I'm considering trying my first Macarri kit on my 20 cal R1. The website calls it the New Deluxe Hw80/R1 Power. It uses a 0.135 wire spring. Has anyone here used this kit? What are your thoughts about it?
Thanks Ron Stearns
Thanks Ron Stearns
Tuning Any one use macarris new Hw80 kit?
- Thread starter Mycapt65
- Start date
I'm using one in a .177 HW80. It is surprisingly easy to cock and has a nice shot cycle. I'mstill breaking the kit and a vorteck seal in so I will know more later
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Thanks. If you can please let me know what velocity or energy output you're getting from it. Maccari's website is very ambiguous about it's output.
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Not if you are a pro tuner like it says at the bottom of his site. You are expected to know what you need already. Saves them from having to slow down business for hand holding.
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Even a "pro tuner" needs more information than ARH provides.
I don't consider myself a "pro tuner" because I think the term is silly. This isn't rocket science. I've seen some of the "magic" of some highly revered "pro tuners" and it's usually nothing more than a skilled home tuner can accomplish. Anyway I've tuned more than a few guns and have purchased some ARH products in the past. I would likely buy others if I knew what to expect from them. Pictures, basic information and customer service are important parts of any business that wants to thrive. I think he's hurting his business more by being vague and aloof. It's his business to run as he pleases but it's a shame he doesn't do more with it. He's leaving a lot on the table.
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I don't consider myself a "pro tuner" because I think the term is silly.
Yet you try to pass yourself off as one on GTA. Your go-to fix is to "just put a kit in it." Tuning actually takes a "little" more than that. A kit might not be necessary. The pro tuners know the difference.
This isn't rocket science.
And most of your replies to other people seem to try and make it otherwise.
I've seen some of the "magic" of some highly revered "pro tuners" and it's usually nothing more than a skilled home tuner can accomplish.
Now that you've managed to come right out and call the pro tuners nothing but shade tree mechanics, pretty sure you won't too welcome in their circles. What makes them "Pro" tuners isn't that they charge for their work, but that they have a lot more experience with all of the powerplants available, and they've put in the time, effort, and research to provide their customer with more than just a kit. They know the difference to tell if it's a mechanical issue or a human issue. I'm pretty sure you haven't been in the hobby long enough to know the difference in a good shooter and a great shooter or to be able to make that call.
Anyway I've tuned more than a few guns and have purchased some ARH products in the past.
That sentence is interesting on two fronts. Again, your notion of tuning means "putting a kit in." The other is you have badmouthed ARH and Jim Maccari for most of your time on GTA. Why now would you be interested in what he has to offer? Luckily I'm not him, or I wouldn't be doing any kind of business with you.
I'll go ahead and skip to this point.
It's his business to run as he pleases but it's a shame he doesn't do more with it.
In this you are half right. It is HIS business. He can run it as he sees fit, and doesn't need to be told how to do things differently. He puts out a good product and people know it. People buy from him and return to do it again. The fact that he doesn't have time to cater to people who don't really know what they want should clearly show that. So much so that he had to put that disclaimer on his site.
Now please go ahead and say why you even bother and how you are so misunderstood that as an old man no one listens to you anyway. I've had my say.
Yet you try to pass yourself off as one on GTA. Your go-to fix is to "just put a kit in it." Tuning actually takes a "little" more than that. A kit might not be necessary. The pro tuners know the difference.
This isn't rocket science.
And most of your replies to other people seem to try and make it otherwise.
I've seen some of the "magic" of some highly revered "pro tuners" and it's usually nothing more than a skilled home tuner can accomplish.
Now that you've managed to come right out and call the pro tuners nothing but shade tree mechanics, pretty sure you won't too welcome in their circles. What makes them "Pro" tuners isn't that they charge for their work, but that they have a lot more experience with all of the powerplants available, and they've put in the time, effort, and research to provide their customer with more than just a kit. They know the difference to tell if it's a mechanical issue or a human issue. I'm pretty sure you haven't been in the hobby long enough to know the difference in a good shooter and a great shooter or to be able to make that call.
Anyway I've tuned more than a few guns and have purchased some ARH products in the past.
That sentence is interesting on two fronts. Again, your notion of tuning means "putting a kit in." The other is you have badmouthed ARH and Jim Maccari for most of your time on GTA. Why now would you be interested in what he has to offer? Luckily I'm not him, or I wouldn't be doing any kind of business with you.
I'll go ahead and skip to this point.
It's his business to run as he pleases but it's a shame he doesn't do more with it.
In this you are half right. It is HIS business. He can run it as he sees fit, and doesn't need to be told how to do things differently. He puts out a good product and people know it. People buy from him and return to do it again. The fact that he doesn't have time to cater to people who don't really know what they want should clearly show that. So much so that he had to put that disclaimer on his site.
