by B.B. Pelletier
With all the testing and tuning of spring guns I’ve been doing in the past few months, I’ve noticed some things I do for new springers that I’ve never mentioned,but which makes a lot of difference in performance. I thought I’d share these things with you.
Setting the record straight – what manufactures don’t do
I’m amazed at the naivete of some airgun buyers. This week, an airgun manufacturer told me of a call they received from a potential buyer. He wanted detailed performance specs on how the rifle he was interested in buying would perform with about 20 different pellets! Apparently, he believes they have a staff of lab-coated technicians who gather this kind of data! Boy, is he missing the boat! An airgun manufacturer does test guns during development and after each change, but they do it with one pellet (two at the most) they know will tell them what they need to know. This 20-pellet business exists only in the minds of unknowing dreamers. Don’t think for a moment that a manufacturer has the time or inclination to test every gun they build and shoot them all for velocity and accuracy. If it’s a $1,500 10-meter gun, perhaps they will shoot a group. If it’s an $89 springer, they’ll make sure there are screws and pins in all the holes.
You are responsible!
When you get a new airgun, it’s your responsibility to ensure all the screws are tight. Don’t shoot the gun before doing this. Spring guns are particularly bad in this respect. This wisdom knows no boundaries of country or brand. I’ve seen new Webleys with loose screws as often as I’ve seen new Chinese guns with them.
Steel barrel = dirty barrel!
Read the post titled Should you clean a new airgun barrel? Also, read Is your airgun barrel really clean? This is a big concern, because nearly every airgun with a steel barrel is guilty. Guns like Weihrauchs, Webleys and so on have the problem. Any airgun made in a third-world country is guaranteed to have a filthy barrel when it’s new. If you just shoot and shoot the gun, eventually your pellets will scrape out all the crud, and you’ll have a clean shiny bore. If you want performance right off the bat, clean the barrel!
How to clean a new steel barrel
It’s best to use a one-piece steel rod with a ball bearing handle, like a Dewey. Use a brass or bronze bore brush liberally coated with as much J-B Non-Embedding Bore Cleaning Compound as you can fit on it. Clean from the breech if at all possible; clean from the muzzle if you must. Run the brush through the bore 20 strokes in each direction. Somewhere in all that, you’ll notice the brushing gets much easier. That’s a combination of the bore becoming clean and the brush adapting to the size of the bore. Following this cleaning, remove all traces of compound with patches. Keep cleaning until the patches come out clean.
After cleaning, preserve the barrel with Sheath, Ballistol or Break-Free. Or, just shoot the gun a lot and use nothing at all. Once the worst of the rust and dirt is out, continual shooting will keep the bore clean.
Don’t oil new spring guns unless they detonate
Chinese guns and some of the new 1,000 f.p.s. inexpensive springers from American companies (many of which are also made in China) go bang when they shoot. That’s called detonation. Those that smoke are not a problem, but the ones that sound like rimfires can be a problem if they continue doing it. On these guns only, put a few drops of silicone chamber oil down the transfer port. That often stops the explosions…but not always. If it doesn’t, the gun may need attention from the manufacturer or dealer. Use heavier pellets to stop the explosions, as well.
That’s what I do to get a new spring airgun ready to shoot.
Good article, BB. I’d highly reccommend that this article, in perhaps a more detailed form, be put on the Pyramid Tips & Tricks section.
B.B.
I was wondering, you say it in a lot of your articles but I don’t think you have ever said exactly how it works. Why is it that a heavy pellet stops the detonation? I would think it was bad because the piston can compress more air and make a higher temperature. Thanks,
mr-lama
Thanks B.B.
About using a brass or bronze bore brush with JB paste or Flitz Paste or prob any 500-800 grit lapping paste . I have read in so many air gun posts / blogs and reports “NEVER USE A Brass Brush in your bore !! All I know is if the gun has a steel barrel there is no way that a few brush strokes with a fluid or paste is going to ruin it.
