I have installed most of the modifications I have covered on this site on this 822. I have bridged the receiver, upgraded the pump arm to a metal version with plunger retention, refinished the stock, and installed the PBL power mod.
I installed my moderator and have since replaced the 3D printed muzzle adapter with a machined aluminum adapter. Prior to installing the machined aluminum adapter this gun made 18 FPE and could consistently hold 1/2" groups at 50 yards.
This gun has never let me down since I completed the modifications. The receiver bridge and muzzle adapter were complete game changers for long distance accuracy and this gun holds the same point of impact as good as any gun I have owned. This 822 sports a UTG bug buster scope 3x12x44 AO. I shoot it almost everyday at 50 yards off the back deck. If it doesn't hit the 1 inch target, I screwed up, and that happens less than 1 out of 50 shots. I fully expected to be done modifying these guns quite a while back but this wood furniture 822 puts a smile on my face every time I pick it up. The fact that it can put a squirrel down at 50 yards reliable is awesome. The 822 is a pleasure to shoot. It is unbelievable that the gun makes the power that it does because it is almost effortless to pump, even 20 times. My 1922 (25 FPE) and 1925 (28 FPE) make more power but also take a noticeable increase in effort to pump with very similar ballistic profile. My 1977 has a slightly flatter trajectory but doesn't make significantly more power (albeit it does have way more penetration). With the same scope on the 822, 1977, 1922, and 1925 the ballistic profile is so close the hold overs are almost identical, the difference is way less than minute of squirrel nugget. So it makes it easy to switch between guns. Therefore I can practice with the silky smooth pumping 822 and grab any of my pumpers when I step out the door to shoot fur without having to remember the hold over of each gun. Using mil-dot scopes makes it too easy, dead on out to 30 yards, half a dot at 35 yards, one dot at 40, two dots at 45 yards, and 3 dots at 50 yards. That is what works for my guns ( all 12 power except the 1977 at 16 power). I limit my practice and hunting to 50 yards (my vintage guns I reel that in to 35 yards). With that being said I do take the occasional fun shots past 50, sometimes out to 100 at targets but never fur or feathers.
Without question though the receiver bridge and muzzle adapter make a huge accuracy improvement. The famous tape mode does nothing to secure the front sight in the shroud which is just as important as securing the barrel in the sight. The 3D printed and machined aluminum muzzle adapters increase accuracy far beyond the tape mod.
The PBL power mod brings the power level way up on the 822. It allows the 822 to be a solid 50 yard hunting rifle. You can expect 650 to 670 FPS with 18 grain pellets.
For more information about the modifications I have done to this gun see the Tuning Your Daisy post. For those who have an 880 with the abutment pin style powerplant you can build a 822 from your 880 with a 22 barrel change and a couple of other modifications including adding metal receivers and wood furniture. There are posts on this site that cover all the required mod.s.
Making wood forearms will be added soon and there is already a post showing how in source and install a wood stock.
