Airforce .177 Condor Slugger *FAIL*

Rob, J&b is your friend. Use the red first and give the choke area a really good work out. Clean really well and hit with blue. Repeat choke area. You should pick up 30-50 fps and groups should tighten up. A lite lube on slugs will help. I use synthetic shock oil.

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I'd tried JB bore paste back in the day and have some around.... I had put a WTB ad and a few folks have responded so I should have some to try out, but failing the others, I will give this a go, thanks!
 
Yes ... don't give up just yet.

Q ... is that a Choked or Unchoked barrel ? 12G or a Poly ?

The 12g LW .177 I'm using with Slugs is Un-choked and it shoots 15G NSA and JSB 16 beasts within 10 fps of each other and both are quite accurate, Tho would say the JSB "Pellet" a tad more so ;)
* 1025 fps with NSA and 1015 fps with the JSB Beasts
Will keep testing, but yes sir... this is the 24 inch choked barrel. I knew it was a long shot, but more testing to be done... and I didnt realize that JSB makes a heavier pellet than the 13.4gr so will try those as well!
 
Have any of you guys tried eliminating the choke? Usually only have to shorten the barrel by a half inch or so. I believe Air Force uses Lothar Walther barrels.
Might make all the difference and maybe back the power off some! Slugs are such a rabbit hole when it comes to tuning.
I think I read a post somewhere where someone had cut their barrel w little success

I agree that it'll probably a matter of a whole lotta trial, error & luck....if it works
 
I was able to get a .20 Condor to like NSA slugs, primarily by loosening the choke with some Clover lapping compound and a one piece rod. But a light touching up of the crown sure didn't hurt either.


Even with the barrel in peak slug status (to the best of my abilities) the slugs started out and of course continued to fit loose in the "leade." They shot well anyway, just had to make sure to keep the gun level between loading and firing, lol.

Lots of general use airguns that I've had come through seem to have these same barrel specs of a really tight choke in a 12 land and groove Lothar barrel. I've found in a couple small bore barrels now that slugs and chokes arent completely incompatible, but agree with each other much more if the choke isn't crazy tight.

Another part of the recipe I've found for small bore slug success is lubing them up with Gunzilla, pretty liberally.
 
I was able to get a .20 Condor to like NSA slugs, primarily by loosening the choke with some Clover lapping compound and a one piece rod. But a light touching up of the crown sure didn't hurt either.


Even with the barrel in peak slug status (to the best of my abilities) the slugs started out and of course continued to fit loose in the "leade." They shot well anyway, just had to make sure to keep the gun level between loading and firing, lol.

Lots of general use airguns that I've had come through seem to have these same barrel specs of a really tight choke in a 12 land and groove Lothar barrel. I've found in a couple small bore barrels now that slugs and chokes arent completely incompatible, but agree with each other much more if the choke isn't crazy tight.

Another part of the recipe I've found for small bore slug success is lubing them up with Gunzilla, pretty liberally.
Really nice shooting in those clips. Makes me want to mess with my DS35 more. I put mine on a .30 Maverick and havent done much with it. Couple folks had mentioned lapping the choke. Guess I can use that as a last resort. Many of those dogs will attest that it's certainly worked for you!
 
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Really nice shooting in those clips. Makes me want to mess with my DS35 more. I put mine on a .30 Maverick and havent done much with it. Couple folks had mentioned lapping the choke. Guess I can use that as a last resort. Many of those dogs will attest that it's certainly worked for you!

Thanks.
Was sharing to encourage you to try to get your .177 barrel to like slugs. It may have come out of the box not living slugs, but that doesn't mean it can't be coaxed into shooting them well.

I focused my lapping compound on the really tight choke, but also spent some time focusing on the tight spot right where the barrel diameter goes to the full 16mm. I imagine yours has the same two constrictions.
 
Thanks.
Was sharing to encourage you to try to get your .177 barrel to like slugs. It may have come out of the box not living slugs, but that doesn't mean it can't be coaxed into shooting them well.

I focused my lapping compound on the really tight choke, but also spent some time focusing on the tight spot right where the barrel diameter goes to the full 16mm. I imagine yours has the same two constrictions.
Definitely was encouraging, thanks... and seeing the results was a bonus. As per Motorheads recommendation, I'll get a .17HMR rod so I can feel where the restrictions are better. I still have some others to test and if they do well, I've found what I need, but barring that, I'll give this a go
 
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Update:
Thanks to a generous forum member who sent some slugs to try out, I have some additional data, though still inconclusive

50 yards, no wind. Didnt chrony each of these, but settings unchanged since last outing.
Each group is 5 shot

JSB Knockout MK1 13.47gr .8 CTC
H&N 16gr 1.5 CTC
H&N 20gr 1.6 CTC
JSB Beast 16.2 (pellet) .9 CTC

So the Knockouts gave me some hope and tried another group... had an odd 'pfffff' immediately followed by a 'BANG' on one shot.
A couple shots later started to tank dump, quickly opened the bolt to find the slug had fallen out and was stuck. Lost about 1kPSI. Refilled and my remainder slugs didnt do so great (I only had two left). I assume the first shot needed to reseat the tophat proper.

So, it looks like I'll give the Knockouts a proper try, but I need to make a .177 pellet seater that will allow me to seat to a uniform depth and of course one that will allow for the short amount of space on the Condor. Easy enough.

While I wait on those to come in, I will retune the Condor with an O ring behind the tophat.
There is still the question of velocity. I initially had the NSA's running around the 980 mark. Maybe they like more or less or maybe the JSB Knockouts do. More testing. What appears apparent is that the choke seemed to less effect the Knockouts. Perhaps because they appear to have about a 1mm 'skirt' at the rear? In any case, more to do!
 
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