(After speaking with Steve @ Pomona he confirmed the .551 will work) Up front caveat, this is dependent upon .551 working with the FX Impact. I measured mine at over .550 but less than halfway (in 10 thousandths) to .551. I suspect it will work but will confirm with Steve at Pomona first. I wrote the below text before I found out we could get a .551 barrel. Originally I was told by John at LW that he could not get a .550 barrel, I would have to get the next size up and have it turned, so keep that in mind while reading. So, here is the results of my research and the prices.
Before I tell you how to join in on an Air Gun Nation special order for a Lothar Walther .25 slug barrel, I’ll tell you why you may not want to order a .590 air gun barrel blank and have it turned on a lathe down to .550 to fit an FX Impact. After speaking about this very subject with Steve at Pomona Air Guns, he explained to me why he didn’t recommend having him do that very job. First that says something about the man’s integrity to turn down work because it was not the best way to get the job done. Here’s why, if he was turning down a 1.2” target barrel in .22 it would be a different story. But when turning a barrel that is only .590, with a .250 bore through the center down to .550 there just isn’t enough material or strength left in the barrel. That would only leave .300 or .150 on each side of the bore. He went on that it doesn’t matter how slow you go, you are going to get “chatter”, his words. He told me he has done it before and it is a long and tedious process and when done there is no guarantee it won’t ruin the barrel. The only way to properly take .040 off of an already small barrel is to have it precision ground. Basically, that means the barrel is still turned but instead of cutting it with a lathe bit, it is ground, with a spinning abrasive wheel. This puts very little side pressure on a thin barrel as the material is being removed. So, if the air gun smith you had in mind to cut down an off the shelf .590 barrel has precision grinding equipment then you are good to go. But if all he has is a lathe, he may just be taking your money without regard to the end product he will give you or he just doesn’t have the experience to know better. At the very least he should explain as Steve explained to me about the process and possibilities that exist dong a job without the proper equipment. Does this mean every barrel this small turned on a lathe will get ruined? No, but when the chance exists I don’t want to pay good money for just a chance of working. But wait, there’s more. That off the shelf barrel is only 23.8” long. Think of the new Smooth Twist X slug liner coming in at 700mm, or 28” and why. After speaking with Ernest at FX USA he told me the faster the slugs went, the tighter the groups got. So, when dealing with slugs, unlike diablo pellets which have a maximum speed for accuracy, somewhere in the 850-900fps range, slugs do better with higher speeds. With a longer barrel, you get higher velocity so a 30” barrel should shoot better than a 23.8” barrel. At least in a PCP that needs all the help it can get pushing a heavier slug. The reason I chose the .25 over the .22 or the .30 is this. The .22 doesn’t have as much weight in the largest pellet that will fit in an Impact magazine, and the .30 even though can have a heavier slug, will have a lower ballistic coefficient. The .25 with some magazine mods can get a slug in the 50 grain or slightly larger weight, it won’t be as heavy as a .30 but it will fly faster and have a faster spin when it leaves the barrel because of it and with a higher BC. So, after all the research I came to the conclusion that if I want a LW un-choked barrel for slugs, it needs to be the right length and diameter from the factory which means a special order. Un-choked because again, this will be a slug barrel, not a barrel designed to shoot diablo pellets. So, if you agree with my assessment and would also like to get a Lothar Walther .25 air rifle blank 30” long and ready to fit for an Impact, this is what you need to do.
As I said before, something changed. Now John told me I can get a 30" 17.7 twist rate un choked with an outside diameter of .551 which is 14mm. bear with me, I know a lot or you here know most of this. The cost for a 5 barrel order is $169.69 with shipping at about $20 or about $190 each.
You will also need the barrel inlet (brass transfer port) an in stock part from FX USA, number 19670 for $47 with shipping (I just ordered one). The Smooth Twist X upgrade at $259 and the slug liner at $109 for a total of $269 plus shipping is for the standard 600mm barrel only. If you want the 700mm slug liner setup it will set you back $539 plus shipping. A custom Lothar Walther 30" barrel which is longer than both STX options coming in at $342 plus shipping is a very attractive alternative. If you want to shoot slugs over 39 grains then the LW is the clear choice. More about all this here. If you don't want to shoot slugs but want a long barrel for more accuracy have it choked by Steve when he fits it. Shipping will be $18-21
Who's wants in on this order? Copy and paste the list, and add your name in your response.