Now please go ahead and say why you even bother and how you are so misunderstood that as an old man no one listens to you anyway. I've had my say.
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I'm sorry this nonsense I have to address.
You're absolutely wrong. I have NEVER, NOT ONCE "badmouthed" Jim or his products. I have some other products that I prefer to his (piston seals) but have never made comparisons with other products. I haven't tried his springs or kits and NOT ONCE made a comparison or bad statement about them. I certainly don't "Bad mouth" anyone. I leave that to others. I will state my experience and provide explanations why. I don't consider that wrong.
You obviously have an axe to grind here. That's your problem not mine.
Have a great day
Ron.
Feel free to pm me for my phone number and we'll talk.
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No axe to grind, but whether you choose to acknowledge it or not, you took a healthy slap at a man and his business over the lame nonsense that he doesn't provide any kind of ballpark numbers for fps and fpe for the spring kits he makes and sells and his business practices. No, he doesn't and even explains on his website that his target audience is skilled gunsmiths and airgunsmiths. He must be doing something right considering he's been in business 41 years and counting and been serving shooters on the internet for another 25 years and counting, which means he's been in business, thriving, very successfully, has a huge following and been doing it for what? 34 more years than 7 whole years or so you've even been shooting airguns...lol.
You also, while you were at it, took a very healthy slap at professional airgunsmiths/tuners. They got where they are today by a lot more years in airgunning than you have, slowly building the reputations they have today, by doing what they do, day in and day out and to more makes and models of air rifles than just the few HW branded air rifles you're familiar with. You say you don't consider yourself a "pro tuner" so what do you consider yourself? A semi pro tuner?? You do charge people money for the things you do to their rifles. I've done rifles for myself and put kits in them but I don't consider myself a skilled home tuner. I didn't do a single thing to make the spring kits I put in guns other than to click a few links on a website to order those already custom made kits. Skilled home installer? Yes, because in all honesty, that's really all I'm doing. Installing a kit made entirely by someone else in a rifle.
I've also done some rifles for other people, but unlike you, never charged them even one penny for the work I did. All I've ever done was make the offer to fix or tweak a gun for someone if they were willing to pay the shipping both ways. Used my own seals, my own parts, my own lubes and asked for nothing for those except to tell them if they ever had the chance to help someone, pay it forward and help a fellow air gunner.
Yes, I'm well aware you don't care even one small bit about everything just typed. To quote you, "Whatever". By the way, no, no need to pm you for your phone number to chat. I already read enough of your babble on the forums...lol.
You also, while you were at it, took a very healthy slap at professional airgunsmiths/tuners. They got where they are today by a lot more years in airgunning than you have, slowly building the reputations they have today, by doing what they do, day in and day out and to more makes and models of air rifles than just the few HW branded air rifles you're familiar with. You say you don't consider yourself a "pro tuner" so what do you consider yourself? A semi pro tuner?? You do charge people money for the things you do to their rifles. I've done rifles for myself and put kits in them but I don't consider myself a skilled home tuner. I didn't do a single thing to make the spring kits I put in guns other than to click a few links on a website to order those already custom made kits. Skilled home installer? Yes, because in all honesty, that's really all I'm doing. Installing a kit made entirely by someone else in a rifle.
I've also done some rifles for other people, but unlike you, never charged them even one penny for the work I did. All I've ever done was make the offer to fix or tweak a gun for someone if they were willing to pay the shipping both ways. Used my own seals, my own parts, my own lubes and asked for nothing for those except to tell them if they ever had the chance to help someone, pay it forward and help a fellow air gunner.
Yes, I'm well aware you don't care even one small bit about everything just typed. To quote you, "Whatever". By the way, no, no need to pm you for your phone number to chat. I already read enough of your babble on the forums...lol.
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Mycapt you have upset the cult !
I had a bad experience with a "pro tuner" that wouldn't stand behind his work, found another that does, so all "pro tuners" don't have the mythical powers some believe.
I was around when Vortek first came out and saw how some took it as an attack on JM, it was totally uncalled for and not true.
If you like Vortek kits and say so on forums then you are attacking JM ? it's ridiculous.
Mycapt65 has helped numerous people over the phone with advice (including me) so if he charges to tune someone's gun that makes him a bad person ?
Or did that just give someone a chance to toot their own horn ?
There are two unwarranted attacks on Mycapt65 in this thread, SteveP-52 you love to give your opinion on members then play the victim if someone says anything to you.
Dealt with you before, you can't handle it when you get a dose of your on medicine, your skilled ? yes at causing trouble.
Talk about someone that hasn't been tuning long, heck a year ago you didn't "believe" in tuning guns and tried to talk anyone that bought one out of it, so how do you know much about tuning ?
