by B.B. Pelletier
This post is for Chris and Jeremy and all the techs at Pyramyd AIR. They tell me some new airgun buyers don’t know how to cock their guns and are sending back partially cocked guns to Pyramyd AIR as defective. I added the part about loading, because if people don’t know how to cock the guns, they certainly don’t know how to load them properly.
Underlevers
Lately, this problem has cropped up with TX200s. Several have been sent back to Pyramyd AIR – including one from a well-known airgun dealer who should have known to check for this. The complaint was that the guns wouldn’t cock. The problem was that people were not cocking the guns all the way. To cock the TX200 or any underlever, the lever must be popped down from the barrel, then pulled all the way down and back – as far as it will go. During the last part of the stroke, the safety has to be set, and it takes just a little extra effort. New owners stop pulling too soon and the lever remains down with the rifle uncocked. The lever now seems to be stuck open and cannot be closed. They can’t do anything with it, so they panic.
The solution is so simple. Just pull the lever a little harder and the safety will set. Then the rifle will be fully cocked. and the underlever can be returned to its stored position (as long as the safety ratchet button is depressed). On Weihrauch rifles such as the HW97 and the HW77, sometimes the trigger block is over-lubricated and the safety button gets stuck in the thick grease. Push on it if it doesn’t seem to want to set. That’s usually all it takes. These guns have no safety ratchet, so the lever can now be returned to the stored position
You may remember that I described the same problem with the Whiscombe JW75. Even I had this problem and had to call my dealer to help talk me through it. The Whiscombe safety takes a lot of extra pressure to set on the final cocking stroke. That’s even today, after the rifle is broken-in.
Sidelevers
Sidelevers are usually not as troublesome as underlevers, but they also set their safeties with the cocking stroke. They have different types of safeties that seem to set more positively without needing that extra cocking effort.
Breakbarrels
I find this next thing difficult to believe…but Jeremy tells me that some new customers actually believe the act of just opening the breakbarrel cocks the gun! I mean the initial breaking that drops the muzzle down a few inches, preparing the barrel to be cocked. They think when that is finished, the gun should be cocked. They are just beginning at that point!
Learn to slap that muzzle!
While we are on the subject of breakbarrels, many new owners do not understand how much force is required to break open some of these modern high-power breakbarrels. The mechanisms that keep the barrels locked while firing have to be made stronger today to keep all the air pressure sealed inside. It takes real effort to break open some of the new guns. The Webley Patriot/Beeman Kodiak is the worst for this, followed closely by the Beeman Crow Magnum/Theoben Eliminator. You have to slap the muzzle downward sharply with the heel of your hand to break the barrel open. It’s almost a karate chop. This takes some practice, though in time it becomes a habit. I now slap open all breakbarrels, regardless of what they are, and sometimes get surprised if it opens easy, like an RWS Diana with a ball-bearing breech lock.
Now that it’s open, break that barrel all the way!
Most modern air rifles have very long strokes, so the barrel has to be broken (pulled down and back) a considerable distance to cock the gun. And, like the underlever guns, the safety often sets on the final part of the stroke. That may take some extra effort.
You have to overcome hundreds of pounds of effort
A modern spring air rifle has a mainspring that requires over 150 pounds of force to compress. The geometry of the cocking mechanism reduces the effort needed to compress this spring to between 25 and 50 pounds, but you still have to put in that much effort or the gun will not be cocked. And, at the end of the cocking stroke, there is often an automatic safety that needs to be set. That requires a few extra pounds of effort.
Loading safely
To load any spring air rifle safely, you should always hold onto the end of the cocking lever – even if it’s the barrel! Never let go of that lever (barrel) while the action is open. You only need one hand to load the gun – the other belongs on the cocking lever, so if the safety malfunctions at any time, you can catch the lever (barrel) before it closes and chops off a finger or two.
Never do this!
Never fire the gun with the barrel broken open or with the cocking lever not back in its stored position. If you do, here’s what will happen – EVERY TIME! If it’s a breakbarrel, the barrel will snap shut and the barrel will bend upward from the sudden stop – EVERY TIME! The stock will probably crack. If you have your finger in the breech, it will be cut off – EVERY TIME. If you have an underlever or sidelever with a sliding compression cylinder and you fire the gun with the sliding compression chamber pulled back, the lever will slap against the gun and probably break the stock (very common with underlevers). The side of the gun where the lever slaps will be permanently scarred. If you had fingers in front of the sliding compression cylinder when it went forward, they were cut off.
