GTA
All Springer/NP/PCP Air Gun Discussion General => PCP/CO2/HPA Air Gun Gates "The Darkside" => Topic started by: avator on August 19, 2022, 04:26:08 PM
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Might as well get this party started....
Just like Flash of the Aveng.... No wait, wrong gun.
While running the Gauntlet of juggling my work duties and sneaking the occasional peek at the GTA classifieds, (that's more appropriate) I happened to happen upon a fresh post for a lightly used GEN I Gauntlet in .177. With superhero speed I said "I'll take it". Good thing I acted at the speed of light because 2 more offers were made within the next hour.
This gun was originally purchased in November of 2019. If I'm not mistaken, the GEN II was not released before then.
UPS did an amazing job getting the gun to me in a record 2 days from time of sending.... even a blind squirrel finds a nut now and then.
It was double boxed and those pellet packing squares from PA were used between the outer and original inner box.. another great use for those things. Inside the original box was the gun in it's plastic bag, all original docs, accessories and various orings packed in the factory packing. Everything safe and sound.
The seller reported that the gun had a slow leak and suspected the orings in the tank block may have a nick in them. However, I aired the gun up to the max of 3k and it held right there overnight and beyond. In fact, I'm not even going to attempt to fix it unless I dig into the gun for some other reason... or it gets worse.
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Ahh yes, those great deals.
I got a great deal on a .22 cal Kratos for the price of FREE. User said it leaked and didn't want to bother with it. So I took it off their hands and replace some o-rings and it's a great gun.
I'm going to do a custom reg setup on it, custom slug barrel, and tune up the internals to my likening.
Currently working on a spare Stormrider with a modded Huma regulator at the moment. Working some of the kinks out of that then next project will be that Kratos.
Might also make a different stock for the Kratos too.
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Yeah, I'm not saying the gun don't have a slow leak.. I'm sure if the seller says it does than I believe him. However, even if the gun had 3k in it when he boxed it on a Friday (and I'm not sure it did), it still had almost 2k in it when it arrived at my door on Tuesday. If that's all the faster it leaks.. I'm good to go. I have 3 compressors and 5 tanks... ;)
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Well, I was sitting at my desk, my work finished for the week and a brand new to me gun sitting at home calling to me.
So I went to my department head and told him I had to leave 2 hours early. He asked me why and I told him I couldn't see... I couldn't see just sitting there for another 2 hours. I had better things to do.
He laughed and said, got a new gun didn't you. Yup, I did.
Ten minutes later I was sitting on the front deck at home sighting in the scope I stole off of the BSA Buccaneer. I ordered the same scope for the Gauntlet and I'll just put it on the Buc when it comes in Tuesday.
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5 shots later I was dead nut accurate with the H&N Match pellets at 35yds.
Well, that was easy. Too dang easy, I at least like a bit of a challenge. :o
First impressions? Heavy, I mean REAL HEAVY ! Good thing this one ain't meant for the woods, I'd have to put wheels on it. A trailer hitch for the ATV. Wonder if they have those with Picatinny mounts? Can't wait to add the bipod and add another pound and a half.. :o
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Think that is heavy try a Kratos with a 3-12x40 scope and of course a bipod. Probably 12-13 lbs. Definitely not a woods gun. Lol
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You know, when the Gauntlet first came out and everyone was going ga ga over it, I just wasn't feeling it for some reason. There were too many other new options hitting the market at that time. Then the reports began rolling in about the GEN I issues. I don't even remember what they were but they turned my nose up.
I have and continue to enjoy many of those other options but, when this deal came up I couldn't resist.
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As always, Betty Lou wants to make a store run.
Tomorrow morning I'll dig out the chrono and get some numbers.
I don't think I have to go any farther to find a pellet it likes.
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I still have my Gen 1 Gauntlet 177. It is the gun that brought me into the dark side.
The first thing that everyone said about that gun was how a small bump could change the POI and that was exactly correct. A lot of things can be done to correct that problem. What I did was "reverse" tension the barrel. I added a very powerful spring to the shroud that pushed the barrel instead of pulling it like most other tensioned barrels have. I also added two flat pieces of steel attached to the receiver and screwed into the base of the shroud. I feel the reverse tensioning did the most good, but anything that adds to stiffening up that barrel can help.
There is also hammer spring adjusters that can be added, I did that too and mods to the regulator.
All these things improve the gun and made mine a one holler at 40 yards when the wind is calm.
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I ordered Hajimoto's tank/barrel band.
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Why are there no .177 Gauntlet mags to be found?
