My stubby powertube

[wthomas333]

I just picked up another Traccer and it came with the powertube attached to the bolt and just a short stub sticking out of the valve. I also encountered this with the old Armson pumps I bought a couple years ago.
From my understanding, at least with the Armson ones, the version with the powertube and bolt connected is the older more out of date version and the powertube on the valve like we are used to seeing is the more up to date version.
Are there any other guns that did this?

[Chappy]

The top one is the more modern trracer, only early models had a standard Nelson style power tube. Also your newer model should have the spring detent under the breech.

[wthomas333]

I don’t recall a spring detent being there when I rebuilt it. When I get back in town I will have to take another look and see if it is supposed to have one. Is the spring captured in there somehow or does it just fall out when you take the gun apart?

[Chappy]

There is a moth across the bottom of the front of the breach, it’s thicker on the od than the id. You take the frame off and there should be a spring laying under there. It protrudes into the id but the bolt pushes it down. So when the bolt is open it helps prevent double feeds. I thought all the stubby tube models have them but maybe not. Or maybe someone put newer internals in an older trracer. I don’t have one anymore so I can’t take pics. I think trracers were the only nelsons to have them.

[XEMON]

Also your newer model should have the spring detent under the breech.

this is the detent Chappy is talking about.
(Sorry for the grime 🤢, grabbed the first tracer in the project pile ...)

From the feed side:


From the breach:


And from the underside (frame removed):

[autococker04]

Gotta admit, I was a little reluctant to click a link discussing stubby power tubes.