Airgun makers have gone to great trouble to prevent these accidents. Most guns have safety devices that prevent them from firing before the lever is returned, or they use a ratchet to hold the sliding compression chamber from closing. But these things can fail or be bypassed. A few rifles have unique designs that prevent such accidents. The Gamo CFX has a rotary breech and the RWS Diana 46 has a flip-up breech cover. Both keep fingers safe. But the majority of guns don’t have these features, so the shooter must be aware of how to safely handle the gun while loading.
Spring air rifles are very easy to use, once you learn how. But there are things to learn. Please read the owner’s manual (Pyramyd AIR has a large online library of manuals) and follow the few simple safety practices I have put forth here.
BB
Thanks again for the great blog. I heve unfortunately seen many shooters who handle air guns and do not practice even the most basic caution and safety proceedures. This is esecially bad at air gun shows where a vendor is distracted and winds up with a cocked gun on his table because someone was trying to become familair with it. Thanks again for reminding us how important it is to read before handling any airgun.
Rich
BB
i should probably know the answer to this, but here goes…..
I have numberous air guns and a few .22lr rifles, all use the dovetail mounting system. I have just purchased a .243 winchester (CZ) and assumed i could use the same mounts but they dont fit (i could use them but the scope would be offset from the barrel by 1,4 inch.). What kind of rings or base do i need please?
Thanks Paul
VERY good post. I’ve never owned, or very few times operated, a spring air rifle. As it is I’m considering to get one, then you have probably saved me a few questions and trouble well before hand. Thanks. JP
Paul,
I typed “CZ scope rings” into Google and this is what I got:
http://www.google.com/search?client=safari&rls=en&q=cz+scope+mounts&ie=UTF-8&oe=UTF-8
There are 62,100 hits.
B.B.
Great job, BB. I alway keep my hand on the barrel/lever, and am working on concentrating on keeping pressure on that hand – if its a loose grip, it would probably get away in a sudden release situation.
One other cocking ‘failure’ I’ve noticed (on Dianas) – after I’ve had them apart, I have had to pull the trigger to re-set the trigger -otherwise, it won’t latch.
BB, Great information.Sometimes it”s scary to see how some people handle air rifles and firearms in general. I have a question about my CFX.I need better scope rings as mine are the Gamo standard two screw and I remember youre past blog about the stop pin doing damage to the rail.What do you suggest.Thanks
Steve,
Does the trigger need that just once, which is normal, or all the time? If all the time, it sounds like something’s not in the right place. If just once, that happens with several kinds of airguns.
B.B.
If you want to upgrade your scope rings, I would look at Accushot rings. As for the aluminum Gamo mount, if you remove it, there should be a hole in the spring tube that can be used for the vertical stop pin. The spring tube is steel, so no problem.
Look here:
/blog/2008/1/gamo-cf-x-gas-spring-part-3/
Mount the new rings directly to the dovetail grooves on the spring tube.
B.B.
BB, you mentioned always keeping your hand on the cocking lever when loading a pellet. What is the best way to do this with a side lever? I have a 48 and it seems a little more awkward to accomplish this.
Thanks.
Jim
BB
i should have said in my previous post about scope rings for the CZ rifles….i live in France and the list of compatibles are hard to find here (though common in the states i think). I will take my rifles to a gunsmith, im sure he will be able to alter or source the correct ones.
Thanks
Paul
Jim,
A good way to work with a sidelever if you are right-handed and sitting is to put the lever under your right leg.
I find the Diana safety ratchet mechanism to be extremely reliable, so I doubt your leg will ever be pressed into service.
Or you can load left-handed.
B.B.
Paul,
I’m sorry. You write so well I just assumed you lived in the U.S. I guess a gunsmith would be the best choice for you.
B.B.
Jim,
I use to put my right elbow on the cocked sidelever. If it closes my hand will be pushed out of the loading port and the lever will be slowed down. Others have drilled a hole through the spring tube and put a screwdriver through when loading, to prevent the compression chamber to close accidentally.
Markus
BB –
Right, pull once to re-set, then good to go. Normal op. I just added that to alert people so they don’t think the gun is broken.
