Air Gun Maintenance

[Nevergiveup]

I finally got a PCP match pistol (Feinwerkbrau P8X).

I’ve been cleaning rim and centerfire firearms as long as I can remember. Maintenance was easy. All I needed was Hoppe’s #9, gun oil, cotton patches, a cleaning rod with jags and brushes, and some elbow grease.

Not so good for air guns. For my RWS Model 10 and FAS 6004, I just use silicone oil and cleaning pellet patches.

What’s different with the P8X? I have the grease they recommend but what else do I need? I never used a cleaning rod with and air gun (other than to remove a pellet I put in backwards).

Also, they talk about an annual maintenance by an authorized gunsmith. Who does this in the US?

Thanks!!!

[atomicgale]

Just shoot the pistol. Lots of lead pellets; a few felt & you're Good-to-GO!

they talk about an annual maintenance by an authorized gunsmith. Who does this in the US?

Pilk Guns. Monteagle TN.

[Nevergiveup]

Thank you.

I was hoping it would be that simple.

[Rover]

Even cheaper/easier: break the ends off unused Q-Tips and choot 'em.

[mister G]

An occasional blast of compressed air is helpful, too. Most important is NOT to use petroleum-based lubricants anywhere near the internals inasmuch as they can and do chew up O-rings.

Silicone-based lubes and O-rings are recommended. Can't tell you how many O-rings I replaced on my FAS/Domino before figuring out the problem.

[atomicgale]

cheaper/easier: break the ends off unused Q-Tips and choot 'em.

CHAMPION's CHOICE: VFG Felt Cleaning pellets $13.00 per 500 count
http://champchoice.com/store/Main.aspx? ... &item=V761

Note, the trick on Rover's "Q-Tip Method" is to soak them in ether, light 'em & shoot them as tracer rounds . . . .

[Rover]

"Note, the trick on Rover's "Q-Tip Method" is to soak them in ether, light 'em & shoot them as tracer rounds . . . ."

Don't be tellin' everybody my anti-antifa secrets. Burn, baby, burn!

[william]

Talk about pinch-pennies!!! 500 felt cleaning pellets is a two-lifetime supply. Add to that the fact that they're densely formed and sized properly to do the job.

The first time a Q-Tip (or off-brand equivalent) sheds some fibers in the wrong place, enjoy the shot of cheap whisky that you can afford now that you didn't spend a whole 13 bucks to buy the right item.

Wiser men than I (Tom & Ray Magliozzi) built a career around informing people: "It's the cheapskate who spends the most in the end."

[Gwhite]

The recommended cleaner/lubricant for air guns is this stuff:

https://www.creedmoorsports.com/product ... department

You can use a small squirt on the felt pellets.

Here's an article on the subject from our host:

https://www.ssusa.org/articles/2016/10/ ... intenance/

[Nevergiveup]

Interesting articles.

One thing stood out. The NRA article recommends loosening the air cylinder after each day’s shooting to remove pressure from the springs an O-rings.

Feinwerkbrau’s manual recommends removing the cylinder if the air pistol is not used for a long time (4-6 weeks).

Big Difference.

[spektr]

The NRA advice is problematic. If you leave the threads engaged, but not torqued, you can damage the threads if you drop the case and any movement of the cylinder can damage the threads

[Rover]

I don't know whether this is good advice or not.

I CAN say that I have NEVER done it or recommended it to anyone. No problems.

[Gwhite]

I'm with Rover on this one. It's hard to say whether the regulators are more likely to get damaged from being stored under pressure, or by being cycled fully every time you shoot. I suspect it depends a lot on the specifics of the regulator design.

If Feinwerkbrau’s manual doesn't recommend it, I certainly wouldn't bother on one. If you have a different brand of pistol and you are feeling nervous, I'd check with the manufacturer. If you get a definite answer for a particular pistol, please report it here.

[Azmodan]

Most important is NOT to use petroleum-based lubricants anywhere near the internals inasmuch as they can and do chew up O-rings.

does anyone know if Ballistol in petroleum based?

[spektr]

I have both a P44 and an 800x.
The cylinders are either completely screwed onto the gun, or off, never partially screwed on. Both guns use a butress mating concept on the cylinder. When fully screwed on, the threads do not bottom out. The 2 machined flats mate together and this moves the load path for axial displacememt loads to the tank skin and regulator body, so when you bump the tank, you dont bent rhe threads. This protection of the threads does not exist when partially unscrewing the tank, which is why the NRA advice is misleading. I shoot my guns enough that I never store them unscrewed, but If I wasnt shooting 4 days a week and they sat a while, I would not only unscrew them, but Id let the air out...... I have already experienced an issue in the FWB tank pin valves by not switching beyween the 2 pistol tanks and i needed to let the air out, lube and exercise a valve to make it happy again....

There is an unwritten reason there is a tank depressurization tool in every gun case...... If Im planning to be off the gun for a week or more, I drain em.......

[David M]

I'm with Rover on this one. It's hard to say whether the regulators are more likely to get damaged from being stored under pressure, or by being cycled fully every time you shoot. I suspect it depends a lot on the specifics of the regulator design.

If Feinwerkbrau’s manual doesn't recommend it, I certainly wouldn't bother on one. If you have a different brand of pistol and you are feeling nervous, I'd check with the manufacturer. If you get a definite answer for a particular pistol, please report it here.

1/ Because a Pressure Regulator is a spring based valve, removing the pressure (unscrewing the tank) will put the spring in the least stressed state.
I have rebuilt a regulator in a Tesro pistol (cup washer spring pile type) that lost tension being compressed all the time.
Tesro now supply a plastic spacer to fit between the tank and body for transport/storage.
Fitting a spacer or removing tank is preferred, do not just unscrew a couple of turns and leave loose on frame, you will damage the thread.

2/ Petroleum based grease "do not use" is correct but the reason is that high pressure air and petroleum can cause dieseling and damage.

3/ The bleeder cap is supplied to empty the tank, IE so you can fly with the gun.

[GeraldS1]

Only once have I placed the pellet backwards. I shot it out and it was surprisingly accurate

[Rover]

Only once have I placed the pellet backwards. I shot it out and it was surprisingly accurate

Don't be upset; we're sure you'll manage a few more times.