifle? Don't hold back I can take it.
 
I've "sorta"...done it.
More to hide a weld, but yeah, I placed heat shrink tube over the shroud, but not the barrel. No change in sound.

Since sound is a..."vibration" in the air...yes it should make a difference (shrink tube on the barrel). BUT...would it be an audible to the ear difference ?

Try it and see... You can always remove it if you don't like it. And the shrink tube is cheap.

Mike
 
  • Like
Reactions: Urban2212
Upvote 0
I've used shrink tube on a air stripper and it worked well to silence the loud bark of a Walther 1250 Dominator PCP, but the Air stripper had vent holes, not solid like a barrel, I don't think shrink tube will do any sound moderation directly on a Barrel, it might make the barrel inaccurate due to warpage from uneven shrinkage of the tubing depending on the thickness of the barrel, just my analysis....
 
  • Like
Reactions: beerthief and Urban2212
Upvote 0
sound is not likely coming from the solid areas of the barrel, all the sound would be coming from the open ends of the barrel and the mechanical parts in the mechanism of the hammer and Poppet valve, not much you can do about the hammer and Poppet, the Barrel can be moderated, some time you might get a Pinging from the air tube that can be taken care of with a De-pinger....
 
  • Like
Reactions: WoodWelder and Urban2212
Upvote 0
KatoKevin454 said:
sound is not likely coming from the solid areas of the barrel, all the sound would be coming from the open ends of the barrel and the mechanical parts in the mechanism of the hammer and Poppet valve, not much you can do about the hammer and Poppet, the Barrel can be moderated, some time you might get a Pinging from the air tube that can be taken care of with a De-pinger....
Click to expand...
I need to research depinger, thanks.
 
Upvote 0
Gerry52 said:
What's the clearance between barrel o.d. & air supply i.d.? Is there room for what you're thinking? Also, will it change barrel harmonics in a good or bad way? Just some things to ponder. Edit: just noticed your note about .75 clearance. Keep us posted.
Click to expand...
In the case of the 250z the air cylinder spec is holding 322cc with the barrel inside. The airtank is 1.6" diameter. So, the only space I would be taking away is whatever the volume of the heat shrink.skin after it has been shrunk.. So, it isn't as if I am losing the volume of the barrel from the air tank, only the thin layer of heat shrunk rubber.
 
Upvote 0
Several people who mentioned concerns regarding changing or warping the barrel harmonics..keep in mind, we are talking, in this case of the 250z, a batrel inside the air tube which will have between let's say 1600 psi to 3600 psi surrounding the barrel. I would imagine that the steel barrel underneath the thin rubber layer and the super high preassure air outside the thin rubber layer would make this modification insigificant compared to the other forces on the barrel harmonics.
 
Upvote 0
Urban2212 said:
Several people who mentioned concerns regarding changing or warping the barrel harmonics..keep in mind, we are talking, in this case of the 250z, a batrel inside the air tube which will have between let's say 1600 psi to 3600 psi surrounding the barrel. I would imagine that the steel barrel underneath the thin rubber layer and the super high preassure air outside the thin rubber layer would make this modification insigificant compared to the other forces on the barrel harmonics.
Click to expand...
it doesn't take much to warp a barrel, you would think it's straight and strong, but just a barrel touching something can cause accuracy issues, that's what happened with the Benjamin Marauder, if the barrel touched the barrel ring, it would throw off the accuracy, if you are determined to use shrink tubing use it in short lengths in intervals, this would at least allow the barrel to maintain straightness.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Urban2212
Upvote 0
??? is the barrel actually inside the air tube ? i mean is the air pressure actually touching the outside of the barrel ?I thought the air tube is a tube outside of the barrel ?
Meaning the barrel is actually part of the air tube and sealed at both ends , breach and muzzle ?
Obviously i know nothing of this model gun . as it does not interest me to own one .
I assumed the air tube was an outer tube with an inner tube and the barrel slides through the inside tube , not part of the air tube .
 
Upvote 0
beerthief said:
??? is the barrel actually inside the air tube ? i mean is the air pressure actually touching the outside of the barrel ?I thought the air tube is a tube outside of the barrel ?
Meaning the barrel is actually part of the air tube and sealed at both ends , breach and muzzle ?
Obviously i know nothing of this model gun . as it does not interest me to own one .
I assumed the air tube was an outer tube with an inner tube and the barrel slides through the inside tube , not part of the air tube .
Click to expand...
The barrel sits inside the center of the air tube and screws directly into the block and there is no second tube that insulates the barrel from the high pressure air.. The Air Tube goes over the barrel and also screw into the block. and around the barrel. There is a connecting piece I will call a connecting adapter that the breech end of the barrel that the barrel screws in the center of, and it has outside threads that the air tube screws over the top and is supported by 3 o-rings on the outside of the adapter to keep the barrel centered in the air tube, and 2 o-rings on the inside of the connecting adapter in which the outside of the barrel threads into the inside center of the connecting adapter. The result is a very firm stable centered barrel sitting directly in the center of the air tube.
 
  • Like
Reactions: beerthief
Upvote 0
Urban2212 said:
The barrel sits inside the center of the air tube and screws directly into the block and there is no second tube that insulates the barrel from the high pressure air.. The Air Tube goes over the barrel and also screw into the block. and around the barrel. There is a connecting piece I will call a connecting adapter that the breech end of the barrel that the barrel screws in the center of, and it has outside threads that the air tube screws over the top and is supported by 3 o-rings on the outside of the adapter to keep the barrel centered in the air tube, and 2 o-rings on the inside of the connecting adapter in which the outside of the barrel threads into the inside center of the connecting adapter. The result is a very firm stable centered barrel sitting directly in the center of the air tube.
Click to expand...
Thankyou for the details
 
Upvote 0
Adding shrink tube didn't do a thing for sound in my case.
What it did do (and the reason I did it in the first place) on the air tank, it now no longer slips around in the yoke of my shooting sticks.
Wherever you place the sticks, they stick like glue !
Mac 1 - Pic 2 - Mar 11 2025.jpg
 
  • Like
Reactions: Strelac, beerthief and Urban2212
Upvote 0
I have done that to my .457 AEA Challenger Bullpup. Not that it makes a damn bit of difference in sound moderation tho. With my rifle, it is still ungodly loud ( a little quieter with a mod tho), and I have the EXTREMELY annoying "Ping" eminating from the air tube when shot.
I put the heat shrink tubing on my barrel purely for cosmetic reasons.
 
Upvote 0
Arkansas_Airgunner said:
I have done that to my .457 AEA Challenger Bullpup. Not that it makes a damn bit of difference in sound moderation tho. With my rifle, it is still ungodly loud ( a little quieter with a mod tho), and I have the EXTREMELY annoying "Ping" eminating from the air tube when shot.
I put the heat shrink tubing on my barrel purely for cosmetic reasons.
Click to expand...
install a de-pinger
 
  • Like
Reactions: Urban2212
Upvote 0
KatoKevin454 said:
it doesn't take much to warp a barrel, you would think it's straight and strong, but just a barrel touching something can cause accuracy issues, that's what happened with the Benjamin Marauder, if the barrel touched the barrel ring, it would throw off the accuracy, if you are determined to use shrink tubing use it in short lengths in intervals, this would at least allow the barrel to maintain straightness.
Click to expand...
Excellent suggestion. I think I am leaning toward a DePinger, and/or Hammer Debouncer (SSG).
 
Upvote 0
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top Bottom
Back
Home
Forums
Resources
Menu