JTS Anyone having a moderator clipping problem on Airacuda Max .30 ?

[Sky King]

Anyone having a moderator clipping problem on Airacuda Max .30 ?

3 Dec 2023 UPDATE. I received another Max in 30 caliber from Pyramyd Air a few days ago. This replaced my previous three Max, one in each caliber that were clipping moderators due to a manufacturing defect in the air gun not the moderator. This defect has been extensively reported and commented on through most of the appropriate forms. So it's likely my new Max in 30 caliber was from a batch wherein the defect has been corrected. That means that I shot my Airacuda Max in 30 caliber with the Ronan 35 caliber moderator and it did not clip and it shot very accurately and substantially reduced the report.

 

[Firewalker]

Back to the OP:

I found 0.006" runout on the shroud end that the threaded adapter screws into.

I turned it around (threaded on both ends) and it only had 0.002" runout.

I chucked it up on my lathe and just touched the shroud end to square it up and reach 0.000" of runout.

I then attached the adapter and had that 0.006" wobble again but the face of the adapter was square!

The issue lies within the combination of bent barrels (they all are bent, even top shelf barrels), improperly squared shrouds, poor threading and no alignment QA.

 

[Shaky2]

Also to help with the mag pinch, did you loosen your scope mount before adjusting the stock bolt? If not, you need to do that to get it right, and then retighten the mounts and rings. It's not a perfect system but works once you get right.

I forgot about doing that. I'll try it.....thanks

 

[Shaky2]

I've been playing around with my Max this morning. I tried the suppressor that came off my Notos cause if it got ruined it wouldn't matter. It shot about 5 inches high and two inches right so I guess mine has the same issues everyone else has. I took it off and could see where the pellets were clipping the inside of it. I have some ideas to try later that probably won't work but who knows.

 

[Firewalker]

I've been playing around with my Max this morning. I tried the suppressor that came off my Notos cause if it got ruined it wouldn't matter. It shot about 5 inches high and two inches right so I guess mine has the same issues everyone else has. I took it off and could see where the pellets were clipping the inside of it. I have some ideas to try later that probably won't work but who knows.

If you have a solid carbon fiber/fiberglass cleaning rod and are comfortable running it down a .22 barrel from the crown end, you can get a spot-on visualization of the clipping issue from the rods protrusion location.

 

[Shaky2]

Good Idea...I have some of those but not sure if I have one big enough.

 

[WorriedMan]

My MAX shroud is like Firewalkers, one end bad runout, other, not as bad. Pellets are so close to clipping the OEM baffle/stack, that, for some undetermined reason clipping starts and stops. Temperature/humidity, reservoir air pressure, reg creep, or something else, just can't figure. The one-piece aluminum DonnyFL adapter, with a larger projectile opening, replaces the 5-piece baffle/stripper stack, and I suspect, could be an answer to clipping inside of shroud. Problem is MAX is very loud with DonnyFL adapter, moderator is required, which usually suffer internal damage, even a caliber larger. Picture is a .30 Silent Thunder Ordinance PUGIO moderator. The exploded view shows my modification. The odd-shaped plastic piece has been drilled out by 3/8 drill bit, the plastic ring is used to hold it in place, the part shown out of line (above) usually fits inside plastic ring, but no longer used. Preliminary testing shows promise, sound reduction, no moderator clipping. WM

 

[WorriedMan]

Should note after drilling out plastic piece and re-installing, testing showed initial accuracy fell off, low and to the right, after a few shots. Dismantling moderator revealed plastic piece had moved from one end to the other, plastic ring was then installed, minus insert, to keep plastic piece in place. WM

 

[WorriedMan]

Today's testing revealed one-hole accuracy @ 50 yards with DonnyFL adapter, no moderator, loud as a .22 powder burner. Any form of moderator installed caused loss of accuracy, even empty shell without exit end cap. Don't feel moderator clipping is problem, more like air flow disruption at muzzle. WM

 

[Shaky2]

Today's testing revealed one-hole accuracy @ 50 yards with DonnyFL adapter, no moderator, loud as a .22 powder burner. Any form of moderator installed caused loss of accuracy, even empty shell without exit end cap. Don't feel moderator clipping is problem, more like air flow disruption at muzzle. WM

