Tuning When did you decide to start working on your springers?

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I purchased an FWB 124 from ARH in 1976. It came with a manual that described how to tune it. After a few months I ordered the lubes and did the tune. Of course I have a degree in Machine Design and had access to a machine shop. Been working on them ever since but no longer have the access to the shop. I sure wish i could grove my pistons and install Delrin rings on the ends.
 
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I chose to put a Timbum kit in my first D48 because the shot cycle was so twangy and loud.

Well that D48 sheared off its cocking lever mount from the receiver.

The replacement D48 got the same kit. The kit self-destructed. I returned the original innards with a healthy lube job. It was basically just as good as the Tinbum at that point.

I got a HW77 that I ran for 3k pellets. The cocking stroke started to feel very strange so I pulled it apart and found the main spring in about 10 pieces. In went a Vortek kit. It’s been a dream ever since. That was maybe 3-5k pellets ago.
 
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Yeah, sidelever Dianas have terrible cycles when new - lots of metal and joints facing high power. But they transform to completely different guns after a couple thousand pellets, patiently tightening the stock screws and riding out the shake & twang. Or, you can replace the innards with high quality replacement parts that fit well for an accelerated result.
 
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Teep said:
I purchased an FWB 124 from ARH in 1976. It came with a manual that described how to tune it. After a few months I ordered the lubes and did the tune. Of course I have a degree in Machine Design and had access to a machine shop. Been working on them ever since but no longer have the access to the shop. I sure wish i could grove my pistons and install Delrin rings on the ends.
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I lost my access to the machine shop about six years ago when my friend died. I really wish I had a nice lathe, that's really the only thing I miss, I can improvise with other stuff.
 
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EquivalentDelta said:
I chose to put a Timbum kit in my first D48 because the shot cycle was so twangy and loud.

Well that D48 sheared off its cocking lever mount from the receiver.

The replacement D48 got the same kit. The kit self-destructed. I returned the original innards with a healthy lube job. It was basically just as good as the Tinbum at that point.

I got a HW77 that I ran for 3k pellets. The cocking stroke started to feel very strange so I pulled it apart and found the main spring in about 10 pieces. In went a Vortek kit. It’s been a dream ever since. That was maybe 3-5k pellets ago.
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I remember you going through that, it was crazy. My 48 was the first gun I ever tuned, I say tuned but all that one needed was a vortek kit and a good barrel bending. It's one of my sweetest shooters now.
 
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bustachip said:
2007 after the factory spring broke in my 97K and I knew I wasn't going to send it anywhere. So I dove in and started to learn. Over the years I've worked on several rifles. I also learned a lot from talking to and studying Ed Canoles methods.
He's my springer guru..lol. But I've picked up stuff from other people along the way. Having a machinist background helped out with modifications.
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I will have to check out Ed's work. I have never heard of him before.
 
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crowski said:
Started springers 7 yrs. ago to eliminate squirrels. Tearing into a springer was not in my vocabulary. Once I started reading this forum, my mind was opened. Bought 2 Xisico’s as Guinea pigs to work on. Similar to Diana. Since then I have replaced at least 20 springs sets and am planning on buying 10 sets this week to beat 25% tax Feb. 15. Love working on the guns.
‘Have one disassembled now and one waiting. Crow
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I love checking out all of your guns and your man cave is spectacular. Post some pictures of your upcoming rebuilds, I'm sure they will be interesting.
 
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I had a D48 that had a spring failure. I never wanted to send it to rws for repair. I ended up shelving it as I was more interested in my powder burners, I also had a D24C. Around 2010 I figured the gun is useless to me, it's already broken, might as well give it a go. Somehow I was able to get the parts I needed and I've been collecting airguns ever since. If I couldn't work on them I guarantee you I'd only have a couple rifles. Something about working on them causes me to always want another project.
 
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About 12-14 years ago, I bought a Gamo because I wanted to introduce my sons to target shooting and safe gun handling. I enjoyed being able to shoot at home so much that I started reading forums like this to learn about spring guns. That reinforced my 'buy once, cry once' mindset, and soon I had purchased a Weihrauch (R7) and an AA pro sport. After about a year, the spring broke on the R7. With no convenient service options nearby, I decided to figure out how to do it myself. Mistakes were made, but now tinkering with my springers is something I really enjoy. I only have simple tools, and keep it pretty basic (i.e., springs and seals). But I do enjoy all the input from others here who have more experience and skill.
R
 
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In 2019 I bought a D34 in .22. I had wanted a breakbarrel pellet rifle since I was 10 years old but just never got around to it. I shot the thing to death I loved it so much. Sent it off for a rebuild. Shot it to death again. Sent it off for repair again.

Decided to buy another less expensive rifle for a spare. It broke. Then another. And another. Decided to buy an HW thinking it would last longer. It didn't. Then I bought another HW thinking the first one was a fluke. It didn't last either.

The rifles spent more time in a UPS truck than mine.

I woke up one morning in 2024 and I had broken air rifles stacked like cordwood everywhere. I didn't want to work on them... I wanted to shoot. I realized if I wanted to shoot a springer I was going to have to work on them like an old Ford pickup truck.