Just the amount of CRUD that comes out will blow your mind .
Take Care ….JerryL
Bob,
I’ll send your recommendation along to Pyramyd AIR.
Thanks,
B.B.
lama,
I agree with you. My reasoning says the same thing, but the facts don’t bear it out. I do know that firing a spring rifle with no pellet almost always causes a detonation, so there is something about the lower resistance that causes it.
Go figure!
B.B.
JerryL,
Here are a few reasons why I think the warnings are given.
1. Military experience with constant cleaning has resulted in so many ruined barrels from the steel rod contacting either the side of the muzzle or chamber that the armies of the world are very concerned with over-cleaning. They have created special guides to prevent the rod from touching the barrel. This has nothing to do with a brush, of course.
2. The same thing has long been a problem for civilian target shooters. Rimfire shooters, especially, rub their chambers out of round a lot. That probably has something to do with the fact that rimfire barrels are not hard – just as airgun barrels are not hard.
3. Some shooters don’t know or don’t pay attention to what material their barrel is made of. These guys are likely to use a bronze or stainless brush in a brass barrel, and that will scratch the bore.
And finally this one from my own experience:
4. About ten years ago, a man who should have known better began selling aa airgun cleaning kit featuring a monofiliment string pulling a piece of green ScotchBrite cleaning pad through the barrel. Monofiliment line is used to carve jade and other tough stones! When it is impregnated with diamond or carborundum dust, it cuts steel, rock and anything else that’s not harder than the material in the monofiliment.
Green ScotchBrite is used to prep steel before final polishing. It cuts steel fast and effectively! Anyone who has ever used it to clean a piece of stainless steel flatware knows the deep scratches it leaves. Who knows how many unsuspecting airgunners ruined their finely rifled bores before the word got out on that one!
B.B.
What do you think about the Crosman 2250?
It looks like an interesting .22 cal and It looks easy to costomize. How CO2 efficent is it with that 14” barrel(good I guess)
Keep up the good work
B.B. this is of topic, but im curious as to what is detrimental about shooting an oxidized pellet through a gun. I know what oxidation is but is there any thing wrong with shooting them?
thanks scopestop
The 2250 is an exciting airgun. The long barrel extracts a lot of performance from the gas and the .22 caliber makes it a hunting airgun for sure.
B.B.
scopestop,
I have shot oxidised pellets and not had any problems with them, other than the fact that they’re dirty.
B.B.
Armies of the world concerned with overcleaning ?! Which ones are those ? Uncle Sam was a hardass on me about this all my career ! Especially in the “elite” units, like the no-use 8tyDeuce Airborne Alcoholics, where every mission cycle, the week before we spent at least 3 late nights in the arms room and barracks with all the cleaning stuff we could scrounge and buy out of our own pockets when the armorer ran out, just so we could have peace of mind that the inspector could certify any piece of metal in that room was surgically sterile. Perfection was the ONLY option. Humidity in North Carolina in the summer ? Dehumidifiers ? Hell, it was still our fault if a rifle got rusty when we were detailed out for 3 months and never set foot in the arms room, cuz we weren’t allowed to chip in from our own pockets to buy dehumidifiers ! Your rifle is rusty, you’re a dirtbag slug of a soldier, even tho you might max the PT test every time and have gotten promoted at the earliest eligible time in service / time in grade !
B.B. Can MP5 oil be used instead of Sheath for gun barrels? Also, I thought that brass or bronze brushes were a “no no” for airgun barrels; am I wrong?—–D.G.
actually detonation can harm badly “almoust plactic receivers”,
it can harm spring also..
(according to the people from talks.guns.ru )
Leon,
Those armies are:
England, Germany, the U.S., Sweden, France, Belgium, Czecheslovokia, Hungary, Australia, Russia and many more.
