!thanks to PonyTail!
https://members.tripod.com/~Mr_Tail/index.html
___The Mega-Rapide___
when i mentioned that I sent a rapide in to Palmers, some of you wanted to know how it turned out.
I got it back in the mail last night, and checked it over briefly. I'll playtest it saturday, and have a better idea of it's performance then, but here's a quick-n-dirty.
I asked for the following:
1: performance tune
2: match-honed barrel
3: adjust speed as high as possible without breaking 250fps (indoor field)
when I sent it out, the gun was loud, the trigger was a little heavy, the velocity was almost random (it varied from 80fps to about 180fps. once it hit 220fps. sort of "pop pop splup BANG splup BANG pop") accuracy was poor (mostly due to veloctiy fluctuation) and the barrel looked skanky.
because I wanted the gun to look the same as a normal rapide, and Glenn couldn't remove the old barrel from the plastic fairing, I didn't get item #2, instead, the stock barrel was polished up as part of the tune. the veloctiy adjustment was also part of the tune, so I spent about $80 on this gun, including shipping both ways.
The barrel is now SMMOOOOOTTTTHHHH. it's so smooth I could watch tv in the reflection inside the barrel. it feels positivly glass-like when you put your finger in the barrel.
The gun is now LLLLOOOOUUUUUDDDDD!!!!! it was always kinda loud, now it could pass for a small-caliber firearm. that's ok, I like that, and with such a short barrel I imagine it would be hard to make it quiet.
The trigger got heavier. this was expected, due to the nature of the internals and the fact that I asked glenn to increase the velocity. (the rapide is basicaly a nelson based pump gun, but instead of a pump, the trigger pull does everything. by it's nature it's got a long, heavy trigger pull.) I'll need to retrain myself to fire this gun without jiggling it when I pull the trigger.
I have to chrono, nor have I paint around the house, so I'll have to wait til I hit the field to tell more (like chrono testing it, playing with it, etc...) but based on what I've seen so far, palmer's work is clean, accurate, and very well done. even without playing with the gun I think it's a well spent $80...
-- Brian Lojeck, lojeck@mizar.usc.edu There is only one success -- to be able to spend your life in your own way. ---Christopher Moody
Well... it's better, but it ain't great.
it might have been the heat (it was damn hot) but it was chronoing at 310. if you shot slow it would be a steady 310, if you shot fast it would drop quickly as the 12gram froze, then climb back up to 310. I didn't bother to find out how many shots I could get. I need to call Palmer's about this, although I du suspect the heat over a mistake in the tune.
the accuracy was stunning. even when the velocity dropped below 200 the ball still stayed a steady course (although range would drop naturally). I am totally happy with the work he did on the barrel.
I didn't play with the gun,k since it's an indoor field with a 250fps chrono limit.
I'll see if glen can design a velocity adjuster for this gun (maybe a tracer-style bolt screw?).
With the exception of the velocity, the gun was improved 100% by the tune. I'm still happy with the improvment I got for only $60+shipping.
more to follow for all you interested rapide owners. ;-)
-- Brian Lojeck, lojeck@mizar.usc.edu There is only one success -- to be able to spend your life in your own way. ---Christopher Moody
BTW, loved the update on the Palmerized Rapide, hows it working out now?
As it turns out, the velocity problem was simple mis-communication. Glenn thought I wanted it for an outdoor field, and tuned it to 290fps. with the heat it jumped even higher.
I've got a chronograph now, so I'll just tune the speed down myself.
the accuracy is very very impressive for such a POS gun, even though I still pull the gun off to teh side when I pull the trigger, I still managed to hit a chest-sized target at about 50 feet every time. (almost).
hey, for me, that's good...
it holds it's velocity wonderfully, although the 12gram freezes very quickly, so you can't rapid fire like it's a mag. ;-)
all in all, for $60, i turned a lousy gun into a very servicable one. it won't win me any tournaments, but it's consistant enough to be usable in competitive recball now.
only real problem with it, when you de-gass the gun the co2 leaks right into your palm (not glenn's fault...design flaw) it hurt the first time, cause the 12gram was full!
Brian Lojeck, lojeck@mizar.usc.edu
There is only one success -- to be able to spend your life in your own way
---Christopher Moody