KWC PO8 Luger, Umarex M712 Broom Handle, loose barrel shrouds

[borne2fly]

Both these guns eventually developed "wiggly" barrel shrouds.
In both cases I used JB Weld (the 24 hour slow-curing stuff) to secure the shrouds, and now the shrouds and slides are stuck together like they were made as a single part.
Note that the mating surfaces had to be stripped of all paint and thoroughly cleaned to allow the glue to stick properly.

PO8 barrel was secured with two hollow pins which were pressed into blind holes. Clearly never meant to be disassembled.
These needed to be carefully drilled out before the shroud could come off.
JB Weld was carefully applied to avoid any visible hint of glue at the barrel/slide junction.

M712 shroud was only held on with a set screw, so removal was easy.
I saw that a number of folks replaced this tiny set screw with a larger screw and it seemed to do the job, but the result of "JB welding" my PO8 shroud was so solid that I decided to do the same here.
The grey color of the JB weld matches the color of the pistol pretty well, so I was less concerned about the glue squeezing out at the barrel/slide junction ... it could be smoothed to form a blend between the two parts.

 

[Triglav]

Same thing happened with my Crosman vigilante (357 variant), it's now got a completely loose barrel, which is essentially just a tube going up and down within the barrel shroud.

 

[borne2fly]

Here's the M712 barrel shroud. Glued in place with a liberal application of grey JB Weld.
The color isn't a perfect match but it does a reasonable job of closing up any gap.
Best of all, it's rock solid now.
And the accuracy improvement is remarkable, so much so that I find myself switching back to semi-auto a lot more.

The barrel within the shroud is firmly centered with a plastic spacer tube, no slop at all there.
I'm sure a similar plastic piece could be made for yours as well, ..... or perhaps just as good, the right sized O-ring?

 

[megiddo65]

I did the same thing to my M712 last night with good ole JB Weld. Works like a charm. I can't believe the pin screw was the only thing holding this outer barrel in place. My outer barrel popped out while shooting. Going to test it out for accuracy later tonight.

 

[borne2fly]

I did the same thing to my M712 last night with good ole JB Weld. Works like a charm. I can't believe the pin screw was the only thing holding this outer barrel in place. My outer barrel popped out while shooting. Going to test it out for accuracy later tonight.

I think you will be pleasantly surprised (accuracy), especially if you attach the shoulder stock. And with the JB Weld you can literally hold it by the barrel without fear of anything coming loose .
BTW, Sarco sells a nice wood shoulder stock that fits (for the C96 but the M712 uses the same stock). The one you find on Amazon is a cheap imitation. There’s also a holster … it’s made for the C96 so the M712 magazine must be removed before it will slide into the holster. Also, I had to chop off the closed bottom as the M712 is about 1/2” too long and I wanted to be able to close the top flap. Soaking the holster in neatsfoot oil softened it up very nicely. I carry this rig whenever I’m hiking in rattlesnake country.

 

[borne2fly]

I did the same thing to my M712 last night with good ole JB Weld. Works like a charm. I can't believe the pin screw was the only thing holding this outer barrel in place. My outer barrel popped out while shooting. Going to test it out for accuracy later tonight.

And it really comes to life after a treatment with “fine” steel wool … it polishes the matt finish to a smooth satin lustre that both looks and feels more real. I pushed it further for a more worn look, going to the bare metal in some places. Dipped the bolt in paint remover since the real C96 I’ve seen appeared to have a bare metal bolt.
I’m a bit surprised at the lack of interest in this versatile little airgun, especially given how inexpensive it is.

 

[megiddo65]

And it really comes to life after a treatment with “fine” steel wool … it polishes the matt finish to a smooth satin lustre that both looks and feels more real. I pushed it further for a more worn look, going to the bare metal in some places. Dipped the bolt in paint remover since the real C96 I’ve seen appeared to have a bare metal bolt.
I’m a bit surprised at the lack of interest in this versatile little airgun, especially given how inexpensive it is.

View attachment 500398

That looks awesome! I'm really starting to like shooting this pistol after solving the barrel issue. My accuracy at 7 yards really improved as group sizes shrunk. Yes, this gun sort of falls under the radar. I don't know anyone in my circle of airgun shooters that have this gem. I just bought an extra mag last month.

 

[megiddo65]

I think you will be pleasantly surprised (accuracy), especially if you attach the shoulder stock. And with the JB Weld you can literally hold it by the barrel without fear of anything coming loose .
BTW, Sarco sells a nice wood shoulder stock that fits (for the C96 but the M712 uses the same stock). The one you find on Amazon is a cheap imitation. There’s also a holster … it’s made for the C96 so the M712 magazine must be removed before it will slide into the holster. Also, I had to chop off the closed bottom as the M712 is about 1/2” too long and I wanted to be able to close the top flap. Soaking the holster in neatsfoot oil softened it up very nicely. I carry this rig whenever I’m hiking in rattlesnake country.

Thanks for the info on the shoulder stock and holster. Tested the gun at 7 yards earlier and I was in fact pleasantly surprised by the results. My 36 shots at 7 yards fell in a tight 2 inch group. I use to get group sizes from 3 inches and up at that distance. Such a relief to not have to worry about the barrel and tightening the grub screw after each shooting session.

 

[borne2fly]

That looks awesome! I'm really starting to like shooting this pistol after solving the barrel issue. My accuracy at 7 yards really improved as group sizes shrunk. Yes, this gun sort of falls under the radar. I don't know anyone in my circle of airgun shooters that have this gem. I just bought an extra mag last month.

If you think it’s more accurate now, just wait till you add the shoulder stock

Oh … one more thing … when I got mine, the rear sight seemed a bit loose (side to side). I pulled the sight (knocked out the pin) and filled the holes in the sight with JB Weld. Then re-drilled the hole (through the JB Weld) very slightly undersized to the pin. This made a light press fit when it all went back together and now the sight has zero windage slop.

 

[megiddo65]

If you think it’s more accurate now, just wait till you add the shoulder stock

Oh … one more thing … when I got mine, the rear sight seemed a bit loose (side to side). I pulled the sight (knocked out the pin) and filled the holes in the sight with JB Weld. Then re-drilled the hole (through the JB Weld) very slightly undersized to the pin. This made a light press fit when it all went back together and now the sight has zero windage slop.

Thanks! Good to know. I noticed the side to side movement on the rear sight last year. May have to take your advice if I'm seeking more accuracy.

 

[Sawney Bean]

Thanks! Good to know. I noticed the side to side movement on the rear sight last year. May have to take your advice if I'm seeking more accuracy.

What I've done in the past to check whether iron sights are moving and affecting accuracy is attach a different sight, (scope or laser), and see if the groups tighten up. If they do then you know the sights are a problem. You don't need to mount or zero the test sight really well. You can use zip ties or tape so long as it stays put well enough to fire a couple of groups.

 

[borne2fly]

Thanks! Good to know. I noticed the side to side movement on the rear sight last year. May have to take your advice if I'm seeking more accuracy.

These things are all hammered out to a (low) price point, so I sorta view them as unfinished kits. Lots of room for major improvements for the intrepid tinkerer.

And if you have access to even a small bench top lathe like a little Atlas 101 or similar, you can work magic. Actually I’m probably being a bad influence here, because as addictive as airguns can be machine tools are far worse