Anyone try out the AirMaks Krait X?

[AirShootist]

My buddy Ed is saying he is getting these reading with the new reg and JSB Redesigns:

He is saying that he is at 115 bar. Seems crazy low. Way more consistent with pellets than my gun is with slugs. Perhaps I need to go down from ~135ish and try to get a tune starting around 115.
My review was basically out of the box. All I did was bump the reg from the stock setting of 125 up to 135ish and I turned in my hammer screw slightly (1/8 turn). The reason I did that was because when I was fooling around with the previous "V1" reg, I was able to achieve this string (.217 24.8gr NSA slugs) with those settings (while bottle was at like 220 bar only). Despite this fantastic SD, the groups were the same as in my video with the V2 reg.

I would love to see some tuning info once others get their guns. I feel like I should have gotten way better groups than I did in my review with that CZ barrel. Also hoping to figure out how to get the consistency back and not have random 30+ fps swings.

 

[Vetmx]

You can’t nibble from the hand of a factory tune. You must start from scratch.

 

[harrymoreland]

My new reg should arrive tomorrow.
My thinking.
Gonna try starting low on the Reg pressure and with hammer spring tension, using ( lighter ) pellets and slowly work up.

Any tips?, Novice to actual practical tuning.

 

[AirShootist]

My new reg should arrive tomorrow.
My thinking.
Gonna try starting low on the Reg pressure and with hammer spring tension, using ( lighter ) pellets and slowly work up.

Any tips?, Novice to actual practical tuning.

It's all about balancing the pressure behind the valve with your hammer weight/spring combo - as in how hard it is hitting. There is a sweet spot on every poppet based system.

A good starting point would be to set a desired pressure, lets say 125 bar. Then turn your hammer spring in in small increments while chonographing every shot. Once you see the power peak and then start to go DOWN while you're increasing your hammer tension, back off until you get consistent. If you need more power, up the pressure and start again.

Hope that helps.

 

[Vetmx]

Mine arrived. The only things I can say so far. It’s light. My reg was set at 160b. Don’t know what they think I planned on shooting. Slugs or 33.95’s I guess. I set it back to 130b for my starting point. Lever came on the left. I moved it to the right. Originally I thought these guns were supposed to come with more stuff. Mine came with only one mag and probe. I just have tonight to dial it in before heading off for another 17 day hunting trip. Hope to take it with me for my down time. Tonight I will clean it and start the process. For right now I want it to be my .25 pellet hunting gun. Oh, and it has the updated reg. Adjusting it is opposite of common regs.

 

[Mike_Lenardon]

I'll be anxious to hear what you have to say about it. Mine is supose.to arrive Monday.

 

[Vetmx]

Taking a break from messing with it. First, remember mine is a .25. So you always have to consider did they engineer the gun as a .22 and the 25 and 177 are just red headed stepchildren. I know why my reg came set at 150ish. It needs 140b to push 25gr pellets in the tuning margins where we need them. I’m sure if I had the elongated Krait, this reg setting wouldn’t be necessary. All I can say about the barrel is the bore filthy. That’s fine. If it wasn’t, I would find that more peculiar. Chambering pellets is stiff. Am I seating into the lands? Not sure but thats a down the road thing if I’m not satisfied with the accuracy. Right now on my night range the wind is 3-6mph. I haven’t shot past 30yrds and probably won’t until things calm down. I am suffering from the slow first shot blues. Doesn’t matter if the gun only sits long enough to load a new mag. It’s a -25fps first shot. Reg gauge does not move from 140b. I’m tuned a 97% so I’m not lacking hammer strike so I have to put some thoughts into this issue or go light a candle at church and pray it goes away. It’s unacceptable for two reasons. That first shot the POI is off a little and this is a hunting gun. The POI could have been the wind at 30 yards but when I’m done typing I’m headed back to the bench. I will try to update and if anyone has any questions, fire away.

 

[Vetmx]

Oh, I forgot to add this. I like the gun. It’s loud by your ear but the report is super clean. Its clean the whole way down from the plateau and past the downslope. That might be why my reg is set at a high old school setting to get those 25gr pellets moving. Gun has a wicked valve return spring. The gun is also comfortable for a Buck Rodgers special. I am very glad I didn’t get the little fella. The X might only interest me in a 177.

 

[Vetmx]

The gun sat an hour. The reg crept almost 10b and my first shot was almost -100fps. Surgery might be required.

