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Thread: Browning Airstar not for the faint of heart, lol

  1. #1
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    Browning Airstar not for the faint of heart, lol

    Been firing my Airstar with the new battery and it was working fine, then all of a sudden the electric safety didn't engage the trigger. Well at that point you have a cocked gun and no way to fire it. Turned it off and on, and rehit safety, nothing. Unplugged battery and reset, but the electronics now wants you to cock the gun and you can't cause it is already cocked. Well I figured this was a good time to learn how to take the gun apart! Lol. Well there are 10 screws along the stock, all out, did nothing. Remembered the parts diagram and there are two screws that hold the barrel, one at the trigger guard and another under loading port. Those screws out and barrel pops off. Thin wires going into the trigger mechanism to what looks like a miniature electro-magnet? Assume when you hit the safety button, this is charged and is attracted to metal and moves. Played with it but couldn't mechanically get anything to engage trigger. Put the barrel in my large wood vice and just tripped the main sear with a screwdriver. Sprayed some WD40 into the trigger mechanism. Was cool to see all the cocking gears and that mechanism when open, will be easy to lubricate. Put it all back together so now I can go through the cocking sequence and hit the safety. Works fine, hopefully just needed lubrication. Got to know the gun real fast, only two screws to take apart. But does demonstrate the issues of over reliance on the electronics.
    Last edited by 45flint; 21-07-2017 at 06:45 PM.

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    A prime example of an engineered solution to a problem that doesn't need fixing.
    You're right though, 29 years as an electronics engineer has taught me not to rely on electronics
    Can't wait till we're sharing the road with Google and Tesla's self driving execution wagons.....

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    Quote Originally Posted by Biker_Bob View Post
    A prime example of an engineered solution to a problem that doesn't need fixing.
    You're right though, 29 years as an electronics engineer has taught me not to rely on electronics
    Can't wait till we're sharing the road with Google and Tesla's self driving execution wagons.....
    Don't the top of the line air pistols have electronic triggers?

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    It's the cocking mechanism I was thinking of.

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    Also just some engineering flaws probably caused by the gun just being made too complicated by all the electronics. Though my issue seems to have been cured by some lubrication of the safety mechanism, there is no provision for any manual overrides if anything gets out of electronic sequence. Luckily I enjoy taking things apart, and it took taking off the stock to decock the gun. Any person that just buys guns to shoot would have to send the gun in for repair with the spring cocked for who knows how long. I think I can see why we don't see the Rutten name on airguns anymore. Lol But still goes down as the weirdest rifle I have ever seen, and I can see why you can get them so cheap. As I said before you don't have to be nuts to buy one but it sure helps.
    Last edited by 45flint; 22-07-2017 at 12:20 PM.

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    Quote Originally Posted by 45flint View Post
    Also just some engineering flaws probably caused by the gun just being made too complicated by all the electronics. Though my issue seems to have been cured by some lubrication of the safety mechanism, there is no provision for any manual overrides if anything gets out of electronic sequence. Luckily I enjoy taking things apart, and it took taking off the stock to decock the gun. Any person that just buys guns to shot would have to send the gun in for repair with the spring cocked for who knows how long. I think I can see why we don't see the Rutten name on airguns anymore. Lol But still goes down as the weirdest rifle I have ever seen, and I can see why you can get them so cheap. As I said before you don't have to be nuts to buy one but it sure helps.
    Agree with your conclusion regarding Rutten, my experience with the underlever version, the Winstar left me with a damaged hand, and my mate shot a hole in his front door with it.

    Baz
    BE AN INDEPENDENT THINKER, DON'T FOLLOW THE CROWD

  7. #7
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    I did.
    When you shut the underlever it hit the trigger mechanism and the gun went off.
    Baz tried to fix it and it attacked him.

    Got refund.

  8. #8
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    Suddenly my curiosity and interest in being a Browning owner has evaporated. Saved me £400, thanks for this post.

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    Reminder of the decocking issue with Girandoni type

    Great post!

    To me, this is a clear reminder of the decocking issue seen in the old Girandoni and also the London Air canes: difficulty of safely decocking. Like as seen with later versions of the Girandoni, there needs to be a decocking override button to bring the gun to a safe decocked state.

    The inherent danger of the Girandoni type is memorialized in the Meriwether Lewis journal and the air gun accident on Bruno Is.

    This Browning safety issue sounds even worse.

