Couple updates after I got my Empire X (bottle) in .22.
- shroud: can be telescoped out. Mine came with conical baffles (from Balistas in the Czech Republic). However the shroud does not have enough diameter for any real silencing effect in higher power. I took it off and screwed a donny type silencer onto the standard barrel thread.
- tuning: i opened up the ports (valve exit, breech, barrel) to 4.5mm but left the 2mm valve inlet alone. Experimented with HST (couple shims etc) until it achieved 270m/sec with the JSB Jumbos. Flat shot string, around 50. Very tight groups at 65m. Also shoots the KO slugs very well at that distance.
- reg: i had thought of putting an external reg onto the bottle to turn the cylinder into a giant plenum. Either a cheap paintball type reg or a resettable bottle reg from Lane or Altaros would do. This external reg is very easy to install and re-set. As it moves the bottle forward, I got a shorter 250cc bottle as well. All very easy to do. The alternative would have been to install an internal reg right before the valve, Lane carries one. Internal regs are harder to re-set. In all cases, I would have had to open up the valve inlet port to 4.5mm. But I decided to stick to unregulated because the power, consistency and accuracy are so good. No need for a reg, like most Kral pcp's.
- Cocking action / linkage: high quality, smooth. When dismantling, leave a few turns from full tightness, otherwise the cocking bolt is pulled too far forward and interferes with the magazine.
- trigger: the usual resettable two-stage Kral trigger. Good linkage.
- wood: superb, light, well balanced. Needs a few coats of linseed or walnut oil to shine.
Well built, compact and accurate gun with a great shotcount. Hard to beat.
