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40mm Rubber Bullet gun VIDEO UPDATE

Posted: Sun May 10, 2009 7:57 pm
by Solar
Video here:

http://s16.photobucket.com/albums/b12/s ... n002-1.flv


This is a modified Eclipse 40mm that is designed to launch rubber bullets and eventually liquid or powder filled 40mm paintballs. It is currently launching 40mm mini tennis balls that are in reality rubber bullets covered in fabric. It fires from an open bolt that closes immediately before the main valve fires. I can reconfigure it to fire from a closed bolt, but that entails the need to empty the barrel after the gun is degassed. A future version will have a receiver made from a block that can handle different size and shape projectiles. The launcher has a lot of extra parts on it such as the side regulator which is used to regulate the trigger pressure down to 300psi and allows the launcher to fire at 600psi. The back and front ASA mounts are also there for other testing and configurations. This is my Experimental rig and will be cleaned up before I show it at Quantico next week.

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And of course the polycarbonate bore sight.

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Posted: Sun May 10, 2009 8:03 pm
by MountainousDew
Ummm, sick!

Damage Pics?!

Video?!

Great Job, Solar! (As always...)

Posted: Sun May 10, 2009 8:07 pm
by Solar
Thanks. Chrono testing and hopefully some videos tomorrow. A few other goodies will be added that I want to show everyone too. (velocity choke and new sight)

Posted: Sun May 10, 2009 8:12 pm
by Ragnarok
Very impressive.

It's not immediately apparent to me how the magazine is held in place. At the same time, I suppose I should ask what exactly the magazine is (I know you've described it as "Sten gun", but that's presumably due to it's orientation), and how many rounds it will hold.

Now, I'm left wondering how does this actually affects the potential rate of fire relative to the rotary magazine. Obviously, it'll save time on changing over magazines, but what I'm more asking is whether this speeds the cycling.

Sorry, if I'm throwing lots of questions. But, as always, once again, you present amazing looking work.

Posted: Sun May 10, 2009 8:37 pm
by daniel323
That is amazing

videos would be great. nice and sleek too 8)

Posted: Sun May 10, 2009 8:40 pm
by Solar
The receiver can rotate to vertical or horizontal. The Magazine will use a bayonet style twisting mount with two pins and an o-ring to give some tension. It will be a tube with a shotgun magazine spring type compression spring(on order). It could also be used with a hopper, similar to a paintball gun(but bigger). Future variations could also be a feed tube magazine that mounts perpendicular with the barrel and feeds the rounds around a corner like a PMI paintgun pistol does. The Cycle rate seems to be the same (2 rounds per second) I will examine that with different size chambers and pressures tomorrow. This is not much different than some golf ball guns I have seen posted here, but I may incorporate the moving bolt and rotating magazine in a future revision. One thing at a time.

Posted: Sun May 10, 2009 8:46 pm
by Ragnarok
Sounds good. Have you had any problems with it jamming, or has it proven reliable so far?

Posted: Sun May 10, 2009 8:56 pm
by Solar
No issues at all. Keep in mind I have only fired about 50 rounds out of it, but I have a case of the mini tennis balls and have gone through and weighed them into categories. 23 gram and 24 gram are the majority categories(90%) then the heavier or lighter ones which are usually visually Frankensteined. The magazine attachment needs to be honed out slightly since the tubing warped slightly when it was welded. The rounds should fall in easily so the spring can be light enough to not interfere with the bolt retracting. I can order a heavier spring, but need to do so in orders of 100. This one seems good so far though. FYI, I got a FedEx qoute of $170.00 for delivery on the 16th if I ship tomorrow. I figured the customs value could be set at $500. I am labeling it as sports equipment for the use in paintball. It will be partially taken apart.

Posted: Sun May 10, 2009 10:20 pm
by Ragnarok
Solar wrote:No issues at all. Keep in mind I have only fired about 50 rounds out of it.
Well, that's certainly a good start. I suppose time will tell if it's all working peachy. In the end though, I suppose that there should be no particular reason for it to jam.
I have a case of the mini tennis balls and have gone through and weighed them into categories. 23 gram and 24 gram are the majority categories(90%)
That sounds a lot like what I've spent quite a number of hours doing with air rifle pellets, although probably for different reasons.

I spent an hour and a bit one day weighing over five hundred pellets into 0.01 gram categories, in an attempt to remove variable mass from the equation as much as possible as far as trajectory was concerned.
Well, actually, it was really less than 0.51g, 0.51g, 0.52g, more than 0.52g categories, because there weren't many outside the middle two categories and I just lumped everything above or below that together into two "general purpose plinking" groups.

Anyway, I'm sure that's not relevant. :roll:
FYI, I got a FedEx quote of $170.00 for delivery on the 16th if I ship tomorrow.
Blimey, it looks like I'll have lots of work to do by the end of the week then... well, more than I've already got.

Posted: Sun May 10, 2009 10:39 pm
by starman
Beautiful work as usual Solar. Would this by any chance accommodate a golf ball? Golf ball is more in the 42 mm zone.

Posted: Sun May 10, 2009 11:36 pm
by jackssmirkingrevenge
:shock:

*pauses to pick up jaw*

Copulating defecating urinating infernal underworld! The finish is absolutely mind-boggling, nevermind what the performance is actually like!

1911 grips are always a nice touch ;)

Let's see it in action :D

Posted: Mon May 11, 2009 4:35 am
by Solar
Here are some pics with the Velocity adjuster lever in view with an Eotek laser holographic site mounted. I cleaned up the lines a bit and added a stock. I will probably replace with a Stabilistock from Palmer-pursuit. There are some disassembled pics of the main valve too. The new black air tube is visible as well.

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Posted: Mon May 11, 2009 4:39 am
by inonickname
Another beutiful gun..

So a pneumatic ram is used to close the breech, and a reg brings pressure down so the trigger is easier to pull? Any ideas on what velocity and prices this thing will be running?

Aesthetics are top notch, can't wait to see how it performs..

Posted: Mon May 11, 2009 4:44 am
by Solar
It makes it easier to pull and also keeps the trigger and pneumatic cylinder that drives the bolt under rated pressures while the main firing piston (shown with the white backing washer and o-ring) is a larger diameter than the main seal piston on the other end of the stainless steel piston rod shown. Thus the regulated pressure only needs to be about half the ballast /firing pressure. Velocity I will know tomorrow. It already is several hundred dollars cheaper to build than the total Eclipse with cam drive and revolver system. Weighs a few pounds lighter as well.

Posted: Mon May 11, 2009 5:44 am
by psycix
You surely know how to use a machine shop properly! Good job!
Now a video would be nice eh?