Breech seals ... wouldn't it be nice

[Phil Russell]

Wouldn't it be nice if manufacturers provided a complete list of the O ring sizes used on their guns? I know you can usually find the sizes via a Google search or by asking on the BBS but it would be nice to be given the BS or metric sizes in the manual. The thought came to me when looking for a breech seal for an Original 66. I found, somewhat by trial and error, that a BS109 is a very good fit; the same size as used on a Theoben Fenman.
An Air Arms TX200 breech seal is a BS108 and as far as I can remember, the size is given on the Julian Bond spares site. But I think that site is unique in giving the seal types and sizes ... thank you Julian.
Just thoughts from a Victor Meldrew impersonator .....
Cheers, Phil

[rovercoupe]

But then how would the the spares suppliers be able to charge you £3 for a 10p o ring?

[RichardH]

It would be a great sticky so folk could add to it......

[aris]

In the past I have suggested the BBS set up a wiki indexed on manufacturer, and airgun. Within it the BBS collective could store information and images on these airguns including scans of manuals, specifications (such as the o-ring sizes), breakdown and servicing info, etc.

Nothing came of it - and it would not be difficult to implement.

What say you BBS admins?

[Phil Russell]

So far I tend to agree with all the comments made. I note the comment about spares suppliers but do not think they would be that hard hit. Many people would still be happy to just buy the appropriate ring from the spares shop and fit it rather than go searching for an O ring supplier. And it has been pointed out several times that the spares business is not overly profitable; not that I always agree, but that is off the point. A database? Very good idea. Including manuals could be good but maybe it should be pointed out that manuals are often available from a google anyway ... ok, they are not all in one place so a BBS resource could be good. O ring database .. again there is some published data if you hunt for it but as far as I know it is never included in the manual that comes with the rifle/pistol. I have my own database compiled from various sorces, including the BBS and other fora but occasionally come unstuck and have to go searching.... hence my 'find' that the Orig 66 breech is the same as the Fenman (OK, the Fenman ring supplied by Theoben had a bit cut out of one edge but that is not really relevant as I found an 'un-nicked' one worked fine and you can nick your own with a hole punch if you really want to). I also accept that not all breeches are fitted with O rings .. several Gamo for instance are pretty special shapes. Incidentally, many 'collectable' rifles have 12mm x 8mm breech grooves and it is possible to cut your own from urethane tubing, available very cheaply. As for strips ... do not forget the Idiots Guide in Collectables but I accept that modern guns are not really included. The airgun magazines have done a wonderful job in publishing strip guides ... maybe a comprehensive collection of those would be good, but it would clearly need co-ordination across publishers and I doubt if that would be seen as worth the effort, even if the legal aspects were resolved.
But overall, if a resource was started I would add to it.
Cheers, Phil

[eyebull]

In the past I have suggested the BBS set up a wiki indexed on manufacturer, and airgun. Within it the BBS collective could store information and images on these airguns including scans of manuals, specifications (such as the o-ring sizes), breakdown and servicing info, etc.

Nothing came of it - and it would not be difficult to implement.

What say you BBS admins?

Start the wiki, and link to it in a thread, and the mods can sticky it?

[TonyL]

Seal size database?

Great idea, chaps.

[HW777]

It would be a great sticky so folk could add to it......

As more and more rifles become obsolete this would be really helpful.

[keithy]

I tried to buy an oring of an o ring supplier, yes they could supply them but minimum order was 200! seal kits off the bay are well worth the money. But a data base would be a great.

[Rickenbacker]

I tried to buy an oring of an o ring supplier, yes they could supply them but minimum order was 200! seal kits off the bay are well worth the money. But a data base would be a great.

I use this supplier: https://simplybearings.co.uk/shop/Se...705/index.html but you can see the economy of scale with buying large amounts! I usually settle on 50.

[rhyslightnin]

But then how would the the spares suppliers be able to charge you £3 for a 10p o ring?

Or even £3 for a 2p oring!!

[rhyslightnin]

Its the sort of thing that you need to find or make an oring sindicate... Buy 200 between 10 people and each have 20

[Phil Russell]

Its the sort of thing that you need to find or make an oring sindicate... Buy 200 between 10 people and each have 20

Good idea. I seem to remember that when I needed rings for a TX200 / TX200SR I bought 'in bulk' .. maybe 50? then sold them on here or at the local club at cost. I did have to charge postage though which put the price up a bit but still cheaper than buying elsewhere when you consider that a 'airgun spares supplier' of one or two rings would also charge postage.
I guess that a drawback is finding enough people who want what you have. For the rings I mention, I never did sell enough rings to recover costs but since then I have used them elsewhere and given some away.
Cheers, Phil

[look no hands]

Good idea. I seem to remember that when I needed rings for a TX200 / TX200SR I bought 'in bulk' .. maybe 50? then sold them on here or at the local club at cost. I did have to charge postage though which put the price up a bit but still cheaper than buying elsewhere when you consider that a 'airgun spares supplier' of one or two rings would also charge postage.
I guess that a drawback is finding enough people who want what you have. For the rings I mention, I never did sell enough rings to recover costs but since then I have used them elsewhere and given some away.
Cheers, Phil

The problem I've found from a lot of these suppliers is they charge an absolute fortune for sending small parts, I recently bought a new Theoben piston seal which I was charged £3.95 postage but turned up in a white envelope with a large letter stamp on it, couldn't have cost more than £2 to send (including the cost of the envelope), I've also bought parts in the past from a well known gun shop and was charged £5.95 postage to send a trigger blade, that didn't even cost a third of the price to send.

Pete