Bolt hangs up when closing with certain pellets

[Tater]

I had been reading this thread http://www.crosman-air-pistol-owners-forum.com/board/index.php/topic,10419.0.html but I'm not sure if my issue is the same thing.
I was shooting my 1377 w/steel breech tonight and tried different pellets. In between groups I was loading/cocking my wife's P-17 for her. She tried a few different pellets too.
We started with CPHP's which I noticed I had to push in the P17 pretty hard. Then we switched to RWS domed which fit tight too. Last, we tried Daisy wad cutters and they dropped right in her pistol.
Meanwhile, my groups with the CPHP's and RWS were horrible. I noticed the bolt would hang up just as it was about to drop shut and I had to push it pretty hard to close it the last little bit. With the Daisys it closed smoothly and those grouped in one ragged hole.
Do you guys think the issue is the barrel or breech? I think the tighter fitting pellets are scraping somewhere and some even seemed to hit the target sideways.

[quickster47 †]

There are lots of times when different guns like different pellets and even within the same brand the same models will like different pellets.

I presume the P17 is pretty much stock but not new and you have shot it before.  Do you remember having trouble loading pellets prior to your last session?  Was this the first time you tried different pellets in the P17?

Crosmans can be notorious for being pellet picky although most Crosmans appear to like their own CPHP but have not heard much about the Beeman and pellets.

Carl

[Crosshairs]

Some pellets have a wider skirt. If the gun is shooting them good don't let it bother you.
                                Mike

[AgentWD40_FL]

Some pellets have a wider at skirt. If the gun is shooting them good don't let it bother you.
                                Mike

+1 to this.  My 1377 carbine likes 2 pellets.  RWS Hobby, and RWS R10.  The Hobby pellets load hard, but not the R-10's

Skirt size:
RWS Hobby - .187
RWS R-10  -  .183

My dial calipers are no doubt out of calibration, but there is still a .004 difference.

[Tater]

I had been getting god groups with the 1377. I only noticed the fit of them after noticing the difference loading the P17 (where you have to put the pellet right in the barrel).
I have been only using the CPHP so far so the difficulty close the bolt seemed normal. Even with pellets with a wide skirt, is it hard to push the bolt closed on your 1377's? (w/steel breech)

[1377x]

the only time i notice a difference in the bolt closing is when i use the rws super hollows or meisters they both have a double ring in the skirt.i assume thats so the skirt doesnt squish easy
oh! when i use beeman crow mags too but i attribute that to them being heavy and hollow tipped

[Tater]

I'm gonna do some testing tonight. Who knows. 

[Brent]

Jerry... I am using the RWS Meister 8.2 g pellets every once in awhile in the P17 and the 2300s. They are also a tight fit because of the wider skirt. On the 2300s (which has the steel breech) when I push them in with the bolt that very last bit, it is a definite harder push to get the bolt to close. (you can actually feel the skirt getting pushed in). I was pretty concerned at first (like you) with the 2300, until I noticed that I was having to push them in a little harder with my finger also into the P17 barrel to get them to seat in.

They are just a tight fit is all... I am thinking. With the Daisy Precision Max pellets I also (and mainly) am using - the 2300 bolt is closing easy, and they are loading easy in the P17.

On the tread you linked to -  I am pretty sure the problem I menton there that I am having with the pellets loading smoothly in the 2300, is that the lead-in on the barrel / breech has not been smoothed down enough when it was originally built/ machined. Looking close with a flashlight, I can barely see that there are ridges there that the pellet is probably getting caught up on (in looking around this has actually been documented before on other older 2300s, and it is only the Wad Cutters having the problem, which makes sense).

The thing that concerns me here, is your comment about accuracy. I have not shot enough of the RWS pellets to know for sure, if this tighter fit is affecting their actual accuracy. I still have the bench setup I was using this weekend for sighting and the bench shooting Competitions - up in the garage for a bit... so I will shoot 5 RWS's with each gun and let you know if they shoot different from the Daisy's. But other than that, I am not going to worry about this tight fit affecting the gun at all. Hope this helps!

[Tater]

Thank you Brent, I appreciate the test too. I ran really short on time last night and only shot 3 groups but the accuracy wasn't quite as bad. Still worse then the Daisy or RWS but not as bad. Not sure what to think now but I'll try testing again tonight.

[Brent]

Hi Jerry,

Shot both styles of pellets last night, and they shot pretty much what I hoped for and expected. Both styles of pellets shot darn near identical. In both guns from a benchrest, both pellets grouped virtually the same.

Are you still seeing an accuracy difference/ problem with yours? I almost forgot how hard I had to push that last bit of skirt in, in shooting the 2300s using the RWSs. Definitely a fairly hard push there at the end to close the bolt.

[Tater]

Hi Brent. I am still having accuracy problems with CPHP's which is a shame since thy are always available at Walmart. Next chance I get to shoot for more then 15 minutes straight I'll test some other brands too.
Thanks again Brent.