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FAQ |
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Frequently Asked Questions:
Any chance of reducing the cost? The production of a Quigley rifle is a very labor intensive endeavor. Except for the scope, the entire gun is hand-machined. Even the German Lothar-Walther barrel blank requires detailed work to fit precisely into the system. Recently Nibecker ARMS has entered into a production agreement with a quality machine shop to produce the metalwork. Currently the woodwork is fully completed by Nibecker ARMS. The final assembly and testing of each gun is also completed by Nibecker ARMS. In the future if a large manufacturer adapts my power-plant into existing pre-charged or multi-stroke guns, then the advantages of the new power plant could be made available at a lower cost. [Top]Can the power plant be designed to be fully charged with just one or two pump strokes? Yes. This is pretty easy to accomplish and results in a gun that is highly efficient. For example, my second gun was modified for this operating point. Two pump strokes resulted in consistent power outputs exceeding 13.5 ft-lbs. In comparison, a newer Benjamin .22 caliber air rifle exhibits about 12 ft-lbs with 10 pump strokes. I have tremendous respect for Benjamin air rifles, having had one for over 40 years. I hope my own guns will be able to hold up as well as the classic Benjamin. Still, the gun’s primary purpose at this point is as a hunting air rifle. As such, the new power plant is best applied toward achieving the highest power output within a reasonable amount of effort expended. This appears to be around the 31-38 ft-lb category. [Top]Will your air rifle really meet the criteria you’ve set? Each air rifle sold will be fully tested for both power output and accuracy. As these are custom guns of very limited production, each gun will be assembled and tested by the firm owner – Al Nibecker. I am aware of the claims made by the air gun industry. Spring guns especially may be grossly overrated without resorting to ‘dieseling’: The requirement to ignite a portion of lubricant in the firing chamber to achieve the advertised power output. A major manufacturer of air rifles told me that they routinely overrate their guns by 10-15% to reduce their liability: No one may litigate based on the gun being more powerful than was advertised. My air rifles are precision machines. They get better with time. And they will meet the advertised performance criteria. As is typical with many air rifles, my guns require a few (about 3) shots to stabilize the power plant when the gun has not been used for a time. [Top]What normal maintenance does the air rifle require? About every 50 - 100 shots, the pumping plant piston requires about 2 - 4 drops of 50 - 30 weight silicone oil. A few drops of a light machine oil should be applied to the bolt and firing hammer occasionally. The Viton O-rings have Teflon back-up rings installed at the pumping piston and differential piston. These appear to hold up extremely well and I have not had to replace a seal with many thousands of shots. The barrel needs to be cleaned about every 200 - 300 shots to maintain accuracy. We recommend using Beeman .22 Quick Cleaning Pellets to clean the barrel. [Top]How difficult is the air rifle to charge? For a first-time user, there may be a ‘learning curve’. Although the pumping force is not high (16 - 28lbs depending on the gun’s power setting), the pump stroke is relatively long: the pump handle length varies during the pumping cycle between a maximum of about 26” to a minimum of about 20”. Additionally, the pump handle travels in an arc of about 102 degrees between the fully open and fully closed position. When a large scope is added, some experience is required to comfortably charge the air rifle. Two methods are recommended:
This air rifle does not pump like a typical multi-stroke pneumatic. Because you are pumping against an established air-spring, the pump strokes do not become progressively more difficult and each pump stroke delivers about the same amount of energy to the gun. Also, unlike most multi-stroke pneumatic air rifles, the pump handle should not be fully closed on each pump stroke. The pump stroke is fully complete and is stopped when the pump handle is about 1-1/2” above the fully closed position. This allows your hand to maintain your grip on the pumping handle and keeps the pumping handle from being forced against the upper receiver with each pump stroke. [Top]Why not license your invention to a reputable manufacturer? The air rifle’s introduction to the industry has been an interesting experience. Many years ago Tom Gaylord, the former editor of Air Gun Illustrated, once told me that he had received numerous calls from people who claimed to have invented a unique power plant. None of them ever proved truthful. Fortunately, Tom was kind enough to spend some time reviewing my work, which resulted in a number of complimentary articles in his magazine. Before this, my work was not taken seriously. When the articles in Air Gun Illustrated appeared I was able to visit a number of the larger American manufacturers. America’s larger manufacturers make most of their capital producing thousands of inexpensive air rifles each day, primarily for stores such as Wal Mart. Interestingly, a European manufacturer had a very different outlook, which closely mirrored my own desire for the air rifle. I was invited to visit his country following their marketing and patent study but time has passed and I’ve taken the course of keeping the air rifle production in the U.S. As the power plant is adaptable to most pneumatic machinery that uses the action of a compressed