Spring guide tightness?

[Phil Russell]

It actually shoots quite nice and I know it sounds daft but cocking the gun really spoils the shooting experience.

Pete

I sympathise as I have seen a couple of rifles with this symptom. As noted, it can be due to the cocking link or shoe riding over the coils but if there is a sleeve in place then this is not so. But I have also seen a case where the spring itself was slightly too big (too large diameter) such that there was little clearance between spring and sleeve, or sometimes caused by sleeve being too thick (I have seen this with PTFE or other plastic sleeves but it can happen with much thinner steel sleeves) such that on cocking, the spring catches on the sleeve as it compresses; the sensation transmitting through the cocking action. I note the action had been 'tuned'. Maybe an aftermarket spring with a greater od than original .. fraction of a mm could do it. Or too thick a sleeve. Might be worth a check. If the spring is a quite firm sliding fit in the sleeve then maybe sleeve is too thick or another spring is needed.
Cheers, Phil

[evert]

I've seen two different sleeve thicknesses on the Supersport/lightning, so you may have the option of fitting a thinner sleeve if that turns out to be the problem.

One thing with the cocking lever is that it is not properly profiled from the factory, which means it digs a track in the sleeve.
Easily remedied with some dremel work to the lever, just make sure you done take off too much, just enough to clear the sleeve.

[TonyL]

Very good points, evert, and I'd be wondering the same re the profile of the cocking lever "ears".

Also, but maybe a very long shot, on rifles like these that rely on the plastic pad to keep the cocking lever located into the slot, maybe that pad might be too proud, forcing the lever further into the slot than is ideal? Maybe slackening the stock screws slightly and trying to cock might establish if this might be a possible contributor?

[evert]

.....
Also, but maybe a very long shot, on rifles like these that rely on the plastic pad to keep the cocking lever located into the slot, maybe that pad might be too proud, forcing the lever further into the slot than is ideal? ...

The pad forces the lever against the slip plate on the cylinder, which the lever lies parallell against.
This means that the part of the lever that contacts the piston will not be pushed deeper into the tube by excessive pressure on the lever.

[TonyL]

Ah, gotcha; thank you, evert.