I would like to know what is the proper procedure in cleaning an air rifle, and what to use on it. Also, what is the best way to break in a new gun, how many pellets do you have to shoot? I would like to shoot some cheap ones during the break-in period, but don't know. What is some good grouping pellets (.177)? Your thoughts would help, thanks.

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Most air rifles come shipped with a preservative in the barrel. This needs to be cleaned out before the rifle is going to shoot it's best. Use a proper diameter coated rod to clean the barrel. Use a patch with a light coating of gun oil. Do not use a solvent like Hoppes, etc. These can harm the seal. Just be careful as you would with any fine gun, clean from the breech and take care for the crown, etc. When the patches start coming out clean, you are done.

I shoot JSB Exact pellets. These are overall your best deal. Very accurate in most guns. Just like in firearms, you can't make a bad bullet shoot good. Buy top quality pellets. JSB, H&N, Beeman. But any air gunner will tell you that rifles can be particular about which pellets they will shoot best. Sometimes you have to hunt around. Straight Shooters, an airgun dealer sells "pellet samplers" consisting
of a caliber assortment of high grade pellets.
These are a good idea. Just Google their name,
it will come right up.

Some spring piston guns are over-lubed a bit at the factory. If you hear a crack when you shoot the gun, that could be the lube burning off by dieseling (compression ignition). It may take a good number of shots to burn this lube out. If the gun is dieseling, it will shoot higher than normal velocities and not it's best groups until this is shot out.

Overall, a good 500+ rounds before things smooth out.

good shooting, Chris

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People with experience shooting powder burners have a tendency to think they should do the same things with an air gun. Not so. You don't get the fouling with an air gun. The RWS owners manual says that pellets leave a beneficial residue. The manual also says don't oil the gun---yet they sell chamber and spring cylinder oil--go figure. They also sell cleaning pellets which you shoot through the bore to clean it?? I say leave it alone and shoot it and if you feel you must really clean something, run a dry patch only through it. A length of real heavy weed trimmer line will push a patch through and there is no danger of harming anything---unless you can tear up a railroad track with a rubber mallet. Clean the exterior the same as you would anyother gun. I like to spray a light coat of silicone and wipe it down. Cheap pellets? You aren't buying a primer nor gun powder or a brass case so I thought most any pellet would be very cheap shooting--comparabily speaking. Shoot what is most accurate--you're really not going to get very much difference in performance, accuracy and shot placement is the big difference. Try different pellets and use accuracy as the guage. My RWS shoots Crosman Premiers as good as any and they are a little cheaper and Wal Mart here carries them--guess they still do, I am well stocked, thanks to them not shooting so well in another persons gun and they gave me a huge supply. My Sheridan will shoot either of the two Crosman choices about the same, so whichever of the two is cheaper is what I buy.

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People with experience shooting air guns always say to clean the barrel of a new air gun. Always.

You are correct, of course, that air guns leave no combustibles residues that have to be cleaned out. But air gunners know that clean barrels shoot best. Some hardly ever need it after the first cleaning, some will. Some have glass smooth bores that collect little, some are rougher and will strip lead from pellets.

Go here if you want confirmation of this --
Number one air gun forum in the world --

http://www.network54.com/Forum/79537/


dxr

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yes, you would want to clean a new bore if oily. But why add more oil--the goal is getting rid of the oil. Confirmation of some of what I said can be found in an RWS owners manual--they build guns and warranty them for life.

The oil in this situation acts as a solvent for the (often thick and caked) preservative. The last patch would be a dry patch as a final wipe and dry.

Oil is for leather piston seals found in older rifles. Any new rifle will have a synthitic seal

Inside outside metal protection and clean as a whistle bore wise . Boeshield T 9 hasn't harmed a single Air seal .
Paper towel lay out my JSB's spray with pledge spray wax roll them on the paper towel back into the tin .

Superior speed an accuracy whether PC or Springer . I shoot JSB Exact pellets also and by far are the most consistently accurate in any of my units .

RWS Diana rifles, break action, note that the springs/plungers aren't up to full power until 1000 shots. They shoot just fine out of the box, accurate as hell.

"RWS Hobby" pellets are the first choice. These are for plinking, messing around. The difference in pellets is weight and nose config.

Don't go for "cheap" pellets in an expensive air gun (RWS Diana) -- The bore is "choked" and the pellets are engineered to work with the barrel.

RWS sells felt pellets for cleaning the bore. I have a Benjamin rod for .177 cal. but that's a tiny diameter, and a felt pellet probably is all you need.

There's no powder residue, just minimal leading. Felt pellet is sufficient.

Get the right oils and follow the manual -- These guns are all about gaskets. Cheap oil will screw up an expensive gasket.

quote:

Originally posted by PbNinja:
...Paper towel lay out my JSB's spray with pledge spray wax roll them on the paper towel back into the tin ...

Interesting. What kind of difference do you see between the "Pledge Pellets" and Non-Pledge Pellets? Is the Report any different?

pellet lubrication with various things has been a hot topic in airgun circles for years. some shooters swear you get improved accuracy, velocity, lower maintenance, etc. others swear it makes no difference. I have tried it both ways in the same rifle and noticed slight improvement to no change at all, depending on the individual rifle. that said, i generally lubricate all my pellets for my rifles with Krytech, a lube designed for racing bike chains that sprays on and dries to a dry, waxlike surface. Napiers pellet lube and Ballistol are other brands that others swear by. the main thing to remember is if you lube your pellets-USE A VERY SMALL AMOUNT( 6-8 drops of any liquid based product in a 500 pellet tin).

Thanks for the Scoop.