Get your Atlas PSR tighter by hand - no tool needed

[samb300]

I was playing around with my Atlas PSR the other day, thinking about the common concern of the tension loosening up, and how to get more tension in the knob. Victor Co has their wrench, but I wanted to see how I could get it tighter on the fly just by using one hand and no tool. After thinking about how it works, I got a technique down that can get considerably more tension than I can normally get by just turning the knob with my bare hand.

Let me know what you guys think, and if this is something you already do and I'm just late to the game. I have no affiliation with B&T Atlas, I just like their products and have been using a PSR exclusively for the past 4 years on my match rifle.

Sam

 

[SonicBurlap]

I appreciate the video. I am also a big fan of Kasey's Atlas PSR. Had played around with it a bit like you but if I really wanted it to have the function it wasn't designed to provide I figured out that just as you showed I would have to get up out of the prone and use both hands, so when Michael came up with his Victor Company Atlas Tension Wrench it solved that problem, I can stay in the prone, tighten and move on. Not saying the technique doesn't work, I know it does, just that the wrench made it a lot easier and faster to apply and in my eyes the wrench is well worth the money, but if you don't have it on you this works for the shot where you need the cant absolutely locked out. I think it's a useful tool to know for all those who still complain about the Atlas PSR. Thanks for taking the time to illustrate it.

 

[samb300]

I appreciate the video. I am also a big fan of Kasey's Atlas PSR. Had played around with it a bit like you but if I really wanted it to have the function it wasn't designed to provide I figured out that just as you showed I would have to get up out of the prone and use both hands, so when Michael came up with his Victor Company Atlas Tension Wrench it solved that problem, I can stay in the prone, tighten and move on. Not saying the technique doesn't work, I know it does, just that the wrench made it a lot easier and faster to apply and in my eyes the wrench is well worth the money, but if you don't have it on you this works for the shot where you need the cant absolutely locked out. I think it's a useful tool to know for all those who still complain about the Atlas PSR. Thanks for taking the time to illustrate it.

Thanks. Makes sense with the wrench if you can use it in the prone. I didn't think it would work with the bipod legs deployed down, as the tutorial video shows it only with the legs folded forward. Just doesn't look like there's enough room to use the wrench with the legs deployed?

I tend to check the PSR knob tightness prior to shooting each stage at a match, so I don't get caught by surprise. This technique will hopefully help keep it tighter longer, although probably doesn't get as tight as the wrench would.

 

[lead.rain]

Good video! Thanks for the info!

 

[SonicBurlap]

Thanks. Makes sense with the wrench if you can use it in the prone. I didn't think it would work with the bipod legs deployed down, as the tutorial video shows it only with the legs folded forward. Just doesn't look like there's enough room to use the wrench with the legs deployed?

I tend to check the PSR knob tightness prior to shooting each stage at a match, so I don't get caught by surprise. This technique will hopefully help keep it tighter longer, although probably doesn't get as tight as the wrench would.

You are correct, there isn't enough room to apply the wrench with the legs deployed, however I find folding the legs back, laying the rifle beside me and applying the wrench, and redeploying the legs faster than getting up and using both hands. It boils down to preference, in the meantime I've also got myself an Atlas Super CAL where I adjusted the preload tension nut so I can go from completely free cant function to total lock out via the pod loc. Now I have the option to just switch back and forth between them with the LW17 ADM QD mount. If you set your tension before each stage than using this technique will definitely work great for you. Great video.

 

[AirGunShawn]

I was playing around with my Atlas PSR the other day, thinking about the common concern of the tension loosening up, and how to get more tension in the knob. Victor Co has their wrench, but I wanted to see how I could get it tighter on the fly just by using one hand and no tool. After thinking about how it works, I got a technique down that can get considerably more tension than I can normally get by just turning the knob with my bare hand.

Let me know what you guys think, and if this is something you already do and I'm just late to the game. I have no affiliation with B&T Atlas, I just like their products and have been using a PSR exclusively for the past 4 years on my match rifle.

Sam

Hello Sam,

I got sick of my bipod coming loose as well. Atlas could fix the issue with some sort of spring design that would use an adjustable spring tension pre-load. From the look of it, it may be just a modification of the existing design.
Personally, I would start by looking into Belleville spring washers but that is a different post altogether.

