Idiots guide to classic airgun strips (pt 1)

[Phil Russell]

LIMIT GAT TYPE PISTOL

The pistol stripped is marked ‘LIMIT’ and ‘Made in England’ on top of the chamber. The guide may well apply to other Gat types but I cannot guarantee this.
According to Hiller the LIMIT is identical to the Diana 2 pistol, but the latter has the name Diana and the Huntress symbol on the chamber.
The pistol here was very low on power so clearly needed some attention.

Strip:
You do not need to remove the pistol stock to access the power plant. I found it easiest to clamp a piece of dowel vertically in the jaws on a vice and simply slot the uncocked pistol over the dowel, muzzle up. Obviously, remove the loading prod first (a new seal for the probe can be made from a thin leather disc or an O ring).

Holding the push-in shroud, undo the knurled nut at the end of the barrel. This holds the spring tension so expect it to give suddenly.
Remove the push-in shroud and spring. Remove pistol from the dowel.
Pull the trigger and push the barrel assembly out of the back of the pistol. Note the piston washer on the rear end. If you need to replace this washer proceed as follows: the end knob that the probe screws into will unscrew from the barrel to allow access to the piston sealing washer. Mine was quite firm so I held the barrel carefully in a padded vice and turned the knob with a rubber glove. With the knob free from the barrel the piston washer lifts off. Mine had disintegrated so I made a new one from leather. It is a simple disc shape. Aim for a good fit but not too tight.
Look into the pistol barrel housing and retrieve a metal washer and round leather sealing washer that the barrel passed through. The spring seats against the washer and the leather sealing washer seals around the barrel to prevent air leaks when the trigger is pulled and the shroud and barrel rush forward.
I made a new seal from leather ... take care it is not too tight a fit around the barrel or it will slow the action down.
Fixed inside the action at about the half way point is another assembly through which the barrel passes and upon which the spring sits. Mine appeared to have a seal there but I did not remove it as it seemed to give some grip to the barrel.
Trigger assembly: Mine was OK but if you need to strip it proceed as follows: Remove the screw that holds the trigger guard and unhook the front of the guard from the action. Push out the two pins that hold the grip and remove the action. With a small punch simply push out the small pin that holds the trigger in place. Then push out the pin that holds the sear ... take care not to lose the small sear spring that fits between the sear and the pistol body.

Rebuild:
If you stripped the trigger, rebuild it first and fit the body into the grip. Place the sear into the body and carefully locate the sear spring in the small hole on top of the sear and slide the spring under the body tube. Now fit the sear pin; this will hold the sear and spring in place.
Fit the trigger, making sure that when you pull the trigger the sear moves so that it will free the barrel assembly. Replace action in grip and replace the two pins.
Replace the barrel assembly complete with piston washer; pull trigger to allow barrel assembly to pass over the trigger.
Add the barrel sealing washer over the barrel followed by the metal washer.
Replace pistol on the dowel.
Add the spring and pop-in barrel shroud. Pull down on the shroud to compress the spring a little and allow the end of the barrel to come through the shroud. Fit the knurled nut and tighten
During all of this, add suitable lubrication to the sealing washers. I used SM50 but I suspect that a good oil would do as there is no risk of dieseling.

Push barrel in to cock the pistol, add pellet, secure with loading probe and fire (safely of course).

Cheers, Phil

[ggggr]

A very nice chap off here sent me one of these to play with. I did not try it before the strip and the action was already out of stock but here goes. Undo the 2 front stock screws on the underside of the fore end and the two screws on the trigger guard. To remove the trigger guard you have to pull the safety lever on the trigger unit down and wangle the guard off. Take the action out of the stock and watch out for the piece of tube that sits in the stock near the stock bolt. replace it now so you wont forget it. Undo the barrel pivot bolt and lift out the barrel and breech block, complete with the cocking arm which is rivetted. Watch out for the 2 plastic shims. If you want to remove the plunger and its spring, you will need to drift out the sleeve that the barrel pivot goes through and the shims go on. clean, grease and replace this now. There are two pins at the rear of the cylinder that hold the trigger unit and end cap. Drift these out and remove cap and trigger unit. The next step is VERY IMPORTANT-----There is a scope arrester on the scope rails---you need to undo this screw before you attempt to strip the gun further. Once you have done this, get your bit of tube etc to push against the guide/block that the stock lug screw goes into. When you are pushing against this block, use a spanner to undo the lug and when it is undone, release the pressure on the block and the block/guide,mainspring and piston can be withdrawn. Go to part 2

[ggggr]

I did not remove the piston seal (parachute seal) but it looks like you would have to put the piston rod in some soft jaws of a vice and undo the screw holding the seal on with a large screwdriver. Clean everything up and put it back together. Put piston and mainspring in the cylinder and then the guide and its block (on this one the guide came out of the block but maybe some are in one piece?). Push down on the guide and then locate and screw in the stock screw lug. Refit the arrester and screw on the scope rails. Locate trigger unit and end cap and refit the two pins. Slide breech block/barrel and shims into the jaws and locate the cocking arm at the same time. Replace barrel pivot bolt. Drop action into stock and pull safety arm down and wangle the trigger guard into place and replace the screw. Replace the two front stock screws.
I dont really like gamo,s as I find then pretty souless AND some of the bolts,screws and pins can be really tight. This came with a spring that seemed too small in diameter for the size of the piston so I fitted a larger diameter one of a similar length. As the sights were missing I tried an ASI 4 x 20 with a single post. After 6 or 7 shots that dieseled , the gun settled in and seemed pretty good for plinking. I reckon a better scope would help (even an smk 4 x 20) but this was a period piece. Not my cup of tea but ok for nostalgia for someone. Trigger unit looks like it would be easy enough to strip but I have not checked whether you can get hold of the parts.