Underlever to solve the problem of aging shoulder muscles?

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ironlion269

ironlion269

Member
Mar 10, 2017
773
78
North Central Indiana, United States
The march of time has ground me into the mud and I no longer can enjoy shooting break barrel airguns due to shoulder issues. I'm really disappointed about that, as break barrels are the guns that pulled me into modern airgunning. As much as I love them I can no longer enjoy a long session of shooting them.

My question is: can an underlever gun prove easier on the shoulders when cocking than the standard breakbarrel? It's the reaching up and beginning the cocking motion from well overhead that kills my shoulders now, though my arm strength is plenty for the compression forces. I'm wondering if an underlever has proved easier on the aging joints for those who have used both?
 
I cocked both that are close in cocking force,you use less shoulder strength in the underlever,but that force is more to one shoulder,I think it would also be a problem.

Think about this, install a lighter spring in you springer...a couple of my springers take close to 40lbs to cock them,my R7 is properly half that.

You have to think this out,will installing lighter springs be worth it,And what cocking force will I feel comfortable at...in 2 years

To answer .no...what matters is the force it takes to cock it....

JM has kits for many models of springers and they come in different power tunes...even 12 lbs may be hard....only you know.

That is springers,some will deal you to get a PCP ,maybe,if so get one that has a very high shot count,butt that is a different story..Good luck to you.
 
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An underlever still has the same motion. Although an HW97K or TX200HC may be slightly shorter that what you are currently shooting??? 

The only other spring option that I can think of is a ProSport. This will have you starting the cocking motion much lower, although it is a slightly more awkward motion for some people. Sidelevers would also have you starting the cocking motion much lower. Of course this is all assuming that you do the cocking with the butt of your rifle on your thigh.

I hope you find what you are looking for! 
 
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I have an R-9, TX200 HC and an HW97.

The R-9 seems easiest of the three with it's longer cocking arm.



Couple years ago I partially tore 3 of the 4 tendons in my left rotator cuff.

None of the medical therapy/treatments were producing any results. Zero.

I was in a lot of pain with very limited range of motion. Unable to sleep on my left side.



This went on for about a year and I was finally getting fed up and ready to try anything.

I quit going to therapy and to the Dr.

One day while at the health food store I picked up some joint pills. "What could it hurt" I thought.

Within 4-6 weeks I was feeling much better. A month after that I was playing golf (gently).



It's been about a year now since I started on the joint pills and I'd say my shoulder is back to 90% plus.

I can now play golf normally. Full swing with a driver - no problem 💪 Too bad the golf courses are closed 👎



My wife's uncle was having bad should pain and she told him about what I was taking.

He started taking them and improved dramatically. To say I'm sold is an understatement.

Hope this helps you or anyone else with shoulder pain.

I am not a doctor.



Matt
 
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Maybe a fwb 300 with side lever and relatively little power is the solution.
Greetings 

Quiza una fwb 300 con palanca lateral y relativamente poca potencia sea la solucion.
Un saludo
Click to expand...

+1 for a good FWB 300s if you’re mainly interested in shooting paper. Mine in much easier to cock than my 12fpe HW97 and a cocking technique can be developed that puts much less stress on the shoulder joint. Uj
 
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Thanks to all y'all for your input! I knew I could count on AGN for useful and thoughtful input.

I've been shooting low power springers for a couple of years now. ~6 fpe in a Crosman F4 with a detuned nitro piston from the factory - that's a version normally sold in the Canadian market but I found one on walmart.com a while back. Matched it with a Gamo G2 Recon youth gun originally bought for a granddaughter. Both rifles are no more than 20 lbs cocking effort. I've tried to alter my cocking technique to minimize the overhead reach but it just doesn't help that much.

My conclusion is that anything requiring manual effort to compress the spring/strut is a poor investment on my part. I have two PCPs, a Challenger 2009 and a Maximus tuned for sub twelve ft lbs, and surprisingly the manual pump is well within my capabilities. Between those two and the small collection of CO2 guns I've amassed I'll move forward.

Thanks again for all the input!
 
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Can only speak to my problem. Hurt my ribs on right side about a month ago when I fell. Tried shooting my FWB 124, FWB 300s and my TX200. Hurt so bad to cock any one of them that I have still kept from shooting them. Don't know that there was any difference in pain from any of the three types of springers in the effort it took to cock them. All three hurt.
 
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If it is really just the starting motion that is the problem, I would look at a TX200 with a light spring and a short stroke adapter. If I understand the short stroke concept correctly, it leaves the piston in a partially cocked position at the end of its travel. This means that there is no cocking force until the lever has dropped down a ways. The other thing about an underlever is that you don't have to pop the barrel out of its detent. That is what causes me some difficulty. The TX200 MKIII has a fairly long stroke and is easy to short stroke. Most of the adapters seem to be 3/8" to 1/2" long. I am not sure how much that will lower the lever, but it should help your situation. One of the English tuners should be able to make you up a suitable kit.
 
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Jonah and Michigander, thanks for the input. Jonah, rib injuries take longer to heal (as you well know) since the injured tissues remain in constant use while healing. I guess taking it easy (and shooting PCPs if you have a compressor, otherwise CO2) is the only sure remedy. Michigander, I've long thought that a TX200 or ProSport would be "bucket list guns" for me, but the replies above have hit the nail on the head. My physical problems won't get any better this side of Paradise so it's pre-charged and CO2 for me going forward. But, man!, a top-tier springer from AA would be a delight indeed.
 
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G’day Pete I’m sorry to hear about your dilemma. I recall how much you were looking foward to shooting your new Terrus in Field target etc. My shoulders hurt sometimes during winter, the result of a life time of surfing with long boards. What I do is rest the rubber butt pad on one of my thongs, snap the barrel and use both hands to cock. This allows me to endure long plinking sessions. My underleaver Hw77 is the hardest to cock out of my springers so I hope that helps.

The only other suggestion I can offer is drugs😜😜. Sorry couldn’t resist. I hope that you find a way around this as to me shooting a springer is like going on holidays every time I cock the barrel, and everyone needs a holiday. 

Gary
 
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G’day Pete I’m sorry to hear about your dilemma. I recall how much you were looking foward to shooting your new Terrus in Field target etc. My shoulders hurt sometimes during winter, the result of a life time of surfing with long boards. What I do is rest the rubber butt pad on one of my thongs, snap the barrel and use both hands to cock. This allows me to endure long plinking sessions. My underleaver Hw77 is the hardest to cock out of my springers so I hope that helps.

The only other suggestion I can offer is drugs
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1f61c.svg
. Sorry couldn’t resist. I hope that you find a way around this as to me shooting a springer is like going on holidays every time I cock the barrel and everyone needs a holiday. 

Gary
Click to expand...

What would be your easier springers to cock? 

I'm in a similar situation as the OP. I have injury history with both shoulders & reaching up to cock my Gamo gas piston can be uncomfortable even though it's doesn't seem to require a lot of force.

I've been wanting to try a high end springer. Because reaching up can be uncomfortable & because I often shoot from a narrow hallway I'd prefer something carbine sized.

I have always thought of side levers & the Pro Sport as being harder to cock springers. But maybe I should try one or the other & see if the shorter reach makes it an overall more comfortable shooting experience. 
 
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