Tuning No Hobby For Old Men

[Struckat]

Since 2020 I have bought about a dozen air guns. When I buy, I also invest in parts. Over time almost all air guns will need something. I see it as necessary to be able to be as self sufficient as possible. But that’s me. I understand the OP point.

I plan to retire in less than 3 years and I am pretty sure I need two more rifles and three pistols before she cuts me off…fear the pillow.

 

[HogKiller]

Since 2020 I have bought about a dozen air guns. When I buy, I also invest in parts. Over time almost all air guns will need something. I see it as necessary to be able to be as self sufficient as possible. But that’s me. I understand the OP point.

I plan to retire in less than 3 years and I am pretty sure I need two more rifles and three pistols before she cuts me off…fear the pillow.

The Mrs and I have an agreement I spend $100 she gets to spend $200., Worked out well so far.

 

[tommyb]

The Mrs and I have an agreement I spend $100 she gets to spend $200., Worked out well so far.

My adult ( now married ) daughter bought me a nice coffee mug for Father’s Day when she was just a young 13 year old. It read, “Dad’s the real boss, right Mom?”

 

[jmohme]

Since 2020 I have bought about a dozen air guns. When I buy, I also invest in parts. Over time almost all air guns will need something. I see it as necessary to be able to be as self sufficient as possible. But that’s me. I understand the OP point.

I plan to retire in less than 3 years and I am pretty sure I need two more rifles and three pistols before she cuts me off…fear the pillow.

Same here. I have two complete sets of o-rings for each of my PCPs

 

[Struckat]

Same here. I have two complete sets of o-rings for each of my PCPs

I just bought a Mrod and now already have an extra breech LOL.

 

[Ricklin]

My SCBA tank is due today, the filling whip tomorrow, and the stupid little double male 8mm I need will be here...Oct 4...grr. Oh well I can still direct fill until then. Still working on shutting down my business, forgot about my dosimeters and got them all sent back. I'm sure there are other things hiding in the weeds too. One day it will all be done, soon I hope.

 

[tommyb]

I'll be 76 later this month. I'm discovering that my patience is wearing thin maintaining PCPs and the associated tanks, fittings, and air compressors. I've always been self sufficient in servicing PCPs and equipment for them. The forums and Youtube are great tools for assisting users how to diagnose and fix most problems. However, it is inevitable that PCPs will develop leaks over time as o-rings harden and deteriorate, losing their ability to hold back high pressure air. In particular, I've found regulators to be a finicky and difficult item to rebuild and readjust to work after rebuilds. I enjoyed tinkering and got a sense of satisfaction when I could troubleshoot and solve my own problems without spending $$ for shipping, repairs, and dealer rebuild costs. Lately it seems I've spent more time chasing leaks and repairing PCPs than I do using them.

I'm going full circle in my shooting hobby interest. I love shooting sports but the savings in PCPs vs. firearms is less than it was when I started gravitating to air guns 25 years ago. Name brand PCPs are very pricy compared to firearm prices. Pellet and slug prices have increased to the point of losing their former price savings over rimfire rounds and reloading costs. The only disadvantage of powder burners is cleaning them after using them. But I have firearms that are 40 plus years old that don't need the rebuilds and servicing that PCPs inevitably require. I feel like the old sheriff Tommy Lee Jones at the end of No Country For Old Men. I'm tired of it all.

Steve, I found your post and reread the entire thread last evening. I also enjoyed our discussion yesterday on compressors.

As we talked about our mutual hobby, it occurred to me that we have similar circumstances. I have seven pretty high end PCPs. Two RAWs ( HM1000x .22, TM1000x .177) two FX Guns ( Royale .22 400 and Mike’s old Boss .30), a Weihrauch .22 Carbine, a Revere .22 side lever and most recently a Taipan Long Vet2 700mm. Also have two nice Anschutz .22 LRs ( 64 MPR and a 1907).

We both have an outdoor local shooting range and I also really can’t target practice in my backyard for fear of neighbors complaining. I am outside city limits and according to the Sheriff, I can legally shoot in backyard but it’s rare when I do.

Having said all of that, maybe you ‘thin the herd’ and keep only one or two of your most reliable PCPs and the same with your PB‘rs. You sell the rest and now have a more manageable stable. I realize you can repair anything, but I sense you want to spend more time shooting than fixing. Me too.

The frustration level will go way down keeping up with leaks in multiple rifles and all the constant tinkering. You’ll shoot more and spend more quality time for the paper target shooting. This seems to strike a good balance between selling everything all at once and reaching a good compromise and selectively keeping your favorites.

p.s. Note to self: “You need to take your own advice.”