I cleaned weapons in the army just like you, but when I did (1965-1981) the army had already forgotten the lessons learned in the Civil War, the Spanish-American war, WW I and II. Those lessons are the reason there is a chamber brush with ratchets fto clean the chamber of the M16. There was one for the Garand before that.
Clear back when the 1873 Trapdoor Springfield was new, Army Ordnance officers were going at it because their soldiers were ruining their muzzles from overcleaning their barrels with iron cleaning rods. They even issued wooden cleaning rods, but they broke too easily in the field.
This is also the reason that Germany, Sweden, Austria, and all the countries armed with Mausers had bore guides for their muzzles. Ever see one when you were in the service? Neither did I, but soldiers who were in 50 years earlier that us knew what they were and why they were to be used.
I just bought a Polish M48 .22 lr target rifle made in 1955. Guess what it came with? A fake bolt insert to guide the solid steel cleaning rod so the chamber wouldn’t be rubbed out of round. That’s 1955, Poland and a TARGET RIFLE! Yes, the armies of the world certainly do know about how over-cleaning can damage the barrel of a rifle. However, in peacetime they need things to focus on, and rifle cleanliness becomes a hot button.
B.B.
D.G.
Beeman’s “Metalophilic oil” (a term Robert Beeman coined to describe how the oil liked to bond with the steel of a barrel, is something I have little experience with. Back in the bad old days I used a Beeman product called Pena-Dry that rusted the internals of every gun I put it on. Since then, I’ve only used their moly grease (no longer offered) and their chamber lube.
B.B.
BB…l’m not young, and think that l know more than l auctally do…But l did try those JSB Exact’s you rave about…You are correct, they are outstanding. Never would believed there superiorty until now…TOM
Regarding detonation with no/light pellets: maybe the faster moving air swirling through the transfer port vaporizes more oil.
BB I think a post on detonation would be interesting. See if you can find out from the manufacturers what actually causes it.
Hi B.B.
I have some Metalophlic oil and some Sheath – they both seem the same to me. Beeman used to sell Sheath early on but then came out with MP5. Could be they just had their name put on the bottle.
Springer John
Springer John,
That sounds reasonable to me.
B.B.
Bob,
Detonation is well-explained in The Airgun From Trigger To Target, by the Cardews. I’ve actually commented on it before, when I differentiated it from dieseling.
B.B.
BB,
Thanks for the info on preparing a spring piston to shoot. How about getting a cheap tin of pellets and running it through just to break things in?
I am interested in getting a German made airgun. Do you know which of the RWS/Dianas are made in Germany still? Please advise.
Yes, the Dianas are made in Germany.
With RWS airguns you have to be VERY careful. Over the past 20 years, besides Dianas, they have sold TX 200s (excellent UK springers), FX PCPs (good Swedish PCPs), Spanish breakbarrels (average Spanish springers), Career 707s (excellent Korean PCPs) and Chinese copies of Weihrauchs that are not up to par, in my opinion.
RWS USA was led for many decades by a person who did not understand the world of airguns. He tried all these different types of guns in addition to his bread-and-butter Dianas, to broaden his line; to see whether there was any profit in any of them. What he did not do was stick with a model long enough, nor delve into any model deeply enough, to figure it out.
Dianawerk, IS NOT owned by RWS. They always have been a seperate entity, located in Germany, and makers of quality spring-piston airguns. RWS of Germany is a huge corporation that exports many things to the U.S. Airguns were a very small part of their business, but they were a steady seller.
Then, three years ago, the firm of RUAG bought the rights to distribute RWS to the U.S. The damage they did in just two years is epic. They are the reason Mendoza air rifles (poor-quality Mexican springers that are not better than Chinese springers of the 1990s) were in the lineup.
Now that RWS USA has changed ownership again, I hope the new owners will put more thought into what they lable as RWS. Umarex USA now owns the U.S. rights to RWS distribution, and they have begun putting the RWS name on some of the guns they import, with the 850 AirMagnum being the first.