BB –
Is the RWS 48 trigger adjustable? I would like to just lighten it a little little bit. I see that screw that looks like an adjustment for the trigger by the trigger guard – and I assume that’s it.
Ozark
ps – FWIW – related to the techs frustration…. I had a problem a while back when my rifle was new where the cocking lever wouldn’t go back all the way. It seemed to get hung up by binding somewhere. I would have to pump the lever to get it open all the way. After a few 000’s of shots, it’s smooth as a baby’s bottom now.
RWS Diana 48,
Yes the trigger is adjustable. Here is the section from the manual that describes it:
/manual/RWS48
I know new guns are tighter and can cause cocking problems. It’s unfortunate that the people who encounter these problems are the very people who know the least about the gun.
B.B.
Yes, jim, I second the advice about using your elbow to block the cocking lever as you load based on my experience with the B30. As you load the pellet, it’s not difficult to drop your elbow in front of the cocked lever and put basically your whole arm in the way of it closing. Cocked levers don’t seem to close with a lot of force anyway. This is easier for me than loading left-handed.
B.B., I finally unearthed the spare spring for my IZH 61 which was tied up in a little paper bundle in the original box and was amazed at the stiffness of even this relatively weak spring. It felt like solid metal and could hardly be compressed by hand at all.
Matt61
Matt61,
And that’s a weak one!
B.B.
BB, guys,
Can I cry for a second here? My house was broken into yesterday and I had 6 air rifles stolen. Lost an R1, R10, HW-77, HW-50, AA TX-200, and a BSA Stutzen.
I’m sick over this.
Derrick
BB,
It’s hard to believe somebody would spend the money for a TX200 and then treat its operation so laxly. Just a wild guess, but they probably spend more time complaining on the internet about the “malfunction/QC problem” than they did trying to learn about the rifle.
If PA becomes overwhelmed with returns, I’ll pay shipping for “broken” TX’s to my house:).
Derrick,
I know how it feels to be burglerized. You feel violated.
You had some fine air rifles. It might pay to watch the classified and auction website for a while.
auctionarms.com
gunbroker.com
http://www.airguns.net/classifieds/classifieds.html
B.B.
Derrick,
You should alert all the pawn shops and gun stores in your area of the S/N and description. There is a good chance that at least 1 might end up there and you would have a lead. Good luck, I feel your pain.
I know hind-sight is always 20/20, but may I suggest others learn from Derrick’s plight and invest in a gun-safe. Some airguns are as (or more) expensive than firearms and should be protected in the same manner. Especially if you have a few that are hard to replace.
I own this one…
http://www.stack-on.com/securityplus/gun_safes/gsd-423.html that I got from Sports Authority for about $400
and this one…
http://www.stack-on.com/securityplus/gun_safes/gs-410.html that I got from Sports Authority on sale and then used a 20% coupon for around $150.
My grandfather used to always say, you can’t stop someone from stealing something from you if they really want it,…all you can do is slow them down…
What mount would you recommend as best choice for the Webley Tomahawk?
Hi BB,
It’s funny how this happens to me on the day you posted about this topic.
I’m the Mike who was having problems with the c-mount on another post, and I have another question, but it’s about the panther this time. After I have loaded a pellet into my 34 panther, I return the barrel to it’s place. When the barrel locks into the gun, I hear a small rattling sound, which makes me worry. Is this normal, or a part of the breaking in process?
Derrick,
you have ALL of my sympathy. As for slowing someone down, a .45 or .223 to the leg does a nice job (only kidn, shoot to kill).
Derrick,
That hurts! Sorry about your loss!
hind-sight,
You got that 10 gun safe for $150? Wow, and I thought I did good getting a 10 gun lockable steel cabinet (not a safe) for $135!
.22 multi-shot
Derrick,
I am really sorry you got robbed. It is good advice which I am now ready to accept – get a safe.
Mine will be an easy sell since it’s my wife with the nice shotgun. I ‘only’ have air guns.
Chin up my friend, maybe the air gods will smile on you and you’ll find some great deals.
Any insurance – home owners? Now we should all find out if our guns are covered!
Al Pellet
Tomahawk,
Everybody tells me to get a BKL 6-screw mount and it will hold tight. I haven’t tested one, so I can’t say.
B.B.
Mike,
It depends on how small the rattle is and where it comes from. The cocking link will rattle after tension is off it when the mainspring is cocked.
