Idiots guide to classic airgun strips (pt 1)

[ggggr]

I assume there must be a special tool to do this and a big lump of round bar might help. A spare pair of helping hands would make it easier as well. I pushed down on the clip ans then flicked the bits that locate in the slots on the side of the cylinder out with a small screwdriver. Once out, release pressure and remove clip,gide,spring and piston. You will see a small serrated flatbar pin at the front of the piston. Tap this out with a punch and piston head will come off and you can change buffer and washer. (this piston head set up is a bit like the Mercury with flatbar instead of a round pin BUT the buffer material seems better than the later neoprene material). Clean and lube. Replace piston head and secure with pin. Replace piston, mainspring and guide and try to replace the spring clip. I tried to just close it slightly so it would enter cylinder and open up once in place. Replace cocking linkage and safety (remembering the spring in the middle). The safety is a bit of thin steel with a pointy end and a flat end. It sits with the pointy bit upwards and faces the front of the gun The spring seems to sit best with the open ends to the top and the closed end to the bottom. I am fairly sure you can leave the safety plate out and just use the spring (I'm sure I used mine like that before fitting the safety) .Replace trigger in cylinder and then put trigger spring into endcap and slide into cylinder ensuring spring locates behind trigger. I put the trigger guard into the stock and then slid the action in. Tighten the 3 scews and replace loading tap. This gun had a lot of paint in the cylinder and responded really well to a clean and lube. It is quite punchy for its size and a fun plinker.

UPDATE---I've seen 4 MK2 versions of these now and 3 different types of trigger spring. One of them has a double hook coil spring that hooks onto the safety sear spring and a hole at the front of the trigger. The other 2 have either a flat or round wire spring that goes behind the trigger. I've also seen both types of trigger guard on these.
Also I forgot to mention about the transporter (the tap thing) washer, base and spring (little bent washer). The base is a round metal thing with a spiggot on it that the washer sites on and they sit in the cylinder end along with the transporter spring. If you are replacing these, the transporter spring goes into the hole at the end of the cylinder with the point end facing outwards and then the metal side of the transporter base goes on top of that with the washer facing the transporter (tap).

[ggggr]

Ive seen 4 paratroopers and they are all a bit different in regards to screw sizes,screw positioning,etc. This guide should do for all bar the one with the Gamo type slot in trigger unit (think late Bsa Meteor, CF20 etc). It should also do for the repeater.
Remove rearsight and then all plastic panels and put somewhere safe. Undo the two small scews at the fore end underside of frame. Undo the small keeper screw (if it has one) that locates on big screw at rear of cylinder/frame. Remove large screw. Action should now lift out. If you want to play with the trigger,there is usually one posidrive screw at rear under side of frame and one visable through hole in trigger guard. If you undo these then the trigger unit should lift from frame. Ive not stripped one of these right down but there seems little to go wrong other than a sear wearing or its spring breaking. If this is the case then knock out the pin and replace the spring and locate it on the little tang on the LHS of the housing. I will assume you will just clean and lube it and place back in the frame. If you want to play with the adjuster screws (front and back of the 3 together behind trigger, middle one is the lock screw that needs loosening before adjustment as it pushes on a small spring clip against the other two screws) GO TO NEXT POST.

[ggggr]

If you have the reapeater version, you can take the brackets off the top of the cylinder now( two screws in each plastic bracket--Front one holds the loading plate). Cocking arm should come out of slot now. To remove barrel,undo lock nut on RHS (some models dont have this) and then tap out pivot screw----THESE ARE HARD TO UNDO so use a good screwdriver---barrel will come out with 2 plastic washers. If you want to get to barrel plunger and spring, you need to knock out the barrel pivot sleeve to do it---Do it, lube and replace. Hold cylinder with breech jaws down and push on end cap and remove cylinder end pin--release pressure and remove guide, mainspring and piston. Ive seen these with a screw on piston washer or a rivetted version. A meteor mainspring with 2-4 coils cut off will do the job if you cant get proper mainspring.Bear in mind the biggr the spring, the more pressure on the sear and these are getting hard to find now. Replace piston,mainspring and guide, push on end cap and replace cylinder end pin. Put breech in jaws and locate pivot pin (easier to do with barrel broken) and then tap it through and replace lock nut. I use a screwdriver with a gap groung into it for these jobs. GO TO NEXT POST