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Yeah, I'm not saying the gun don't have a slow leak.. I'm sure if the seller says it does than I believe him. However, even if the gun had 3k in it when he boxed it on a Friday (and I'm not sure it did), it still had almost 2k in it when it arrived at my door on Tuesday. If that's all the faster it leaks.. I'm good to go. I have 3 compressors and 5 tanks... ;)
Hmm, I thought when I boxed it there was only 1k in it. So UPS fixed the leak and aired it up a little. Best UPS experience ever! :D Maybe I'm mis-remembering.
I'm thrilled that you seem to be happy with the gun, and that you started this thread. Guns are kind of like pets, it's nice to witness them thriving in their new home (although I don't think I'd ever get rid of a pet).
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LOL... Hey Adam.. thanks for showing up.
Was it 1k? Did I read the gauge wrong? It's possible. Well, at least we know it didn't lose much air, if any.
Anyways, again, thanks for a smooth transaction.
I just came in from shooting a few more mags. Like I said, I had a spare on hand from a previous .177 I owned.
Getting ready to set the chrono up, refill the gun and get some data on it.
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Why are there no .177 Gauntlet mags to be found?
There is a slight difference in the width of the Gauntlet mags and the Marauder mags, but I can't remember which is the thicker of the two. In any event, if you get a couple Marauder mags and they fit a little too snug, just lay them on a flat hard surfce with a piece of fine grit andpaper under the ag and sand off a little of the backside of the mag and it should fit perfect! I used to interchange Mrod mags and Gauntlet mags all the time when I had my Gauntlets!
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I have come to think that sometimes a really slow leak is not worth the effort to fix. In fixing one leak I seem to manage to create more plus the wear and tear on the rifle taking it apart over and over. Just gotta pick your battles.
I thought the fill port on my old GTA acquired Gen 1 Marauder .25 inexplicably began leaking badly. Oh darn. And I cannot get it apart. So I swapped in a new one while I consider how to fix it. But then noted some red stuff in the air tube so stripped it down, honed the cylinder ID, reblued it and then when it went back together with the new fill port assembly, it still leaked!!!!!! It was the air gauge!
I just happen to have a G2 .25 unmolested with box and all and maybe even a scope ----mulling over selling it. And it holds air for months. But cannot swear it does not leak a molecule here and there. Maybe I will run a listing.
James
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Thanks for the info guys.
Got the mowing done and ate breakfast. Taking a break while food settles and watching the recorded ARCA race. Then I'll get back to airgun mode.
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Thanks for the info guys.
Got the mowing done and ate breakfast. Taking a break while food settles and watching the recorded ARCA race. Then I'll get back to airgun mode.
I had a .177 Gaunlet it was for sure very heavy like
You said. It wasn’t something I would want to carry in the woods or anywhere. I remember it was very accurate even with CPHP .177 Pellets. The shot count was what sold me on the gun but the weight and also the length is what got me to sell the gun:).
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Yessir, I look at it as money in the bank... ;)
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60 shots on a full fill... easy. Not yet confirmed with the chrono.
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.... and then the rains came.. buckets of it.. for several hours. :-\
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60 shots on a full fill... easy. Not yet confirmed with the chrono.
The best part is it’s only a 3000 psi fill.
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Looking forward to seeing the numbers and stretching it out to 50 or so.
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Looking forward to seeing the numbers and stretching it out to 50 or so.
I’ve taken game out to 70 plus yards with mine no issues
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WOW, you did get that ole boy quick! Over the years I have read through and fielded many questions regarding the Umarex Gauntlet and I came up with some of the most common issues that one should look out for.
This basic out-of-the-box checklist typically corrects 90% of any issues.
I apologize if you have already been exposed to this list but I do publish it and share quite a lot.
- Remove Barrel Shroud and inspect stripper to be sure it's not cracked and the stripper o-ring size is correct.
- Check barrel band base tightness to the bottle block. Some have loose screws (if the option is present).
- Gauntlet 1 owners, check to make sure that the bottle shroud is not making contact with the barrel shroud if so remove the tank shroud and reinstall it making sure not to over tighten the left and tight retension screws.
- Check all grub screws and fasteners to be sure they are tight not 100lbs tight but fastener appropriate tight ;D .
- Check barrel Crown for issues, gouges, or inconsistent chamfering. Do the cotton swab test to be sure no fibers are being snagged.
- Fill with air and cock and shoot at least ten times (just air) to be sure mechanics are working as intended.
- Thoroughly wet clean the barrel with a nylon brush and non petroleum based bore solvent like Ballistol and dry swab until your patches pull clean.
- Reinstall air stripper and o-ring, tighten shroud and be sure wedge ring if properly fit inside barrel band support (if the option is present).
To most of us, these are pretty rudimentary things to check but remember this list was designed for the newcomer who had no idea where to start.
I hope it offers some useful info
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Thanks Haj, your input is always welcome.
BTW, I ordered one of your tank/barrel bands.
