Idiots guide to classic airgun strips (pt 1)

[Phil Russell]

Results of a morning's entertainment:

ASI GAMO APACHE

A spring compressor is virtually a must for this rifle due to the fact that refitting the trigger unit is a bit fiddly and best done with two hands free and the action secured.

To strip, remove the forend stock screws (2) and the large bolt at the rear of the trigger guard. Action now separates from the stock, leaving the trigger guard on the stock (no need to remove unless you want to).
Remove the plastic end cap, noting the nut inside into which the trigger guard bolt fastens. Remove rear sight.

Look into the end of the action and note that the trigger unit holds back the spring guide and spring. Memorise how the trigger unit looks when assembled into the action. It will come out as a complete unit so will not fall apart. To remove the spring you need a forked tube able to go either side of the trigger block. With action trigger uppermost in a compressor, place the prongs of the forked tube either side of the trigger block and take the spring strain for about 5mm until you can see the lugs on the trigger unit clear the cylinder body. It is now possible to pull the trigger unit up and out of the action. It can be stiff so a bit of twiddling may be needed.
Release tension on the forked tube and the spring assembly comes out.

To access the piston assembly the cocking arm needs removing. You could tap out the pivot pin at the breech end or separate the breech/barrel from the cylinder. If doing the latter, undo and remove the bolt and separate the breech from the breech jaws. They have a bearing surface in the jaws so can be tight to remove.

The piston washer is leather, secured by a screw bolt.

The trigger unit can be easily cleaned and does not need taking apart. The breech seal is easily removed and is about 1cm deep. If the upper face is worn, carefully remove the seal with a needle and try a card shim under the seal.

Re-assembly is straightforward: fit piston into the action and refit the barrel/cocking arm. This can be a bit of a fiddle as the breech side bearings can be a tight fit. Take care as this is a potential blood letting exercise if the parts slip when you are trying to push the breech into the jaws; there are some sharp edges.
Place action in compressor, trigger slot uppermost, and refit spring and spring guide. Take the forked tube and compress the spring until the spring guide is clear of the trigger slot. Make sure the arms of the forked tube do not obstruct the trigger slot.
Refit the trigger unit, making sure the trigger spring locates inside the cylinder. It helps to keep the trigger ‘pulled back’ while doing this. It can be fiddly. Make sure trigger unit is fully home into the cylinder and that the lugs locate into the cylinder body. Release tension on the forked tube / spring and watch carefully as the spring tensions against the trigger housing. The trigger housing should be fully into the action at this point. When done, examine the end of the action: one leg of the trigger spring should be resting on the inner surface of the action and the trigger housing end should be at 90 degrees to the cylinder. Make sure the other end of the trigger spring fits inside the rear of the trigger and that the trigger works. Make sure safety catch can rock.

Replace end cap. Fit action into stock. It will most likely be necessary to pull the safety catch towards the trigger unit when doing this in order to get the catch through the trigger guard. Refit stock securing bolts and rear sight. Oil all pivot joints.

Cheers, Phil

[ggggr]

This is a very basic strip to change mainspring and piston washer/ clean and lube but without removing the trigger adjuster set up. Remove sights from gun. Remove small lockscrew from cylinder end cap. You may want to try to loosen the end cap a few turns now before removing action from grip.(I used padded water pump pliers but a vice would be better). Undo and remove the screws at the front and rear of the trigger guard---there is no need to undo the one that holds the cap on the base of the grip. Lift action out of grips. Hook the coil spring off the sear and the sear should slide out backwards as it is hooked on a pin rather than a pin passing through a complete hole in the sear. Look at the trigger and trigger spring before you tap the trigger pivot pin out (the idea is to leave the spring on the trigger when it comes out and to push the long leg of the spring down and slide it forwards into the housing when you reassemble the gun). Remove pivot pin and slide trigger and spring out. Knock out the cocking lever pivot pin and then undo the barrel pivot lock screw and barrel pivot and remove. Barrel and breech and short cocking link should now slide out of the jaws. Watch out for the shims on either side. You can.t do much with the barrel lock up without special tools so its just a clean and lube. Long cocking link should slide out of front of trigger housing. Go to pt2

[ggggr]

You should now carefully unscrew the cylinder end cap making sure it doesn,t fly. With cap undone, the sleeve,guide and mainspring should come out. You may need something to ease the piston out. The piston seal on mine was a parachute seal which looked ok. If it needs replacing you will probably need to dip the new one in hot water for a few seconds before fitting. Clean and lube the gun. Refit the piston,mainspring, guide and sleeve (mine had a small hole for the end cap locating screw to go so make sure if it has one that it,s in the right place) and then screw on the end cap. This may be a bit difficult so make sure you dont cross thread it. Tighten cap and replace it,s locating screw. Replace the long cocking link and then the barrel/breech/shim set up and replace the barrel pivot screw and lock screw. Line up cocking links and replace its pin. (mine was slightly bent because some chimp had fitted a big mainspring). Slide trigger into housing and push down long leg of spring (see pt1) so the trigger can slide into place and then refit its pivot pin. Slide sear into place with the hooks over its pin and then refit its spring. On mine this was a bit tricky and took a couple of small screw drivers although I think some models had a screw you could unwind to get the spring in and then retighten. Drop action into grips and refit the screws at front and rear of trigger guard and refit sights.

[ggggr]

This is a well built budget break barrel pistol. I think the Chinese thing is a copy of it. Undo the screws on either side of the frame, the one on the trigger guard and use a forked driver or similar to undo the one on the underside of the grip and remove from the frame. Watch out for the coil trigger spring that should remain behind in the frame. Undo the small locating screw that is on the underside of the end cap. I would now remove the 3 trigger pins. The front one holds the trigger guard, the middle one the trigger and the rear, the sear. There is no trigger spring other than the coil one already mentioned in the frame. Remove the guard,trigger and sear. Undo the barrel pivot lock screw and then the barrel pivot screw. You should now be able to lift the cocking arm out of its slot and remove the barrel. If you want to grease up the plunger, there is a pin through the breech block holding that and the spring in. Do it now and replace. Unscrew the little lock screw on the cylinder end cap and then remove the cap, guide,mainspring and piston should come out. The piston washer is leather and held by a screw. Mine was in good condition so I did not remove it. Clean and lube up the bits and go to part 2.

[ggggr]

Replace piston, mainspring and guide and compress the spring to screw endcap on. Make sure the screw hole is at the bottom as the little screw locates in a slot on the underside of the cylinder. Replace barrel and cocking arm (make sure arm is located) and refit the barrel pivot screw and lock screw. Replace sear from the rear and refit it,s pin, then the trigger and finally the trigger guard screw. Locate the action in the frame, again watching out for the coil trigger spring. Refit the two side screws and then the bottom screw and finally the one that fixes the trigger guard to the frame.
I found this a nice pistol, better than the chinese copy and better than the Tex 86. It does not have an adjustable trigger,safety or anti bear trap but the trigger is better than the Tex. It is an accurate pistol. say it was as accurate as a Webley pistol but aided by a longer sightline. The rearsight is a spring steel one in a dovetail and the elevation wheel was small and stiff. I think this is a good fun pistol if you are into collectables for plinking. I would spend money on one of these rather than a Chinese one.