Hardest gun to strip?

[peddy]

We have all had a nitemare gun to strip due to failure or fettling attempts. But after years of stripping guns I was handed a Walther cp88 by a mate that wouldn't fire, with limited help online I decided to have a go. After several hours and a lot of swearing I've finally got it working again, so many springs and moving parts that sprang out when pulling apart, what I complete bastard of a gun. What's yours?

[Daveo]

I've never stripped one but the park rifle RH series, looked a complete bitch
I had a look at one in a gunshop once and it had a bmx chain as a cocking lever.
I remember really struggling to get an original trigger back together
It was full of ball bearings.

[Hartcliffer]

Webley Omega. Stripped it down recently to send off to be re-blued, and the trigger was an absolute bugger. I'm really not looking forward to putting that back together....

[Thegreg]

Webley Omega. Stripped it down recently to send off to be re-blued, and the trigger was an absolute bugger. I'm really not looking forward to putting that back together....

There's a really good "how to" guide for the Omega trigger somewhere. It was actually done for a Theoben which used the same trigger group as the Omega/Eclipse/Patriot but it's relatable for the Webley.

If you Google it or search the Collectable section you'll find it.

Cheers
Greg

[Shed tuner]

I've never stripped one but the park rifle RH series, looked a complete bitch
I had a look at one in a gunshop once and it had a bmx chain as a cocking lever.
I remember really struggling to get an original trigger back together
It was full of ball bearings.

The park has quite a few extra steps and considerations due to it's design, but it's really quite easy.

For me a hard gun to strip is one where even if you know exactly what you are doing, it's still a pain...!

[robs5230]

Never found a gun hard to strip, its the getting back together thats the hard bit

But seriously.. for me the 2 most complex rifles I've stripped and rebuilt are
1) parker hale dragon - mainly for its very unique design
2) FWB300s - for its complexity and the fear of getting it wrong.

Both accomplished by working patiently and methodically.

[Zero58]

The EDgun leshiy Trigger not other parts were dead easy but the Trigger boy o boy no room in there to fiddle with any thing you can get shears out to polish but a nightmare to reassembled

[Shed tuner]

Never found a gun hard to strip, its the getting back together thats the hard bit

But seriously.. for me the 2 most complex rifles I've stripped and rebuilt are
1) parker hale dragon - mainly for its very unique design
2) FWB300s - for its complexity and the fear of getting it wrong.

Both accomplished by working patiently and methodically.

Yeah, agree with that - dragon seals especially are a real pain, as if you get one a fraction too tight, power nosedives

[robs5230]

Yeah, agree with that - dragon seals especially are a real pain, as if you get one a fraction too tight, power nosedives

You may well be right with the seal thing. I used aftermarket seals and my .177 only made around 10ftlbs after rebuild. Shot very well at that though.

[Thegreg]

We have all had a nitemare gun to strip due to failure or fettling attempts. But after years of stripping guns I was handed a Walther cp88 by a mate that wouldn't fire, with limited help online I decided to have a go. After several hours and a lot of swearing I've finally got it working again, so many springs and moving parts that sprang out when pulling apart, what I complete bastard of a gun. What's yours?

Funnily enough it was a Walther CP88 for me too! The hammer spring had broken on this one so I took it to Richard Spencer at Target Technics who wouldn't touch it and told me to send it to the manufacturer, specifically warning me not to try it myself. Well, I did anyway and managed to do the job, but like you say they're like a pocket watch inside!

Cheers
Greg

[peddy]

Funnily enough it was a Walther CP88 for me too! The hammer spring had broken on this one so I took it to Richard Spencer at Target Technics who wouldn't touch it and told me to send it to the manufacturer, specifically warning me not to try it myself. Well, I did anyway and managed to do the job, but like you say they're like a pocket watch inside!

Cheers
Greg

I feel better that Richard wouldn't touch one, you are right it did resemble a watch movement , sure I counted 8 springs. How the hell do they make these on an assembly line???!!

[PCPShooter]

Original 35 Super

The only one I had to go to someone with, with the 'bag of bits'

[jonnyone]

Original 35 Super

The only one I had to go to someone with, with the 'bag of bits'

That happened to me too. And I blamed the silly beggar who took it to bits, lost interest and stuck it in the corner for two years in a carrier bag. I really lost my tag with him
but he got it sorted in the end (this was pre internet days).
Yes I've not made same mistake second time.
Dave��

[max headroom]

air gun.brockock safari. gun. the bloody sten. field fixed my bum. and the sterling.

[rhyslightnin]

Funnily enough it was a Walther CP88 for me too! The hammer spring had broken on this one so I took it to Richard Spencer at Target Technics who wouldn't touch it and told me to send it to the manufacturer, specifically warning me not to try it myself. Well, I did anyway and managed to do the job, but like you say they're like a pocket watch inside!

Cheers
Greg

Not rifle related but when you said pocket watch it reminded me of the time I took the cap off the top of one of the injectors in my fiat van whilst trying to fix a fault with it... Holly crap I've never shrunk in confidence so fast . As you say.. billions of really small parts and as Tinbum puts it, there's always "f*** it" spring that pings off with atleast one or more other tiny parts which you never had chance to see how they fitted. The engineer who spent a day and eventually fixed it said very politely to me "don't do that again Rhys will you"
Rhys