Thought on AEA
- Thread starter yourwoodenchef
- Start date
I got the .30 cal ss max or whatever, “bolt action”. Looks cool, front end heavy, loud, trigger nice break but breaks in the middle (lame) and… the deal breaker, after pulling the bolt back, you have to pull it back another half inch UNDER HEAVY TENSION to insert the magazine, meaning you have to use two hands plus your stomach or the floor at the same time. once in place it works as any normal pcp until time to remove the magazine and go through the same routine
I put less than 5 mags and sold it within 2 weeks at a big loss.
I put less than 5 mags and sold it within 2 weeks at a big loss.
Upvote 0
I have the same gun. Aea hp .max 30. It is a $600 80 fpe thumper of a truck gun. A stone cold killing machine. Fill to 3600 psi, jsb 44.7 @ 930 Ave. This target @ 55 yds 2 magazines. A little trigger work and this bad boy rock . Want more power just fill to 3900 psi and sling the 50.1 jsb's.yes, it is very loud. 
Upvote 0
I have two AEA's. A 25 cal Backpacker and a 30 cal Terminator. Accuracy is very good with the both but the Terminator needs .303 cal projectiles which limits pellet and slug availability. Both guns are built well and they are a solid gun, I carry the BP daily. IMO it is a tinkerers gun and not for someone new to the sport.
Downfall to these rifles are parts availability. Depending on shipments from China parts are unobtainable for the most part. I don't see me purchasing another AEA rifle until parts are better managed by USA AEA. distributors Trigger and magazines are less than ideal. Exploded views with parts nomenclature are not available that I can find. I don't know what they are hiding the guns have a simple design.
I really like these guns but for the cost they need to step up and focus some on present customers needs and not so much on selling new guns.
Downfall to these rifles are parts availability. Depending on shipments from China parts are unobtainable for the most part. I don't see me purchasing another AEA rifle until parts are better managed by USA AEA. distributors Trigger and magazines are less than ideal. Exploded views with parts nomenclature are not available that I can find. I don't know what they are hiding the guns have a simple design.
I really like these guns but for the cost they need to step up and focus some on present customers needs and not so much on selling new guns.
Last edited:
Upvote 0
I've purchased 4 AEAs, currently own only one (Challenger Pro 30)... all through BinTac and have had responsive customer service & no issues getting parts. It's highly likely my next air gun will be another AEA. I generally know what to expect with this brand, and as everyone knows the performance for the price can't be beat. Do your research on whichever models interests you. Some of them have proven to be reliable and outstanding platforms. Others have had issues which could prove frustrating.
Looking forward to see them continue to push the envelope in air gunning with some lighter weight, compact high power packages and more regulated models. Although they will probably introduce a select fire Zeus or something ridiculous first instead.
Looking forward to see them continue to push the envelope in air gunning with some lighter weight, compact high power packages and more regulated models. Although they will probably introduce a select fire Zeus or something ridiculous first instead.
Upvote 0
Really have to be more specific as they have 1000000000 different guns and probably came out with 5 more since I typed this.
Upvote 0
I have the same gun as member Shambozzie. He sums it up pretty good. If you are looking for a truck gun that can drop a coyote or other larger pests around the farm or hunting this is a nice powerful gun. If you are looking for a gun that you can shoot hundreds of rounds through then I would look at something different.
I know the semi auto guns are breaking a lot of valve pins, they are easy to replace if you can find one but who wants a broken gun. I had one of the pro model regulated guns that was nice but too large for what I wanted to do with it and a semi auto that had the valve pin replaced I sold both of thme. I currently have the SS Max and a older Sparrow pistol with folding stock they are bolt actions and I like them both.
I know the semi auto guns are breaking a lot of valve pins, they are easy to replace if you can find one but who wants a broken gun. I had one of the pro model regulated guns that was nice but too large for what I wanted to do with it and a semi auto that had the valve pin replaced I sold both of thme. I currently have the SS Max and a older Sparrow pistol with folding stock they are bolt actions and I like them both.
Upvote 0
I have a few, had a couple more, thinned the herd and have a .22 HP Carbine semi-auto (freaking cool!) varmint in .25 (1 MOA at 100y, 3 shot group) and a 9mm/.357 that does 300 FPE.
