TargetTalk

Having trouble getting the pellets to line up for insertion into the barrel. Keep dropping them. Very little room to work with. Any tricks that I should know about.

No tricks, just fingers that learn dexterity. The LP10 loads the exact same way (I have both, though my IZH has been in storage for 6 months), and I hold the pellet in my left hand, between thumb and fore-finger by the skirt. It's easy enough to get it started and then push it the rest of the way in with my thumb. It doesn't need to be 100% seated, that's done by the pistol itself, and mine rarely (never?) are.

I never had issue, but then again I shot air rifle decades ago and might have learned some skills back then. If you're new, just keep shooting, it'll become 2nd nature in no time.

I've used only Diablo Basics in my 46M and yeah, it's a tight fit. I let my left thumb nail grow out just a little past the flesh and use that to seat the pellet FULLY. Another little habit I started out with, after reading about folks not completely closing the breech and the seal popping out, after I close the breech with my thumb, I then give it a second little push, every time.

With my LP1 I put the pellet in sideways and then just roll it in by pushing down on the top.

I use RWS Basics also. Sometimes it is easier to load if the barrel is rested
and slightly tilted to the left if right handed. I hold the pellet at the waist
with finger tips down and feed the pellet sort of side ways into the
barrel. Then push the skirt in with the fleshy part of the thumb to ensure
the pellet is flush. I use the thumb and forefinger to LAY the breech
closed and then thumb squeeze the breech until it latches closed.

Rover wrote:With my LP1 I put the pellet in sideways and then just roll it in by pushing down on the top.

Mee To...

Tony

In loading my 46m I hold the pellet facing almost in line with the barrel, the skirt facing slightly to the right side of the pistol. My middle finger and edge of index finger which is holding the pellet skirt are in contact with the pistol frame just below the breech. I lay the pellet head into the barrel at this slight angle (maybe 15 degrees, or less, just enough angle to let the head slip in more easily - and I too use Diabolo Basics) and ease it forward while rotating it into line with the barrel. Finally I press the skirt almost flush (this pellet with my 46m doesn't quite let them go flush, but it's a matter of a couple of hundredths of a millimetre) with the end of my thumb. Sounds more complicated than it feels. Just a quick gesture, takes about half a second from contact to completion.

I've polished the contact points on mine to a mirror smoothness, including the rear of the barrel, the breech block tip and the ramp of the breech lock where that rides down. Before polishing I filed the ramp such that there's no little catch as it goes down, just a smooth pressing forward before it snaps back closed. Once in a while I put a film of oil on these surfaces.

I long ago removed the automatic breech raising slide, the thin sheet metal thingy, as it was unreliable on cocking the pistol. Instead I've just made a habit of lifting the breech block manually before cocking. Slightly awkward at first, and filing and polishing the corners smooth helped make it more comfortable. I also used some steel-filled epoxy putty to glue a small neodymium magnet into the rear U-shaped cutout, to hold the breech block up securely when loading. Used the breech block lever itself to hold that in place while the epoxy putty (Goop brand) set. Works just great, and after a few months of use I'd almost forgotten I did it when at pistol check recently. The guy checking it at a competition was a bit confused about how to cock the pistol... But one gets used to these sorts of tweaks quite easily.

On the infamous 46m washer blow-out thing; I've only had it happen twice, both during my first couple of days using the thing. Hasn't happened since. I just make sure it's firmly pressed down, no problem at all, especially with the smoothed fit of the parts as they are polished.