 

[AirShootist]

The gun sat an hour. The reg crept almost 10b and my first shot was almost -100fps. Surgery might be required.

I'd be complaining to Airmaks right away. A gun with a premium price like this should operate at a premium level. Sorry you're not having better luck. I am going to maybe do some tuning on Saturday with my cousin when he pick his X up. I'll try to remember to post results.

How is your accuracy? Would you say it is more or less similar to what was seen in my review?

 

[Vetmx]

Warren, I experienced some things somewhat similar to what you were experiencing. Once I got everything apart I was able to understand their adjustable up and down under pressure reg. Its smart but I’m surprised they get it to hold as good as it does. Pretty cool concept though. I think the only approach we all have is time. Just keep shooting the gun and if the set point wanders, adjust it. Hopefully it will eventually seat and be stable. At least in my case with my creeper. Just a shame you have to burn so much lead. That’s why I took it apart to see if I could just do my own peek seat, get it to seat and be done with it. Not happening with this thing. Breaking things in is so 20th century. I can’t stand it. But I do understand mass production. Here are some pics and the last one could be something important.

 

[Vetmx]

This is the reg and the wee little hammer spring. You’ll see why.

 

[Vetmx]

This is the hammer……we’ll call it hammer system.

 

[Vetmx]

And this could be the kicker and the cure. This could be, and if I have enough gas left in my tank, I’ll find out tonight, the valve adjuster. If it is, then just like any other gun that has this feature, if you mess with your reg pressure you have to mess with the valve because you changed your hammer strike. If it’s not, then I don’t know what the hell it is.

 

[MikeVV]

AirMaks is sorta known for its outta the box thinking on its trigger mechanisms . And the machining of the parts pictured below looks good, smooth, the mill cutters all going in the direction of travel during the trigger pull actuation...all good...

BUT - In this photo, the "lock" peening of the pin in the lower part of the picture is high school quality !? Someone needs to have the back of their hand punched with an automatic center punch !

Mike

 

[Vetmx]

Here is where I’m at right now and it’s not good. That thing with the holes in it has to be a valve adjuster. I can hear the spring behind it as I turn it in. It did nothing. Here is my guns problem. No matter where I tune it or at any usable reg pressure, the guns velocities follow the tank pressure. At 130, 140 and 150b, when the tank pressure gets to around 210b, the gun becomes a hot rod. I never filled the gun above 260b. I thought ok, I just set the gun on the plateau and see just how bad my descending shot string is. Not happening. My plateau speed with my hammer spring is 870fps with 260b in the tank. My plateau speed becomes 940fps if I set it with 200b in the tank. So basically this gun is shooting under partial valve lock until I get to 210b in the tank. Unless there is some Airmaks way to tune these guns, mine is going back. I’m actually sitting here in disbelief that something that’s $1,700 has these old school regulated pcp symptoms. Hoping I just inhaled too many fumes of some sort today and I’m missing something.

 

[Vetmx]

I would like to add that there is no way Utah could have been aware of this. They filled the gun to maybe 180-200b, set the reg and HS for 880fps, shot their little group at 10 yards and called it good. They would have had to fill the gun and do a 50 pellet shot string to see how whacked the gun is.

 

[AirShootist]

I would like to add that there is no way Utah could have been aware of this. They filled the gun to maybe 180-200b, set the reg and HS for 880fps, shot their little group at 10 yards and called it good. They would have had to fill the gun and do a 50 pellet shot string to see how whacked the gun is.

Wow, thanks for adding all these photos and your honest commentary. I think this gun definitely has some kinks to work out. You are getting the dwindling velocities as the tank goes down, just as I was at first with the V1 reg. For me, at least, it seems the V2 reg more or less fixed that, but the consistency isn't great.

My cousin is coming to pick the gun up and do a little shooting on Saturday. Maybe we will see if we can get a bit of a tune going and some more chrony readings for everyone.

Sorry you're having issues but at least you're the kinda guy to figure them out on his own. Keep sharing any additional information here!

 

[Vetmx]

I just messed with the gun a little but have other things to do. I may have just got the thing to stay on its plateau speed at 210b or 250b in the tank. I’ll mess with it later today before I give up. First 2 shots were still slow. First was really bad.

 

[MikeVV]

Vet -

Mmm, you've made me a bit concerned about getting one !

Mike