Predom Lucznik Model 70

[Roboslug]

I recently purchased a Predom Lucznik 70 from AoA. It's in great shape externally and AoA is great to deal with. I've been following Stevoo's recent comments on improving the performance of the Walther LP 53 and couldn't resist the "lesser" copy when one became available.

There is very little wear and no rust to speak of and it shot ok - I guess, as this is my first springer. Upon disassembly, I found a partial wood screw imbedded in the leather piston along with a slight score in the cylinder. Aside from the screw and glitter of the aluminum cylinder, the leather is in good enough shape to reuse, but there's no way to remove all of the shmutz from it. The only consolation of that discovery is that I found two other forums/blogs (one of them Polish) that described the same thing! 

My plan is to:

1) Replace the leather piston seal and leather washer

2) Sleeve the TP from 4 mm to 3 mm using brass tubing

3) Replace the dual springs with a modified HW30 spring with nylon/delrin spring guides

I'll post pics when the system allows.

 

[JW652]

Sounds great. Lots of pics would be appreciated. 

 

[Roboslug]

Pics as promised

 

[Osprey]

I also picked up a Predom from AOA, recently. It is shooting great, for now. I am interested in your re-seal photos, though, for reference. Thank you!

 

[Roboslug]

Between work & family stuff it will be two or three weeks before I'll get to it again.

 

[Steveoo]

Pics are interesting…if you need any advice on the tuning, i will help.

The stud smashed into the end of the piston was typical with these. A big surplus of second hand guns was sold into this country at an incredibly cheap price about 20 years ago. I rebuilt a good number, all with studs or bits of nails down inside the piston. Rumour had it that it was a job lot sold off cheap by the Polish military, once used as a training arm that they eventually got rid of. Perhaps soldiers running out of pellets and shooting any projectile they could get their hands on, but if too small had fallen back through the TP. I even found one barrel filled up with mud that must have been shooting mud pellets. You will need to inspect the bottom of the piston chamber to see what damage the stud may have done to the TP area.

 

[Septicdeath]

Have had one for several years. They are awesome pistol. I bit tuff to cock but mine is accurate and fun.

 

[Septicdeath]

Have had one for several years. They are awesome pistol. I bit tuff to cock but mine is accurate and fun.

https://youtu.be/_CLeg1hDwqM

 

[Roboslug]

Steveoo, the piston chamber doesn't have too much damage, but you can see where the screw hit the bottom a couple of time before settling into the leather.

Septic, you are correct, the PL is very accurate once on get past the trigger.

Some repair parts arrived this weekend. Here's the old piston & a replacement from JG.

The OD measurements are essentially identical. My first challenge is to trim the piston to near the original height, then find an appropriate flat washer.

Next up is the brass tube for the TP reduction.

Prior to test fitting the tube I manually ran a 5/32" drill bit in the transfer port removing quiet a bit of trash. I think the 4 mm tp was cast in the frame as the drill did not quite enter the cylinder, though with enough force the drill could open it up. I'm relieved that the drill & tube was stopped by the casting as my fear is that I haven't figured a way to prevent the brass tube from falling in the cylinder just like the wood screw parts I discovered when I removed the piston.

I also received a new HW30 spring, but that part of this project will begin once I complete the piston/transfer port work.

 

[Steveoo]

They are accurate because despite the upward recoil, it is not a complex recoil….Once you have learnt to shoot it, there are no surprises from downward and shift to the right like characteristics you often find with barrel over cylinder designs. 

You can glue in a 4mm tube with 638 Red loctite. Im 1000s of rounds in with no hint of any movement.

I used a cylinder hone set to 23.1 mm to perfectly hone the piston chamber on mine.

 

[Roboslug]

Thanks for the loctite suggestion. 

I'm searching for a 3mm (1/8") x 19mm (75") flat washer to keep the piston height less than 6 mm (.25").

 

[Roboslug]

Reduced diameter transfer port installed.

 

[Zmonster]

These are fantastic pistols. I had one many years ago along side a Webley Tempest. I still have the Tempest, but the Lucznik is long gone lost in a move. I seem to recall being able to get them surplus for about $30 at one point. I dont remember where but I remember the frenzy on one of the forums about them. They sold out rapidly. Thanks for sharing.

 

[Steveoo]

These are fantastic pistols. I had one many years ago along side a Webley Tempest. I still have the Tempest, but the Lucznik is long gone lost in a move. I seem to recall being able to get them surplus for about $30 at one point. I dont remember where but I remember the frenzy on one of the forums about them. They sold out rapidly. Thanks for sharing.

You lost the wrong pistol. I remember a shooting friend shooting Starlings on a pea patch who used both pistols you mentioned and a BSA Scorpion but recall him never hitting anything with the other two, but dropped dozens with the Lucznik. So accurate once mastered and using the right pellet.

It was DAI in England that purchased a job lot of 300 guns. Rumour had it that they were sold off as a job lot to DAI by the Polish military that used them as a training arm, but i was never able to verify it as true.
Many had hardly been used, some not at all, and some in a poor state. The true price of such a gun new would have been at least £150-£200 but they sold for between £30 and £60 which was about 1/2 the cost of a Tempest at that time and a real bargain. I knew a few who bought up 3 or 4 and at least one gunshop which had bought 20 and then adding a mark up of their own.

 

[Ripper]

I was mentioning to septicdeath when he posted about his because I have one also and the trigger is strange. At least mine is. It starts off easy then it hits a slight wall, then it’s easy again, then it hits another wall Then breaks.But it is pretty accurate. I just oiled the hell out of my piston seal and hoped for the best.

 

[Roboslug]

Some progress - new piston leather/rubber washer


I now need help on installing the sear. These pics are with the sear seated in the piston in the cocked position - but something isn't correct.

Any help would be appreciated.

 

[Steveoo]

The pawl requires the piston to be at about the middle of its stroke position … .As it will not seat down low enough unless the stirrup is sat on the machined flat of the slot …
Next you need to apply pressure on it with your thumb (at the trigger guard area) until u can align the pin.

Tips…
Polish the dowel pin down until its a an easy slide fit into the hole. You dont want to be having to drive the pin in with a hammer, while trying to align the pawl.…you dont have 3 hands!
The pin stays well gripped anyway, by the pressure of the pawl and did not need to be a drive fit like the other pins….Have it so you can push it through with the ball of your thumb.
Use some grease on the pawl and the pin so everything slides nicely into place…
These pistols strip and rebuild beautifully after wearing in the manufacturers fits …which takes a good 10 rebuilds…

 

[Roboslug]

All is well. Holding the trigger back while applying pressure to the top of the sear will allow the piston to move up. When lined up the sear pin just fell into place. Then the springs and cap can be replaced along with the sheet metal piece and grip panels. It functions again and seems to have more velocity (no chronograph). Now to put some oil in the transfer port for the night.

A friend is making some spring guides for me that I'll pick up next week.

 

[Steveoo]

Yeah, forgot to mention the vital info of pulling the trigger while pushing down the pawl to locate it.
This can be done nicely by using a rubber band/hair band over the back of the receiver and around the trigger blade.
It keeps the blade depressed, giving you two hands free for the assembly..
Good going..

 

[Roboslug]

Thanks Stevoo. This little beast is pretty interesting as this is my first "springer" of any kind.

What exactly does the screw in front of the trigger do/adjust? Why such a long screw?