Have you checked for leaks at the tap too? Cock rifle, open tap, hold cocking lever open to rear as if cocking again.
Take a good hold of the cocking lever as if you are de-cocking........pull trigger with free hand and feel what happens, a really good seal will mean the cocking arm will stay way back and hardly move even if you let go, and you can very carefully and slowly open the tap and the cocking lever will slowly return forward when a loading tap is in perfect condition.
Sometimes you will get a gun where you can wait several mins as the cocking lever slowly inches forward, I had a Webley MK3 like this recently!
This is rare though, but you do want some sign of resistance or a slight whistle and slowing on the piston going forward to show the tap is not leaking badly.
It maybe worth taking off the tap cover plate (the tap should open and close with a pronounced resistance or slight click if the small spring and plunger are in good order)........and checking the spring and plunger, you can carefully stretch the springs a bit if needed.
Clean everything and grease the tap taper, and the tap cover plate track lightly, and make sure the plate screws are snug too.
The tap should open and especially close with a pronounced resistance / soft "click" as they did when new, I am lucky to have had / have a couple of very little used guns, and they all have this feature (obviously all Improved or Standard types with the spring plunger system).
Video of what a good one should look / sound like here;
https://www.flickr.com/photos/312284...posted-public/
Every little helps.
ATB, Ed
Originally Posted by edbear2
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