I have been trying to get mine to shoot accurate with a moderator on and I agree with you that its not so much clipping that's causing the accuracy problems. I took a moderator and drilled the hole in it plenty big for the pellet to not touch it when shot. I shined a light in the breech and looked down the muzzle and am sure the pellet had plenty of room. I found a carbon fiber rod that was a little small but all I had and shoved it in the barrel from the muzzle to help check for alignment. Without the mod on its accurate and consistently hits a 1/2 inch dot on a paper plate at 30yds. Put the mod on and I can't even hit the paper plate. So right now I'm thinking something else is going on when a moderator is put on. If I get a chance today I'm going to take the guts out of the mod and see what that does

 

[BBGunn]

I have been trying to get mine to shoot accurate with a moderator on and I agree with you that its not so much clipping that's causing the accuracy problems. I took a moderator and drilled the hole in it plenty big for the pellet to not touch it when shot. I shined a light in the breech and looked down the muzzle and am sure the pellet had plenty of room. I found a carbon fiber rod that was a little small but all I had and shoved it in the barrel from the muzzle to help check for alignment. Without the mod on its accurate and consistently hits a 1/2 inch dot on a paper plate at 30yds. Put the mod on and I can't even hit the paper plate. So right now I'm thinking something else is going on when a moderator is put on. If I get a chance today I'm going to take the guts out of the mod and see what that does

If your rifle goes from hitting a 1/2" spot on a paper plate at 30yds, to not even hitting the plate, it is for sure clipping in the suppressor!

I've been all through this same issue with my Airacuda Std. I could look inside the suppressor with a bore scope and see the damaged baffles from the pellet strikes!

Personally, I'll never buy another rifle from JTS and regret buying the one I have.

Hope you are able to get yours shooting the way you want it to. Good luck.

 

[Shaky2]

If your rifle goes from hitting a 1/2" spot on a paper plate at 30yds, to not even hitting the plate, it is for sure clipping in the suppressor!

I've been all through this same issue with my Airacuda Std. I could look inside the suppressor with a bore scope and see the damaged baffles from the pellet strikes!

Personally, I'll never buy another rifle from JTS and regret buying the one I have.

Hope you are able to get yours shooting the way you want it to. Good luck.

I just come in from working on it and here's the results with a suppressor installed. Its my usual 30yds shooting a paper plate with 1/2" peel and stick dots. The one circled is a 8 shot group and the rest is 5 shot groups. I had to drill the suppressor out to 7/16"

 

[BBGunn]

I was also able to fix my rifle's clipping issue to the point of getting consistent grouping. The point I was trying to make is that a person should not have to alter a new rifle as much as is needed with many Airacudas in order to get them to not clip. What's even worse is JTS will not stand behind these faulty rifles and correct them for the buyers.

My Airacuda is going on the consignment rack at the local gun shop and I'll have no worries about JTS products or lack of support.

If yours is fixed to your satisfaction then I hope you have many hours of enjoyment shooting it.

 

[Shaky2]

I was also able to fix my rifle's clipping issue to the point of getting consistent grouping. The point I was trying to make is that a person should not have to alter a new rifle as much as is needed with many Airacudas in order to get them to not clip. What's even worse is JTS will not stand behind these faulty rifles and correct them for the buyers.

My Airacuda is going on the consignment rack at the local gun shop and I'll have no worries about JTS products or lack of support.

If yours is fixed to your satisfaction then I hope you have many hours of enjoyment shooting it.

I agree with you they should be coming up with a fix for this and giving it to everyone that has purchased one. I am happy that its shooting this good now but I would not buy another or recommend anyone buy one.

 

[WorriedMan]

If your rifle goes from hitting a 1/2" spot on a paper plate at 30yds, to not even hitting the plate, it is for sure clipping in the suppressor!

I've been all through this same issue with my Airacuda Std. I could look inside the suppressor with a bore scope and see the damaged baffles from the pellet strikes!

Personally, I'll never buy another rifle from JTS and regret buying the one I have.

Hope you are able to get yours shooting the way you want it to. Good luck.

BB,
Agree, internal moderator clipping damage is visible, pellets go from one-hole accuracy @ 50 yds., with no moderator, to 24 inches right, 12 inches high, with moderator. There's something more to it, empty moderator shell, with, or without exit end cap, still causes shotgun patterning 4 inches high, 3 inches right, as compared to hole-in-hole accuracy, without moderator. Question remains which, if any, moderator brand will quiet gun without clipping or exit air disruption? Silent Thunder Ordinance has an experimental, very short (like lipstick case), the Brevitas II, for $26, .22 sold out but .30 still available, I've ordered one. WM

 

[WorriedMan]

I agree with you they should be coming up with a fix for this and giving it to everyone that has purchased one. I am happy that its shooting this good now but I would not buy another or recommend anyone buy one.