Upvote 0
The regulated challenger is probably the best value PCP out there. I have a 22 & 25 pro, 22, 25 and 30 cal with 32 inch barrel challenger all regulated). All mine are accurate power houses. Not as refined as some higher end PCPs but they hit what I shoot at.
Upvote 0
I love my .25cal HP Varmint. The trigger is pretty rough out of the box, but it was easy enough to fix it up a bit. Now it breaks in the high 2's, and I put in an overtravel stop to limit extra motion on the gun. It's an absolute laser beam with H&N 36gr slugs and delivers about 66fpe.
I did a valve spring mod as suggested by another poster on here and that brought the energy up to 86fp. I'm not going to keep that for everyday use, however, because it hurt the accuracy a bit and also messed up the shot velocity consistency.
I would echo the concerns others have about parts availability, but so far it's been pretty easy to work on and there are some Ebay sellers making custom replacement parts. Overall, I like mine a lot. I'd recommend it if you're willing to put in a little work to improve it out of the box.
I did a valve spring mod as suggested by another poster on here and that brought the energy up to 86fp. I'm not going to keep that for everyday use, however, because it hurt the accuracy a bit and also messed up the shot velocity consistency.
I would echo the concerns others have about parts availability, but so far it's been pretty easy to work on and there are some Ebay sellers making custom replacement parts. Overall, I like mine a lot. I'd recommend it if you're willing to put in a little work to improve it out of the box.
Upvote 0
Just got.35 Challenger pro. Put a Ronin on it... Wow such a quiet 150 ft lb gun.
I turned the regulator down 50 bar to shoot only FX hybrid 68 grain. The reg was at about 190 and so I turned it down to 145 and I'll probably turn it back up to about 180 and then I'll go out for the hundred yard range.
I turned the regulator down 50 bar to shoot only FX hybrid 68 grain. The reg was at about 190 and so I turned it down to 145 and I'll probably turn it back up to about 180 and then I'll go out for the hundred yard range.
Upvote 0
I've owned 3 AEA's and worked on a 4th one. Universally, their triggers suck but for most of the models you can make it better with some work. The bolt actions are extremely hard to cock, the side lever actions are better. Their regulators are prone to failure as are their valve pins. If you buy one, make sure you stock up on spare parts, you'll need them. Accuracy varies from model to model, but tend to be good to excellent. If you like to tinker, it's a good platform.
Upvote 0
I’ve had bad luck with AEA. I bought two HP Max guns that both leaked and both continued to leak after being serviced. Leaks occurred at the fill port and the valve itself. Valve seat kept unseating on the first gun.
Had to return those. Got a .25 carbine instead, I have spent as much time dealing with jammed pellets and pellets skewered by the probe as I have actually shooting the thing. It is sitting on the shelf, jammed, at the moment. The HP Max’s had really weird crowns. Rough, cut in at a weird angle, rifling near the crown really messed up by whatever they used to make the crown. Just felt rushed. Also the two guns though “new” did not have the same parts and some had parts that looked heavily used (like flat head screws that were partially stripped). Just a weird experience honestly.
Had to return those. Got a .25 carbine instead, I have spent as much time dealing with jammed pellets and pellets skewered by the probe as I have actually shooting the thing. It is sitting on the shelf, jammed, at the moment. The HP Max’s had really weird crowns. Rough, cut in at a weird angle, rifling near the crown really messed up by whatever they used to make the crown. Just felt rushed. Also the two guns though “new” did not have the same parts and some had parts that looked heavily used (like flat head screws that were partially stripped). Just a weird experience honestly.
Last edited:
Upvote 0
I've heard similar reports of damaged screws. The other thing I find odd is I've never seen a "refurb" listed for sale. I bought my AEA HP Carbine .25 used and it had been upgraded with a DonnyFL and the CF bottle. The only problem I've ever had was the poppet broke and I made a new one out of PEEK. I did try swapping out the trigger springs, which resulted in some double fires so I put the original springs back in the trigger group.
Upvote 0
Mr. P said (. Got a .25 carbine instead, I have spent as much time dealing with jammed pellets and pellets skewered by the probe as I have actually shooting the thing. It is sitting on the shelf, jammed, at the moment)
I have had that problem and it was due to weak magazine spring. You can usually correct that by winding the carousel wheel one more turn. I have also seen that issue happen from a low power shot followed by a full power shot. I notice low power shots after a fill or when it sets for awhile. Ken used PEEK to make a valve to cure that. If I detect a low power shot I pull the mag and fire again into the ground to clear the barrel then resume shooting.
