Rick Lake regulator extension

[maestro]

(Text and photos by Rick Lake)

Gun Assy.jpg photo shows how the pieces go together. The barrel is lapped to fit in the top of the block and is held in place with 6 set screws. Two of the set screws are shown in the picture. The opposite side has two in the same location plus there is two in the top. The barrel has 3 inches of contact passing through the block and is a very tight fit, no movement from side to side or top to bottom. This set up allows the barrel to be moved back and forth to adjust the pressure applied to the o-ring when the receiver is shut.

The regulator is moved forward 1.5 inches, making a secondary chamber after the regulator of .85 cubic inches. The idea was to use this volume for the shot and not to have the regulator open during a shot. Remember that in America we shoot at 20 lbs-ft. That requires a large volume of air.

Below the regulator is an extension so the spring that returns the cocking device is not over extended because of the 1.5" addition.

As you can see the increments on the pressure gage are not very fine. I basically use the gage as a way of checking for leaks and setting up for the initial pressure settings. 10 -20 psi changes are hard to detect because of the small gage and increment range.

Block Front and Block Rear.jpg photos show the front where the regulator mounts and the rear shows where the valve parts fit. You can also see the dovetail mount that is machined on the block. All factory pieces bolt on to the block. The block is basically just taking what FWB made as multiple pieces and making them as one piece, plus added chamber volume. This seems to have made the point of impact issues go away for the US shooters. It has a very solid center section to the gun.

Sock Relief and Gage Radius.jpg photos show the modifications to the stock to get it to go together. The relief inside the stock allows the cocking device to move forward the extra 1.5" that the regulator has been moved forward. The existing spring mount on the factory has to be removed also. It will hit the bottom of the stock if not. The new extension piece gives the spring a new
mounting point. That is the piece shown under the regulator on the Gun Assy photo.