Reshaping Pellet Tails !

[Scrambler82]

I find that the .22 Crosman Domed Pellets are coming through with different sized Tail Sections.

I have recently purchased a Benjamin Armada and have been shooting almost everyday since.

Also I purchased a large quantity of the Crosman .22 Domed, 14.3 Pellets, they shoot well enough to score 12 Squirrels over the last three days... found out they are really fast around here AND they learn from your movements, at least it appears to me to be learning !

I have been getting three to four loading jams almost everyday and I noticed if I move slower when loading each round, I get less jams. I was hoping for something a little faster... but what was I thinking.

Also, while checking things out on the Magazines, I found that some of the pellets do not fit as low in the mag as others.

I haven't measured them yet so I can't say how much difference I find but that will be the tell all, but I'm thinking, with a strong maybe, the pellets that load in the mag a little shallow, compared to other, could create the jamming problem.

(I have read somewhere that rework of the Mag was necessary to get smoother action).

I have to believe the Magazines are ok, not a lot of complaints about them, so if the Mags are good but I have a variant in the OD of the Tail area of each pellet, then there is at least one problem.

1) The pellet that loads shallow may cause my load/jams.

2) I am starting to wonder if the two loading heights makes for a different load, AND maybe jams/different loading patterns, and why sometime out of nowhere, I can lose a good shot.

The next step is... first thought is to measure the pellets, OD Tail End, then I need to attempt a resizing of the larger OD, and look for a tool to resize the tail of the pellets.

Finding a Tool for this purpose is starting to be a PITA more than I thought... I figured someone has to make a tool ?

Thanks for your time,

 

[Saltlake58]

There are Youtube videos by Field Target Tech (Xbowsniper here). He goes through an extensive procedure with pellets, but one might be useful here. He takes a flat surface, glass, tile or something he can lift to an angle, then rolls each pellet. The arc tells him if it's like the others (tighter arc, skirt may be wrong size kind of thing), also listens to the sound of the roll. If it's choppy, pellet is bad. I wonder if you could try something like that for skirt size and roundness.

I have a marauder and never had any loading problems. Wonder if your magazine might be mis-aligned causing off center loading. That bolt is a pretty simple mechanism. Also, look inside the breach and find the little o-ring that holds the pellet in place. Make sure it hasn't jumped out of the groove it's supposed to be in.

Wish you luck, Marauder has thousands of rounds through it and never had jamming problems. The Armada is basically a Marauder with really fancy furniture. Great guns!

 

[er1c]

On my .177 Vixen wich i use to shoot pellets, i use a 4.52 fenton pellet sizer with some good results in comparizon to pellets not resized.

 

[Odoyle]

You can try and make a home made tool such as a cut shortened golf tee or use a large phone jack or a pen to flare out the pellet skirts a little to keep them reliable in your magazines and also seat the pellets onto the magazines with a golf tee or hex key or whatever stick etc...

 

[bandg]

I've thought about this process before. I thought that a pair of pliers could be drilled through one jaw toward the other and then threaded for a bolt. The end of the bolt could be large enough to create the flair and could be rounded easily. A dimple in the opposite jaw would locate the pellet head and the bolt could be ajusted for amount of flair desired. A stop would also have to be placed to avoid overflairing or crushing but that could be as simple as a dab of JBWeld or another threaded screw could be placed. Haven't done this but have thought about it.

 

[Scrambler82]

Thx for the reply !

I was thinking on this and some sort of pliers might do it but there would be a lot of machining involved.

I need to get the measurement together, both from me measuring the Armada and from the Manufacturer.

I have already addressed the need with the manufacturer's representative and got a short reply that they are looking at my request but no measurements. I offered to send them all of my data when I have reached a conclusion, not sure where that will go. I did get a response from a sub-representative, they suggested a try other pellets... OK, but I still need measurements. I told them I would still like some measurements and have gotten nothing yet.

