Barrel, feed tube and spring feed materials. Where to buy

[James_Blond]

I’ve long been kicking around the idea of converting my pmi1 to a flat top side tube with a removable spring feed. This is part of my preference for nothing over the top of the barrel. Where would I go about finding said material? I see that McMaster has 3/4od .686 id brass tube in stock. That could work, for a bit more efficiency over the stock barrel if I went the rebarrel route. I have homemade wedgits in my gun right now and they work fine, but a tighter bore seems like a good idea if going to the trouble of redoing the feed anyway. I suppose going much tighter would require a custom bolt and I would like to keep my cooper-T speed demon bolt.

Any help from the brass masters would be appreciated.

[Shaftski]

use .745 ID brass tubing, .875 OD. Available at onlinemetals and other suppliers. Using .745 allows the use of freak inserts for bore matching the top tube.

you can use .815 ID for feed if you want to conserve weight, weighs much less per foot than .745

[James_Blond]

So how would this freak bore option work out? Seems a freak would slide into that with a couple thou to spare but how do you put an internal stop to keep the insert from sliding out the front? Or are you saying to use that just for the insert part and then attach a smaller barrel id to the front of it?

I remember seeing a few freak compatible Sheridans by WALZ and others but how it was done exactly escapes me. Also probably beyond my tools and skills at this point.

[JeeperCreeper]

You need that tubing Shafski mentioned, and the .75od/.686ID tubing. The smaller tubing is used to make the breech section, and a retainer tip for the insert to keep it in the barrel. The Freak inserts fit the .745ID tubing way better than the feed tube method. Look in my brass thread and you will see what I'm talking about for the retainer

[Shaftski]

another option is use .745 ID tube for whole top tube. sheridan bolts slip into freak inserts perfectly, easy way to convert a pgp bolt to a centerfire .745 bolt. use an old bigger insert and cut to length and drill hole for lug and transfer port.

[JeeperCreeper]

Where are you finding .745 bolts?

[Shaftski]

pgp bolts fit inside of freak inserts. all the way down to around .684. drill hole for hammer lug and transfer port , slide insert over bolt, install lug, voila .745 diameter center fire PGP bolt

[Alexndl]

A lot of info can be found here

https://www.mcarterbrown.com/forum/paintball-news-aa/the-armory/sheridan/25423-how-walz-gets-freaky

[markdem]

Springs can be bent from music wire. You can find this stuff on amazon. Its by the "precision brand". I used the .020" stuff for my spring feed. Its just strong enough to keep paintballs moving horizontally, but a little weak to lift paintballs vertically.

stick a 1/4" rod into a hand drill and start twisting the wire around it - coils touching, not spaced apart. Then stretch the coil out to the length you desire

[James_Blond]

1/4” rod and it came out that big of diameter?

[markdem]

Ya. It springs back quite a bit

[Shaftski]

here's a visual for a pgp bolt to .745 conversion

[spydrmn]

Find a brass supplier. You may have to make a minimum purchase. In which case selling it off shouldn't be an issue.

[James_Blond]

Appreciate the responses guys, got a lot to look into. I recently acquired a number of old Sheridans, probably going keep 1 or 2 for project fodder and sell the rest to fund my various projects. so keep your eyes open for some p-12s and pmi-1 df over the next week or so.

[un2xs]

Were these the Denver CL Sheridans?

[James_Blond]

un2xs
Indeed they are.