[ggggr]

Leave the barrel broken and dont locate cocking arm yet. If you have a repeater, there is a small "O" ring on the cylinder that seals that side of the loading plate---check its there and in good nick. I made one up out of leather and it seems to be working ok. Replace the repeaters brackets and the loading plate on the top of the cylinder. Once the front bracket and loading plate are in place, then you can close the barrel and locate the cocking arm. Replace action in frame, replace two front screws and the large rear one (and its lock screw if it has one--if the hole is there but no screw, I think its 3 0r 4mm---I got one from local hardware shop and cut it to length). Replace plastic and sight.
Id hate to have to order spares for these because there are so many little variations. If you have the repeater and the magazine and rear bracket are missing, you still need the front one because of the loading plate. The barrel is different to the normal rifle. AS I found out, DONT BUY A BOX OF BITS-- the mk1 and 2 frames and cylinders are diffreent as is the one with the Gamo type slot in trigger. Keep the power down and you will have a fun, accurate plinker to put a smile on your face for years to come.

[Phil Russell]

Part 1: The strip

ORIGINAL / DIANA MODEL 50 Strip and rebuild
Much also applies to the Model 35 break barrel

These notes are designed to help you strip and rebuild the Original Model 50 underlever rifle that has the feared ball bearing trigger. Much of the notes also apply to the Original Model 35 that has the same trigger assembly.

Strip:
Remove fore and rear sights.
Remove action from stock. There is a simple bolt in the trigger guard. The front of the stock is held to the action by a nut that fastens to the underlever catch. This is a round nut with cut outs in the rim. It is possible to carefully use a small screwdriver to turn this but I made a simple tool to fit over the underlever catch and turn the nut. The cross bolt through the action is also the underlever pivot bolt and holds the underlever in place. Action is now free, as are the underlever parts; underlever and cocking arm.
Remove the loading tap. Not absolutely necessary but makes life easier later as if left I found it interferes with my homemade spring compressor. Press down on the tap plate as you release the 2 screws as there is a spring laden ball underneath. Just release carefully and it will be OK. Do not lose the shims on the tap.
Remove the small barrel cover. This may be held by a small spring pin but I have seen rifles where the pin is missing.
Remove the action end cap.
FOR INFORMATION: Look at the end of the action. Note the inner circular sleeve about 15mm diameter inside the end of the action and the smaller (about 5mm) round object behind the sleeve and at the top of the action. The 15mm sleeve is the part that holds the 3 ball bearings (4.75mm ). It is about 5 cm long and locates against the spring guide. It is held in place by 2 cross pins through the action. Do not remove these yet! The 5mm round object is the end of a spring laden prod.

I now find it best to put action in a spring compressor, barrel to the left and trigger up.

The trigger needs to be removed. I find it best to drift out the trigger pin with a drift then, while holding the trigger in position, carefully remove the drift, so releasing the trigger and its spring.

You now need a socket or other implement that can be used to hold the 15mm sleeve firm while you drift out the 2 cross pins that retain the outer and inner sleeves in the action. The pin towards the barrel is smaller in diameter and acts as a guide, the other pin is larger.
Now carefully release pressure on the spring and let the sleeves be pushed out. As the inner sleeve comes out it will bring the smaller 5mm ‘prod’ out (that you saw above) complete with spring. Also coming out will be another sleeve (the outer sleeve) that fits inside the main cylinder. Try to keep these bits in their original orientation ... I place my left hand underneath them as they come out under the preload pressure, which is not great, about 5cm. Note that the 15mm sleeve is formed from rolled sheet and has the join uppermost i.e. in line with the trigger slot. The uppermost part of the outer sleeve is cut away towards the stock.
Remove these bits. The 3 ball bearings are found in holes in the 15mm sleeve at the left end.
The prod will fall free ... a prod and a spring about 4cm long.

The mainspring, spring guide and piston can now slide out.

Service as appropriate. The ball bearings are standard cycle size. I have seen triggers work with only 2 bearings in place but do not recommend this.

Part 2, the rebuild, in the next thread.

Cheers, Phil

[Phil Russell]

Part 2, the rebuild:

ORIGINAL MODEL 50 REBUILD.