Azycray
HarryO
Your Name Here
Your Name Here
Your Name Here
Before I tell you how to join in on an Air Gun Nation special order for a Lothar Walther .25 slug barrel, I’ll tell you why you may not want to order a .590 air gun barrel blank and have it turned on a lathe down to .550 to fit an FX Impact. After speaking about this very subject with Steve at Pomona Air Guns, he explained to me why he didn’t recommend having him do that very job. First that says something about the man’s integrity to turn down work because it was not the best way to get the job done. Here’s why, if he was turning down a 1.2” target barrel in .22 it would be a different story. But when turning a barrel that is only .590, with a .250 bore through the center down to .550 there just isn’t enough material or strength left in the barrel. That would only leave .300 or .150 on each side of the bore. He went on that it doesn’t matter how slow you go, you are going to get “chatter”, his words. He told me he has done it before and it is a long and tedious process and when done there is no guarantee it won’t ruin the barrel. The only way to properly take .040 off of an already small barrel is to have it precision ground. Basically, that means the barrel is still turned but instead of cutting it with a lathe bit, it is ground, with a spinning abrasive wheel. This puts very little side pressure on a thin barrel as the material is being removed. So, if the air gun smith you had in mind to cut down an off the shelf .590 barrel has precision grinding equipment then you are good to go. But if all he has is a lathe, he may just be taking your money without regard to the end product he will give you or he just doesn’t have the experience to know better. At the very least he should explain as Steve explained to me about the process and possibilities that exist dong a job without the proper equipment. Does this mean every barrel this small turned on a lathe will get ruined? No, but when the chance exists I don’t want to pay good money for just a chance of working. But wait, there’s more. That off the shelf barrel is only 23.8” long. Think of the new Smooth Twist X slug liner coming in at 700mm, or 28” and why. After speaking with Ernest at FX USA he told me the faster the slugs went, the tighter the groups got. So, when dealing with slugs, unlike diablo pellets which have a maximum speed for accuracy, somewhere in the 850-900fps range, slugs do better with higher speeds. With a longer barrel, you get higher velocity so a 30” barrel should shoot better than a 23.8” barrel. At least in a PCP that needs all the help it can get pushing a heavier slug. The reason I chose the .25 over the .22 or the .30 is this. The .22 doesn’t have as much weight in the largest pellet that will fit in an Impact magazine, and the .30 even though can have a heavier slug, will have a lower ballistic coefficient. The .25 with some magazine mods can get a slug in the 50 grain or slightly larger weight, it won’t be as heavy as a .30 but it will fly faster and have a faster spin when it leaves the barrel because of it and with a higher BC. So, after all the research I came to the conclusion that if I want a LW un-choked barrel for slugs, it needs to be the right length and diameter from the factory which means a special order. Un-choked because again, this will be a slug barrel, not a barrel designed to shoot diablo pellets. So, if you agree with my assessment and would also like to get a Lothar Walther .25 air rifle blank 30” long and ready to fit for an Impact, this is what you need to do.
As I said before, something changed. Now John told me I can get a 30" 17.7 twist rate un choked with an outside diameter of .551 which is 14mm. bear with me, I know a lot or you here know most of this. The cost for a 5 barrel order is $169.69 with shipping at about $20 or about $190 each.
You will also need the barrel inlet (brass transfer port) an in stock part from FX USA, number 19670 for $47 with shipping (I just ordered one). The Smooth Twist X upgrade at $259 and the slug liner at $109 for a total of $269 plus shipping is for the standard 600mm barrel only. If you want the 700mm slug liner setup it will set you back $539 plus shipping. A custom Lothar Walther 30" barrel which is longer than both STX options coming in at $342 plus shipping is a very attractive alternative. If you want to shoot slugs over 39 grains then the LW is the clear choice. More about all this here. If you don't want to shoot slugs but want a long barrel for more accuracy have it choked by Steve when he fits it. Shipping will be $18-21
Who's wants in on this order? Copy and paste the list, and add your name in your response.
Azycray
HarryO
Your Name Here
Your Name Here
Your Name Here