The reason this thread is so popular ( I.e., 3,000+ views) is because there are many of us soul searching and you got us all thinking about our inventory of air guns and accessories. Great thread.

 

[beerthief]

I'll be 76 later this month. I'm discovering that my patience is wearing thin maintaining PCPs and the associated tanks, fittings, and air compressors. I've always been self sufficient in servicing PCPs and equipment for them. The forums and Youtube are great tools for assisting users how to diagnose and fix most problems. However, it is inevitable that PCPs will develop leaks over time as o-rings harden and deteriorate, losing their ability to hold back high pressure air. In particular, I've found regulators to be a finicky and difficult item to rebuild and readjust to work after rebuilds. I enjoyed tinkering and got a sense of satisfaction when I could troubleshoot and solve my own problems without spending $$ for shipping, repairs, and dealer rebuild costs. Lately it seems I've spent more time chasing leaks and repairing PCPs than I do using them.

I'm going full circle in my shooting hobby interest. I love shooting sports but the savings in PCPs vs. firearms is less than it was when I started gravitating to air guns 25 years ago. Name brand PCPs are very pricy compared to firearm prices. Pellet and slug prices have increased to the point of losing their former price savings over rimfire rounds and reloading costs. The only disadvantage of powder burners is cleaning them after using them. But I have firearms that are 40 plus years old that don't need the rebuilds and servicing that PCPs inevitably require. I feel like the old sheriff Tommy Lee Jones at the end of No Country For Old Men. I'm tired of it all.

Buy a TX200 , no leaks .
@ 80 years old Stan in KY

 

[Motorhead]

Keeping my inventory of nearly 20 PCP's up and running is an accepted chore ... as getting into the shop listening to great music, getting hands on the tools and guns that time to time need some love is VERY Therapeutic exercising the aging brain cells being far more enjoyable than sitting in front of the TV set or other ways to Vegetate getting nothing else meaningfully done.

I accept it w/o issue

 

[tommyb]

Keeping my inventory of nearly 20 PCP's up and running is an accepted chore ... as getting into the shop listening to great music, getting hands on the tools and guns that time to time need some love is VERY Therapeutic exercising the aging brain cells being far more enjoyable than sitting in front of the TV set or other ways to Vegetate getting nothing else meaningfully done.

I accept it w/o issue

Yeah, I can see that you make a good case for the above. It does help that you have excellent tuning and gunsmith skills, which can make all of this more enjoyable.

But, I can understand the other side of this as well, having been very frustrated with fixing ( or breaking) air rifles over the past 9 years. Which is why, I came to you once or twice.

 

[L.Leon]

I agree with the premise of downsizing and am in the midst parting with unused sundries from other multiple hobbies. As I age (64 years young) I already have lots of necessary chores/work around my property. Never really thought about acquiring more than my four PCPs. Why? Because of HPA insecurity. Now that I have secured a good HPA source, I will simply enjoy what I have and buy more pellets… There is a point of diminishing returns when you own many PCPs. Particularly if doing your own trouble shooting because for “some” myself included it becomes work. Regular maintenance I understand. The title of this thread is the chief clue and may not apply to the younger and stronger follks out there.

 

[tommyb]

I agree with the premise of downsizing and am in the midst parting with unused sundries from other multiple hobbies. As I age (64 years young) I already have lots of necessary chores/work around my property. Never really thought about acquiring more than my four PCPs. Why? Because of HPA insecurity. Now that I have secured a good HPA source, I will simply enjoy what I have and buy more pellets… There is a point of diminishing returns when you own many PCPs. Particularly if doing your own trouble shooting because for “some” myself included it becomes work. Regular maintenance I understand. The title of this thread is the chief clue and may not apply to the younger and stronger follks out there.

“There is a point of diminishing returns when you own many PCPs. Particularly if doing your own trouble shooting because for “some” myself included it becomes work. Regular maintenance I understand. “

Well said Luis. This captures what I was trying to covey. Fewer can be better, and I am heading towards buying my first compressor this year, and will finally have air independence after 9 years driving 45 minutes each way to the Dive shop.

 

[JimD]

I've never even investigated using a dive shop. My only bottle is an expired Scott air bottle. I am pretty sure nobody will fill it. I went from a hand pump to the Yong Heng filling guns to the Yong Heng filling the bottle which then fills the guns. That is still my preferred path but I bought a GX CS2 as a backup and sure enough, fill times with the Yong Heng went up about 50% and I bought a piston/connecting rod assembly I will install later this week (might be as soon as tomorrow if I can find time). I also still own 2 hand pumps as my ultimate backup. I wouldn't shoot nearly as much if I had to hand pump but at least I could shoot some. The CS2 is not really a bad way to have air. Takes about 5 minutes to fill a gun with the air filtered through the GX filter but that is a lot quicker and lower effort than a hand pump.

