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BBQJOE
09-22-2013, 06:56 PM
About six months ago Big 5 was having a pellet rifle sale. I decided I needed one.
I can't remember what brand it was, but upon inspection, I saw it was made in China, and decided I wanted something American made.
After looking at a number of them, I found a Ruger air magnum.

Damn heavy for an air gun I thought, but decided to go with it.

After getting it home, upon closer inspection, I found that it too was made in China :mad: Oh well.

The first thing I noticed was that the trigger pull on this thing was like 100 lbs. Maybe not 100, but it was up there.

The second thing I noticed was that the first shot was loud like a .22. But every shot after that wasn't nearly as loud, but still seemed to have the same penetration on a 1/2 inch piece of plywood.

I finally decided something needed to be done about the trigger pull. I took apart the trigger assembly, changed a few things, and made it a heck of a lot lighter. I also removed the automatically setting safety. I thought that was about the stupidest feature I had ever come across.

The after finding the accuracy was not as I suspected, I did some research, only to find I was holding it too tight, and that these plunger type break barrel rifles need to be held as loose as possible, and the accuracy went way up.

I still don't get the first shot sounding louder than the following shots though.

I guess I'm not crazy about this gun for over $200 and something.

Any similar experiences with this rifle?

R.M.
09-22-2013, 07:15 PM
There was probably some oil in the gun. When oil compresses, it explodes, like a diesel engine.

BBQJOE
09-22-2013, 07:18 PM
There was probably some oil in the gun. When oil compresses, it explodes, like a diesel engine.
It does this every day that I shoot it though. I've heard of dieseling.

wch
09-22-2013, 07:40 PM
I have had the same trigger experience, I.E. heavy and creepy, though accuracy is good.
Would you tell me what you did to lighten it up?

wch
09-22-2013, 07:42 PM
I bought the same rifle and have had the same trigger experience, i.e. heavy and creepy, though accuracy is good.
Would you tell me what you did to lighten it up?

BBQJOE
09-22-2013, 08:38 PM
I bought the same rifle and have had the same trigger experience, i.e. heavy and creepy, though accuracy is good.
Would you tell me what you did to lighten it up?
That was six months ago, and I've slept since then. (my standard CRS reply)
I know I found a lighter spring out of something, and did something else. The trigger assy is pretty simple, and at the time it was rather obvious to me what needed to be done, but I'm sorry, I can't give you a verbatim of what I did because I just don't remember. But it probably sits at about 3lb right now. It's very light.

W.R.Buchanan
09-22-2013, 09:15 PM
BBQ joe: the auto safety feature is there for a pretty good reason. It is there so you don't pull the trigger when you are cocking the gun,, resulting in the gun snapping shut.

Here is a pic of the web of my right hand and the nice skin graft I had to have when Mine snapped shut when the auto safety stuck in the off position and I tried to bludgeon a Cat that was attempting to invade my house. The gun was cocked and open, and when I hit the ground it went off closing abruptly! With my hand in the way.

It was exactly like grabbing the web of your hand with a brand new pair of Electricians Pliers (Klein's) and ripping the skin out.

This is when I figured out why it had the auto safety.

Randy

HARRYMPOPE
09-22-2013, 10:34 PM
I had an RWS 460 almost take off my thumb three or so months back.I had the barrel cocked looking at the worn breech seal and it slipped.I let loose of the cocking arm as i fumbled,my thigh hit the safety off and my thumb went into the trigger and it all slammed shut very fast.Gun was tore/bent to pieces but fingers all came out fine.it made me respect airguns a bit more.

BBQJOE
09-23-2013, 09:56 AM
You're telling me that with the gun cocked, in the open position that the barrel will snap back into position if the trigger is pulled?
I knew I hated this gun.

W.R.Buchanan
09-23-2013, 12:26 PM
I don't suggest you try it !!!!!! You are basically dealing with a garage door spring.

That bite of mine happened so fast it didn't even hurt until about a minute later when I full realized what had happened. I went to the Emergency room and they bandaged me up and informed me I would need a Skin Graft.

It took about 3 months to recover fully.

I have much greater respect for the gun now.

Randy

BBQJOE
09-23-2013, 01:35 PM
I don't suggest you try it !!!!!! You are basically dealing with a garage door spring.

That bite of mine happened so fast it didn't even hurt until about a minute later when I full realized what had happened. I went to the Emergency room and they bandaged me up and informed me I would need a Skin Graft.

It took about 3 months to recover fully.

I have much greater respect for the gun now.

Randy
I ain't gonna try it. Let's get Mikey to try it!
Hey Mikey!!!!

C.F.Plinker
09-23-2013, 03:11 PM
After reading stories like these I now break the barrel, insert the pellet, then, and only then, cock the rifle. This way, if something goes wrong, I have one hand on the barrel and the other on the stock and nothing is in the pinch point.

freebullet
09-23-2013, 03:43 PM
Wow...um be carefull guys. Thanks for sharing your experience.