I had a bad experience with a "pro tuner" that wouldn't stand behind his work, found another that does, so all "pro tuners" don't have the mythical powers some believe.
I was around when Vortek first came out and saw how some took it as an attack on JM, it was totally uncalled for and not true.
If you like Vortek kits and say so on forums then you are attacking JM ? it's ridiculous.
Mycapt65 has helped numerous people over the phone with advice (including me) so if he charges to tune someone's gun that makes him a bad person ?
Or did that just give someone a chance to toot their own horn ?
There are two unwarranted attacks on Mycapt65 in this thread, SteveP-52 you love to give your opinion on members then play the victim if someone says anything to you.
Dealt with you before, you can't handle it when you get a dose of your on medicine, your skilled ? yes at causing trouble.
Talk about someone that hasn't been tuning long, heck a year ago you didn't "believe" in tuning guns and tried to talk anyone that bought one out of it, so how do you know much about tuning ?
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Obviously there's some bitter people here. I stand by what I said. I've never attacked anyone and don't deserve to be attacked.
Yes 7 years makes me comparatively new to tinkering with quality airguns. But I have a highly technical background and excellent innate mechanical skills that makes these very simple and easy for me. I've been involved in drag racing since my late teens and built 8500 rpm steel rod big blocks.
I laced my own bicycle wheels when I was into cycling. Getting a true, round wheel that stays that way is harder to do than any airgun I've tried.
I have 20 plus years of being a high end (Volvo, Range Rover and BMW) automotive mechanic. Eleven years at BMW as a master mechanic. I was in the top 2 of a 26 BMW mechanic shop, because I could diagnose and fix cars that others couldn't. That's both the electronics and mechanical aspects. Strong diagnostic capabilities are required for both. I've torn apart and rebuilt the most advanced cutting edge engines with a million little electrically and hydraulically controled variable valve timing parts in $100k+ cars.
My last 14 years I've been a machinist for the LIRR solely because the pension and health benefits were better there. So excuse me if I find airguns simple mechanical devices. All they are is an airpump. The basics of cylinder sealing are the same and the mechanical parts easy enough to understand. Once in a while I will get puzzled by something but I'm humble enough to ask others for help or information that leads to a solution. I always ultimately figure things out. Tenacity is probably my strongest virtue. Unfortunately the one thing I can't fix is broken people.
Oh I don't consider myself a pro tuner or a semi-pro tuner. I still think the term is ridiculous. Mind you I don't bad mouth respected tuners even though I have plenty of information to thow some of them under every wheel of the bus. I choose to take the high road because I value character. I only tune for people I like and the money I charge is stupid low. I do it because I enjoy doing it and for the appreciation of people I like. It's basically just beer money.
On my last build a Diana 27 I probably spent at least 70 actual hours on it. That includes diagnosis, researching the design and disassembly, cross referencing springs, redesigning and making new guides, cleaning, deburring, polishing, modifying existing parts, adjusting the barrel vertically and horizontally, testing it, stripping it down and putting it back together a dozen times to make small adjustments to the spring and modify the the cocking arm. Plus the usual replacement of the seals. Oh and I forgot trigger work. In the process of that I probably ran 500 pellets of various types through it over the chronograph.
The money I charged for labor wouldn't probably add up to $1 an hour after you deduct the cost of the pellets. Greg, the guy I did it for, is a great guy and I consider him a friend now. For this kind of money I don't see this as a viable business. I consider this a way to provide an appreciated service for people I like and to make new friends. If my less than professional approach bothers people, so be it, but there's no "magic" in tuning BB guns.
I also stand by my opinion that there are other non pro tuners that are as good or better than the pros. Sean Gabrell is a perfect example. I've shot his guns that he tunes with both ARH and Vortek kits and they are as impressive as ANY pro tuned gun I've shot. Maybe more so. He's a very talented guy and I'm sure there's dozens of other non pros that are at least as talented him and myself.
Let's keep this real people. Just because I haven't been playing with adult airguns as long as others doesn't mean I'm not as or more capable than others that have been doing it longer. Seven years is plenty of time to learn the basics. I humbly admit that I don't know everything about airguns. Because I mostly work on Weihrauchs there's lots of models I'm not familiar with. That doesn't mean they're beyond my capabilities. It just means I have new stuff to learn. I have and will turn away work if I'm uncomfortable with the product or persons needs.
This last project a D27 was a new experience for me. It took a long time to get right and I'm sure a "pro tuner" with decades of experience could have done it much, much quicker and possibly even better. In the end Greg is very happy with his gun and I enjoyed learning something new, being creative and making a valued new friend.
