I am new to air guns, I just picked up a used 1322. The first thing I noticed is the trigger. I think it might be packed with sand. That will be my first project. Any suggestions as to what I should do next? Valve and piston, port, probe, longer barrel? Has anyone determined the optimum length for the barrel on a 1322? Any help will be greatly appreciated. Thanks Bud :)
14.5-18" seems to be popular. Mods depend on what you are wanting---to spend right away---lol. Get a steel breech, Disco bolt, Disco spring. See how you like that. Then go with a flat top valve and piston.
Joe
Hi Bud,
As far as I know, 18-19" is optimum for a co2 gun, but as yours is the pumper, 24" barrel for better power and accuracy with air.
Many have determined the optimum length for a barrel. Your result will vary.
Look at the pictures here, pick a length that looks good to you. Consider how you will use it.
Are you going to put a buttstock on it? Are you going to add something on the end of the barrel?
Do you want it to look really long? If you like the really long look, go long.
If you want it to to be compact, portable, stay shorter.
Once the pellet leaves the barrel, any more air volume released is wasted, so optimum barrel length depends on that. Optimum length will change with mods to valve, piston, springs, hammer, transfer port, etc. One way to tell for sure is to get a 24" barrel and cut an inch off at a time until a chrony shows a drop in fps.
A little reading for you.....
http://www.pyramydair.com/blog/?s=barrel+length&btnGo= (http://www.pyramydair.com/blog/?s=barrel+length&btnGo=)
For power the longer the better, up to about 30 inches. So it is a balance of your use and power. For manuverability I usualy go no more than 15 inches. For quiet you will want at least 15 inches.
So what are your goals and intended usage, that will determine the ideal barrel length for you.
with a half dozen pumps or more the 24 inch barrel will create more fps/fpe than shorter ones . otherwise , optimum barrel length is more dependent on what you're most comfortable with and what you find aesthetically pleasing .
Thanks for the replies, informative. I was going to do the valve and piston, and enlarged port before the Breech and barrel. Being on a fixed income (actually a broken income thank you federal Gov't) I was looking for the power boost first. The steel breech seems to enhance accuracy by giving you the ability to mount a scope. I prefer to use open sights. when I can afford it I will probably go for a mid length barrel for portability. I am going to attempt to make a stock out of pvc, but I probably not use it in the woods. I tend to take a moses stick with me when I walk in the woods any more. I occasionally depend on it for balance. I also rest the barrel of my gun over my arm while holding onto the stick. Thanks again for the replies. :)
The good thing about these type of airguns is the short length of the reciever. Adding a 24 inch doesnt make the gun totally unwieldy. They measure out just under 40 inches with them, which is still shorter than a normal spring piston airgun and shorter than a hunting shotgun. 24 inches should be just fine. But if you really want a carbine, you can chop it off 1 inch at a time until the fps drops.