IHP "National" air rifles & pistols

[Mack The Knife]

Honing the cylinder (get a pro machinist who regularly works on brake cylinders to do this for you)

Just make sure it is not a mirror finish.

Mack The Knife

[kanwar76]

Hi Abhijeet,

While you are at it.. Can you please get one spring guide made for me also? Got a National35 which desperately needs a tune. Will pay for the same.

-Inder

Will do sir! But just replacing the spring guide is not likely to cut it! If you want I can in stead get a spare set of all the drop in parts we decide to have fabricated. Right now those would be, a top hat, new spring guide, thrust washers (these will probably be some ready made variety of the right size etc. that we can find), piston buttons, barrel assembly shims, new piston seal, and an improvised breech seal.

Other than these parts you will need to put in a fair bit of elbow grease to get everything smoothed out... Honing the cylinder (get a pro machinist who regularly works on brake cylinders to do this for you), deburring polishing, squaring out the mainspring etc.

Cheers!
Abhijeet

Hi Abhijeet,

I didn't know you are going for this exhaustive rebuild. Would love to have everything which you get your hands on.

Elbow greese..Yep got lots of that...

Thanks

-Inder

[dev]

Not a very strong wood, my stock broke when the rifle fell from my hands the one and onlytime. Try Master shot round heads these are the recommended pellets for this air rifle.

Regards,

Dev

My own National 35 is not very accurate. It sprays 6 inch groups at 20 yards. Got to tweal it a bit. What wood is used to make the stock of these rifles ?

[mundaire]

Just make sure it is not a mirror finish.

Mack The Knife

Now that's an interesting statement! I would have thought that the smoother the finish the less friction - the better... any reason why you would put in that rider?

Cheers!
Abhijeet

[mundaire]

Hi Abhijeet,

I didn't know you are going for this exhaustive rebuild. Would love to have everything which you get your hands on.

Elbow greese..Yep got lots of that...

Thanks

-Inder

It's an experiment, conducted at a relatively low cost... with my rudimentary (google based) knowledge would not dare take so much liberty with an expensive gun! Lets see how it shapes up... am looking forward to the task as much as I am curious as to how much this gun can be improved...

Cheers!
Abhijeet

[Mack The Knife]

Just make sure it is not a mirror finish.

Mack The Knife

Now that's an interesting statement! I would have thought that the smoother the finish the less friction - the better... any reason why you would put in that rider?

Cheers!
Abhijeet

It has to be smooth but not mirror smooth. Reason being that the faint machining marks act as a lube/oil reservoir.

Do not overdo it, lest you need a larger piston washer than is available. I will put up the correct lubing procedure later.

Mack The Knife

[Olly]

Abhijeet,
Yes, any day except Friday (I have to go to teach students at the NGO). I'll call and confirm...

The scope will surely make the rifle meaner... maybe a bit easier on the sights... wonder how much a scope would cost ?? and where it will be available from ??

[Mack The Knife]

Anupam,

Almost any scope you buy in India will cost more than the rifle. Unless you fabricate your own mounts, that is going to be another couple of thousand.

Even if you do get the scope and mounts cheaply and install them properly, there is no guarantee that the scope will survive the airguns peculiar whiplash type recoil. Especially if you stuff a great big spring into the rifle.

Mack The Knife

[eljefe]

Aha, now to get myself a lorry shocker the dia of the air rifle reservoir and design a windlass to cock it and a photographer to picture me picking up the pieces -of the airgun and myself!

[dev]

I think the thin small 4X15 scopes will withstand the light thwack of the IHP in its stock configuration. I know you wrote about a monster spring but a normal air rifle should let the scope function okay.

Regards,

Dev

Anupam,

Almost any scope you buy in India will cost more than the rifle. Unless you fabricate your own mounts, that is going to be another couple of thousand.

Even if you do get the scope and mounts cheaply and install them properly, there is no guarantee that the scope will survive the airguns peculiar whiplash type recoil. Especially if you stuff a great big spring into the rifle.

Mack The Knife

[mundaire]

It has to be smooth but not mirror smooth. Reason being that the faint machining marks act as a lube/oil reservoir.

Do not overdo it, lest you need a larger piston washer than is available. I will put up the correct lubing procedure later.

Mack The Knife

Thanks for the clarification Mack The Knife, it makes sense now!

Look forward to reading your thoughts on the lubing process... there's lots of conflicting advice on the web as to the recommended type of lubes to use...

Abhijeet,
Yes, any day except Friday (I have to go to teach students at the NGO). I'll call and confirm...

The scope will surely make the rifle meaner... maybe a bit easier on the sights... wonder how much a scope would cost ?? and where it will be available from ??

Sure, it'll most probably have to be a weekend anyway - would rather we all meet with our respective air-guns with us and shoot some... try out the accuracy and (in the absence of a chrony), wood penetration tests... sort of establish a "before" benchmark. The idea is to make the IHP a smoother, more accurate shooting gun with (hopefully) some added muscle - but not at the cost of accuracy....

Cheers!
Abhijeet

[shahid]

The very small 4 x 20 mm scopes from Diana or Gamo are available here for DHs. 50 odd or Rs. 600 each, inclusive of mounts.

Danish says one of these is successful on his Diana 36.

If they work nothing like it, although the optics is only fair grade.

However I have my doubts. Iguess these scopes are for cadet grade AIr RIfles only and cannot take the double recoil of magnum air rifles. If you guys wish to experiment with these I do have a couple lying around. You can have them. If you want I'll bring a new one as well.

A particular model. GAMO 3-9 x 32 mm costing Dhs. 270 or Rs. 3240 however is successful on Magnum rifles. It is sitting on my Weirauch HW 80 and shooting all right. I guess this should be the base model for serious AIr RIfle scopes.

I will carry one and leave it with Abhijit in Delhi for the IFG experimentations.

[mundaire]

I will carry one and leave it with Abhijit in Delhi for the IFG experimentations.

That's a very generous offer Shahid!

Cheers!
Abhijeet

[shahid]

Not at all. Anything for you guys. Remember I am making serious efforts to make IFG popular to all Indian friends I know who own any kind of Gun and would like to indulge in shooting sports. Had I been in India I would have supported you all more.

The efforts and time you all put in, in dismantling Diana 25 and Naitional 25, photographing them, sharing info counts a lot.

I will get a Gamo scope and some Diana 4 x 20 scopes for you all to experiment. ANd while in Delhi some good plinking sessions can be held at my farmhouse in Sohna, with one of your AIr RIfles with a zeroed in telescope.

Sohna is a lovely place. There's also a swimming pool and a grass tennis court in this farmhouse. We can have plenty of fun in Delhi this time.

[mundaire]

ANd while in Delhi some good plinking sessions can be held at my farmhouse in Sohna, with one of your AIr RIfles with a zeroed in telescope.

Sohna is a lovely place. There's also a swimming pool and a grass tennis court in this farmhouse. We can have plenty of fun in Delhi this time.

I'll bring the beers!

Cheers!
Abhijeet