We will watch to see where they take the brand.
I know this was more answer than the question asked for, but I seemed to need to get it off my chest.
B.B.
Does that mean it’s a quality German gun if it says “Diana”?
is the SRC M-16 A3 a good airsoft gun to get i have seen it on your website and on others. any way i can get the cost lowered to like 200 dollors
Yes, if the gun is made by Diana, it is a quality German airgun.
B.B.
Although I have no hands-on experience with the SRC M-16 A3, the specs sound impressive. Especially for the money. From what I read, this level of gun would normally cost closer to $300.
B.B.
Hi BB,
Here’s my update on the Diana model 54/scope mount problem I’ve been having.
This summer I had problems with an RWS C-mount; yesterday I finally got my hands on a B-Square AA mount, and I was excited to get the 54 back in action.
Unfortunately, the B-Square mount seems to have turned out even worse than the C-mount. I was very careful, and I’m pretty sure I did everything correctly, but the mount would not hold the scope still for more than 20 shots or so no matter what I did.
So, I have decided to get rid of the Diana Model 54. I’m quite fond of the gun, but I don’t think the open sights are good enough for me, and I can’t keep a scope on it.
I think I’ll give up on springers and get a PCP next Spring; I’ve been looking at the Webley Raider. I have a Leaper scope ready and waiting for it.
Thanks for your help on this whole recoil/scope mounting issue, but I was unable to make it work. I’ll call it a learning experience.
Regards,
Steve in PA
Steve,
Thanks for the update. I’m sorry things didn’t work out. Whenever this happens to me, I think about all the other people who are making it work, and I try to find out what it is they know that I don’t.
Spring gun are daunting for a number of reasons, but each can be resolved. However I know you will find the PCP a much easier and more forgiving gun to work with.
B.B.
BB,
I have no doubt you are right about other people being able to make it work, but I think it is too much for me. I’m looking forward to using a PCP. As I said, I think it best to treat it as a learning experience. Perhaps in the future when I have a bit more leisure time (currently working full time, back at college, and a family, sheesh!), I’ll try springers again.
I would, however, love to know what it was I was missing. I did quite a bit of reading (especially this site) to prepare for using the springer with a scope… I must have missed something.
Thanks again for your help. I’ll send you an update when I venture into PCP territory.
Steve in PA
Steve,
Without being able to actually see your gun and the installation, I couldn’t comment on what the problem might have been.
As busy and responsible as you are, I imagine attending the Roanoke Airgun Expo next month is out of the question? I say that because I know that a great many airgun experts will be there, and surely one of them could help you with your problem.
B.B.
I was concerned perhaps RWS could put the Diana name on some other company’s stuff. Thank you very much for the info.
Off topic but be careful with Brass air guns. Bought a floor model from Bass Pro (bengamin 392), took it out of the box and then noticed the barrle was smashed into an oval. Has this happened to anybody else?
P.S. They took care of me, Getting it on .22 on Weds. Return went smothly
I am quite sure you can smash or bend any barrel
What do you think about the Dianna RWS Panther 21? Is $95 a good deal
RWS cannot put the Diana name on anything! They don’t own it. Diana owns their own name. But Diana can put their name on guns from other counties, and I suspect this Panther 21 is not made in Germany.
I went to the site where the rifle is listed for $95. Did you notice that it’s a closeout? That means they are dropping it. The only reason a new model is ever dropped is because of problems like returns.
But the big key is they call it “German engineered,” not made in Germany.
It looks like Diana has sourced this rifle from another country and I would avoid it like the plague. China is the number one “other country.”
If something sounds too good to be true, it usually is.
B.B.
Your post about preparing a springer to shoot was spot-on. I’ve been using JB to clean my firearms for years, don’t know why I never thought of it. It did the trick by the way! The tip on screws was also great. Should the screws (stock and reciever ) be loc-tited ? I seem to be tightening them every 400-500 rounds.
