My humble & sincere request to all air gun lovers and shooters is “Never under-estimate the importance of ‘Proper & Timely’ maintenance of your precious air gun. A well maintained air gun will give you many years of enjoyable shooting experience.
The lubrication of any mechanical device is critical for long-term enjoyment. Lubrication of moving parts and seals ensures proper function and extends the life of the product—be it a vehicle engine, circulating fan, or a door hinge. Without proper lubrication, moving parts and seals will be subject to excessive wear and a shortened life. Your Air Rifle is no exception.
Following are 5 locations on an air rifle that should be lubricated at 1000 shot intervals.
Remember, before any maintenance always make sure your air-gun is unloaded and un-cocked.
1.PISTON SEAL
The piston seal requires regular maintenance in order for your air rifle to achieve optimum performance. With proper lubrication the seal moves smoothly in the compression chamber, experiences less wear and therefore an extended life. If the piston seal becomes worn, air is allowed to escape from the compression chamber, which will reduce pellet velocity.
After every 1000 shots, apply two drops of a good quality Chamber Lube down in the compression chamber port using a syringe & needle to do it. After this ‘dry cock’ your air gun a few times for the lube to spread evenly inside the receiver. Your gun may tend to diesel during the first 5 to 10 shots, but will settle down after this. Dieseling is the explosion created by the igniting of the lube in the compression chamber due to the extreme air temperature created when the air rifle is discharged.
2.BREECH SEAL
The breech seal is a rubberized O-ring located at the back of the barrel where the pellet is seated. Most Indian made air rifles come fitted with leather seals. If this seal dries out, air can escape which will diminish the velocity of your air rifle. For leather seals apply one drop of lube to the outer edge of the breech seal after every 1000 shots.
3.MAIN SPRING
The main spring should be lubricated to maintain proper flex and free movement. A thin coat of moly-grease will go a long way not only to protect the spring from rusting but also minimize friction & enable smooth cocking.
4.HINGES AND PIVOTS
A drop or two of lube at the hinges of triggers and pivot points – at the barrel to receiver joint & cocking arm will provide overall smoothness to your air gun.
5.THE BARREL
Without cleaning and lubrication, your air rifle’s barrel can build-up debris or even worse, rust. Any obstruction in the barrel will result in diminished velocity and very poor accuracy. The debris could be made up of barrel fouling caused by lead deposits from pellets & dust.
When your air gun is not in use it is advisable to put a cloth or plastic sleeve to cover the barrel end to prevent dust from the atmosphere enter the barrel. To clean the barrel use a pull-through brass wire brush initially and subsequently an oil soaked cloth patch by passing through the barrel from the breech end if possible. Then, use a bore brush with nylon bristles to further loosen remaining deposits of lead and debris. Next, run clean patches soaked with a degreaser through the bore until they appear clean upon exiting the barrel.
Finally, run a patch with lightly oiled cloth patch through the barrel. Always push the patch from the breech end if possible. Remember too much lubrication can be damaging to your air rifle. If you take care of these five areas on your air rifle it should provide you with many years of a smooth & pleasurable air rifle shooting.
HAPPY SHOOTING!!!
Briha