So I spent a few hours of shooting time building a compressor and ordering parts. I had beers and watched Tinbum do it on youtube.

Now I have a pile of working guns stacked like cordwood in the shop.

Springers are a huge pain in the fanny. If you can get 10k shots through one without a catsasstrophe your lucky. If you are going to shoot one a lot your going to have to repair them. It's just a fact of life. There is too much going on in there for it to last very many shots.

So far they all have been super easy to rebuild. It's nothing that the average Joe can't handle with an improvised spring compressor. Youtube makes it even simpler. It takes longer to clean the parts and relube than it does to disassemble/reassemble.
 
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Worked on my D48 springer in 2014 for the first time. Didn't realize the affect of altitude on the power of a springer so thought I had a broken or collapsed spring. It was made in March of 1987 and as far as I knew had never been worked on. So I built a spring compressor and with some advice from roadworthy on GTA took it apart. Spring was a little twisted but not broken. I installed a vortex kit in it and it wouldn't cock.🤬 Turns out the kit was designed for the T06 trigger and so the spring coil bound before the trigger could latch. Ended up just not installing the top hat and it's been good ever since. I haven't shot it that much since rebuilding it as I was lured to the dark side just a few months later.
 
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I got my first airgun, a Diana 5, back in 1972. Never dared to tinker with it beyond routine lube for fear of screwing it up.

Then one day I got a lathe, an old Regal LeBlond 13”, taper attachment and all. And the clouds divided and the sky turned blue. This changed everything about what was possible and I began to fearlessly tear into just about everything, knowing that now I had the means to fix, or outright manufacture, anything that I might break.

This set the stage for all that was to follow. More machine tools … manual and CNC. Once you’ve tasted what you can do with these things there’s no going back. I’d probably sell the roof over my head before I sold my little machine shop 🙂
 
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EMrider said:
About 12-14 years ago, I bought a Gamo because I wanted to introduce my sons to target shooting and safe gun handling. I enjoyed being able to shoot at home so much that I started reading forums like this to learn about spring guns. That reinforced my 'buy once, cry once' mindset, and soon I had purchased a Weihrauch (R7) and an AA pro sport. After about a year, the spring broke on the R7. With no convenient service options nearby, I decided to figure out how to do it myself. Mistakes were made, but now tinkering with my springers is something I really enjoy. I only have simple tools, and keep it pretty basic (i.e., springs and seals). But I do enjoy all the input from others here who have more experience and skill.
R
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My first springer was a gamo, I loved that thing. I would probably still have it if it were a .22, it was too powerful for the .177 and crazy loud. I know what you mean about service, down here in the south (firearm country) no one works on springers.
 
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DesertSilver said:
Worked on my D48 springer in 2014 for the first time. Didn't realize the affect of altitude on the power of a springer so thought I had a broken or collapsed spring. It was made in March of 1987 and as far as I knew had never been worked on. So I built a spring compressor and with some advice from roadworthy on GTA took it apart. Spring was a little twisted but not broken. I installed a vortex kit in it and it wouldn't cock.🤬 Turns out the kit was designed for the T06 trigger and so the spring coil bound before the trigger could latch. Ended up just not installing the top hat and it's been good ever since. I haven't shot it that much since rebuilding it as I was lured to the dark side just a few months later.
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I venture into the dark side occasionally but then I get bored and go back to my springers.
 
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PEP3 said:
My first springer was a gamo, I loved that thing. I would probably still have it if it were a .22, it was too powerful for the .177 and crazy loud. I know what you mean about service, down here in the south (firearm country) no one works on springers.
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Mine was a .177 Gamo Whisper, and it was not a good experience. Way over powered, very loud (the name was a joke) and not very accurate. I suspect that .22 would have been a lot better in all regards. Once I tried the HW and AA spring guns, I have just stuck to those and now have several that are very accurate and reliable.
R
 
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The gas ram Cometa 400 is an awesome rifle that anyone can take apart with no compressor ot tools.

I have more trouble free shots with it than any air rifle I have owned. It's inexpensive, shoots 740 fps in .22 and is easy to shoot. It's not as nice as an HW but it is (almost) as accurate. The trigger is good. The shot cycle is quick. They last a long time. I've shot mine 20,000 times since October and it's still shooting great.

That's twice as many shots as both my HW's combined. And I've had each of them rebuilt twice!

I've had it apart several times and there is simply no wear on the internals. The design is super simple. The piston is a piece of steel tubing with a seal on one end and a gas ram sticking out the other. You can rebuild it on the kitchen table using an 8mm wrench and a 5mm punch.
 
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PEP3 said:
I remember you going through that, it was crazy. My 48 was the first gun I ever tuned, I say tuned but all that one needed was a vortek kit and a good barrel bending. It's one of my sweetest shooters now.
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My springer journey has been an absolute Odyssey. Everyone here at the forum was instrumental in keeping me focused on the light at the end of the tunnel.

The D48 is still leaned up against my bedroom wall. With the William’s peep, it’s a real shooter. I’m still hesitant to put my thumb in it though.

Fashioned a pellet pusher out of a plastic pry bar. Dogs ate it! Ha
 
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