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    Quote Originally Posted by Hsing-ee View Post
    Suddenly my curiosity and interest in being a Browning owner has evaporated. Saved me £400, thanks for this post.
    Probably wise but I am still enjoying mine but my entry point was £155. Actually the stuck safety was probably a blessing cause it made me find my way inside very quickly. It's two screws to get the stock off and that gave me access to all the mechanics. Had some Beeman Spring oil and lubed the spring and the chain and gears. It did quiet down the mechanics some. Have not had issues with the safety since I lubed it. New battery is still going strong after 3 days and probably 75? shots. I thought the Windstar had potential but the accounts above make me want to pass. I think the inherent flaws of no manual decocking and potentially inability to fire of the AirStar is pretty fatal, unless you feel comfortable going inside and doing it yourself.
    Last edited by 45flint; 22-07-2017 at 09:26 PM.

  11. #11
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    Rare RUTTEN

    Quote Originally Posted by 45flint View Post
    Probably wise but I am still enjoying mine but my entry point was £155. Actually the stuck safety was probably a blessing cause it made me find my way inside very quickly. It's two screws to get the stock off and that gave me access to all the mechanics. Had some Beeman Spring oil and lubed the spring and the chain and gears. It did quiet down the mechanics some. Have not had issues with the safety since I lubed it. New battery is still going strong after 3 days and probably 75? shots. I thought the Windstar had potential but the accounts above make me want to pass. I think the inherent flaws of no manual decocking and potentially inability to fire of the AirStar is pretty fatal, unless you feel comfortable going inside and doing it yourself.
    Odd how a little oil on a 20 year + old gun can make it perform better ..lol
    On a more serious note basing buying criteria on one/two reviews is a non starter .
    We treat our airguns badly here in the UK - they get all sorts of damage and you wouldn't believe what sort of things you see inside them .
    I've been after a DE Rutten break barrel airrifle - like most design board tweaked springers it'll be a nightmare once opened - but only for the first time ! Bike chain cocking Park's are another fine example - if you were offered a broken one for free - guess nobody in their right mind would complain ?
    As for these two specific Rutten , rarely seen I hasten to add - prices have been going higher and higher . One of the latter Mach 1's selling online now for £650 .
    As we are all here in the Collector's Corner .... when things do go wrong as soon as a gun design leaves the factory , thats what makes for scarce things - that then become really really rare .
    Last edited by Jimny4x4; 23-07-2017 at 10:06 AM. Reason: making the point - pointier

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    Quote Originally Posted by Jimny4x4 View Post
    Odd how a little oil on a 20 year + old gun can make it perform better ..lol
    On a more serious note basing buying criteria on one/two reviews is a non starter .
    We treat our airguns badly here in the UK - they get all sorts of damage and you wouldn't believe what sort of things you see inside them .
    I've been after a DE Rutten break barrel airrifle - like most design board tweaked springers it'll be a nightmare once opened - but only for the first time ! Bike chain cocking Park's are another fine example - if you were offered a broken one for free - guess nobody in their right mind would complain ?
    As for these two specific Rutten , rarely seen I hasten to add - prices have been going higher and higher . One of the latter Mach 1's selling online now for £650 .
    As we are all here in the Collector's Corner .... when things do go wrong as soon as a gun design leaves the factory , thats what makes for scarce things - that then become really really rare .
    I know of no Rutten break barrel? I only know of three models made? Airstar, Windstar, Pro.

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    Well neither did I .
    The last issue of that American airgun mag that people here whinge about costing too much , taking too long to get - dropped thru me letterbox - reasonable in depth article on the Rutten Winstar Mach 1 DE , and with some reference to the rest of the line-up - so now all up to speed
    Fraid for some people though these may all be too uniquely strange -

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    Quote Originally Posted by Jimny4x4 View Post
    Well neither did I .
    The last issue of that American airgun mag that people here whinge about costing too much , taking too long to get - dropped thru me letterbox - reasonable in depth article on the Rutten Winstar Mach 1 DE , and with some reference to the rest of the line-up - so now all up to speed
    Fraid for some people though these may all be too uniquely strange -
    Just went online and purchased the magazine, thanks for the tip. I am current caught up in the uniquely strange?

  15. #15
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    UNIQUELY STRANGE THINGS are European Airguns

    I am looking for the Rutten break barrel job - have more chance in US than here methinks

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