gas to derive power, I patented the power plant outside the exclusive use in air rifles. Currently, the system holds two US patents with another US patent and a European Common Market patent in the process. [Top]Trigger Pull? The trigger seal will break given about 2.5 to 3.5 lbs of pressure. We will not adjust the trigger pull to be less than this amount due to safety concerns. If you prefer a heavier pull we are certainly able to make adjustments without difficulty. [Top]Can I order a rifle with iron sights? Yes. [Top]Can you ship outside the USA? Many countries have enacted laws banning powerful air rifles and in some cases an individual must obtain certain licenses to own a Quigley. Before we ship outside of the USA we must verify that the country of origin does not have any restrictions. If you are a dealer or a distributor of air rifles we would be happy to work with you to bring our rifles into your country. [Top]Is every part of your rifle made in the USA? Our air rifles are machined and assembled in the USA. The barrels are produced by Loather Walther Germany and are the highest quality barrels we have found to date. Each must be cut and machined to fit into the barrel housing of a Quigley. [Top]What options do I have concerning wood? By default we use native Hawaiian koa for both the stock and forearm grip. By request we will use walnut. A client may also choose to send us a unique piece of wood from their country from which we will carve the necessary pieces. We purchase our koa from local wood workers on the big island of Hawaii and usually find that finished it is somewhat lighter in color then walnut with comparable strength. Density of the wood may cause the weight each gun to vary. Over the course of a couple of days Watco Teak Oil is applied and reapplied after light sanding. As a final step to seal the wood a thin layer of wax is buffed on. The finished product should be impregnable to water and well prepared for any climate changes. [Top]Are you working on any other types of guns? We are working on a .177 caliber air rifled called the ‘Joshua.’ We have finished the plans and are hoping to start construction of the prototypes soon. This will be a smaller, simpler and less powerful gun then the Quigley. By default this gun will have iron sights and should take about 2-3 pumps to fully charge. The Quigley series of air rifles is a reflection of our dreams, to build a powerful self-contained hunting rifle. The Joshua rifle will be an example of the efficiency of our power plant. Where a normal self contained rifle would take about 10 pumps to fully charge the Joshua should only need 2-3 to obtain equal or greater results. [Top]What if something happens to the rifle during shipment? Each rifle is insured during shipment. If the rifle should arrive with a defect contact Nibecker ARMS for a return shipping label and we will work to get you a new rifle or fix your rifle as soon as possible. [Top]I know I am not supposed to disassemble the rifle but I will anyway! Before receiving a Quigley each client signs a liability statement which confirms they have read and understood the operating manual. In the manual we explicitly state that the rifle should not be disassembled by anyone without proper training. In the near future we plan on releasing a detailed shop manual for the Quigley V (most like though this web site). The purpose of this manual is to provide a safe understanding of the mechanics of the rifle should you choose to tinker with it. [Top]Where can I see a Quigley V? If you are visiting Central California or the Big Island Hawaii we can arrange a meeting so that you may have some hands on experience. [Top]How do I know when the rifle is fully charged? There is a small gauge on the underside of the forearm grip. Understanding of this gauge is vital before attempting to operate the air rifles. By far the most common issue is overcharging of the rifle. A few pumps over the limit will not hurt anything but if the rifle is extremely overcharged damage will occur and the rifle will have to be sent back to Nibecker ARMS. The following are two pictures of the gauge. [Top]Can I get a left handed stock? We are working with a professional wood shop to get a mirror image of our right handed stock. If you are left handed notify us of this when you order a rifle and we will contact you when stocks are available. [Top]How can I calculate the power (fpe) of my airgun? Mass (in grains) multiplied by the velocity (in feet-per-second) squared, divided by 450240 (gravitational constant). The following form will calculate this for you. [Top]Can you tune my gun to be even more powerful? The Quigley V is built and tuned for a specific power range. The safety factor of all metals has been calculated taken into account throughout the entire development process. Increasing the power is a trivial process but the result would be more pumps and the possibility of exceeding the yield point in some of the metal. For fun we have taken the power of some of our guns up and while they are fun to shoot the number of pumps required for a full charge went from 9 to 12. Our old guns had a 2-3 inch longer barrel which helped substantially to increase performance since it allowed the pellet to accelerate for a greater distance. We are no longer able to order the longer barrels and so for the Quigley V we had to make a number of adjustments in order to achieve the power of our best original guns. We have also moved to a smaller pump tube in our new guns which has made for a slightly easier pump stroke. Over pumping a Quigley will not increase the power. If over pumped accuracy and power may decrease. [Top] |
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