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Eric custom/gold team V8 vs V12 - tanfoglio open guns


BeerBaron

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Hi Guys,

I'm looking to add a tanfoglio open gun to the stable for open division in IPSC.

I'm torn between the 07 eric custom V8 or the 2010 eric custom V12.

For those that don't know they run like this:

the older model has 8 ports in the barrel and a 3 chamber compensator. it's also got a slightly longer dust cover and slide/barrel.

the newer model is the same 8 ports in the barrel but a further 4 right at the start of the comp (to make a total of 12 holes in the V) and a tiny little 2 chamber comp on the end.

I love everything about the tanfogs, but the drastic popple holes and small comps is doing my head in.

for example. a friend here loads in 38 super for his 2011 (limcat). that round makes 180pf in that gun. In a eric custom V12 it makes only 168pf! so obviously those ports bleed off a lot of gas.

opinion between the V8 and V12 is pretty divided. some think the extra 4 holes in the 12 rob the comp of so much gas as to make it useless as anything other than a muzzle weight. compounding the problem is the V8 is a little longer and heavier so naturally does soak up some recoil.

it's a known fact that to achieve the same velocity in a V12 you need more powder over a V8, so no wonder it feels a little 'snappy'.

What I've noticed is both V8 and V12 have the same barrel ports. the V12 just has a different comp which has the extra 4 popple holes.

I wonder is it possible to replace the comp on a V12 with the V8 comp and effectively have a V8? I'm not sure if the last 4 holes in the V12 are in the barrel too? if so putting on a V8 comp would blank them. Would that create any problem?

I quite like the idea of a gun that is not too heavy. If I bought a V8 I'd probably be cutting back the dustcover (like eric's gun) and cut up the guiderod channel in the slide (also like Erics gun) to lighten it up a bit.

I guess what I really want is the V12 length dustcover with possibly a V8 top end?

to compound things further there is a really old V8 for sale here which has an extra hole just before the first chamber of the comp, plus another hole on each side of the comp. So it's still 3 chamber comp, but with 3 extra holes in it. Anyone have experience with that one? are those holes basically useless and hence were dropped by tanfoglio?

I guess I'm after some feedback, especially from guys who have shot both (I have shot both V8 and V12, but using different ammo so a direct comparison is not really possible).

This is a pic of eric's gun.

notice dust cover cut right back. notice extra hole in the middle of the comp....

Eric-Short_V12.jpg

another one modified like eric's, looks really cool:

post-50660-0-36849600-1405405832_thumb.j

a look at the top of a stock V12.

EAAGOLDtop.jpg

here's another interesting one with a different comp:

http://t2.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcRMFxU88VLKFbHEZAH3gUn62D3KTa0OTcfp-n8JHiMG0fFAYjbB

here you can see the difference in the 2 compensators. top one is V12 (has the extra 4 ports to make 12 in the comp), bottom one is V8 with a bigger first chamber in the comp.

pr25.jpg

This is what the really old gold custom looks like. notice on the compensator is has 2 extra holes each side. one quite big into the first chamber, one smaller into the 3rd chamber. it also has the extra hole on top just before the first chamber. it's got the 8 ports in the barrel, the normal V8 3 chamber comp but with these extra holes. I wonder if this might be the better set-up even though it was dropped in around 2004/5?

post-50660-0-11229500-1405404669_thumb.j

post-50660-0-38406800-1405404752_thumb.j

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I love everything about the tanfogs, but the drastic popple holes and small comps is doing my head in.

pr25.jpg

Baron,

Take a good look at these comps, what do you see? I see 1990 comp designs. They're small and inefficient which is why Tangoflio kept drilling holes in the barrel to compensate (pun intended). I have shot both these comps and they leave much to be desired; besides that, with 8, 9, 12 or 13 holes in the barrel not only do you waste powder/velocity forcing you to bump the load into slide cracking, lug shearing pressure, it's a violent explosion happening two feet from your face :surprise:

You're already talking about swapping comps, milling slides and cutting dust covers, so here is my advice: buy a Limited Pro or Stock II (anything with a competition frame really) and have something custom built. :sight:

In the end I think you'll come out money ahead and be happier with the result.

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yep, good point. typically they are 3 or 4 chamber comps with some side holes and mostly with zero barrel ports. those that do have barrel ports seem to hardly ever have them in a V but rather somewhere between 2 and 4 holes straight in a line on the top of the barrel.

I was hoping you would chime in :)

so, my friend. let's say I bought a V12.