Fix is to issue new, non-warped shrouds so DonnyFL adapter won't be needed to center barrel with shroud end, thus allowing internal sound suppression from OEM baffle stack and not relying on accuracy compromising external moderator. They can issue new stocks, with proper support of action, while they're at it, however, not holding my breath. WM

 

[Shaky2]

I was also able to fix my rifle's clipping issue to the point of getting consistent grouping. The point I was trying to make is that a person should not have to alter a new rifle as much as is needed with many Airacudas in order to get them to not clip. What's even worse is JTS will not stand behind these faulty rifles and correct them for the buyers.

My Airacuda is going on the consignment rack at the local gun shop and I'll have no worries about JTS products or lack of support.

If yours is fixed to your satisfaction then I hope you have many hours of enjoyment shooting it.

How did you fix yours?

 

[WorriedMan]

How did you fix yours?

Shaky,
BBGunn has the Standard version, which I consider less problem plagued than the MAX. Perhaps this worked in his favor for solving the clipping issue. I've switched my shroud end to end so that the least runout end is at the muzzle, this, plus the DonnyFL adapter, makes my MAX shoot consistently accurate, as demonstrated again today. Tried two different moderators, STO .30 FALX, "shotgun" group 19 inches high, 24 inches right and BuckRail .25, "shotgun" group 7 inches right, 5 inches high. Accurate inside dime-size circle as many shots as taken @ 50 yds., without moderator. If the new Brevitas II doesn't fix problem, I'll just have to wait to see what moderator does. WM

 

[BBGunn]

How did you fix yours?

Like WorriedMan metioned, I had to buy the Donny adapter that takes the place of the stock baffles and air stripper. But that alone did not fix the issue completely.

On my rifle the barrel shroud was clearly not parallel with the air tube when looking down from the top of the rifle. So what I did was manually flex the shroud over until it was parallel with the air tube and then locked it in position with the barrel clamp. That fixed the clipping issue and I can run a suppressor.

As you can imagine, what I did is clearly NOT the correct way to fix the crooked barrel/shroud misalignment issue. But, I don't have another option short of getting a machinist to machine a new barrel and mount it properly into the receiver. To me, the rifle is not worth spending that much extra money, time and effort to try and fix it properly.

So, while the rifle is grouping now and not clipping, the 'fix' I had to do just really 'bugs' me. I don't have confidence in the rifle, thus I am selling it and washing my hands of the issue.

I bought this rifle to use for coyote calling and shot placement is critical for a clean, humane kill. Without confidence in the rifle I just don't feel right about using it for hunting.

A Uragan 2 is going to be my next coyote rifle.

 

[WorriedMan]

Like WorriedMan metioned, I had to buy the Donny adapter that takes the place of the stock baffles and air stripper. But that alone did not fix the issue completely.

On my rifle the barrel shroud was clearly not parallel with the air tube when looking down from the top of the rifle. So what I did was manually flex the shroud over until it was parallel with the air tube and then locked it in position with the barrel clamp. That fixed the clipping issue and I can run a suppressor.

As you can imagine, what I did is clearly NOT the correct way to fix the crooked barrel/shroud misalignment issue. But, I don't have another option short of getting a machinist to machine a new barrel and mount it properly into the receiver. To me, the rifle is not worth spending that much extra money, time and effort to try and fix it properly.

So, while the rifle is grouping now and not clipping, the 'fix' I had to do just really 'bugs' me. I don't have confidence in the rifle, thus I am selling it and washing my hands of the issue.

I bought this rifle to use for coyote calling and shot placement is critical for a clean, humane kill. Without confidence in the rifle I just don't feel right about using it for hunting.

A Uragan 2 is going to be my next coyote rifle.

BBGunn,
Have to confess, my purchase of the JTS Airacuda was in support of what I understood to be a gamechanger in value for "starter" PCPs and the consumer. So much for starry-eyed optimism, agree JTS walked away from their responsibility here. Further confess to owning seven higher-end PCPs that bring great joy and satisfaction, including a Uragan 2 (700mm) .30. As much frustration as owning a JTS brings, it all fades away shooting another brand. WM

 

[Sky King]

dont have that one .. if you shine a light through the breech and slowly turn the the mod to seated it will likely be apparent if its misaligned or has something protruding into the bore line ..

That's nonsense.