B.B. concluded with… “I know this was more answer than the question asked for, but I seemed to need to get it off my chest.”
Thank you, thank you!
I’ve been obsessively prowling the Web trying to figure out that whole tangled mess with Dianawerk, RWS, RUAG, and now Umarex, for a long time.
I managed to figure out part of that story, but your post helped tremendously. Thanks again.
I’ve been shopping around for a .22 spring-piston air rifle in the $200 to $300 price range and suitable for some humane hunting/pest control, for about 3 months. I’ve come to believe that a version of your comment, ‘With [insert manufacturer/distributer name here] airguns you have to be VERY careful’ has become a good rule of thumb. Especially so in the price range I’m shopping.
About a month ago I thought I had found what I was seeking, and it just so happened that a nationwide sporting goods mail order company had an outlet store near my home. I called the store, they had one in stock (the last one), so I took a drive.
When I began removing the air rifle from the box for damage inspection… Yikes! Not only was the butt plate too large for the rifle stock it was mounted off center, had dried glue oozing out between the wood and the plate, and the ‘plastic’ spacer was wrinkled. And, the rifle barrel had specks of rust. I stopped unpackaging right there, pointed out the defects to the salesperson, and said, “No sale.”
I’m not comfortable giving company names without your permission, because this is your blog and I don’t really want to get into name bashing and the like. Certainly that’s not the purpose of your blog.
But, it seems to me that so many airgun companies are outsourcing manufacturing to countries with mixed reputations for workmanship and quality control that I’ve come to an purchasing impasse. I’ve become hesitant about mail order purchase of an airgun, because it’s so hard to figure out which airguns are still being manufactured, to the high standards I’ve come to expect, from what I used to think were reputable high quality airgun manufacturing companies.
I’m pretty sure this wasn’t what you had in mind when you titled this blog article. But, it seems to be an issue that’s related to the “new airgun” part. Should one expect… these days… to immediately return a newly purchased airgun for warranty repairs, because the airgun wasn’t correctly assembled in the first place? Seems like more than a few companies need a lesson in “Making a New Spring Airgun ready to Sell”! [grin]
I mean, is it naive of me to expect being able to find a medium to high quality .22 spring-piston air rifle in the $200 to $300 price range, from the top 3 or 5 spring airgun companies? Well, I’m starting to think so.
Great articles… Keep up the good work, B.B.!
Cheers,
GH
BB.. Cleaning is not a cut and dry subject, patches, wood rods, brass brushes and so on. As l’m sure you know, most of the above items will creat a LAP of one form or another when used, especily copper,brass or wood, They except a charge easily. All that is missing is oil and any form of grit on the above items, (including bullets) and you have a LAP..Not good. Avoid cleaning??
Locktite,
It sometimes works, but on guns with a large amount of vibration, Locktite may not hold the screws, either.
B.B.
GadgetHead,
Have you been following my tests of the BAM B40? It might just be what you want.
B.B.
I own a Diana 54 and had no problem mounting the scope. I guess I’m just lucky. I’ve been through several 1000 rounds.
Due to it’s weight in the field, I would like to mount a carry strap or sling. I have no problem with the but of the gun but am concerned about putting a screw toward the front. I’m unsure of the thickness of the wood and don’t want to screw into the moving barrel.
Is it possible to mount a sling? should I get a professional to do it? I would also like to possibly mount a bipod on the front where the sling connects. do they make a kit for this? Thanx.
Cleaning,
I never clean an airgun barrel except when it’s a new steel barrel. If I’ve been foolish enough to shoot Crosman Premiers in a gun at over 900 f.p.s., I might have to remove some leading, but otherwise, I don’t clean barrels – ever!
B.B.
Ed michrina,
Your question should go directly to Umarex USA who distributes the RWS Diana 54 in the U.S.
Their website is
http://www.umarexusa.com
B.B.