B.B.
Everyone,
Thank you for the kind words. I learned today that my homeowner’s insurance limits recovery on “guns” to only $2,000. Above that, you need a rider. (maybe a “red ryder”) I had no idea this was the case, as my policy doesn’t specifically mention firearms as it does cameras and jewelry.
“Sporting goods”, however, are recoverable up to your policy limits on personal property.
Obviously, I’m lobbying for them to be called
sporting goods. The Allstate agent seems to be bending over backwards to help me. You may want to call your own agents and check on this.
I thought I was safe with the airguns as I live in a very stable residential neighborhood, and we know at least 30 of the neighbors.
I did call all the pawn shops and gun stores in the area.
Aain, thank you guys all for the kind words. I think enthusiasts are the only ones who could really understand losing your gear like this.
Derrick
Derrick: check with your insuance agent again, a pellet gun isn’t co nsidered a firearm and maybe, should-possibly, be treated as any other personal property. Please get back and lets us Know. Thanks and good luck. Again I also feel your pain.
BB,
Off topic AND a repeat question.
Please direct me to the blog(s) regarding mounting a scope on a springer and where the stop pin should be.
Thanks,
Al Pellet
Derrick,
I feel for you. I wish you good luck and fortune in finding the jerk who did this. Hopefully you’ll find your guns and whatever else too. I think I’ll lok into getting a safe a little harder…
/Shooter
BB,
Good article! As I said before, Thanks for saving my fingers! I used to load without hanging on to the barrel or lever. Could have been really ugly…
Thanks again,
/Shooter
Matt61 and Henry (Sumo),
I left a small note for each of
you on yesterday’s blog.
/Shooter
Is the scope mounting base on the RWS Diana 34 Panther a B-Square 17021 11mm to Weaver Rings, item 245 in PA Web site? Will it work on my 350 Magnum?
bb,
My dad had a Chinese .177 underlever (cheapo) that I shot with him once. I must have been ten, I never new about the bear trap effect of the loading breach, and now I realize that I would have been hesitant to load it if I had known. I don’t know what happened to that airgun…
I didn’t know that about underlevers and breakbarrels though. I probably would have a minor panic attack if my own gun was not working right (Oh…ya. Been there, done that!). Of course, you would be the first person I came to talk to bb! Other than my instruction manual.
It’s supposed to warm up this week. I hope the temp. keeps rising! Can’t wait to get out with my 392 for more than 30 minutes to an hour at a time.
Also, I’m gonna be 17 on Saturday. Yay me.
Derrick, sorry to hear about that. I don’t know how I would feel if that much was stolen from me, but I imagine depression would sum it up. Watch out for craigslist.com too. From what I hear, parents have even found their kidnapped child who was put on their for prostitution! Just don’t forget, there’s always something worse going on to another person. Be happy you have what you have.
On a cheerier note, keep up the good work bb.
Thanks,
Insomniac09
Derrick,
Very sorry to hear about the loss. I lost a 16GA bolt action Savage the same way once. Really does bother me still and that was 25 years ago.
Gun safe is a good idea. Fireproof if you can afford it.
Best wishes,
DB
Bg_farmer,
Referring back to our knife making conversation, I am going to take forging / knife-making classes. I hope to come up with something as awesome as you and your brother.
Guys,
I’ve a pretty good idea who stole the air rifles. Sad to say, we’re probably related, and he likely didn’t even know they were not “real” guns.
But, knowing it and proving it are altogether different matters.
Insomniac, you said it, man. Somebody always has it worse. This is just stuff. My wife was OK. I’m OK. I can always go get more stuff.
The thrill of the chase in finding replacements will set in at some point, I’m sure.
I’ll probably go get a gun safe tomorrow. –See, already more stuff. I just don’t have a single good place to put it.
And I hear if you get a big safe, you get to fill it up, right?
The casualty loss writer is calling them “sporting goods” at this point because we don’t need a background check/mandatory waiting period in my state. So, I should be OK there.
If anyone’s interested, I’ll keep you posted.
Derrick
/Shooter
Thanks for your note yesterday and offer of help with reloading. I know that the economics are attractive, that you get the best accuracy this way, and there is the satisfaction of crafting something yourself. One of the appealing aspects of airgunning is learning a manual skill. (My Dad asked me why I do knife sharpening and when I told him that it was something that I could do with my hands, he said, “I won’t ask anymore.”(!) Then he laughed uncontrollably for several minutes which shows you how much mechanical aptitude my family has.)
