THE BEAST HAS FALLEN...PICS

[airriflenut]

In my short story, TWO GRAYS BEFORE THE ICE, I mentioned at the end that the Beast took a fall off of my shoulder and took a direct hit on the concrete.  To elaborate a bit, due to the weight of the Beast (over 10 pounds) I needed to mount a sling.  I knew what I wanted but I could NOT find a pair of machine thread swivel studs anywhere, I didn't want to have to buy two packs of swivels just to get two machine screw studs.  So, using 1/4" steel rod I made my own 8-32 thread swivel studs, one mounted to a "tab" I had made on the rear bar stock clamp and the other I had to make a special ring for to mount on the main tube forward of the fore-grip mounts.  Used cold blue to touch them up and no problems, they may not be as beefy as UM swivel studs but they are holding up very, very well.  These studs weren't the problem.

The sling has the locking UM swivels top and bottom, scavenged from an old worn out sling and put on a newer (in better shape) sling.  All was right with the world...until I get bored waiting on squirrels.  I will fidget with anything, including the little locking thing-a-majig on the swivels!!!  Well, after I had collected the two grays I needed to shut the swing doors on the barn or they would creak, groan and bang all night with the coming winds.  I put the sling on my right shoulder with my left hand and let go, BUT, when I let go with the left hand I felt no weight on my shoulder then I heard the horrific sound of metal crashing into the concrete pad of the barn.  I was instantly sick to my stomach, I just new the Beast would be damaged possibly beyond repair.

I get the two grays case skinned before I dare take a closer look at the Beast afraid of what closer examination will reveal.  Much to my surprise I really didn't see much damage, I could see where the windage turret took the brunt on the fall and a mark on the butt plate.  I decided to shoot a few from the window and that's when it became apparent that it was much worse than it first appeared.  Six pellets...WAY left and WAY low.  As I examined closer I could see that the breech/riser was lifted up in the front just a tad under 1/16".  Oh sh**, this doesn't look good.




I just knew looking at it that the direct hit on the scope (attached to the breech attached to the riser attached to the main tube) had pulled the front breech screw out, stripping every thread on the way.  The tear-down began.  To my amazement AND elation, the breech screw still had to be taken out with a screwdriver instead of simply lifting it out.  No indications of any threads stripped.  A little more checking and it appeared as though the barrel had a very slight bend to it now, not good if it is bent.  Luckily it was just my eyes playing tricks on me, they each change focus from each other off and on since a medication reaction in '07 left me blind for about a week.

I've never liked the camo job on the Beast but haven't taken the time to give it a makeover.  Well, this was the perfect time and I must say it is undoubtedly the best camo job I have ever done!!!






I airbrushed the two greens and the brown on first and was going to leave it at that but then an idea struck me!!  I asked my wife if she had a natural sea sponge, I couldn't believe it when she said she didn't have one!!  Hmmm, what else could I use for my camo painting idea?  You know those bath scrunchy things, the mesh kind of looking things women love to bath with?  Um yeah, no sea sponge and you lose your bath scrunchy!!!

I cut off sections of the scrunchy and tied the tightly and snipped them end with scissors.  I dabbed these into each color paint and dabbed them at random, I threw in some black to kick up the camo and "cool" factor a bit.  I hit the scope with just a few dabs only because I will be replacing the rings when I get the cantilever mount, then it will get the full treatment.  Six coats of a flat protective finish and it was done...the hard part was waiting long enough to get a "handle-able cure".  This is the end result, THIS is how I will do any future camo jobs.  I still need to "black tape" the bright fittings and remove the excess teflon tape.  Now this is a camo scheme that is much more suitable for a fella that hides from squirrels in Cedar tree blinds!!

Oh yeah, the Beast made it through the operation just fine.  It is still giving me sub-quarter inch groups at 25 yards, it's too windy to push it back out to 50 for accuracy testing.

[bgmcgee]

Glad to hear there was no serious damage.  In the first picture it looked loke the scope tube had a dent next to the rear ring but I guess its okay.  The new paint looks awesome.  Hope its shooting as good as it looks.

[airriflenut]

Glad to hear there was no serious damage.  In the first picture it looked loke the scope tube had a dent next to the rear ring but I guess its okay.  The new paint looks awesome.  Hope its shooting as good as it looks.

Thank you sir.  Nope, no dent in the rear, just old camo/grip tape leftovers.  She is still spittin' the lead as straight as she did before...thankfully!!

[brz-ryder †]

Glad to hear there was no serious damage. Like the camo very much always a big scare when you drop your gun on concrete

JIm

[Bill in SC]

Great story. Glad all worked out well. The camo jobs looks nice too!
Bill in SC

[DBOdude]

sorry to hear about the accident , but glad you managed to turn it into a benefit  .

how is the scope doing ? its a accushot 3-12 IIRC ....



looks like it took a significant impact from the fall . i've got the 4-16 version on my DBO backpacker and like it a lot . have you contacted leapers to see if you can get a replacement turret for the one that got banged up ?

[airriflenut]

DBOdude,

It is the UTG 3-12x44 SWAT (long version, the compact was out of stock at PA at the time).  This scope has seen many falls on the cement floor of my shop when it was mounted on the Benji Trail NP.  I would lean it against the work bench for visiting squirrels.  As usual, Murphy's Law prevailed and I would bump it or get caught with a foot.  Never any troubles with it.

This last fall was from my shoulder (I am 6'1") and being an over 10 pound rig she hit HARD!!!  There haven't been any problems with it at all other than cosmetic.  In fact, today I was chipping ice off of tree limbs at 51 yards, pinging a 2"x1"x1/8" thick piece of aluminum wired to the fence at 35 yards and at 25 yards I cut a branch about the size of my little finger off the 25 yard tree with 3 shots.  I lost count of how many time I hit the head of a roofing nail, also 25 yards.  I think the rifle AND scope came out just fine!

Instead of contacting Leapers for a new turret I will send a testimonial and pics.  I'll probably post some pics of it on their Facebook page.  I do need both lens caps, maybe I can sweet talk myself into a pair.

I've posted about Leapers/UTG optics previously...they are still the ONLY optics I will buy!!

[Tater]

That is a great testimony to their durability.

[sandpiper]

The Beast appears to be a tough one 

[airriflenut]

The Beast appears to be a tough one 

That she is!!  I guess I did a good job on it, now if I can only convince my wife of how I MUST build more just as tough!!  I've got some good ideas for pumpers and CO2, rifle/carbine and pistol.

Unfortunately I know they will have to wait as ideas and plans on paper for now, I need more woodturning supplies and it won't be cheap.

[DBOdude]

wow ! that scope has been through a lot ! i've read bad comments about every scope brand on airgun forums but the 30mm tube accushot series seemed to have less than most .... that and side focus were the 2 biggest reasons i went with it . mine has the mil-dot wire reticle . i've read many many comments about how much thinner a mil-dot etched reticle can be , but for my eyes/use they are fine . i just punch paper and plink and couldn't imagine the "big" dots causing a issue for hunting .

but that's just my opinion ....... and opinions are like elbows ....... everybody has a few