If you need to make airguns into something of life or death importance I can only feel sorry for you. Life is too short to get wound up over something so simple
Oh the other medallions are stuck to my matco tool box in the garage from back when cared about accolades. I have no use for negative close minded people.
Have a great day
Ron Stearns
Yes 7 years makes me comparatively new to tinkering with quality airguns. But I have a highly technical background and excellent innate mechanical skills that makes these very simple and easy for me. I've been involved in drag racing since my late teens and built 8500 rpm steel rod big blocks.
I laced my own bicycle wheels when I was into cycling. Getting a true, round wheel that stays that way is harder to do than any airgun I've tried.
I have 20 plus years of being a high end (Volvo, Range Rover and BMW) automotive mechanic. Eleven years at BMW as a master mechanic. I was in the top 2 of a 26 BMW mechanic shop, because I could diagnose and fix cars that others couldn't. That's both the electronics and mechanical aspects. Strong diagnostic capabilities are required for both. I've torn apart and rebuilt the most advanced cutting edge engines with a million little electrically and hydraulically controled variable valve timing parts in $100k+ cars.
My last 14 years I've been a machinist for the LIRR solely because the pension and health benefits were better there. So excuse me if I find airguns simple mechanical devices. All they are is an airpump. The basics of cylinder sealing are the same and the mechanical parts easy enough to understand. Once in a while I will get puzzled by something but I'm humble enough to ask others for help or information that leads to a solution. I always ultimately figure things out. Tenacity is probably my strongest virtue. Unfortunately the one thing I can't fix is broken people.
Oh I don't consider myself a pro tuner or a semi-pro tuner. I still think the term is ridiculous. Mind you I don't bad mouth respected tuners even though I have plenty of information to thow some of them under every wheel of the bus. I choose to take the high road because I value character. I only tune for people I like and the money I charge is stupid low. I do it because I enjoy doing it and for the appreciation of people I like. It's basically just beer money.
On my last build a Diana 27 I probably spent at least 70 actual hours on it. That includes diagnosis, researching the design and disassembly, cross referencing springs, redesigning and making new guides, cleaning, deburring, polishing, modifying existing parts, adjusting the barrel vertically and horizontally, testing it, stripping it down and putting it back together a dozen times to make small adjustments to the spring and modify the the cocking arm. Plus the usual replacement of the seals. Oh and I forgot trigger work. In the process of that I probably ran 500 pellets of various types through it over the chronograph.
The money I charged for labor wouldn't probably add up to $1 an hour after you deduct the cost of the pellets. Greg, the guy I did it for, is a great guy and I consider him a friend now. For this kind of money I don't see this as a viable business. I consider this a way to provide an appreciated service for people I like and to make new friends. If my less than professional approach bothers people, so be it, but there's no "magic" in tuning BB guns.
I also stand by my opinion that there are other non pro tuners that are as good or better than the pros. Sean Gabrell is a perfect example. I've shot his guns that he tunes with both ARH and Vortek kits and they are as impressive as ANY pro tuned gun I've shot. Maybe more so. He's a very talented guy and I'm sure there's dozens of other non pros that are at least as talented him and myself.
Let's keep this real people. Just because I haven't been playing with adult airguns as long as others doesn't mean I'm not as or more capable than others that have been doing it longer. Seven years is plenty of time to learn the basics. I humbly admit that I don't know everything about airguns. Because I mostly work on Weihrauchs there's lots of models I'm not familiar with. That doesn't mean they're beyond my capabilities. It just means I have new stuff to learn. I have and will turn away work if I'm uncomfortable with the product or persons needs.
This last project a D27 was a new experience for me. It took a long time to get right and I'm sure a "pro tuner" with decades of experience could have done it much, much quicker and possibly even better. In the end Greg is very happy with his gun and I enjoyed learning something new, being creative and making a valued new friend.
If you need to make airguns into something of life or death importance I can only feel sorry for you. Life is too short to get wound up over something so simple
Oh the other medallions are stuck to my matco tool box in the garage from back when cared about accolades. I have no use for negative close minded people.
Have a great day
Ron Stearns
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I’m the owner of the Diana 27 that Ron tuned and repaired for me. This rifle was returned to me functioning better than new. I’m very satisfied with the work he performed and I really liked how he kept me informed about the progress of the repair.I don’t see the need for the personal attacks , we are in this hobby together and should help one another . I could ramble on, I’ll end this by saying I’m a highly satisfied customer.
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Too bad a couple posters had to turn this thread into something the OP had to address. Too bad.
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I’m guilty of that. At first, I jumped on the JM bandwagon when the JM crusade kicked off, after He presumably lost some business to them. But now I have used the PG2 kit I know better.
Vortek kits are fan freaking tastic, for completely different reasons to a JM kit.
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