Sniper II questions:

[thumper]

I got this question from a friend and thought I'de post up for others to gleen front.
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QUESTION : hey man I am struggling to get my sniper 2 to chrono over 175-180....got any suggestions....I have done everything i know to do......

answer

• pressure : you can over pressurize it causing the front valve to be too hard to open -- lowering velocity. Try lowering the pressure. around 350psi w/ Blue Springs is a good starting point.
  
• the main spring (rear one) may be too weak. I generally prefer madd man springs- w/ Blue front and rear. Try a stiffer rear spring.
  
• If it is a 1999 or older body you may have inadequate volume. Adding an expansion knuckle above the reg is an easy test. Ive been known to drill out my old steel 99 guide rods .191" x 1.5" to allow for some additional regulated air to be waiting on the valve to open. Its the same thing as an expansion knuckle - just lighter. Its a bit scarely w/ aluminum given the small diameter banjo hole on the 99 bodies - but Ive had good success drilling out old aluminum WWA 99 guide rods.

[Grendel]

Sweet spotting a Sniper step by step the Grendel way, taken from earlier thread:

This is how I like to set up my guns (assuming you are going for low pressure).

1) get a good low pressure gage

2) get a good USED (this is important) regulator I like Stabilizers, ANS GenX-II, AKA Sidewinder or CP(non-CO2). I like used or well excercised 1000 cycles or more so I'm sure the spring pack has settled in for more consistancey shot to shot. New regs tend to flake out on consistancey at bad times.

3) Multiple different spring rate compression springs for both the main and valve springs. Tuning is trial and error and patience.

4) The lower pressure you want to go the heavier the hammer needs to be. Free Flow Tungsten hammers are great for real low pressures but hard to find. Shocktech also makes a stainless headed brass hammer that is heavey too. Though you can find old brass stock hammers and many different weight "stock" steel hammers to work with too. I pick up loose hammers all the time to have different weights available for different setups.

5) Find a port or add a port to attach you low pressure gage to the output of you regulator.

6) Find the center of your regulators adjustment and adjust your regulator to that point (no air required)

7) pull you main and valve springs and test your collection of springs and place a light weight spring with your valve and a medium weight spring for your main spring (reassemble) and adjust IVG to mid way.

8) adjust your trigger pull/sear break to a comfortable position.

9) make sure everything is assembled ready to put air on the gun.

10) Cock your Sniper (this takes pressure off the valve so it will seat) then air up gun and set regulator to desired pressure ( you will have to dry fire the gun a few times to get good consistant readings. When you air up the gun even cocked you might be leaking air down the barrel/out of valve this is a sign your pressure is too low or valve is damage/dirty or the hammer is not cocked so dry fire a couple of times if it seals you are fine if not you either have to raise you regulator pressure or put in a stiffer (heavier) valve spring.

11) If every thing is at the desired pressure and it is not leaking, dry fire the gun and see if the valve is leaking after being fired and the hammer is forward. If it leaking at this point back out the IVG until it consistantly does not leak with the hammer forward. If you have to back out the IVG most or all the way back go with a lighter main spring.

12) Now that you have the gun aired up and not leaking at you acceptable pressure you get to now chrono the gun. Hopefully your gun will chrono somewhere near a reasonable velocity but if it does not no worry just some more trial and error to get it there. If the velocity is low screw in the IVG until it:

a) obtains the desired velocity with out leaking ( you are essentially
done).
b) the IVG bottoms out or nearly bottoms out. this means you need
a heavier spring and start IVG adjustment again after it is replaced.
If the valves starts leaking with the hammer forward you will also
need to use a heavier valve spring now too (I said it is trial and
error, sometimes more error then trial )

If the velocity is high screw out the IVG until it:

a) obtains the desired velocity with out leaking ( you are essentially
done).
b) the IVG is most or all the way out, this means you need a lighter
main spring and/or you need a heavier valve spring ( but start with
the main spring for quickest results).

This is not as hard as it might sound just take your time have plenty of air on hand and do not get frustrated. You are balancing two springs, air pressure, hammer weight and main spring adjustment to get your gun to work consistantly at your desired pressure. Rearly can you use someone elses setup and get they same results they get since there is such great varience in springs, valves and volume behind the valve, which all play a part in how your gun functions. You do not have to replace your stock valve in a 2K+ Sniper it has sufficient flow rates and consistancy to achieve low but not ultra low pressures. The other mentioned valves do work better but the gain is subjective mostly and the cost is more. That being said my main sniper uses and Rat valve and my backup uses a CCM valve.

I do not recommend you try to set your gun for sub 250 psi. You loose both a lot of efficiency and and shot to shot consistancy. I have actually raised my personal snipers to between 300-350 psi for better consitancy and greater air efficiency under 300 psi you are trading efficiency for marginally quieter gun and below 250 psi few people I've know have great luck. I actually had my gun down to approx. 180 psi and it functioned fine but was a gas hog and the shot to shot consistancy was off.

Sorry so long winded but the questions was asked and though not directly related to the original topic I do feel this can help the original poster in his pursuit. Good luck and if you have any questions by all means just ask.

I'm guessing that if your friend goes through the above step by step his problem will get solved and in the end be set up ready to go

[claydirt]

I would like to know what he has tried so far. It may not take much tweeking to get him up another 100 fps.

[thumper]

Originally Posted by claydirt

I would like to know what he has tried so far. It may not take much tweeking to get him up another 100 fps.

his reg was at 250psi -- that would explain it if the springs are typical

[jojo750]

would have a problem if he was using a LP tank also.

[claydirt]

Originally Posted by thumper

his reg was at 250psi -- that would explain it if the springs are typical

typical = stock?

[Grendel]

Again have him follow the step by step and the problem will go away.

[claydirt]

Originally Posted by Grendel

Again have him follow the step by step and the problem will go away.

I know your ability as an airsmith, I was just curious about the guns setup/internal configuration.

[Grendel]

Without the gun or the guy answering your questions it's like trying to guess when the next pretty girl is going to walk around the corner. Sometimes you are dead on and you get a treat and other times you just want to gouge your eyes out.

[claydirt]

I know, and getting details out of Thumper is like.........well anyway the gun is fixed!!!!LOL