Do new guns need "breaking in"?

[TORNADOS7]

PCP's contain hammer springs/valve seats/breach seals and all manner of bits 'n' pieces that need to settle in...

[Missed_dinner]

I had time for a little pellet testing on Tuesday and had 9 different types to try apart from one (JSB Heavys) all the rest were a bit messy. It wasn't a still day but not blustery. Shooting off a bag on the bonnet of my car. Spirit level fitted. As said before, I am no pro but didn't know if I should be happy with these results?

http://i221.photobucket.com/albums/d...413_105736.jpg

http://i221.photobucket.com/albums/d...413_105854.jpg

http://i221.photobucket.com/albums/d...413_105820.jpg

Also when I push the pellet into the barrel with the cocking lever it is a bit rough, sometimes more with certain pellets than others. It isnt smooth at all. Do you think it's worth a trip to my RFD for them to have a look?

[Mike1979]

Bisley magnum and jsb heavies look ok, so nothing wrong with accuracy but the cocking lever should not be rough, mine was not smooth as the mag wasn't lining up properly so caused problems when loading, try loading it one pellet at a time, if it's still not smooth get it checked out if it is smoother then it's probably the magazine causing problems.

[Cocksure]

that's why you measure centre-to-centre

I do try not to be thick..but what does 'centre to centre' mean? From the centre out and back in the otherside, like pac man? I don't actually know, am I being thick here?....

[Missed_dinner]

Bisley magnum and jsb heavies look ok, so nothing wrong with accuracy but the cocking lever should not be rough, mine was not smooth as the mag wasn't lining up properly so caused problems when loading, try loading it one pellet at a time, if it's still not smooth get it checked out if it is smoother then it's probably the magazine causing problems.

I had a little tinker in the garden last night. I loaded some pellets individually and it turns out its the pellet being pushed into the barrel that is the resistance. There is nothing wrong with the cocking lever, thats smooth and an empty magazine causes no resistance. I have been using 5.52 & 5.53mm pellets (from the packs marked, unsure on some) so I have ordered a sample pack of 5.50 & 5.51mm to see if that is any smoother.

RWS Superfields have a very pronounced line round the head of the pellet and they are VERY difficult to push in!

I might go to the RFD with the gun and see if they have any 5.50 in stock and try it in front of them and see what they say.

[tacfoley]

My backboard is a piece of thick plywood about 2' square and it probably has about 50 odd pellets in it now, making it heavier!

Shooting ANY airgun at plywood is not a good idea.

tac

[Missed_dinner]

Shooting ANY airgun at plywood is not a good idea.

tac

Why?

[Missed_dinner]

I do try not to be thick..but what does 'centre to centre' mean? From the centre out and back in the otherside, like pac man? I don't actually know, am I being thick here?....

No, the centre of a hole to the centre of a hole. if the centre to centre is 1cm then the overall distance between the outside edges will be greater with bigger calibres.

[Geezer]

No, the centre of a hole to the centre of a hole. if the centre to centre is 1cm then the overall distance between the outside edges will be greater with bigger calibres.

So you measure the longest distance between the outsides of the shots in the group, and subtract the diameter of the pellet. So if the longest distance between the edges is 25mm, then for a .177", the c-t-c is 20.5mm. For a .22", it's 19.5.

Slightly inexact, in that only wadcutters on proper target cards shoot neat full-calibre round holes (everything else tends to tear a bit) but it's the best we can do.

[Geezer]

Shooting ANY airgun at plywood is not a good idea.

tac

Why?

Ricochets and rebounds?

I use a big lump of wood, but behind a 2-foot cardboard box filled with old papers, magazines, junk mail, bubble wrap, whatever. When I hear the sound of pellet on wood, that's when I know the box needs refilling.

[Cocksure]

No, the centre of a hole to the centre of a hole. if the centre to centre is 1cm then the overall distance between the outside edges will be greater with bigger calibres.

Please bear with me on this.....

I shoot a ten shot group, one is outside, the others have made a nice raggedy single 2 pence ish mess.(.22)....the one outside from it's centre no probs, but surely I'm taking a rough guess with the other 'centre'...whereas the edge is quite plainly the edge. And of course your groups are bigger( as a rule) with bigger calibre and that would be known when giving results? But anyway, thanks...I know what it means now!!

[Cocksure]

So you measure the longest distance between the outsides of the shots in the group, and subtract the diameter of the pellet. So if the longest distance between the edges is 25mm, then for a .177", the c-t-c is 20.5mm. For a .22", it's 19.5.

Slightly inexact, in that only wadcutters on proper target cards shoot neat full-calibre round holes (everything else tends to tear a bit) but it's the best we can do.

This was posted whilst I wasn't looking, makes perfect sense now, nice one Geezer!

[Blackrider]

With regard to the OP, none of my Rapids needed breaking in neither did my Theoben "Rammers" although a recently bought Diana Airking took some time to settle down.
However, I've now had it "Seen to" and now it's a totally different gun which shoots brilliantly with JSB Express 4.42's, 7.87g.
Before that one, I bought a .25 HW 80 which wasn't particularly impressive out of the box about six years ago and previous to that, a Webley Vulcan KS carbine .22 which was pretty good !

[TORNADOS7]

Had the same issue with a 'Webley Venom Viper' I ended up using 'Accupells' or pellets of that style as they breached the best, other pellets shot well but were a bugger to get into the breach sometimes taking 2 or 3 attempts before they'd go in...

Ps, might wanna give 'Accupells/Premiers/Daystate Li/Bisley LRG' a go and see if that makes any difference...

[Missed_dinner]

So I went to my RFD with the compatto in hand. They gave it a test and are happy there is nothing wrong with the cocking lever and probe. Then I learnt something new. The compatto has a sealing O-ring on the inside of the barrel so the pellet has to be pushed through that, where as my Ultra has the sealing ring on the cocking lever probe and gets pushed in behind the pellet. So that explains the pressure pushing the pellets in.

As for the pellets accuracy, I think I am going to put the inconsistancy down to me being a novice as the guy in the shop put 3 pellets through the same hole!!! He was only at about 15 metres but I couldn't do that!

He also said not to have the magnification so high (x16) as that makes it harder to control the accuracy. That said, I reduced it to x10 with the AA fields and made a 5p hole with 10x .22 pellets at 15m in the wind!

I have also fitted the bipod from my Ultra to the Compatto which makes life easier to test pellets.

Anyone got a tilting bipod for sale? I had been shooting off my car bonnet before and its not too easy to level, but will be with a tilting bipod.