AEA HP SS Max 9mm Any Good?

I have been looking into the AEA and 9mm stuff for a while. I cast for all my powder burners and have molds in 355-358 as low as 95g and as high as 200g. I am still researching and basically tagging this so I can see others responses. I have search the net to find swaging molds and slug molds for .22 and others with no result. I have tons of lead and bullet molds and would love have a air rifle that can fling cast boolits. Not really into the Texans.

Spike_9 I have looked at the 30 cal stuff but bullets are to heavy in cast molds I have found. 9mm tends to be the same weight from what I have seen.
 
I cast for my 357 max. 96 grain flat point from mp molds fit nicely in the magazine. M

I had mixed experiences with the gun. My first one (sn150) was poorly assembled with multiple leaks and scuffed up screws - looked refurbished. After sending it in for repair and getting it back still not functioning I got a replacement (sn473) and it is much better constructed no leaks at all. 


I can’t believe I haven’t seen people talking about the hammer bounce issue though (or maybe that’s just my bad luck). Every once in a while it shoots extra loud and drops like 3-400 psi in one shot and makes a kind of roaring “braap” sound. I’m trying to find a spring combination that will work without causing hammer bounce, and I’m hoping someone else has figured something out because I’m not having that much luck.
 
Neither have I which made me wonder what the heck is going on. I’ve heard a lot of comments about how loud it is, bounce might be a factor. It’s not hard to notice the bounce because the recoil goes way up, as does the noise, for just a couple of shots and then it returns to efficient air use.


After resisting the temptation for a couple of weeks I clipped the main spring to shorten it up a bit and then threaded a small section of lighter spring into it to stiffen things up a bit si it can still open the valve up even though it’s shorter.


This has not eliminated hammer bounce but now the balance is happening less often and at lower fill pressure, not up at 4000 psi, down at like 3600 or so.

I have two springs coming which should fit that have thicker wire so I’m going to try making a short stiff spring so the hammer can fly freely.





 
Here is my experience 

AEA 357 Max/ 81.2 jsb
Shot count: 8
Low: 786
Hi: 893
Avg: 838
Spread: 107
STD Dev: 37.9
893
879
858
849
828
814
800
786

Bullet Weight
(Grains)
Velocity
(Feet Per Second)
81.2 gr
893
879
858
Calculate
Reset
Energy
(Foot Pounds)
143.75
139.27
132.70
I have no problems at all with mine. Good power for a short package. I have run 100gr slugs for 150 fpe and 1” accuracy at 50yds and that’s just fine with me. Because every one forgets about the adrenaline factor when your hunting animals. your paper punching groups don’t mean anything in the field except for a little confidence.
 
Neither have I which made me wonder what the heck is going on. I’ve heard a lot of comments about how loud it is, bounce might be a factor. It’s not hard to notice the bounce because the recoil goes way up, as does the noise, for just a couple of shots and then it returns to efficient air use.


After resisting the temptation for a couple of weeks I clipped the main spring to shorten it up a bit and then threaded a small section of lighter spring into it to stiffen things up a bit si it can still open the valve up even though it’s shorter.


This has not eliminated hammer bounce but now the balance is happening less often and at lower fill pressure, not up at 4000 psi, down at like 3600 or so.

I have two springs coming which should fit that have thicker wire so I’m going to try making a short stiff spring so the hammer can fly freely.





Any updates on these springs?
 
Bulldog in either 357 or 457, both are compact. AEA 50 cal (.495) is about 400 fpe and also a pup. Wayne says he is getting a good 400fpe out of his AEA 45 ss hp and folding the stock makes it compact.

Then there are the Pitbull 357 and soon 457, Veradium Air modded too.

Truthfully, more power is better, gives a higher percentage of clean kills. Lots of molds for 457, and Accurate can scale most any design up or down a lot to hit your size. The Accurate I have is really well made!
 
I had to return two Max .357 guns due to repeated leaks from different parts of the gun (fill check valve and valve seat) that the vendor was not able to resolve. The guns both had slow leaks from day one and myself and vendor were only able to temporarily fix. Also the two guns were not identical in the small details - clearly changes were being made at time of mfr.

I also have been told that the valve seat has a life of maybe 200 shots before needing to be replaced, which matches my experience with the first gun. I think slamming a plastic donut with a metal poppet at 130 fpe is too much for whatever material they are using.

Maybe i got a couple of lemons but i actually know that other folks are having the same issues.
 
Last edited: