Tuning Paul Watts

I have an R9 in .20 that Paul tuned, as well as an HW50 , he definitely is a master of the springer. I also had an R7 that he tuned/shrouded around 2004 or so , sweet shooter but sold it.
This R9 is sitting here in my office without glass and hasn’t been shot in years. Actually dusting off all the air rifles. I have a pair of HW97’s as well.
Maybe some of you old timer’s will be able to help me lol who was the OTHER master of the springer around the early 2000’s ? From CT . I cannot remember for the life of me , he was an older gentleman. He did this 177 HW97 for me.

AKmik said:

I have an R9 in .20 that Paul tuned, as well as an HW50 , he definitely is a master of the springer. I also had an R7 that he tuned/shrouded around 2004 or so , sweet shooter but sold it.
This R9 is sitting here in my office without glass and hasn’t been shot in years. Actually dusting off all the air rifles. I have a pair of HW97’s as well.
Maybe some of you old timer’s will be able to help me lol who was the OTHER master of the springer around the early 2000’s ? From CT . I cannot remember for the life of me , he was an older gentleman. He did this 177 HW97 for me.

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Possibly fang?

AKmik said:

I have an R9 in .20 that Paul tuned, as well as an HW50 , he definitely is a master of the springer. I also had an R7 that he tuned/shrouded around 2004 or so , sweet shooter but sold it.
This R9 is sitting here in my office without glass and hasn’t been shot in years. Actually dusting off all the air rifles. I have a pair of HW97’s as well.
Maybe some of you old timer’s will be able to help me lol who was the OTHER master of the springer around the early 2000’s ? From CT . I cannot remember for the life of me , he was an older gentleman. He did this 177 HW97 for me.

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His name is Russ Best

DualMagMike said:

His name is Russ Best

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Yes! Thank you. Man it was killing me. The HW97 he did for me is a great shooting rifle. Sitting in a walnut Maccari stock.

MEC17670 said:

How many of you guys have had gun tuned by Paul Watts?
I sent a Hw97k blue laminate in .20 caliber to be tuned by him maybe 8 years ago and it's still shooting strong as ever. Sweet tune that last forever.

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Yes indeed he was the best at tuning but in the end he became overwhelmed and was a bit of a puttser and procrastinator!
Ended up with to many eggs in one basket! You could see it his video series he did. It took it's toll! My 97k in .20 lasted for about 15 years before I noticed it losing its punch! Replaced the piston seal and new ARH hornet kit a couple years ago and it's just like new. Had full ADV tune done with buttons and all the bells and whistles! Russel was a master tuner too! He shared lots of information on tuning back in the day on the old yellow forum. Was good stand up guy

zrman27500 said:

It sucks really,I know if it were me I wouldn't care if I had to have a family member mail back all the rifles I couldn't finish with a apology that I was sick and just couldn't get it done.....everyone would totally understand that,but just keeping people's stuff and not replying for years at a time is just unacceptable in my book, I don't care how good you can tune a rifle.

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Some times they are not aware of what is going on. They simply can't grasp at what is not there. I kind of think of it as degenerative . Go to a nursing home's
alzheimers ward and you will see. Just saying, hopefully not so.
Posted in one nice little paragraph and shows all broken up...

MEC17670 said:

I can understand their feelings about the uneducated airgunners, however without someone to take the time to educate them, how do they become educated?
All quality work takes time, you can't make a $200.00 gun into a thousand dollar gun.
Start with a good high quality gun, then let the masters do their magic. Patience will pay off!

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One of the paradoxes about the spring gun world is that the economics of having a gun professionally 'tuned' are acceptable to only the most dedicated enthusiasts (tune often = the purchase price of the gun), whereas a small handful of pro tuners always seemed to be backlogged and in high demand. Go figure ? The wide availability of drop in kits may have structurally reduced the demand for pro tuners, but I suspect it will always be a viable niche for a few who are very skilled.
R

I talked to them so long ago. Russ Best's father flew in the B-26, Flak Bait? and Revell made a model of it. Anyhow, Russ was not feeling good and slowed down a lot, but he still took the time to give good advice.
It has been years and I have no idea if he is still around. He was on the old "Yellow Forum." Back then, there were some other good tuners. To be frank, it takes a lot of time to do the great work, those tuners did. Times have changed, people got old and moved on.
The springers they worked on are still being made,quality lasts..........if it is Still made where it was started . Just saying .
Appreciation, gratitude and money always helped...You can be proud to own a springer from one of the old masters.
I am sure there are a few "new" builders who can still do it. $1.00 then is what today? Still, if you have love,don't you want the best for It?