I looked at the Fenton Pellet Resizing Tool, looks good, priced alright, but the shipping adds $12.00 so the price goes up fast. I didn't get to see the insides of the Fenton Tool, I would like to see how it loads, how the taper is setup to reduce the skirt OD, and how the head is handled, before buying.

I also looked at the TR Robb Pellet Resizing Tool, Not bad but again shipping.

Looks like I am going to have to Bite The Pellet, LoL, and pay the price to get a tool.

Doesn't any Shops in the USA make a Pellet Resizing Tool ?



My next project:

I will start with measuring my chamber the best I can, I will seat a single pellet and close the bolt to lock and then remove the pellet from the Chamber and hopefully get some measurements from that. Then I will try to push a pellet all the way down the barrel and see what I get for measurements.. compare and maybe come to a conclusion.

One last measurement I was thinking on and it may or may not, what if I shoot a pellet into a dirt banking, try to find it, does anyone think the pellet bill be in any condition to help me out ?



Tanks for all of your time, good to hear people's ideas.



Ltr / 

 

[Scrambler82]

The Honey Do List has taken over most of my free time recently so I have not had a moment to do any measuring.

I did take a look at the pellets that do seat as deep in the Magazine and to my surprise they are not the Crosman Domed and/or the Hollow Points Pellets.



And now for the rest of the story...

The Pellet is shaped differently on the ones that are giving me problem, the Skirts are a little thicker, and the inside of the skirts are different than both types of Crosman's Pellets I use. I forgot, until I saw the empty tins of RWS Domed Pellets that I did have two tin of them and I must have mixed them in, and from what I can see on line, they are the correct shape for the RWS Domed Pellets, so my present problem lies in the manufacturer of these pellets.

Easy fix for now, stop using the RWS Domed Pellets !

I will still be doing measuring when I can pull away from my latest Honey Do Project but when is another story.

Although I do believe resizing of the skirt will smooth out the loading both from the magazine and into the chamber, so I am not done with this yet.

I will be calling Benjamin/Crosman Customer Service today, I got a direct number to an On-Line Reps' phone and he said to call him personally. So time will tell if he gives me the measurements I want, maybe not need, but I really would like to do some quick measurement to see how the Crosman Domed and Hollow Point Pellet measure up ! LoL !

Thanks to all for your comments and info.

Ltr

 

[AirShot]

If you have a good machine shop in your area, they can make a simple tool to push into the skirt to flare it slightly. I made a number of them before I retired for various shaped pellets. I use a block of wood with a number of holes made with a ball end cutter slightly larger than the pellet dia. Put pellets head first into the wood block then push your tool into the skirt and give a twist. Skirt will round out and wood will keep from damaging the head. Over the many years of doing this Extremely few pellets have been damaged and if skirt gets overly expanded it has not been a problem with accuracy.

 

[Scrambler82]

I didn't buy the Pellet Resizing Tool.

I decided to use the "1/4" Stereo Plug IF and WHEN needed.

I am in the process of cleaning up my Magazines, and trying another brand, that looks like the same item but less expensive than Crosman.

Also, I found slowing down my Blot Action, I think I was the main problem in the jamming of pellets, slowing down my loading sequence has helped more than I thought it would.

As soon as I get the Armada Mods done and the Headlight Conversion in the Ford Ranger completed I have to attach the Honey-Do List AGAIN !



Thanks for reading.

 

[Scrambler82]

The Umarex Gauntlet/Gauntlet-II .22 Mags are working well. Item #: 2252611.

I little tighter when loading the the Rifle but not so much it interferes enough to stop using them. 

I'm thinking a little sanding block action and it will work better than the OEM Crosman Mags.



The 1/4" Stereo Plug is also working out well on my damaged Pellet Tails, enough to straighten out the tails and load the mags without any jams.

Thanks to all that have posted, appreciate the comments and suggestions.



Onward and upward to a lighter minimalist PCP, not even sure where to go but I think a .22 caliber will be the Pellet size.

 

[Rawroots]

Before going through all that trouble with skirts on every pellet you shoot, try polishing the entry edge to your barrel, a slightly misaligned rotary clip will work like butter.