The "Tank" build diary! This thing is going to be nuts!

[Bongo Lewi]

The Tank is obviously shooting big groups. I'd swap out the slide whistle barrel. The barrel is probably not defective. The ports will affect the handling of the gun. The muzzle pushes south on every round, so you compensate your aim. Not the case with the Celtic. It's difficult to compare the two without the pistols being locked in a machine rest, completely removing the human factor.

I'm inclined to believe that if you shot the Tank all the time, you would adjust your form, adapt to the guns behavior, and this issue goes away. It's tough to shoot different handguns equally well. I have been working on that for 20 years and still haven't perfected the skill of being able to pick up any pistol off the ground and shoot a two-inch group at 25 yards. A zillion rounds and fifty guns later I've gotten a lot better at it but perfection is very difficult - if not impossible.

This is why I spent the coin on a Ransom Rest. It resolved an issue every pistoleer asks him/herself: "Is it me or the gun?" So far, 100% of the time I have found it's not the gun.

 

[Racer88]

The muzzle pushes south on every round, so you compensate your aim.

Nope. I'm not compensating changing my aim at all. That I can promise. The AIM is exactly the same. By aim, I'm referring to sight alignment and sight picture.

Not the case with the Celtic. It's difficult to compare the two without the pistols being locked in a machine rest, completely removing the human factor.

True, of course. I just wanted to use a different pistol on the same day, the same distance, same target, etc... that I've shot well in the past. Just to eliminate the notion that I simply suck on that day.

I'm inclined to believe that if you shot the Tank all the time, you would adjust your form, adapt to the guns behavior, and this issue goes away.

While I agree that different guns handle differently, the significant difference in groups cannot be explained by that factor alone, IMO. I cannot claim ultimate expertise and skill, but I've trained and practiced enough to be able to call my shots most of the time. I know when it's me... most of the time. This barrel is throwing some "flyers" that seem to defy explanation by a grip, flinch, trigger manipulation error... ie... human factor.

It's not like The Tank is a particularly more difficult gun to shoot. I'm not comparing a .22LR pistol and a .357-mag snubbie. If anything, The Tank is easier to shoot, since it's bigger and has less recoil.

This is why I spent the coin on a Ransom Rest. It resolved an issue every pistoleer asks him/herself: "Is it me or the gun?" So far, 100% of the time I have found it's not the gun.

Yeah... by the time you add all the needed accessories, it's well north of $1000. The scientist in me loves the idea. But... hoo-boy... is the juice worth the squeeze? While I cannot replicate such consistency with my comparatively feeble body and above average skills... I think I'm good enough to draw some general conclusions.

ETA: For those who missed it... on the previous page (message #180), I posted some targets:

The "Tank" build diary! This thing is going to be nuts!

How is an egg sinker and a wooden dowel expensive? He’s already got every else. You tap it through then use a micrometer. Easy piecy, lemon squeezy. ( Yes I stole that from MGB) You and I have done it and it is easy enough. What I am leaving out is the barrel I ruined by sticking a ball and...

www.patriotgunbuilders.com

 

[Racer88]

Well, one good thing... is the FTF problem is gone, gone, gone! It's running like a top! Now I just have to "figger out" the shot grouping issue and then dial in the sights for POA = POI.

 

[Bongo Lewi]

If the crown were buggered you would definitely see flyers but yours looked OK to me. I have never observed a ported barrel causing bullet instability. Usually, porting has the opposite effect. Less recoil, muzzle flip. Thus better follow-up shots.

You could have a stacking problem and that's why this is so hard to troubleshoot. Maybe not one issue but several small things. Change the barrel. No joy...? Then swap out the slide. From left field...maybe the bleachers... frame flex? Or right field... swap out the spikey guide rod. Process of elimination.

I think we all have found ourselves troubleshooting something and said, "That can't be it". And it was. One thing is certain. If it isn't you, it's the gun.

 

[Racer88]

Resurrecting this thread! I've got so many guns, some builds end up being neglected before I get them perfectly reliable.

I recently brought this build back out to further "de-bug" it. One problem I've had is very weak ejection.

I believe the "stock" spring weight is 17 lbs. But this barrel is ported, so there will be less recoil force on the spring.

So, I've gradually reduced the recoil spring weight. From 15# to 14#. Still weak.

This weekend I went to 13#, and it was better. But for the heck of it, I went down to the lightest spring I had, which is 12#. That definitely worked.

So, I'll leave it there and continue to test. We'll see if it has any problems returning into battery.... or if the slide starts beating up the frame. I'll have to monitor.