Any journeyman manual machinist worth his salt could be a master tuner. Springers are not that complicated. I spent a couple years in a machine shop. I learned a lot. I worked with some really bright men that could build anything. Machinists are underpaid and underappreciated.

Well, so right; Shop 38 outside and Shop 36 inside Machinist. They were very appreciated and wore the largest hard hats available.,not really; the Electricians wore them,no actually it was the Riggers

So if someone picked up a new, quality springer today, where should they send it to be tuned? Or is that not possible anymore?

There are still tuning services.If you get a tune kit and install it yourself, your springer will be a lot better. If a tuning kit averages $80,you make a spring compressor, you just save a lot of money.I asked a well-known tuner a couple of years ago, and he charged $200; he made his own parts.I think if you have a quality springer and intend to keep it,it May be worth having a tuner do the work. Sorry , others will have to tell you tuners .

boscoebrea said:

There are still tuning services.If you get a tune kit and install it yourself, your springer will be a lot better. If a tuning kit averages $80,you make a spring compressor, you just save a lot of money.I asked a well-known tuner a couple of years ago, and he charged $200; he made his own parts.I think if you have a quality springer and intend to keep it,it May be worth having a tuner do the work. Sorry , others will have to tell you tuners .

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Buy a high-quality springer to begin with. Shoot it. If you don't like it, then think about tuning. Not all rifles need tuning.

GLindsey said:

Buy a high-quality springer to begin with. Shoot it. If you don't like it, then think about tuning. Not all rifles need tuning.

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I ordered a Diana 54 from Huma that will be here Monday. This is my first springer (started with PCP but I like the idea of a still powerful, self-contained air rifle), so I don’t know what I don’t know with springers.

shootinsquid said:

I ordered a Diana 54 from Huma that will be here Monday. This is my first springer (started with PCP but I like the idea of a still powerful, self-contained air rifle), so I don’t know what I don’t know with springers.

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The 54 is a serious piece of equipment. I had a 52 for a while. Very powerful and very accurate. The 54 is a step up being that it is recoiless. I would shoot it for a while and make sure you like it. Down the road maybe have it tuned if you really like it. I think there is a video from Tin bum on adding a kit to it. Probably involves a bit more gunsmithing than the standard version. So not something to take on yourself without some fairly substantial knowhow.

Silver Ace said:

The 54 is a serious piece of equipment. I had a 52 for a while. Very powerful and very accurate. The 54 is a step up being that it is recoiless. I would shoot it for a while and make sure you like it. Down the road maybe have it tuned if you really like it. I think there is a video from Tin bum on adding a kit to it. Probably involves a bit more gunsmithing than the standard version. So not something to take on yourself without some fairly substantial knowhow.

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Good to know, thanks.

D54 is a hefty piece , but being simi recoilless will help as a first springer . I would have recommended for the first springer an HW50 .

beerthief said:

D54 is a hefty piece , but being simi recoilless will help as a first springer . I would have recommended for the first springer an HW50 .

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Ya, was looking at quite a number of springers before settling on the 54, like HW97, D48, etc. But each of my pieces has a purpose, and for me that’s being powerful enough to ethically dispatch small varmints on the property.

The D54 is pretty singular in being a high power platform while also among the most accurate springers ever produced. That's the reason I had to get one, and I'm really happy I did.

The D54 is also appreciably more complex than most other springers. More potential for mess ups, more things to check and tune etc. Take your time and ask plenty of questions.

As a general note, sidelever Dianas NEED a hefty break-in period. How they shoot and feel straight off the factory tells very little of how they perform down the line.