Untitled Document

Justice System

Page 2

posted 7-4-06

I'm jealous ... look at all this ground for shooting! Kent has his Chief Custice fitted out for medium power 87 caliber slug testing.

A big ole box of "duct seal" provides the "catch" material.

From this angle - doesn't look like alot ...

It's a bit of a hole though ... ;?) Nose is almost to the 4" mark and the wound channel is blown a full one and a half inches in diameter. Kent sliced off the top so we could see.

That was a 717 grain cap slug at medium power I think.

Wanted to add this on this page as well. Those were 5 slugs of 905 grains each from 40 yards. The energy rating on each slug was 676 foot pounds.

6-22-06

Got some pics for you sent in by Kent. He has the Chief Justice 87 and the 32 insert set up for it. Kent's been sick, and just got to feeling up to sending in some data for us. Hope he's feeling better now.

I'm still fighting this latest chest "plague" I caught. Rattling with pills and swimming in cough syrup. I've been hacking around the shop. Even reverted to drinking a bunch of "Tea". ;?)

I told you I had some pics so I've belly crawled across the office floor (pushing the tea cup with my nose) ... dragged the mouse off the desk, and used a mirror on a stick to post these pics for you. Just all in a day's work here at Barnes Pneumatic ... no ... no ... don't thank me ... ;?)

These are 40 yard three shot groups. The earliest test results. You realize, I didn't get to run field tests prior to delivering this gun in Kentucky. Kent has a 32 Barnes casting mold. He decided to cast a few of those designs and just try them. We'll decide which particular one of many Barnes designs this powerful rifle likes. And, we'll decide the exact sizing die for it. For a first "let's try this ...", I'd say we started out pretty well.

The target face was not tight on a backer board, so there's alot of paper tearing. I've marked the exact holes by greatly enlarging the pics in photoshop, circling them, and then reducing them back down.

Hold a quarter up to the screen and you'll see these are still about twice normal size.

Here's Kent's comments via e-mail ...

The ball was sizzling at 1010 FPS, the 72 grain slug was 905 FPS and the 115
grn at 760 FPS. This was at 2500 PSI with the lightest spring and shortest
stroke.

Attached are the four- three shot groups at 40 yards, 2600 PSI, 115 grn
slug, cast and sized the night before.

Take care.

Kent

End Copy ...

So ... you understand that this was the 32 insert turned down about as low as this particular set was tuned for. Customers can tell me - and I'll target their power range they want for the inserts.

As I say - real fine. Doesn't have to get any better. But we've just started fiddling with it. ;?)

Additional comments: For those satisfied with a "work horse" of a product, the Field Justice has all you need for a lifetime of service. The hammer is well made - but it's not the refined multi-sear or friction free versions. The spring and guides are adequate - but not the tuned more efficient version. The billet work is brushed - it's attractive - but it's not polished or anodized or color dyed. The stock is straight grain mahogany for light weight. The steel finish is field adequate.

There is a very distinct line between the Field Justice and the Chief Justice. The original unit is a stout field tool. Made to be tough ... but without the time consuming small details which add efficiency and refinement. The Chief, however; has all of the refinements of normal Barnes models. Most of those seemingly small details, take a significant amount of effort and precise machining to build in.

I'm not going to price out all the fox tails, mirrors, mud flaps, and reflectors which would make the Field Justice version look allllllllmost like the Chief Justice. ;?) Surface preparation will be adequate for a salt blued finish ... but not cosmetically particular. If you are prone to sit and pick at a speck ... you need the refinement of a Chief Justice. There is a wide gulf between the two models. I do not plan to bridge it. However; hammer kits, spring kits, rifled barrel inserts ... all will fit either the Field Justice, or Chief Justice versions. I have also upgraded the base model to a hot salt blued finish.

I'm going to open the ledger to the Justice System base models .... with a price modification. Let me explain why. Many people read this site day and night - and I appreciate it very much. There's a benefit to keeping current and I value those who see me as more than a vending machine. Some take the time to become friends, and take advantage of specials when offered. Others want to wait until absolutely every conceivable product has been prototyped and cross referenced with everything which has gone before. That's fine. But, if you wait long enough, you usually miss the boat.