Anyway, my problem with reloading is that I’m worried about blowing myself up or wrecking my guns. I know my limits and this looks like something that needs direct personal instruction. On the other hand, things may change, especially as my wallet starts lightening with some of the factory match grade ammo. We’ll see and thanks for the offer.
Matt61
Derrick,
I sure am sorry to hear about your loss, and thanks for posting your story. I was worrying about how to keep my guns safe, but my new place sounds a lot like yours in being safe and quiet, so I was lulled into complacency. My low-budget solution is to store my guns in locked cases at night then chain them all together with my kettlebell. Anyone who can move this mess would be pretty close to moving a whole safe. But I will look into the safe.
There isn’t a bright side to the case, but it’s worth saying that the products pouring from the airgun makers now seem at least as good as they’ve ever been, and there’s way more than anyone could ever own. Good luck rebuilding your collection.
Matt61
Hello all. On the subject of cocking spring guns, I have been trying to see if there’s a technique to make it easier. The weight to cock a B30 I’m guessing is comparable to the RWS 48 which is supposed to be about 35 pounds, and it is no picnic. I can hardly visualize cocking a Webley Patriot.
My point of departure is Jack Dempsey’s (yes the heavyweight great) wonderful boxing manual, Championship Fighting: Explosive Punching and Aggressive Defense (which I recommend highly for its wonderful writing as much as its technical information). Dempsey says that “arm-only” punching is a sign of novices and that real pros hit with bodyweight. B.B. said as much in a post about using handpumps. The problem is how to get your bodyweight into cocking a magnum airgun when your leg is serving as a support.
I’ve found that if you sag your bodyweight, dropping your hips by a couple of inches, and exhale, all in time with an accelerating downward pull on the cocking lever, the motion is very easy. It won’t ever be like a slick Enfield bolt-action, but I feel like I could do this almost indefinitely. Anyway, that’s what I’ve found in case it might be of service.
Matt61
Al Pellet,
There are three articles about scope mounting in the articles section of the website.
The following blog has a huge index of scope-mounting articles:
/blog/2007/09/rws-diana-460-magnum-part-2/
If you tell me what kind of gun you have, I will help you mount the scope.
B.B.
Bruce,
No, that’s not a base you can buy – yet! That is the base I have been working on with Leapers to correct all Diana air rifles for scope mounting. That includes your 350 Magnum.
We are done with the testing now and I expect the new base to be available within the next 2 months.
The B-Square base lacks several important things needed for this installation. Don’t get it. If you can wait, hang on for the new base, which will accept Weaver rings. If you can’t wait. get a one-piece B-Square adjustable scope mount (for the rear ring elevation) and hang the stop pin in front of the rifle base.
B.B.
Insomniac,
Your father probably had a B-3 underlever – the very gun that did most of the amputating in the 1990s! You are lucky to have escaped that gun.
The modern B-3/1 is revised to not have that problem. It’s a much safer gun.
Happy Birthday!
B.B.
bb,
I found the pellet gun, and it is, indeed, a B-3 underlever! Complete (or not) with no safety! Ouch. Wow! You’re good bb! All I said was, cheapo, Chinese .177 underlever, and you told me the exact name! Now, what model do I have? Lol, on a more realistic note, my dad did most of the loading, and he safely handled the gun. Still, it’s scary to think about. No safety…
Ouch Derrick, I kind of no what it’s like to have relatives steal from you. My sister coaxed her boyfriend to steal money from my room. Maybe it was the other way around.
Lol, what’s an HTML tag? Do they do what I think they do?
Let me try this bold italics letter a.
Did it work?
Thanks bb,
Insomniac
BB,
Thanks for the reply. I know you are busy and answering the same thing over again is a pain.
I have Gamo Shadow 1000 (still waiting home time to install my ‘tuna’ trigger) and a Leapers 4x scope. I mounted it with rings that came with the scope with the existing Gamo stop block at the back of the rear ring.
I have not shot it very much but really like the scope and the gun now that I can actually see the target. I don’t want to damage the scope or rifle or have to rezero a bunch of times. (Your sight in at 10 feet trick was perfect.)
Do I need another/different stop pin/block or is what I have good?
