Mag work had been on hold for a few months pending completion of this cut down cap project. I had been reading about custom made valve caps which allow you to manage the pressure in the gun using an ASA mounted HPR. As good as the built in reg is, I couldn't help but think that moving the regulation duties to a more modern reg would be a good thing. I gave 3 mismatched serial or aftermarket valve bodies to a local shop that specializes in stainless steel work, mostly for brewery rigs. I included 3 x 1/8npt stainless weld in bungs, of a type that had the perfect OD to fit into the smoothe part of the regulator bore.
I also gave them a valve front that had a scratch inside the on/off that kept it from sealing properly. This allowed them to mount the assembly in a lathe to cut the rear of the valve body off. After the cut they would weld the bung into the back and I would have a cap with a 1/8npt female for a guage.
It took 3 months for them to finally get to it, but they did. In yet another example of small town livin', they refused payment. I guess my giddy schoolgirl joy was payment enough for them.
I ran home and mounted it on a dusty mag that had been sitting for months awaiting this moment. The reg seal, reg pin, and reg spring had been removed. Within 10 shots, the dial on the guage started rotating internally and the guage broke. Hmmm, I say to myself. I mounted another guage. Within 10 shots that guage started rotating internally, and then the plastic lense cover popped off and the guage jutted out. It appears guages don't like whatever pressure pulse goes on in that area of the gun.
Undaunted by this fully expected and almost assured dose of failure, I put a 1/8npt plug in and sent it. The gun runs great!
I am going to cut the rear of the rail down about 1/4" inside of the back of the cap and call it a day. I need to order 2 more sidewinders and then I can install the other 2 caps. I'm ultra chuffed that this finally came to fruition!
I also gave them a valve front that had a scratch inside the on/off that kept it from sealing properly. This allowed them to mount the assembly in a lathe to cut the rear of the valve body off. After the cut they would weld the bung into the back and I would have a cap with a 1/8npt female for a guage.
It took 3 months for them to finally get to it, but they did. In yet another example of small town livin', they refused payment. I guess my giddy schoolgirl joy was payment enough for them.
I ran home and mounted it on a dusty mag that had been sitting for months awaiting this moment. The reg seal, reg pin, and reg spring had been removed. Within 10 shots, the dial on the guage started rotating internally and the guage broke. Hmmm, I say to myself. I mounted another guage. Within 10 shots that guage started rotating internally, and then the plastic lense cover popped off and the guage jutted out. It appears guages don't like whatever pressure pulse goes on in that area of the gun.
Undaunted by this fully expected and almost assured dose of failure, I put a 1/8npt plug in and sent it. The gun runs great!
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