About six months ago, I introduced the Justice 87 as an Off-Ledger model for one time sales of $2,000 per copy ... (when one became available at an unscheduled time). A group of regular readers signed up. They saw the opportunity and they got a break. That list will be honored, and they've just made a nice chunk of change without spending a dime to date.

That's alot of work for an introductory model. There's no point in accepting more for that price. Ledger items, as you know, involve monthly no-interest payments. Payments run a couple of dollars a day. You can imagine how much you could do with an additional two or three dollars a day. I can't offer the same cost structure for the ledger format.

I'm still cleaning up the backlog. You've been coming along and seeing the work done for that effort. We paused for Kentucky - we resume now. The ledger registers future work. Some folks keep a permanent spot or two there - usually staggered so a delivery is occasionally approaching for them. Perhaps you can appreciate their system. They figure they can spare another two or three dollars a day in order to be locked into two or three ledger spots that are coming due... each year ... rather than at three year cycles. I'd also like to remind readers, that some have kept an older order alive on the books, while accepting delivery of a newer model which did not exist at the time of the first order. Technically then, the first order may seem late ... but ... keep perspective; a custom gun was delivered. And the older order rebooked.

What's being added to the ledger now, has no effect upon the existing works in progress. This is for the convenience of customers desiring to plan future projects. There are numbers of folks who are quite satisfied with their Barnes products and experience. They order, re-order, and purchase from the secondary market where they find units available.

I know there were at least 11 Barnes guns at our Memorial Day Cup shoot last weekend. Those attending had the opportunity to shoot them all. Had the opportunity to ask whatever they wished. Had the opportunity to privately talk to other owners of Barnes rifles and pistols. Had the opportunity to buy and resell if they so desired.

Let me show you some of the testing we did Monday morning (Memorial Day) with the original 87 Field Justice. We had a variety of slugs to test. From 383, to 482, to 500, to 905 grains. Great fun. Jay was kind enough to make his original unit available for testing.

I shot the Chief Justice with a 32 caliber insert quite alot during the weekend. I gathered some data. Tried various slugs and power bands. Then turned the unit over to a regular ledger customer who requested it in place of his next rotating ledger spot. We'll be seeing test data from Mississippi. (posted above on 6-22-06). This also explains why I do not have the usual photo layout of the Chief. What I have here were late night snap shots taken quickly the night before I left at 3am for Kentucky.

At any rate ... let's see what we did with Jay's Field Justice Monday morning.

Take note of the two gallon jugs of water sitting out 45-50 yards from the bench. Note the highlighted oval and the red line pointing to a clean area of the cardboard backer in line with the jugs. No hole there yet. We found that the 482 grain slug had a sweet spot where it grouped best. Too much power actually deformed the complex slug during firing. Even turned down ... it had devastating energy.

OK ... notice there's a hole there now at the end of the red line. But look at the water jugs. They are just STARTING to react. The bullet imparted it's shock energy and moved on. Much faster than the water could react. You'd tend to think the bullet was just entering the second jug from the picture. But the bullet hole tells a different story.

How many would have thought this true? Testing and then studying the photographic record yields interesting data.

The reaction is still building here. But the bullet is long gone now.

Reacting yet more. The bullet is ancient history by now ... but the energy imparted to the water jugs is still tearing them to shreds.

Note the polyethylene jug is "ripped" apart. The slug didn't do that. The slug punched a clean hole in and out. During the microsecond it was within the water mass inside the jug, it imparted such energy that ... long after (relatively speaking) the slug was gone, the water itself expanded with such fury as to simply rip the plastic apart. Even though the top of the jug spouted water ... it was not enough of a relief valve.

This is one of the things we do with the Justice 87 that you can't do with more normal airguns.

It's a smile maker.

`;?)

OK ... now that you have that background, here's the Justice System Pricing Page.