Thanks again.
Al Pellet
Derrick
In the event the guns are ever found and IF it is AFTER you have already replaced the missing ones, (or received payment for their value).
See if the insurance company will let you buy back the guns for a discount!
Technically they become the property of the insurance company after payout. They will most likely not want to deal with them. This is what they do with wrecked or stolen automobiles. This same little known fact of their ownership (they have essentially purchased them…) has even been successfully used by insurance companies that had paid out centures ago on losses of “treasure ships” that have now been found to deny the discoverers their full share of the loot!! (The state or Fed. government of course also thrusts out it’s hand for it’s un-earned share in those cases….)
JBA
Al,
I always wait until the problem arises. You might be okay, so why not just shoot the 1000 until you know you have a problem?
B.B.
B.B. Could you recommend a scope rail to replace the aluminum one currently on my Gamo Whisper?
None exist, as far as I know. Why not take it off and use the rails on the gun?
B.B.
Hey Derrik,Tim here, Im so sorry to hear what happened to you. I was once violated in the same way. Even though my loss was neglagable compared to your loss of prized airguns,I truly feel for you. To those that have not been there, it is imposible to put into words how deeply disturbing this is to ones sanity. Based on your last post& my law enf. past,I feel as though you may get your “babys” back. We will see. Dont rely on ph. calls alone,visit pawn shops in person. Just my 2 cents. Again I really feel for you & am so sorry. I wish you the best,Tim.AKA Dragonslayer.
Hey B.B. 22 multi & my other old buddys from here! Sorry Ive been away. Was great today to see the “handles” of my old friends here! Ive been gone from posting here but rest assured I read all here every day. Latest “airwaves” was awsome B.B. & I look forward to more about big bores. 22 Multi,check your personal site, I just posted there. Mr. Gaylord, Please try again, kliff53.proboards101.com A great bunch of guys there,,(some from here). We have several moderators,myself included!!Please vist us. Great feeling to post here again,the site that started me to TRUE addiction to the wonderfull world of airguns!! Tim.
Henry,
I just saw your message re:forging and knife-making. You are really in for some fun, and you might produce an heirloom. At any rate, you’ll be amazed how easy it is to get something usable and you can make it however you want. Good luck.
Tim,
I went to that website, but that place is too difficult to navigate. Everything is compartmentalized. I don’t have a lot of time to look at forums and I need them to be there on the first page.
I bookmarked the site and will go back, but with that layout, it doesn’t surprise me the activity is so slow.
B.B.
BB
I bought an RWS 45 .177 new in 1988. I have not fired it since about 1995.
1. What should I do to prepare to fire it? Lubes etc.?
2. Does this gun have leather or synthetic seal?
This gun was incredibly accurate and powerful with Beeman Silver Jet pellets. Killed a raccoon that had been raiding my trash. Shot him in the eye (I am guessing it was about 30 yards) in 1989.
I just bought a Beeman model 1073 at Walmart. It has dual caliber .177 and 22 barrels. It was $124.37. The 22 cal. barrel was mounted and seems to be solid, not loose like others have reported on Beeman dual barrel guns. I have not had time to adjust the sights but I did fire a Daisy 22 wad cutter pellet. I will report more on this gun when I have time to check it out better. I can not find this gun on the web anywhere. I did find a 1072. The 1073 does not come with a bag for the gun and barrels like some of the others I have seen on pyramidair. It does come with a scope. It has fiber optic front and rear sites. Click adjustable rear site. The wood stock has a nice finish. The barrel and receiver are black — does not seem to be bluing like the RWS 45.
Is there anything I should do to this gun before firing it any further? It is not dieseling. It is quieter than my 22SG. I don’t know that it is more powerful than the 22SG. My recollection of shooting the RWS 45 is that it is more powerful. Maybe not. The Beeman box says 1000fps for .177 and 800fps for the .22. I suspect these numbers are grossly exaggerated on the Beeman. It is made in China but I would not have guessed that by looking at it and holding it. But, I do not have enough experience with it to tell whether it is worth $125.
Walmart also had the Gamo Big Cat for $150 scoped. It was .177 though and I was looking for .22.
