Anyone used a regular gunsmith to work on a PCP rifle?

[zebra]

has anyone here ever used a regular powder burner gunsmith to get non-air related work done to their PCP guns? I'm talking about stuff like fitting new barrels or triggers and things of that nature?

There is only a handful of competent air-gunsmiths in America and the good ones usually have a waiting list. While I would only use someone with airgun experience for tuning or any hpa work, it seems like machining a barrel blank or fitting a new trigger is a fairly generic gunsmith skill set.

 

[addertooth]

All of the things you listed can be done at home, with some patience. The triggers have been replaced on all but one of my air rifles. I have had the barrels (and everything else) removed from my air rifles and re-assembled. They aren't that scary if you dive in with the right tools. 

 

[zebra]

What is the right tools for someone to machine a barrel blank at home?

I've only heard of it being done with a lathe which would be a little much for me to invest in for a one-off project. Have you turned down a barrel without a lathe?

 

[zx10wall]

I've had a machinist, not a gunsmith, machine a barrel. I did the deburring and finishing myself. This was for a Air Ranger I once had. It turned out great. 

 

[Guest]

I agree with zx10wall. My tuner is a machinist, and I shoot with a couple more. Find one local and after a few orders he will likely get curious about the hobby.

 

[peterdulux]

Yes, I have used a regular gunsmith for my airguns and never again.

They seem to think airgun are toys and treat em as such.

They do not appreciate them the way we do.

 

[AirSupply]

Hi Zebra, 
I just last week picked up my hw100 from a local gun smith who had never re barrelled an airrifle before . I had a lothar walther poly
blank and he machined and fitted it for me. He did a great job and I my very happy with the finish of the job and the way the gun is shooting.

There is quite a bit of work in the hw100 barrel it has an oring seated on the back of the barrel that seals in the breach. Also has some grooves where the retaining bolt anchors it. The all important crow and breach end of the barrel look first class. 

The thing this barrel didn't need was a port hole. That is something your average gunsmith may not be so familiar with. 

 

[blueflax]

Zebra,

You should change "regular" to "competent".

Ron

 

[Jayman07770]

Some of the honest power burn gunsmith I've talked told me they just don't know enough about airgun to work on them. By the time they research and do a good job. They're in the hole with to much time and lost income. Unless you're going to do other projects on a lathe with a mill. Is more cost effective to send the barrel in. Other tuning can be done at home with minimum cost on buying tools. 

 

[Ziabeam]

I'd rather have a good vet take out my tonsils, than a bad doctor... meaning if you know of a reputable gunsmith, and are able to effectively communicate (blueprints, dimensions, photos) exactly what you need done, with an agreeable cost and timeline, go there. He might enjoy the change of pace. I do. 

 

[zebra]

I think the point about only using a good gunsmith is well taken. As with many things, the only way to know for sure is to give them a chance though. Even good reviews can be meaningless in some cases. The garage I had my car fixed at recently had great reviews (mainly) but I still had to take it back 4 times before they finally did the job right. He had 12 great reviews on yelp and one bad one... soon to be two bad ones...

My thought was that I'd go to someone who I know does barrel work for people who shoot competitively - so they are used to needing to do a good job, not just a functional one. This way, hopefully good reviews might be from people who know what real accuracy is...

As they wouldn't be doing any permanent mods to the gun, the risk is that they ruin a blank and I end up wasting $130 plus whatever they charge to machine it. It would be annoying to waste a barrel but better than risking a whole gun. 

My local shooting range has a gun store attached and they have a full time gunsmith so I was hoping to get a chance to show them what one of my best air rifles can do, so he knows what the goal is and what my expectations are.

The only way I have ever gotten powder burner guys over that "all airguns are toys" mentality is to let them try one of my good ones. It doesn't matter what I say before that, all they hear is blah blah blah I'm a little girl who shoots Red Ryder BB guns while pretending it's a real gun.

My Daystate Huntsman was the best gun (when I still had it) for demonstrating what adult airguns really are. It had that nice walnut stock and a smooth (ish) bolt-action plus a look that is familiar to powder burner users. It looks like expensive kit and not like a paintball gun in any way. 

The other point is that I would only get work done on my cheaper guns so I can get more use out of them. Ernest lives 20 minutes drive from me so, for any of my expensive guns, I would get on his waiting list and be patient instead. 

My my hope is that it would have to be a seriously terrible gunsmith who would make a LW or TJ barrel perform worse in my Hatsan AT44 than the factory barrel....