In this small way I may be a bit like Scott. I like figuring out what is wrong with a compressor or gun. I'd rather work on a gun than a compressor but I'd rather work on either of them than one of my vehicles or household appliances. I do all of those things when necessary. But if something starts really getting to me I find another solution. Hire it done or get rid of the source of the frustration. Or put it aside for awhile. I will be 70 later this year and I cannot work as long as I used to but I can still do things and I prefer that to sitting in front of the TV (although Youtubes on airguns are pretty enjoyable).

I'm at 8 PCPs now, 7 of which work. That seems like more than I really need so I've started talking to my son and son-in-law about their potential need for an airgun for them and my grandkids to use. The grandkids are a bit young (9, 6, 5, and 3) which also puts more demands on my kids time but I think that is where at least a couple guns will go. I figured out a small thing on the non-working PCP so I also need to find the time to do some work on it. My son accepts that airguns are effective against squirrels (he knows I've killed 72) but I think I will need to show my son-in-law but that is OK. His father is a farmer so he should be able to find us a place to hunt close to his house and I will make a road trip. It would be nice to pass the hobby on a generation or two.

 

[Humdinger]

I'm the OP of this thread and received a notification of a new post to this topic. In a few days I'll be 77 but when I started this thread a year ago I was approaching 76. Its time for an update. For the past week I've been chasing down a leak in an FX Streamline regulator. It's the same rifle that was leaking from the factory regulator a year ago. Let me come clean about the main source of my frustrations. It's FX pcps. My last 3 leakers have been an FX Impact, an FX Streamline, and an FX Crown. I think FX specializes in designing rifles that they obsolete with an improved version each year. They use multiple oddball o-ring sizes, and regulators that require surgical dexterity to reseal. Have you ever tried to replace the two tiny o-rings on the stem of an AMP regulator? They are 90 durometer and microscopic. WTF! I even replaced a leaking Impact bottle seal with a replacement M12 dowty seal. I discovered later that unless you use the same one that the factory uses which aren't in any replacement o-ring kit it will not stop the leak. My advice. Don't buy FX air rifles unless you are a masochist.

 

[L.Leon]

I'm the OP of this post and received an acknowledgement of a recent post on this thread. So in 4 days I'll be 77 but when I started this thread a year ago I was approaching 76. So time for an update. For the past week I've been down a leak in an FX Streamline regulator. It's the same rifle that was repaired a year ago. Let me come clean about the main source of my frustrations. FX PCPs. My last 3 leakers have been an FX Impact, an FX Streamline, and an FX Crown. I think FX enjoys making rifles that are obsolete within a year, have multiple oddball o-ring sizes, and regulators that require surgical dexterity to repair. Have you ever tried to replace the 4x2mm o-ring on the stem of an AMP regulator? It's 90 durometer and microscopic. WTF! I even replaced a leaking Impact bottle dowty seal with an identical size dowty seal only to find out later that unless you use the same brand that the factory uses and which aren't in any replacement o-ring kit it will not stop the leak. My advice. Don't buy FX air rifles unless you are a masochist.

Sell them and buy the BRK/Brocock of your choice and simply enjoy shooting….

 

[Airgnr_Ind]

I'm the OP of this post and received an acknowledgement of a recent post on this thread. So in 4 days I'll be 77 but when I started this thread a year ago I was approaching 76. So time for an update. For the past week I've been down a leak in an FX Streamline regulator. It's the same rifle that was repaired a year ago. Let me come clean about the main source of my frustrations. FX PCPs. My last 3 leakers have been an FX Impact, an FX Streamline, and an FX Crown. I think FX enjoys making rifles that are obsolete within a year, have multiple oddball o-ring sizes, and regulators that require surgical dexterity to repair. Have you ever tried to replace the 4x2mm o-ring on the stem of an AMP regulator? It's 90 durometer and microscopic. WTF! I even replaced a leaking Impact bottle dowty seal with an identical size dowty seal only to find out later that unless you use the same brand that the factory uses and which aren't in any replacement o-ring kit it will not stop the leak. My advice. Don't buy FX air rifles unless you are a masochist.