The BB/Pellet guns I have gathered over the years are:
1. RWS 45 .177
2. Beeman 1073 .177 and .22
3. Daisy 22SG
5. Daisy 880 .177
6. Crosman 1077
7. Crosman 1050B
8. Crosman 73 lever action BB rifle (similar to one by Hahn that had wood stock).
9. Benji EB22
10. Benji 137
11. Daisy 1200
12. Daisy 008
13. Crosman C11
14. Crosman 1377B
15. Crosman Mark II
16. Crosman 357 8
17. Daisy 92 12 shot Beretta like gun.
18. Marksman 1010
19. Chinese break barrel pistol
20. Beeman P17
Guns I want
1. Older silver streak
2. Benji 392
3. Crosman 2260 or SE
4. Benji HB22
I would like to hear about other’s collections and info on the one’s you like the most or actually use the most.
This is an obsession. Wish I had more time to and a place to use them. I think I will join Ikes.
Diana 45,
I don’t know where you live, but in Maryland at the Damascus Izaak Walton League we formed a field target club that is now one of the big ones – DIFTA. You can do the same think at your new Ikes club.
I also don’t know if Diana had switched from a leather seal to a synthetic seal in 1988 (I don’t believe they had) so drop three drops of silicone chamber lube down the air transfer port and let it soak in for a couple hours before you shoot that gun again.
The Beeman gun is Chinese and made with modern seals – just shoot it.
I write about vintage guns as I’m able. Most of the readers of this blog want to know about new guns, so I have to attend to them first, but when I can I also look at the older guns.
B.B.
Thanks for this post… I think you’ve convinced me to stick to pneumatics! 😉
Hey guys, never ever lighten a trigger’s pull force. If you do, it will discharge with the slightest bump, hopefully not into you….alfredschrader@aol.com
Hi all:
Just a personal history of lack of caution. I am new to real airguns, but this story makes it even more pertinent. When I was a kid, my older brother and a friend cocked a BB gun for me (don't know what type, and I was probably 6 years old). It was a bottom lever cock. Unfortunately, they did not return the lever to its place in the stock, and I took the gun and shot it– the lever came flying up and bashed my left ring finger. As I type today, I am staring at a deformed joint at the end of that finger (thankfully it works OK). If it had been a real airgun with some power, I might not have that finger. Safe shooting!
I recently bought a red ryder bb gun and I tryed to cock it today and it doesn't click when I cock it. If there is a way to fix this without taking it back i would like to learn. Thank You
This is not an easy fix. I think you should take it back.
B.B.
Thank you for the quick response but is there anyway possible to fix it before taking it back?
Well, yes, it is possible. Read this blog to see how to make a jig for BB gun disassembly:
/blog/2009/6/bb-gun-disassembly/
B.B.
Those underlevers could cause lots of pain. Ive got an smk db4 custom underlever. Nice gun and really easy to cock until after about 20-30 pellets went through. Now it needs a bit more grunt to engage. Only thing i noticed, i was plinking in the garden and when i cocked the gun a small piece of plastic fell out and then another. Put tohether they form a square about 5mm x 5mm with a hole in the middle. The gun still works properly but i'm sure hanging onto that lever just in case. Does anyone on here know what it might be that fell out?
I have a air gun and it was working fine it would break open easly and shoot but then it just wouldn’t break open what’s wrong with it?
Guy,
Welcome to the blog.
That is a tough one to answer. Tell me what kind of gun it is. I know it is a springer, but what model and maker?
Maybe I can help.
B.B.
Thanks it’s a slavia 618
Guy,
Does the 618 have an automatic safety at the rear of the spring tube? If so, jiggle it out and in a lot and you may find that it is the problem. I’ve had problems like that with the Slavia safety on models like the 631.
Also try fully cocking the gun again. I know it is already cocked, but you will be resetting the sear that may have gotten stuck.
B.B.
I can’t cock it because the brake barrel is stuck I can’t open it
Guy,
Your rifle is either jammed by something in the barrel or it is seriously broken. It needs to go to an airgunsmith for repair.
Baker Airguns @ (937) 660-9152 Email: info@bakerairguns.com
B.B.
This was serious helpful! As a beginner I was indeed panicking, but all it took was a little (a lot) more power when pulling down and now it works smooth! I was so close and ready to call the store and have a refund.
Andreas,
I’m glad this blog report helped you! This is one of the reasons that Pyramyd AIR started uploading images to product pages that show how far back you have to pull a lever or the barrel to fully cock a gun.
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