Hi B.B.,
Yes, your review of the .177 caliber BAM B40 had a surprising outcome, eh? Thanks for that thorough review.
If I didn’t already own two fixed barrel air rifles in that caliber I’d be tempted to buy one. But, I’m working real hard not to catch ‘airgunitus’ and end up with a big airgun collection! {grin}
So, I’m reading your review of the .22 caliber B40 with great interest. When I started putting together my $200 to $300 shopping list the B40 didn’t make it onto the list, because at the time Pyramyd AIR had it notated as ‘no returns,’ or something to that effect.
I took another look at the Pyramyd AIR Web page when you started the review and saw the B40 now has a “30 Day Limited Warranty.” The B40 is back on my shopping list, for the time being.
I emailed sales for more info. on the warranty but haven’t heard back, yet. I haven’t been able to get them on the phone because of the “…all the circuits are busy…” thing. I hope that means business is good!
I’m looking forward to reading the rest of your B40 .22 review results.
Cheers,
GH
This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.
DEAR SIR,
I PURCHASED THE CROSMAN STORM AT WALMART IT SAYS MADE IN CHINA.
SEEMS TO BE VERY VERY WELL BUILT THE WOOD SEEMS REAL NICE AND THE METAL WORK APPEARS TO BE GOOD.
I KNOW YOU HAVE MENTIONED THAT THE OLDER CHINESE AIRGUNS WERE NOT VERY GOOD QUALITY BUT WHAT ABOUT THE NEWER ONES.
THANK YOU
P.S. I READ ALL YOUR ARTICLES AND THEY ARE ALLWAYS VERY HELPFUL.
BOB
Bob,
What do you think of it? If it’s accurate and shoots well for you, it’s a good air rifle. I haven’t tested the Storm, but you can do that because you own one.
The Chinese are advancing fast and their current rifles are as good as some European guns. It sounds like yout Strom is one of them.
B.B.
bb
I ALSO HAVE A BAM B20. WHAT DO YOU THINK OF THIS RIFLE.
HAVE YOU EVER TESTED ONE OF THESE
OR WRITTEN ANY THING ABOUT IT ON THIS SITE.
YHANK YOU AGIAN’BOB
Bob,
I tested the B20 about four years ago when it first came out. It was one of the first Chinese rifles that made a real attempt to break out of the “cheap” mold. Many things about it were fine, though it did not go far enough. I would rate the B20 as the equivalent of a 1990s Gamo, which is to say not as accurate as a German air rifle, but better than a Chinese or Turkish one.
The B26 was the second attempt at copying the R9. They came a lot closer, in my opinion. The trigger still needs work and the metal finish isn’t as good, but a B26 is a rifle a shooter can learn to love.
Your B20 is a good rifle, too. The more you shoot it and learn its quirks, the better you will do with it.
B.B.
Hi BB,
Please expand on your statement that Mendoza are poor quality air guns. I am interested in buying an RM-600 as it is about the same price as a Gamo Shadow but has steel sights instead of plastic like the Gamo.
1)Is the material they are made of bad quality, or
2)is the workmanship bad or both? 3)Can you repair them by stripping, polishing and tuning or are they too bad even for that?
4)How do they compare with the B18 Chinese guns?
5)Is the trigger mechanism on the RM600 a true 2 stage trigger or is it like the Gamo trigger?
6) How do they compare with the Gamo Shadow?
Hope you don’t mind answering my questions.
Regards,
kologha
kologha,
I can’t answer your questions because I haven’t tested ther Mendoza guns, but I can tell you that a lot of readers of this blog have had bad things to say about them. RWS USA dropped them this year, too, if that’s any indicator.
I’d stick with Gamo, or at least be prepared for what you might get.
B.B.
Hi all,
Just like to post some suggestions, if I may.