Would it be possible to take off the comp (I assume the tanfo comps are threaded?) put on the V8 comp (which effectively removes 4 popple holes) and then drill side holes in it?

or do I just need to stick with the big banging lunacy of the V12?

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When the V12s first came out they had a very nasty and consistent habit of shearing the lugs off, sometimes in as few as 500 rounds. Tanfo did a redesign, a major part of which was reducing the weight of the comp. They replaced most of the top ends of the first batch under warranty. Not quickly, but it was done. I would not be inclined to put the old style comp on the V12. I think you are asking for trouble. I would either pick a V8 or V12. Lots of guys preferred the V8 when the V12 came out.

I had both and while they have their attributes they were (particularly the V12) the loudest, most concussive pistols I have ever shot by a substantial margin.

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thanks for that info. I have done some old forum trawling around the time the V12 came out and saw the posts about the V12 problems. I never saw any posts explaining what the fix was though, so I appreciate you sharing that. I can see on the later V12's the side of the comp is kind of sculpted inwards which would reduce it's weight. makes sense. with such a violent load there would be issues on the lugs. I also heard perhaps poor barrel fit contributed to those early problems.

So having had both the V8 and V12 which did you think shot best? and was there really much between them? they are both pretty heavy with ports after all!

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ahh, I missed your first post John,

Yes, they do look like old comp designs and you're right they just keep putting more holes in the thing!

Perhaps you are right, buy a limited custom (it's the best bet here, only $200 more than a stock II, but comes with magwell, drilled and tapped frame for optic, cut up slide etc). and then get a compensator made for it, buy a optic mount and cmore and shoot it. the eric custom is $3500 here and the limited custom $2300 so I'd have $1200 to play with to cover optic, mount, comp.

the issue is that custom gunsmithing here is no where near as big as it is in the US. and tanfoglio gunsmithing is smaller again. maybe I just need to do what everyone else does and buy a trubor or other 2011?!?

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I preferred the V8 of the two although I only was able to shoot the V12 about 5-600 rounds before the lugs started rolling and I quit using it so can't say that I got accustomed to it. I actually got EAA to refund my purchase after waiting 7 months for a replacement upper and went to the S_I platform.

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hmm, I'm going to give it a go. I'm actually thinking of doing something stupid and buying both a V8 and a V12, shoot them both and then keep the one I like the most. :)

thanks for the help. sometimes it's useful even to just think out loud so to speak... :)

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  • 1 month later...

Did you bought them already? And what's your experience ?

I just bought a Gold Custom Eric one and I'm shooting it for 2 weeks now and so far I love it.

I shoot steel challenge and Bianchi cup so I hope it's the right gun for me.

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  • 3 weeks later...

I'm shooting my Tanfoglio Gold Custom Eric one for some weeks now and I keep having troubles with it :-(

The empty shells are stuck with a new bullet under it.

The gunsmith looked at it and saw that the barrel bottom was touching the guiderod. So he took some of the barrel and now it's free.

But I'm still having the problem ( ok it's 70% better! but still a problem )

I need to oil the gun extreme and also the bullets I spray some Brunox oil on it and then it's 95% better.

Do you also need to oil the gun and bullets that much??

The gun has shoot only 3500 bullets now, so it's not written of yet :-)

Thanks for your tips

Richard

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I am enjoying mine the few times I've shot it. Once I get the load right and parts I want on it I will like it more. Now those beside or behind me may not feel the same. I chronoed at the local range last Saturday under a covered metal shooting line and I think a few non competitive shooters pooped their pants after the first shot, lol. It's a LOUD BEAST!!!

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Yeah I would probably back off the adjustment knob on the fed a bit. But if they shoot nicely don't worry too much about it.

Richard, something is wrong. I certainly don't oil my bullets and on the gun I use slide glide on rails and barrel lugs and some oil in the other parts.

Which mags do you have?

Is the gun small frame or large frame?

What recoil spring are you using?

My 38super v12 so far has not had a single malf in around 600 rounds in 2 matches and 2,000+ practice. Gun had fired only 200 rounds when I got it. Plenty of those rounds were load testing too.

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Which mags do you have?

Is the gun small frame or large frame?

What recoil spring are you using?

My 38super v12 so far has not had a single malf in around 600 rounds in 2 matches and 2,000+ practice. Gun had fired only 200 rounds when I got it. Plenty of those rounds were load testing too.

I use the factory mags and had 3 new mags from the dealer and with the same problem.

It's a large frame

I'd tried several recoil springs ( it came with 3 and tried them all )

I think I probably need to load the ammo a little more.

I'm make some new ammo today and try them tonight ( I'm in Europe, so in your time i'ts morning then )

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