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Thread: Confessioms of a fettler

  1. #1
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    Confessioms of a fettler

    Have you ever made a silly mistake, a senior moment, a careless lack of attention that has left you puzzling over why something that worked when you took it apart does not work now? It happened to me this afternoon and I am, now, still laughing about it.
    The object was my QB78, a basic out of the box somewhat agricultural CO2 rifle that would only achieve about 420fps, .22 AA Field. I had stripped the rifle twice already to see how it ticked: no problems, maybe due to my method with a new, to me, rifle of laying bits out in their correct orientation as I removed them. This afternoon I decided to strip it again for a good clean and fettle: the pellet loading was dire, graunchy as graunchy can be and stiff, the original transfer port was bent/buckled and in fact broke in half on the last strip. A plug that goes on the valve in the cylinder was a very stiff fit and the hammer unit was shockingly unfinished. So apart it came. This is where I made my mistake. On cleaning up the hammer mechanism I put it back down (now gleaming) on the table back to front. I cleaned and deburred with the best of them, cleaned the pellet probe out to 3mm, made a new transfer port from poly tubing, smoothed out the pellet breech channel to the barrel. New seals all round.
    Started putting it together. The bolt action was fine until I put the trigger block on, then the bolt had restricted movement. Puzzle. Took trigger unit off again, removed bolt housing convinced I had made an error in assembling this fiddly bit. Did this twice with no improvement. It took me quite a while to realise my mistake ... the hammer mechanism being back to front. Reversed it and hey presto ... all OK again.
    To say I felt daft is an understatement but I am sure I am not alone in making such elementary errors. But was it worth it? Yes, it was, the rifle is much smoother and gives me a regular 538 fps with AA Field. So, happy again. You can now start calling me 'twit, daft ol' b***er' or whatever you like.
    But now it's confession time:
    What senior moments / basic errors/ careless things have you done? If you say 'None' I don't believe you

    Cheers, Phil

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  3. #3
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    Quote Originally Posted by Phil Russell View Post
    But now it's confession time:
    What senior moments / basic errors/ careless things have you done? If you say 'None' I don't believe you

    Cheers, Phil
    Ok I’ll confess

    From memory probably x2 basic errors.

    1st one many many years ago was whilst servicing a Feinwerkbau 300su I took my time and found it easy to work on but I made an error with the circlips on reassembly for the sledge system I somehow fitted the circlips on the wrong side and I can’t remember if the rifle wouldn’t cock or wouldn’t fire took me awhile to work out what I’d done and plenty of head scratching doh!!

    2nd one many more years ago a simple school boy error fitting a scope and not paying attention yes the turrets were the wrong orientation with the windage at the top and elevation to the left side my excuse was the previous scope I had removed had side illumination hence rushing to remove and refit I’d somehow thought the turret was side illumination luckily I realised before I even zerod which would have been fun

  4. #4
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    will let you off for the first one
    but not the second.

  5. #5
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    Quote Originally Posted by woodpigeon View Post
    will let you off for the first one
    but not the second.
    Pah it could have been worse I once went to look at a used rifle and the scope that was fitted had no turret internals under the cap never ever seen that before and I’ve never walked away so quickly from a used rifle

    I have this inbuild habit now any used scope I buy in the flesh on it’s own or with a rifle I always remove both caps to check always makes me laugh remembering that scope.

  6. #6
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    Quote Originally Posted by oldskoolzzz View Post
    Pah it could have been worse I once went to look at a used rifle and the scope that was fitted had no turret internals under the cap never ever seen that before and I’ve never walked away so quickly from a used rifle

    I have this inbuild habit now any used scope I buy in the flesh on it’s own or with a rifle I always remove both caps to check always makes me laugh remembering that scope.
    blooody hell.how did you get on zeroing

  7. #7
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    Quote Originally Posted by woodpigeon View Post
    blooody hell.how did you get on zeroing
    That’s why I ran a mile if the scope fitted to the rifle had no turret then it didn’t give me much confidence in the rifle

    The chap selling it said it Shot Pellet on Pellet even though I pointed out to him how on earth did he get the scope to zero with a missing bloody turret!!

    I made a quick excuse and ran like the wind....

  8. #8
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    Quote Originally Posted by oldskoolzzz View Post
    That’s why I ran a mile if the scope fitted to the rifle had no turret then it didn’t give me much confidence in the rifle

    The chap selling it said it Shot Pellet on Pellet even though I pointed out to him how on earth did he get the scope to zero with a missing bloody turret!!

    I made a quick excuse and ran like the wind....
    ffs.

  9. #9
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    Quote Originally Posted by woodpigeon View Post
    ffs.


    On another note not so much a confession of a fettler but I know another member on this very forum who surely falls into the careless things you’ve done category 🤔

    This chap effectively known as the ‘Mirror Hunter’ whilst out on a permission shooting from a vehicle gave himself 7 years bad luck by yes you’ve guessed it shooting his own wing mirror

  10. #10
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    ok ok
    i have a pic of me shooting out a whole door glass panel in our consvertory

  11. #11
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    she wasnt happy

  12. #12
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    Quote Originally Posted by woodpigeon View Post
    ok ok
    i have a pic of me shooting out a whole door glass panel in our consvertory
    I knew you would eventually ‘break’ pun intended

    Just remembered one my uncle did whilst checking his rifle over in his front room and firing a pellet into the ceiling donut

  13. #13
    micky2 is offline The collector formerly known as micky
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    Too many senior moments to say, and l know l will make more in the future.

  14. #14
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    Quote Originally Posted by oldskoolzzz View Post

    2nd one many more years ago a simple school boy error fitting a scope and not paying attention yes the turrets were the wrong orientation with the windage at the top and elevation to the left side my excuse was the previous scope I had removed had side illumination hence rushing to remove and refit I’d somehow thought the turret was side illumination luckily I realised before I even zerod which would have been fun
    I've done that too. I thought it was side focus........ until I tried to adjust windage.

    I have also (twice) re-fitted a V-glide piston in a HW97 using the wrong slot for the cocking arm. Took me a while to figure out why it wouldn't cock.
    Keen but clueless..

  15. #15
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    Webley Tracker

    I decided to remove light surface rust on my Webley Tracker using wire wool and WD40. All went well, and after a light oil put the rifle away. A few days later, I took it out for some plinking then realise that the loading tap had lost its smoothness and became much harder to turn: a piece of wire wool had made its way into the loading hole.

    Tap air tighness is now compromised, I have put the rifle away and added Traccker on the to do list

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