To SJ Schnell, don’t sell your Diana54. Just get a better scope mount. I use Hawke Match Mounts because they have a retaining or arrestor pin and DON’T move under recoil. A one piece is probably better on a big rifle like the mod.54 but I have great success even with two mounts.
In the U.S. you may not get Hawke, so try the B-Square base that is essentially a weaver rail. Has an arrestor pin to lock the base firmly onto the receiver. Then get some GOOD weaver rings with the square cross pins and your problem should be solved, in as far as scope moving is concerned.
You will, however, have to buy a good AIR-RIFLE scope for this set up. Again, especially on a powerful rifle like the 54 otherwise your scope may not move but the internals will.
Good luck
In reply about the quality of Mendoza air rifles, I purchased the .177/.22 interchangable barrel (sleeve) model. It is a well engineered elegant rifle that gives a lot for the money. Perhaps they are like some American cars…some of model “X” people swear by, others run forever without a hitch. I would never part with my Mendoza.
Targetman8
Targetman8,
Okay, now that is a positive comment. Can you tell us more about the performance of your airgun?
B.B.
BB,
My friend recently bought a brand new Crosman Phantom 1000 springer and he has left it at my house while he attends college. It has a rifled steel barrel. It is a great gun besides the fact that so far it detonates about 95% of the time, and we have put about 40 Crosman premier pointed hunted pellets through it. There is a bit of smoke, burning oil smell, and it is really ridiculously loud.
I know that this is likely because there is leftover packing grease/oil in the barrel or that it could use a drop of gun oil in the compression chamber, and we are interested in using cleaning patches to remove the oil. But do we need a rod to use cleaning patches? Can you use some kind of string that won’t harm steel to pull them through?
If a rod were necessary and we decided not to spend the extra money on one (we’re both broke), how many pellets would you estimate it would take to get the barrel clean enough to stop detonating?
Ethan
Ethan,
It’s not the oil in thr barrel that’s causing this problem. It’s the oil in the compression chamber.
Introducing one drop of chamber oil into the compression chamber sometimes works. Drop it through the air treansfer port behind the barrel when it is closed.
Also, shoot heavier pellets. The 7.9-grain Crosmans may be contributing to the problem.
B.B.
reading this posts, i can conlcude that the b20 rifle is better than a hatsan mod.80 or mod.75??
The B20 I have tested. The Hatsan In haven’t. Also, Hatsan is upgrading their factory, so the new guns may be more accurate than the old.
I don’t know.
B.B.
what causes my “c”mount to wiggle from side to side? Front to back is no problem. Mounted scope on Diana 34 Panther and, per instructions, turned both front and back mounts counterclockwise the prescribed number of turns to compensate for Diana barrel droop. Now I can’t stop a side to side rocking motion of the rings where they mount onto the bottom part of mount.
Your C-Mount (assuming you have the latest B-Square version of the C-Mount, isn’t moving from side to side. It’s rocking on the post. The reason it’s doing that is probably bgecause the windage adjustment screws are not in their divots on the split-ring. So check that first.
If those screws get out of their divots, no amount of tightening will stop the scope from rocking on the post. The split ring is doing what it was designed for – acting as a gimbal.
B.B.
You were right on about the c-mount adjustment screws…the jam screws were indeed not in their divots. thanks for the help!
Hello, BB
This might be a slightly ‘off topic’ question ,but this seems like the best place to post it.
I recently purchased a .177 caliber, Crosman Phantom 1000, spring rifle from pyramyd air ,but I have not fired it yet.
I read that with some lightweight pellets it can go supersonic. I know that this affects the accuracy of the pellet ,but is it actually harmful to the gun itself?
AirSniper
AirSniper,
No, shooting pellets supersonic will not harm your airgun. They will tend to lead the barrel sooner than slower pellets, but this varies, barrel by barrel.
Okay, Thanks much!
But, I don’t think I need to worry about leading, on these specific pellets, as they are RWS hyper-velocity pellets with plastic sabots on them.
AirSniper