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What do different barrel hangers do ?

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4.9K views 24 replies 14 participants last post by  Truettsdad  
#1 ·
I have not patterned my K80 but have made myself a promise I will do so in the next week. What do the different numbered barrel hangers do ? I currently have a #4 on the barrels. Am I correct the hanger only regulates the POI of the top barrel ?
TIA
 
#7 ·
There is no set rule as to where the hangers make the barrels shoot. On one K80 barrel I needed a 5 muzzle hanger to get both the top and bottom barrels shooting at the same POI. On another barrel, I needed a 7 hanger to get both barrels to shoot the same POI. You have to pattern your barrel to find out.

Also note with the K80 the mid-hanger can also affect where the barrels pattern. The mid-hanger has teeth that grip the barrel when the screw is tightened, so it can be set to pull the barrels together or push them apart. So if the barrels are squeezed together or pushed apart before tightening the mid hanger it can make a difference of several inches in where the barrels pattern. I think ideally, the mid hanger should be tightened in a "relaxed" state after the muzzle hanger has been changed.
 
#9 · (Edited)
Ok color me ignorant. What is a barrel hanger? I’m certainly not ashamed because I’m not familiar with a term!
Image


On some of the K80 barrels (and Kolar barrels) the top and bottom barrels are essentially "free floating" in that they are only attached to each other beyond the monoblock by a front and mid-hanger. The top barrel is somewhat more ridged because of the rib. So by changing the thickness of the front hanger you can make the bottom barrel shoot higher (thinner hanger), or lower (thicker hanger). The top barrel is affected less because of the rib, but it does move some also. Kreighoff makes 8 different sizes of front hangers (Kolar has 10 different front hanger sizes and 5 different mid-hanger sizes).

Here is a close-up of a #5 front hanger. The number indicates the thickness. Higher numbers are thicker.
Image


On Kolar barrels you can also change the mid-hanger thickness, which tends to have more effect on the POI of the top barrel. With all the different hanger combinations you can have both barrels shooting low, high, or even different POIs.

Various sized Kolar front and mid-hangers:
Image
 
#10 ·
View attachment 92732

On some of the K80 barrels (and Kolar barrels) the top and bottom barrels are essentially "free floating" in that they are only attached to each other beyond the monoblock by a front and mid-hanger. The top barrel is somewhat more ridged because of the rib. So by changing the thickness of the front hanger you can make the bottom barrel shoot higher (thinner hanger), or lower (thicker hanger). The top barrel is affected less because of the rib, but it does move some also. Kreighoff makes 8 different sizes of front hangers (Kolar has 10 different front hanger sizes and 5 different mid-hanger sizes).

Here is a close-up of a #5 front hanger. The number indicates the thickness. Higher numbers are thicker.
View attachment 92734

On Kolar barrels you can also change the mid-hanger thickness, which tends to have more effect on the POI of the top barrel. With all the different hanger combinations you can have both barrels shooting low, high, or even different POIs.

Various sized Kolar front and mid-hangers:
View attachment 92737
thank you I appreciate the information!
 
#14 ·
I've had to use #4 through #7 on most factory sporter barrels to get both barrels to same POI -- I even had one older barrel where the #9 was not enough to get the bottom down to the same POI as the top barrel, so had to "squeeze" the mid hanger together more by one notch, then a #8 worked. (Most folks aren't aware the mid hanger has "ratchet" grooves for this.)

Added note FWIW: When you go up or down by more than 2 front hanger numbers from factory, it may "push" or "pull" the top barrel slightly away or toward the bottom barrel at the same time it's altering the separation between them, so it also may require a small comb adjustment to get everything back your desired POI...
 
#17 · (Edited)
What is the process for swapping the hanger out? Was it pretty easy?
Easy on a K80 if you have the right punches. I'd recommend buying a set of these:

And a few extra roll pins if you don't have them: Hanger Roll Pin | Krieghoff

Without the right size punches it can be challenging...............I speak from experience. 😕 With the punches it is a piece of cake. Here is the video: