Just received email from Macavity saying that they were sending out 2 magazines to replace the bad one. Kudos to Macavity for quick response and taking care of my issue.
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Other Truth behind Macavity Arms Prototype Airgun
- Thread starter Airgun Advisor
- Start date
Last post on this. .25 long barrel MA2 Genesis model. Avg DB of 5 shots each. no moderator 83.9 DB. Factory moderator 82.4 db. Factory moderator w/baffles 76.6 DB, 3D printed moderator 80.6 db. Will continue to use the factory moderator and keep my fingers crossed that Macavity releases a baffle kit of their own that can be retrofitted to the mod they have on the Genesis.
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As a beginner I was wondering how Macavity decided that the JSB Match Diabolo Exact was the recommended pellet. Is it based on a product design spec such as the magazine shape and size? Or just a generalization of a previously highly recommended pellet? I am just curious as to whether I just trust them or actually start trying other brands, types and weights. I have had decent groupings at various distances with the JSBs. But I really hate to end up with a bunch of partially used tins that do not perform the same.
How do the more experienced Airgunners on the group go about deciding which one to use as I could see just buying and trying getting very tiresome and expensive.
Found this pic in another thread and it is exactly what I would like to avoid.
How do the more experienced Airgunners on the group go about deciding which one to use as I could see just buying and trying getting very tiresome and expensive.
Found this pic in another thread and it is exactly what I would like to avoid.
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Secret Sauce Found! ... and it includes JSB 18.13gr pellets too.
The final recipe included ingredients that I don't normally use, like speed, but it tastes sweet in this recipe.
I have at this point changed my reg setting three times from the factory setting of 1600psi (L 2.048"). The first move was to 2.060" and this was around 1700psi, with ok accuracy and the sound was not noticably quieter. I was still shooting at 875fps, just trying to up the pressure to get the vavle to shut quicker, plus I have always thought that regs work better working harder, or at least above their mid power point. Today I changed it again to 2.075" 21-2200psi and I was still trying to keep 875fps but I noticed when I came off the reg the speed shot up to 950fps, so I thought that the porting was too big to be playing around with this setting unless I wanted to shoot faster or heavier, which I really just wanted to shoot quieter and more accurately, so I had to compromise somewhere. I turned the reg down to 2.067" 2000psi and this time set my speed for 920fps, perfect! Now I can shoot from 3600 to 1500psi with only a slight 15-20fps jump off the reg, right down to 1500psi ending at 875fps. It starts getting loud at this point. I really liked these numbers, though I really don't like shooting pellets over 890fps, I know that a lot of people shoot these particular pellets fast with good results. I slapped my scope back on to check if I helped or hurt accuracy and it most definately improved. It is a dime shooter at 53y now. I don't know if this will only work for my gun but I am really happy with it now. I am done tuning it at this point, I have 20K of these so I am set for the summer.
The final recipe included ingredients that I don't normally use, like speed, but it tastes sweet in this recipe.
I have at this point changed my reg setting three times from the factory setting of 1600psi (L 2.048"). The first move was to 2.060" and this was around 1700psi, with ok accuracy and the sound was not noticably quieter. I was still shooting at 875fps, just trying to up the pressure to get the vavle to shut quicker, plus I have always thought that regs work better working harder, or at least above their mid power point. Today I changed it again to 2.075" 21-2200psi and I was still trying to keep 875fps but I noticed when I came off the reg the speed shot up to 950fps, so I thought that the porting was too big to be playing around with this setting unless I wanted to shoot faster or heavier, which I really just wanted to shoot quieter and more accurately, so I had to compromise somewhere. I turned the reg down to 2.067" 2000psi and this time set my speed for 920fps, perfect! Now I can shoot from 3600 to 1500psi with only a slight 15-20fps jump off the reg, right down to 1500psi ending at 875fps. It starts getting loud at this point. I really liked these numbers, though I really don't like shooting pellets over 890fps, I know that a lot of people shoot these particular pellets fast with good results. I slapped my scope back on to check if I helped or hurt accuracy and it most definately improved. It is a dime shooter at 53y now. I don't know if this will only work for my gun but I am really happy with it now. I am done tuning it at this point, I have 20K of these so I am set for the summer.
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YAYYYYY SECRET SAUCE!!!im glad someone finally got this thing shootn great. congradulations. now lets see some one do it with 14.66 HNS AND chps! 
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I gotta say, I am relieved to have it shooting this well now. Everything comes together so well on it, and the barrel is so nicely crowned and the parts are machined as good as anything, that I couldn't really understand why it wasn't shooting better. I was beginning to think it was me, and old age. I didn't mention it before, but the cocking is as smooth as a BRK Sahara, that I have been shooting lately too. I just think the gun is just breathing too easily at the factory setting. The porting on this thing can really handle some power. I'm curious, but not curious enough to try myself, how much power this thing actually has. Considering the reg can be set for at least 2300psi(the highest factory setting) and I have all kinds of hammerspring adjustment left, I bet it could get close to 45fpe, and I have the short version. It will be fun to see what others try.
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new magazines received from Macavity and they work exactly as they should. Thank you to Macavity Arms for their quick response to my issue with the pellets loading incorrectly from the magazines.
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after reading this post I realized how little I know about the actual internal workings of my air rifle. Before I start to experiment I need to learn what each part does. A perfect example was your adjustment of the reg to a lower pressure causing a louder report. Makes very little sense to me but with research I realize that there are reasons for this such as wasted air. Do you have any preferences for tutorials that you can recommend? I am working my way through one called AB101 which looks like about 15 chapters.
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You got your answers already. AB101, although some of the ballisticians on this site will dis' Dubber, he knows his stuff otherwise, a very good series. And yes, Steve, at AEAC, is very good with the charts and the tunes. Bob Sterne and Lloyd Sikes over at GTA are wealths of information too. Just read everything that you can, it sinks in after a while. You really need to understand the dynamics of port sizes, to pressure, to hammerstrike along with weights and dwell, plenum size and the knee. The whole system works as a unit. Some people in this thread want to shoot this gun with 14.3gr CPD but I don't think it would do well unless you 3d printed a smaller transfer port. This gun was designed for the 18.13gr JSB and it shows. The factory tune is actually very good in theory, it just didn't shoot accurately with my gun. The tune I ended up with was accurate, more powerful, and I didn't lose shot count. The problem with it, and probably why they didn't go with it, is that the pellets end up going faster than 900fps, which most people (myself included) try to avoid, but hey, if it works, it works.
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working my way through the knowledge curve. I do have a .25 so most of the discussions are about the .22 (which I almost bought). I really need to figure out the basics of what each part does and the affects it has on performance individually and as part of the assembly. Once I do that then it looks like I will need to get the proper equipment to measure each change. I can see this is a long term hobby not a quick tune and go, at least for me, as I want to understand it myself. Not just find someone to give my rifle to and expect it back perfect in every way.
Thank you everyone for the advice and help. I hope you don't mind me stalking and reading what you know if I get busy and don't comment.
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Production run has not been offered yet. When the Genesis version was announced they added it to the website as available and marked other items as sold out. I guess they did that rather than take down. They still say late Q2 for .22 and .25 but possibly later for others and for the model for slugs.
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Some final points after going through another tin of JSB's (this time with good accuracy), and a couple more scope swaps. I am not going to talk anybody into buying, or not buying, this gun, just giving my impression of it.
First off, it feels good and looks like quality. It's not a featherweight like a P15, but it's not heavy like a Gauntlet. Mine currently weighs 7.75lbs with a 10x SWFA scope on it.
It is accurate and if I try really hard I can shoot dime coverable groups at 53y, but I really have to try. This gun doesn't give you anything, you've got to work for it. With my Gauntlet, doing dimes is easy. It's just how the geometry works out along with the balance and short length, and not having a match trigger.
The cocking action is phenomenal! Simply the best feature of this gun. Two people I know just got BRK XR Saharas and like the cocking on this gun better.
Very easy to work on, nicely machined. The foster fitting o-ring did blow out on me and I had to replace it. Not a big deal, o-rings came with the gun. Regulator changes are easy and straight forward. The hammerspring adjustment screw has it's own grub screw, very nice for a low priced gun to have. I appreciated a dedicated bleed screw too.
The design features that I don't like is having a barrel breech o-ring, actually on the thimble part, if it is a thimble. I still have not, and will not, try to separate it from the barrel. This is a prototype so I don't know how it is going to end up anyway. The o-ring should have been on the probe, regardless.
The usability feature that I do not like is the magazine coming in from the left side, and not ending up being centered with the receiver. Just not my preference, not really a ding. What I really think was a mistake was the ending height of the magazine, about .395" above the pic rail. My medium ringed scopes do not work with this and I had to go to high rings.
Which leads me to my last point, which might not matter at all, about the magazines. Unlike the rest of the gun, these feel cheap. I think these were just for the prototype to have something to use and they are going with the metal ones going forward. They are completely sold out of the metal ones on their website, so obviously everybody had the same take as me on them. Also they couldn't be adjusted for tension, not good in the long run. Lastly, not a fan of how they work, no shot counter window, fine, put a blank chamber in then so we don't shoot on an empty chamber.
Some people have already talked about the minimal stock and the flexy nature of it's pic mount, but I don't think this gun is designed for bipod use anyway. It is a fun off-hand shooter that's well made, and at a good price, that you can put AR hardware on. Overall I am happy with it, I hope my breech o-ring doesn't fail too often and that the metal magazines are better than the plastic ones. The whole barrel system doesn't seem to be an issue, just a different way of doing things. I will be interested in seeing what finally gets delivered too.
First off, it feels good and looks like quality. It's not a featherweight like a P15, but it's not heavy like a Gauntlet. Mine currently weighs 7.75lbs with a 10x SWFA scope on it.
It is accurate and if I try really hard I can shoot dime coverable groups at 53y, but I really have to try. This gun doesn't give you anything, you've got to work for it. With my Gauntlet, doing dimes is easy. It's just how the geometry works out along with the balance and short length, and not having a match trigger.
The cocking action is phenomenal! Simply the best feature of this gun. Two people I know just got BRK XR Saharas and like the cocking on this gun better.
Very easy to work on, nicely machined. The foster fitting o-ring did blow out on me and I had to replace it. Not a big deal, o-rings came with the gun. Regulator changes are easy and straight forward. The hammerspring adjustment screw has it's own grub screw, very nice for a low priced gun to have. I appreciated a dedicated bleed screw too.
The design features that I don't like is having a barrel breech o-ring, actually on the thimble part, if it is a thimble. I still have not, and will not, try to separate it from the barrel. This is a prototype so I don't know how it is going to end up anyway. The o-ring should have been on the probe, regardless.
The usability feature that I do not like is the magazine coming in from the left side, and not ending up being centered with the receiver. Just not my preference, not really a ding. What I really think was a mistake was the ending height of the magazine, about .395" above the pic rail. My medium ringed scopes do not work with this and I had to go to high rings.
Which leads me to my last point, which might not matter at all, about the magazines. Unlike the rest of the gun, these feel cheap. I think these were just for the prototype to have something to use and they are going with the metal ones going forward. They are completely sold out of the metal ones on their website, so obviously everybody had the same take as me on them. Also they couldn't be adjusted for tension, not good in the long run. Lastly, not a fan of how they work, no shot counter window, fine, put a blank chamber in then so we don't shoot on an empty chamber.
Some people have already talked about the minimal stock and the flexy nature of it's pic mount, but I don't think this gun is designed for bipod use anyway. It is a fun off-hand shooter that's well made, and at a good price, that you can put AR hardware on. Overall I am happy with it, I hope my breech o-ring doesn't fail too often and that the metal magazines are better than the plastic ones. The whole barrel system doesn't seem to be an issue, just a different way of doing things. I will be interested in seeing what finally gets delivered too.
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Great review, PumaCarl. Thank you for all the advice you have given me over the last couple of weeks. I am still hesitant to take mine apart to really see how it works so thanks for the earlier posts.
I feel the same way about most of the gun. Magazines are a weak point in design, I'm not convinced they have actually had any of the metal version available yet. I have had 2 of the magazines replaced under warranty for feeding a little off center, causing a failure to feed. Macavity was very easy to deal with on the warranty and I hope the customer service stays at current level. I do have the .25 long barrel and have only run their recommended JSB pellets in it so far. Feels most comfortable between 20-50yds. Fairly easy to get a good grouping as long as I take my time and settle down before each shot. I also feel that mine seems to operate smoother as it gets to the 2000-3000 psi area. This kinda puzzles me as it has a regulator that should make it the same throughout the usable range on the air.
all in all I am glad I purchased one of the Genesis edition rifles and did not wait for the production run. I doubt I would make a habit of changing the regulator setting or need a second gauge at all. The trigger is very smooth and usable so changes there would not change my mind. A fully functional moderator from the get go would have been nice.
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You're right, they should have had a simple core in the moderator. I like how it goes on, a strong design. I just threw some simple junk in the moderator and it works so well I forgot about it, or mentioning it. The regulator adjusting is very easy and worth doing if you are not getting the power or accuracy you want. No, it's not something you do all the time or make a habit of, but it is worth getting right once. Your regulator shouldn't be favoring an area while it is engaged, and when it comes off, if the level is set correctly, it should bump slightly or stay flat for a couple of shots at least. Post shot strings showing your numbers along with the corresponding pressures and some genius on this site will be able to tell you exactly what's going on. There is some really talented people around here with that stuff if you set up the question correctly.
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hey p man thanks for the great write up. sounds like it has some good potential! so what does "threw some simple junk in the moderator" mean? newbie and still trying to learn . thanks
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