Air strippers, do they work?

zx6fighter

zx6fighter

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Recently watched one of @Tillygti6 videos on the air stripper on his xti 50, where he was doing some testing.
It looked interesting, and I wondered whether it would work on my hft 500.
Rowan engineering do an adjustable air strip for the hft500, but I'd rather try and knock something up myself before paying out good money.
So out to the shed I went, and this is what I came up with.
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By the time I got it finished all the neighbours were home and being Friday evening and the hft500 being pretty loud, I had to resort to testing it in the workshop, so I only had 10 meters.
Started with the cone 1.5 millimeters from the end of the barrel and worked my way up in .5 increments.
All 5 shot groups
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Pretty difficult to tell much at 10 meters but from my initial basic testing it would appear that 4 mm looks to be about best, using barracuda FT's, I'm guessing it's going to be different with pellets that are either shorter or taller.
Hopefully, tomorrow I'll get it out to 25 yards and see what happens.
 
bill57 said:
Question I have is, if air strippers work, how can guns without them shoot accurately?
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The HFT500 is very accurate with the factory air stripper removed.
I'm just chasing fractions here 👍

And I wanted to see if I could make one that will actually work 🙂
 
Tempest85 said:
I understand moderators and I understand flash eliminators on military rifles but what exactly is an air stripper supposed to do on an air rifle?
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From what I understand, and I'm no expert, you have unstable air in front and behind the pellet as it travels up and out of the barrel, the idea of the stripper is for the cone to strip as much of this unstable air away from the pellet.
Hopefully the testing will prove or disprove this.
Can't wait to try it tomorrow out at 25 yards.
 
adjustable strippers can make a difference on some, every gun / barrel / pellet etc varies.
a muzzle brake is different, although some share crossover similarities - air arms ftp900 for example

test at greater than 10 meters would be required though
 
I always thought it was hocus pocus, until I bought a known good batch of 2016 JSBs that the XTi went 'oh hell no' and turned into the veritable shotgun at 55yds, an hour later with messing around with the stripper and groups were back to where I would expect.
One day I will understand the wizardry behind all this Homer face palm
 
IainB said:
I always thought it was hocus pocus, until I bought a known good batch of 2016 JSBs that the XTi went 'oh hell no' and turned into the veritable shotgun at 55yds, an hour later with messing around with the stripper and groups were back to where I would expect.
One day I will understand the wizardry behind all this Homer face palm
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what did you set the stripper at, mine is 2nd big line in from muzzle
 
Chatgpt
An air stripper on an air rifle is a device designed to improve the accuracy and consistency of the shots fired from the rifle. It works by managing the airflow and reducing the turbulence caused when the pellet exits the barrel. Here’s a detailed explanation of how it functions:

Components and Placement​

  • Air Stripper: Typically, a metal or plastic device that attaches to the muzzle of the air rifle.
  • Barrel: The main tube through which the pellet travels before exiting the rifle.

Working Principle​

  1. Pellet Exit and Air Expansion:
    • As the pellet is propelled down the barrel by compressed air, it is followed by a burst of high-pressure air.
    • When the pellet exits the barrel, this burst of air can create turbulence and instability, which can affect the pellet's trajectory.
  2. Separation of Pellet and Air:
    • The air stripper has a specially designed internal chamber and ports that direct the high-pressure air away from the pellet.
    • As the pellet exits the barrel and enters the air stripper, the air is diverted through the ports, allowing the pellet to continue its path with minimal disturbance.
  3. Reduction of Turbulence:
    • By redirecting the turbulent air away from the pellet, the air stripper ensures that the pellet experiences a smoother exit from the barrel.
    • This reduces the wobbling or spiraling effect that can occur due to the turbulent air, thus enhancing the accuracy of the shot.

Benefits​

  • Improved Accuracy: By minimizing the air turbulence around the pellet as it exits the barrel, the pellet's trajectory is more stable and predictable.
  • Consistency: Shots are more consistent in terms of their flight path and impact point.
  • Enhanced Range: A more stable pellet trajectory can also lead to an increased effective range of the air rifle.

Design Variations​

  • Port Design: The number, size, and placement of the ports can vary, affecting how the air is diverted.
  • Internal Geometry: The shape and length of the internal chamber within the air stripper can also be designed differently to optimize performance for specific rifles or shooting conditions.

Summary​

An air stripper works by redirecting the turbulent high-pressure air that follows a pellet out of the barrel, thus allowing the pellet to travel with greater stability and accuracy. It is a crucial component for precision shooting, especially in competitive and long-range air rifle shooting.
 
there is also a column of high pressure air in front of the pellet as it traverses the barrel
 
doc said:
there is also a column of high pressure air in front of the pellet as it traverses the barrel
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I did ask if it also affects the air in front of the pellet , I wont post it all , just the summary .

Summary​

The air stripper is designed to manage the air turbulence following the pellet, not the air in front of it. Its primary benefit is to stabilize the pellet by reducing the destabilizing effects of the high-pressure trailing air. While the air in front of the pellet does affect its flight, this is typically managed by the pellet's design and the barrel's characteristics, rather than the air stripper.
 
I’ve thought about this a few times, I haven’t looked intro shrouds or the internals of them, so can’t comment if this idea already exists.

It would be a shroud, with the air stripper been the middle point. A silencer after the stripper, before the stripper inside the barrel area of the shroud. Baffle area with different degrees of density to catch sound waves, with holes at the end for any air.
If I’m been a complete div, and shrouds works this way, don’t shoot me.
 
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