Sir, your post is a learning for the ones like me who are in mid 40s and forces one to introspect where the things are moving in air guns technology nowadays and what exactly we want from this beautiful hobby. We need to change as per requirements... the sooner the better.
I bought a Cricket .25 in 2022, my most trusted and sturdy rifle. I never thought of parting with it and I used it for some mid size gaming, wherever feasible. Made so many notes to understand the tuning of regulator, hammers spring, valve spring at different pressure levels, etc etc. But, since last one and half years, i could rarely do any gaming and do not feel the same feasible for other four years atleast.
So, my life time keeper... after lots of deliberation and emotional deluge.... i am trading off with a Cricket .22 (for plinking and small gaming). So, what i thought almost four yrs back has changed.
And, you are right about FX.... they have almost captured the market and the minds of Gen Z airgunners. Let them enjoy with their cravings for high power and patience for tinkering and repairs. Eventually, they will have to change.
The niche calling for this good hobby... that feel has to be cherished, notwithstanding whatever we use, springer or PCP.

Best Regards

 

[borne2fly]

I’ve never owned a PCP, but I have others … springers, pumpers, co2, etc.
The springers have proven to be remarkably durable and reliable. The others do require the occasional re-seal job.
And, like you, I do shoot a variety of PBs. Everything from rimfire to black powder revolvers. You want to talk about post shooting cleanup? Nothing clags up a gun like black powder. Gotta do a full tear down and scrubbing with hot water, followed by complete drying and oiling. All part of the fun, they say.

I’m raving a bit here, but just want to say that, for me anyway, it’s as much about the people as the guns. By fiddling with everything from airguns to black powder I’ve met a wide range of good people I never would have met otherwise. I reckon it’s more than just the guns, eh?

 

[Airgnr_Ind]

I’ve never owned a PCP, but I have others … springers, pumpers, co2, etc.
The springers have proven to be remarkably durable and reliable. The others do require the occasional re-seal job.
And, like you, I do shoot a variety of PBs. Everything from rimfire to black powder revolvers. You want to talk about post shooting cleanup? Nothing clags up a gun like black powder. Gotta do a full tear down and scrubbing with hot water, followed by complete drying and oiling. All part of the fun, they say.

I’m raving a bit here, but just want to say that, for me anyway, it’s as much about the people as the guns. By fiddling with everything from airguns to black powder I’ve met a wide range of good people I never would have met otherwise. I reckon it’s more than just the guns, eh?

Very aptly brought out... airgunning is more than squeezing the trigger and rushing for more and more ft lbs on hundred yds plus. So much to learn from each other. I feel very happy to be part of this forum. Got very essential guidance on understanding my Cricket 25 through memnbers.

And yes, springers are certainly something that makes one feel nostalgic as most of us started with springers only. They are the true essence of air gunning and are absolutely hassle free. I am still holding my Diana 34 premium for those very moments

Best Wishes

 

[Ratzy]

I'm the OP of this post and received an acknowledgement of a recent post on this thread. So in 4 days I'll be 77 but when I started this thread a year ago I was approaching 76. So time for an update. For the past week I've been down a leak in an FX Streamline regulator. It's the same rifle that was repaired a year ago. Let me come clean about the main source of my frustrations. FX PCPs. My last 3 leakers have been an FX Impact, an FX Streamline, and an FX Crown. I think FX enjoys making rifles that are obsolete within a year, have multiple oddball o-ring sizes, and regulators that require surgical dexterity to repair. Have you ever tried to replace the 4x2mm o-ring on the stem of an AMP regulator? It's 90 durometer and microscopic. WTF! I even replaced a leaking Impact bottle dowty seal with an identical size dowty seal only to find out later that unless you use the same brand that the factory uses and which aren't in any replacement o-ring kit it will not stop the leak. My advice. Don't buy FX air rifles unless you are a masochist.

I own 3 FX, Bobcat, Boss and Royale. The last truly simple designs FX made. They work, they are accurate and other than the piss poor AMP regulator (replaced with Huma) easy to maintain. Of course being the cheap son of a gun I am I didnt buy them until they were well aged.

The annual releasing of this year's incremental upgrade does point directly toward built in obsolescence. Sales must be maintained.

My Umarex Gauntlet just keeps chugging along 3 years after purchase, not even a gasp of air unless i shoot. My 3 AirForce are as bullet proof as can be made in PCP. Not even $500 spent to buy each. Now the next great thing costs $3,000 or more.

Buy a $3,000 air rifle and if something goes haywire how much will be spent to repair? I can replace everything but the frame and barrel on an AirForce gun for under $300. And I could replace it all in less than 30 minutes.

I do not see the ever increasing complexity of air rifles as *improvement". Too many well proven designs that work. Hit what I am aiming at, I am good. The rest is just marketing fluff.

 

[Freddy J]

I'm 88, and still don't understand the Rabbit Hole thing. Shooting an Avenge X in 25 Cal at N-50 Matches.