2 replies to this topic

[thedap]

I've had this thing sitting around forever, but never tried to mod it at all.

I did a search but found almost nothing.

this link shows what it looks like
http://www.dicksspor...?productId=8917

mine is very old, its black instead of any color.
has anyone done any mods and met with success?

I tried shooting regular nerf darts out of it and a couple of shots flew fine, with about the range of a stock maverick. usually the darts flip up and tumble in the air.

I know I have some spring steel at work, to beef up the spring. should make it throw alot harder.
the only idea I had is to make a barrel of sorts, a piece of pvc pipe with slots cut down the sides lengthwise, for the string to travel in. should help make the darts fly better.
the rear would be open but the front few inches could be left uncut to hold it all together. the rear could either end at the rear sight and I would muzzle load it, or I could end it a few inches short of the sight (or remove it) and breech load it.

well I took it to work and found some aluminum tubing to make a barrel from. its bigger than the dart but not a problem since it doesnt need a seal to fire well.



I slotted it and screwed it down at the back, where the rear sight used to be.
it still shoots fairly accurate, but the power is weak, not quite 30 feet.
I put some rubberbands around the bow and the string, pretty much like adding them to a springer.
one on either side didnt help much but two to a side did.
they pull the string so hard, they tend to slide away from the frame and make the string zigzag.
I think when the string releases, that extra snap in the string as it tries to go straight again adds alot of power. it hits 40 feet when it works.
trouble is it shoots so hard, the string pushes around the butt of the dart and passes it by.
then the dart is behind the string and I have to unbolt the barrel to remove the dart!

I jammed a piece of packing foam (similar to what the dart is made of) in the rear of the dart, it makes the back slightly fatter around and it keeps it from folding when the string slams into it.

as a side note, I tried the darts in my tommy 20 and they still worked fine, plus they dont fall out when you tip the barrel down! I may do it to all those darts.

while I was rooting around the shop I found a full reel of styrofoam door seal! must be 200 feet of the stuff!
trouble is its like 3/4 diameter. feh.
as a test, I cut a 3 inch piece of it and stuck the rubber cap that was on the aluminum tube I used, over the foam to act as the front weight.
I made two and they both shot from the crossbow as well as the original hard darts.
the tips were still too light and they tended to curve like wiffleballs though, I need to try adding a few BBs and see how they do.

Edited by thedap, 30 August 2008 - 06:02 PM.

[Norther of Heaven]

It uses a draw string, i'd try just replacing that with something stronger.

As for the barrel you could cut long holes in the sides of whatever you plan to use as a barrel so the string can travel down it as much as possible.
EDIT: Yeah, what you said sounds like a step in the right direction.

Edited by Norther_of_Heaven, 30 August 2008 - 02:57 PM.

[BlackFox]

I did something like this a while back.

I was gonna say you should make the barrel a plunger tube instead, but it's different with a crossbow. I took a junior compound bow and stuck an arrow on the end and turned the arrow into a massive plunger rod. I added a coupler and barrel and the thing is a beast. But it's different for that crossbow... The arrows are only a few inches long.

If you're interested, you could measure the draw of the bowstring and attach a wooden dowell that length onto the end. Put a plunger tube and coupler on that and I guarantee your ranges will skyrocket

...Thus ends my massive hijack. Sorry 'bout that, but I hope it helps...