Rebuild:
Nothing to fear really, but a bit fiddly at times.
Put action in the compressor, barrel left, trigger slot uppermost.
Replace piston, mainspring and spring guide. Make sure the piston is positioned with the underlever cocking arm slot uppermost.

Insert the large sleeve into the cylinder about 2cm, the cut out uppermost and pointing towards the stock end of the action.
Assemble the sleeve and 3 bearings ... a dab of grease in the bearing holes keeps them in place. Bearings fit in the holes from the outside. Insert this sleeve into the action, with the ‘join’ uppermost. Locate it against the piston sleeve. The spring and prod needs to be fitted but I found it easier to do this later.

With the socket against the 15mm sleeve, compress the sleeve into the action. This does not automatically move the outer sleeve in so I found it best to carefully move the outer sleeve in by hand (it is not under pressure).
Push the small sleeve in until to cross pin holes are aligned.
It is now time to fit the prod and spring.
I used a short length of cycle spoke to help ... put it through the left cross pin hole and release tension on the compressor. I expect the spoke will bend a bit at this point.
Now turn the action upside down so that the trigger slot points down.
Take the prod and spring and insert the spring over the top edge of the inner sleeve. You may need to lever the sleeve down a bit (hence the freedom to do this give by the spoke) to get it started. Feed spring and prod in as far as they will go. The raised lip of the prod now needs locating behind the rim of the inner sleeve. Push inner sleeve down while pushing the prod in. It will click into place.

Tension the main spring again using the socket. I now insert a drift, or if possible, the correct cross pin through the first hole before removing the spoke. If it is not possible to fit the first cross pin because of slight misalignment, use a suitable drift and then remove spoke and add another drift. It should now be possible to jiggle the alignment Ok by adjusting tension on the mainspring. Fit front cross pin, and then the second pin. You can release tension on the socket.
Turn action again so that the trigger slot is uppermost.
Fit the trigger by replacing its pin but without the spring.
The spring now needs to be fitted. A bit fiddly as it is quite strong.
With trigger fitted, use a blunt screwdriver to push the ‘outer sleeve’ down the side of the trigger so that the trigger engages. This gives a little more room to add the spring.
Locate spring on the nib on the action and compress spring so that it fits over the nib on the trigger blade. This is fiddly. I find it best to use a flat blade screwdriver, using the flat of the blade to push on the spring while I then nudge the spring into the trigger housing. Take care and all will be well.

That’s it .. hard part over.

All that remains is to replace the loading tap ... remember the little ball that sits on the spring in the tap. Replace the barrel cover bit and then locate the underlever into the action before feeding the stock over the lever. Refit the round nut over the underlever catch and refit the through bolt on the stock, making sure it passes through the underlever. Refit the rigger guard bolt. Refit sights.

Job done.
As I hope you will see, the ball bearing trigger is not too difficult. It is possible to fit it as a complete unit with the prod and spring assembled but it is more fiddly. If you want to do this, assemble the outer sleeve, inner sleeve and the spring and prod as a unit before insering into the cylinder. You then need to hold the prod and spring firmly in place as you wind the sleeve unit into the cylinder. It is possible with care.

When I first stripped a model 50, I had access to ‘Air Rifle and air piston maintenance and repair’ by Q Cobham ISBN-10 0-9553131-0-4 which gave me confidence to proceed. I supplemented my actions with more notes, upon which this account is based.

Cheers, Phil

[ggggr]

This is a slavia made break barrel pistol with a plastic body,a reasight adjustable for windage and a pivotting foresight adjustable for elevation. On the model I have, there is a knurled thing in the rear of the cylinder end cap, which unscrews and is actually a screwdriver for adjusting the trigger screw. remove this and keep it safe. The action is held in the body by a screw on either side of the body and a nut at the bottom of the pistol grip that may require a forked screwdriver to remove. Remove the two screws and nut and lift action from body( with luck the trigger spring should remain in the body) To remove barrel, undo lockscrew and barrel pivot screw. When you have done that you will need to knock out the front pin in the trigger housing otherwise you will not be able to remove barrel and cocking arm. With barrel out, you can remove pin holding barrel plunger in breech block and clean and lube and replace. There is no real need to remove trigger and sear although I think they would respond to a little polishing if you do. Before you attempt to unscrew cylinder end cap, remove the small pin on the underside of the cylinder that locates it (I used fingers but you may need a small screwdriver or long nose pliers) GO TO PART TWO