I bought the handle shown in the photo from evil-bay for about 15.00 bucks. It is cheap, adds weight easy to grab etc. I had never looked into the wrench that has been mentioned here.
I have more tools than most people but I prefer that my guns be of self supporting design.
I cant carry my roller boxes of tools with me and don't want to. Less is better.

Please keep in mind that the handle was made for a knock-off Atlas. I did not have my BT-65
at the time and I bought it to avoid this issue but I shoot from the bench only.

I just discovered the QD Auto lock feature on the Atlas. It is a tool-less method to
adjust the pic rail clamp force. It looks like you need a coin or screw driver but that is not the case.
You simply compress the clamp with your finger and thumb to get the octagonal nut to pop out of it's recess and rotate the nut with your fingers. The pic rail clamp has a built in spring that will pull the nut back into it's recess to prevent rotation.

Shawn

 

[SonicBurlap]

Hello Sam,

I got sick of my bipod coming loose as well. Atlas could fix the issue with some sort of spring design that would use an adjustable spring tension pre-load. From the look of it, it may be just a modification of the existing design.
Personally, I would start by looking into Belleville spring washers but that is a different post altogether.

I bought the handle shown in the photo from evil-bay for about 15.00 bucks. It is cheap, adds weight easy to grab etc. I had never looked into the wrench that has been mentioned here.
I have more tools than most people but I prefer that my guns be of self supporting design.
I cant carry my roller boxes of tools with me and don't want to. Less is better.

Please keep in mind that the handle was made for a knock-off Atlas. I did not have my BT-65
at the time and I bought it to avoid this issue but I shoot from the bench only.

I just discovered the QD Auto lock feature on the Atlas. It is a tool-less method to
adjust the pic rail clamp force. It looks like you need a coin or screw driver but that is not the case.
You simply compress the clamp with your finger and thumb to get the octagonal nut to pop out of it's recess and rotate the nut with your fingers. The pic rail clamp has a built in spring that will pull the nut back into it's recess to prevent rotation.

Shawn

This might have been done by you by design just to illustrate how far the tension knob will protrude once you compress the ADM clamp but once you have the tension adjusted the tension nut should correspond with the flats and be back flush in the recess, otherwise you can actually damage the ADM clamp spring. I'm using the ADM leveraged rails on all my Atlas bipods in the form of the LW17 version, and on the Accu-Shot momopods as the BT43 leveraged rail. It just makes things so much easier to switch back and forth, or to take off for maintenance, or to exchange feet.

 

[SonicBurlap]

For those not familiar with the Atlas Tension Wrench these are some links about it, I also took a picture of the one I use with my PSR.
Michael, just like Kasey is also on this forum and both are great folks to deal with.

BUILT FOR COMPETITION

victorcompanyusa.com

BUILT FOR COMPETITION

victorcompanyusa.com

 

[AirGunShawn]

This might have been done by you by design just to illustrate how far the tension knob will protrude once you compress the ADM clamp but once you have the tension adjusted the tension nut should correspond with the flats and be back flush in the recess, otherwise you can actually damage the ADM clamp spring. I'm using the ADM leveraged rails on all my Atlas bipods in the form of the LW17 version, and on the Accu-Shot momopods as the BT43 leveraged rail. It just makes things so much easier to switch back and forth, or to take off for maintenance, or to exchange feet.

I realize what you meant, I removed the last photo. You are correct, the nut should alwas end up flush
and in it's pocket. The deleted photo was from another post indicating what the nut looks like when
it is not in it's recess and free to rotate.

The more I work with my Atlas, the better I feel about spending the cash on her.

Shawn

 

[SonicBurlap]

I realize what you meant, I removed the last photo. You are correct, the nut should alwas end up flush
and in it's pocket. The deleted photo was from another post indicating what the nut looks like when
it is not in it's recess and free to rotate.

The more I work with my Atlas, the better I feel about spending the cash on her.

Shawn

They are solid quality, American made, and produced by people who back their product and are responsive to their customers, just all around good people.