W.R.Buchanan
09-23-2013, 09:48 PM
mind you my mishap was the combination of a stuck safety and some excessive *******. This happened 20 years ago

I have shot that gun thousands of times since with no problems. Just a minor Brain Fart!

But that is the reason why most all have auto safeties. It really is no big deal once you get used to pushing it off as you bring the gun to your shoulder. If you take it off and decide to not shoot then you can reset the safety by cocking the barrel again.

One thing,,, You never leave one of these things cocked for a long period of time, like over night. It kills the springs pretty quick. If you are done for the day you shoot the thing at something. Also you never dry fire a Spring Piston gun. Without a pellet in the hole there is no resistance and the piston will hit the end of the cylinder and damage it.

A drop of synthetic oil in the cylinder every so often is all you need to do, that and wiping it off just like you would a firearm with a blued finish. Like I said both of mine still look like new after 40 and 30 years of use.

Just because they are airguns doesn't mean you shouldn't take care of them like firearms. They are made just as well as firearms.

How many firearms have you seen that get thousand and thousands of rounds fired and just keep plugging along? It is considered normal usage for these guns.

Randy

Silver Eagle
09-24-2013, 02:19 AM
It is highly recommended when cocking any airgun to hold it in the cocked position with one hand and load a pellet in the chamber with the other. Once the hands are clear of the chamber, close the action.
Most under lever or side lever guns have a sliding chamber. These have been known to remove appendages placed in the chamber if the bear trap safety fails. Early Chinese imports are rather infamous for this.
The newer "gas piston" or similar technology mechanisms can be left cocked for longer periods than "springers". Jury is still out on how long they can be left cocked. They use a power plant similar to the one that holds up a car hood or hatchback.

BBQJOE
09-24-2013, 09:55 AM
After reading stories like these I now break the barrel, insert the pellet, then, and only then, cock the rifle. This way, if something goes wrong, I have one hand on the barrel and the other on the stock and nothing is in the pinch point.
Good plan!

roysha
09-26-2013, 11:23 AM
"I had an RWS 460 almost take off my thumb three or so months back.I had the barrel cocked looking at the worn breech seal and it slipped."

How does one cock the barrel on an RWS 460?

As far as loading a break barrel, assuming being right handed, cock and hold the barrel with the left hand and while holding the butt stock between the inside if the right elbow and right side of the torso, insert the pellet. I realize that the safety is there to help prevent the type of accident that W.R.B, experienced but quite simply, I DON'T TRUST ANY safety, period.

When loading the sidecockers, even those with a beartrap, I hold the forearm in my left hand and put the back of my upper right arm in front of the cocking lever as I insert the pellet. When loading the underlevers I use pretty much the same technique as loading a break barrel, except of course, I'm holding the cocking lever.

To keep the spring from being compressed unnecessarily long, I always load a pellet into the chamber and close the action. This is quite easy to do on break barrels but a bit more tricky on the other type of actions.

MT Chambers
09-26-2013, 11:36 AM
I think you all may have scared some folks into buying PCPs, it all sounds very painful!

W.R.Buchanan
09-26-2013, 11:14 PM
The problems with the PCP's are they are seldom left charged, when you need a springer all you do is cock it and let fly.

Also Springers are not nearly as loud as a PCP. The reason why, is a PCP is releasing Compressed Air, and usually a lot more than was actually needed for the pellet to clear the bore. Pressure is at it's peak at the moment of firing and falls off as the pellet goes down the bore.

The springer compresses the air behind the pellet as the piston moves forward in the cylinder. The pressure starts at zero and runs up to it's peak as the pellet accelerates down the bore. There is very little extra air expelled after the pellet leaves the bore. The air acts more like a slingshot in how it propels the projectile .

My gun only has a piston stroke of 35MM or 1.377", and the dia. of the bore is about the same. That's right at .653 cu in total. Not that much space. But when you shove it all thru a .177 hole in about 15 milliseconds it develops 700fps.

Those are the two advantages of a spring powered gun over a PCP. The PCP's advantage is power. You don't see any Spring powered guns over 25 cal. and those are not all that fast. It is a bigger pellet however and is effective within it's range limits of <50 yds. There are many PCPs that will shoot 9MM or .45 cal. Boolits at 7-900 fps. That is powder pistol velocity. .45 ACP, 38 Special.

All of these guns are seriously accurate. I got mine when I was 26 years old and at that time I could hit an aspirin offhand at 10-15 yds virtually every time. I lived alone and shot almost daily after work, in the hallway leading to my living room where I had a target with a picture light above it hung on the wall.

I'd get home from work at 5:00pm and shoot for a half hour or so almost every night.

Believe me if you shoot anything that much you get good. That's why you need a good one. One that has the accuracy you will grow into, and the longevity to be there when you do.

My HW35 after nearly 40 years has exactly one scratch on the fore end and some minor belt buckle marks on the buttstock, and otherwise is exactly like it was when I got it. The reason is that the gun as been used largely indoors, and Maggots haven't got to touch it. IE it's been taken care of. One of my most prized possessions.

Randy