I have had that problem and it was due to weak magazine spring. You can usually correct that by winding the carousel wheel one more turn. I have also seen that issue happen from a low power shot followed by a full power shot. I notice low power shots after a fill or when it sets for awhile. Ken used PEEK to make a valve to cure that. If I detect a low power shot I pull the mag and fire again into the ground to clear the barrel then resume shooting.
Upvote 0
Thanks Jim. I had forgotten about the low power first shot, if the gun had sat for a couple of days. Yes the PEEK poppet cured that problem for sure.
Upvote 0
I have the trigger on my carbine at 2.75 lb. To get there I had to polish to a bright chrome finish the contact area's of the trigger to sear and the sear to hammer catch. The hammer is a ring style contact so the whole ring needs polished. Chuck it up in a drill or something and use 1000 - 2000 wet or dry paper then use something like Flitz,
Changing springs should be done one at a time. The sear requires a stiffer spring than the trigger. I find springs similar to what is in the gun then shrink the length by heating the coil on the end of the spring to red hot then squash the spring one or two coils at a time. Try and repeat. If the gun doubles redo the spring. I ended up using slightly smaller wire size and squashing coils to get to 2.75.
You will notice the trigger pin hole is oblonged. That is to allow the trigger to toggle past the sear and reset. Sometimes on the bench you may get a doubling by "laying" on the trigger slightly after a shot. This hinders the toggle action and is noticeable when you have a lighter trigger spring. This can cause a doubling or a no cock.
I cannot get an answer on part availability from Bin Tac other than what is in their catalog. I have doubts that you could get a new sear or trigger blade so go slow on your polishing. Ace hardware had me covered on spring needs.
Jim
Changing springs should be done one at a time. The sear requires a stiffer spring than the trigger. I find springs similar to what is in the gun then shrink the length by heating the coil on the end of the spring to red hot then squash the spring one or two coils at a time. Try and repeat. If the gun doubles redo the spring. I ended up using slightly smaller wire size and squashing coils to get to 2.75.
You will notice the trigger pin hole is oblonged. That is to allow the trigger to toggle past the sear and reset. Sometimes on the bench you may get a doubling by "laying" on the trigger slightly after a shot. This hinders the toggle action and is noticeable when you have a lighter trigger spring. This can cause a doubling or a no cock.
I cannot get an answer on part availability from Bin Tac other than what is in their catalog. I have doubts that you could get a new sear or trigger blade so go slow on your polishing. Ace hardware had me covered on spring needs.
Jim
Upvote 0
Ken: Thanks Jim. I had forgotten about the low power first shot, if the gun had sat for a couple of days. Yes the PEEK poppet cured that problem for sure.
I have my PEEK rod but haven't had to replace my poppet yet. It's strange some poppets fail after little use and some last. I purchase my gun off of Bin a year ago and have around 4k through it. I have the poppet down on my winter project list.
I noticed my gun was down on power so I chrony'd it yesterday and it was shooting 825 with 27gr slugs. It should be around 900. Cleaned and lubed and it shot the same. So I spaced the spring about 1/4" and velocity came back. I'm thinking the hammer spring fatigues over time. Going to find a source for some new ones.
I have my PEEK rod but haven't had to replace my poppet yet. It's strange some poppets fail after little use and some last. I purchase my gun off of Bin a year ago and have around 4k through it. I have the poppet down on my winter project list.
I noticed my gun was down on power so I chrony'd it yesterday and it was shooting 825 with 27gr slugs. It should be around 900. Cleaned and lubed and it shot the same. So I spaced the spring about 1/4" and velocity came back. I'm thinking the hammer spring fatigues over time. Going to find a source for some new ones.
Upvote 0
Thanks for the detailed info Jim. I'll try re-doing the trigger when things settle down. At the time I just grabbed a couple of springs out of a HF spring assortment. IIRC I switched them both and noticed the double fires. The Carbine isn't seeing as much attention since I got the FX Wildcat and RTI Prophet 2. Hoping to do some accuracy testing with slugs in the coming weeks.
Upvote 0