The seller also included one of your complete oring tune kits along with the placement diagram.
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Received the Hajimoto barrel band in the mail today.
You have to trim the tank shroud a bit to install it on the GEN I.
I'll be doing that this evening.
While I'm at it, I think I'll take some of the first stage travel out of the trigger.
Adam worked on the trigger and the let off is pretty good. I just like a shorter pull than some.
The Sniper scope I ordered is due to arrive tomorrow. That will replace the one I stole from the Buccaneer.
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Enjoy your .177 Gauntlet!
I still shoot mine all the time. I’ve never touched the reg, and I’ve never had a leak in the gun - which I got for $195 new on sale with coupon at PA.
It shoots Crosman 10.5g insanely well - I get 10-shot groups of .75” and less at 40 laser measured yards - consistently - velocity is 860fps. It shoots JSBs and H&N 10.65g even better. I’m using an Athlon Talos BTR 4x14 FFP scope. Its an awesome backyard plinker.
I changed the shroud to a shorter shroud (ditched the internal spring and baffle. I also installed a rudimentary “2-stage” trigger. Otherwise she is completely stock. I have Hajimoto’s supertune kit, but I have not yet installed. I’m waiting for a leak or some other issue before I tear down the rifle to install the supertune kit - but not a single leak or issue in almost 3 years of ownership.
I recently bought a CARM single shot loader for it - and shot some insane 1/2” 10 shot groups at 40 yards with JSB 10.3g. The ole’ .177 Gauntlet makes me question why I have spent thousands on “high end” rifles - the bolt is stiff and the trigger is adequate- but she is a darn accurate rifle out to 50 yards - which is really the primary use case for an air rifle.
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Thanks Ed... my only complaint on the gun so far is the weight.
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Thanks Ed... my only complaint on the gun so far is the weight.
Should make for a more stable bench gun. At least for me with only a front rest of some sort it's not as twitchy.
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On his site Haj shows how to install the tank/barrel band.
He carefully measures, tapes it off with painter's tape and cuts it with a hack saw.
I have other methods... ;)
I slid the band down on to the barrel shroud and beside the tank shroud. This gave me how much needed cut off so the band would slide down over the end of the tank... 3/8" give or take.
Then I removed the tank shroud and to the tool shed we went.
Ok, where's the painter's tape? Where's that hack saw? Oh lookie there, a 12" Dewalt chop saw. And how convenient, it's plugged in... ;D
Yep, that looks like 3/8"... zippity do da. A quick filing of the plastic burr and a bit of sand paper and done ditty.
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I was really hoping it was a chain saw but a chop saw works just as well.
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No more flex in that barrel.
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I was really hoping it was a chain saw but a chop saw works just as well.
Chain saw was out of gas.. I checked.
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LOL! The right tool for the job isn't always necessarily the right tool for the job! ;D
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Yep, and the pole saw was too dang long.
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Ok ok ok guys ::)
Please know that I have a fully equipped machine shop that includes a Jet 14" band saw. I deliberately chose to use the hack saw method to eliminate folks thinking that they must have a band saw or specialty tools.
This is why I never show milling operations or lathe work because I try to demonstrate, live in most cases, that the modification can be performed using everyday household items.
So :P ;D
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LOL Haj..
Please know that, in no way was my post a dig at you or your methods.
I have nothing but respect for your knowledge and contribution to our hobby/sport/community.
I was merely further exposing my laziness. It could have easily gone bad. The teeth on the chop saw blade could have grabbed and badly chipped the plastic or just plain busted it to pieces.
The way you show it done is much safer.
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By using the shorter shroud (used to be available through DonnyFL and Hajimoto, and installing a 2mm thick walls carbon fiber tube over the barrel, I have not experienced any PoI shift.
I still use the air stripper and a couple other o- rings along the length of the carbon tube to keep barrel centered in shroud.
The shorter shroud makes a big difference in terms of making the rifle size much more manageable- but it still ain’t no Daystate Huntsman, lol.
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I shoot this gun from the bench, mainly because of the weight. I don't have any issues with it's accuracy or barrel shifting.
I put the barrel band on the gun because it spends time standing in the corner or standing in the gun safe. Things also happen. Guns get bumped around. I never was a fan of free floating barrels hanging out the end of guns 2 - 2 1/2 feet out the end of the gun. I put barrel bands on all my guns.
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The Sniper scope that I ordered from Amazon arrived today.
Now I'll have to decide whether to just put it on the Buccaneer that I stole from or swap them.
Either way I'll need to round up some dovetail rings. The new one came with picca rings.
No worries, I have several in the parts bin.
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Does anyone know if the AV Avenger mags fit the Gauntlet?
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I guess we'll find out, just ordered 2.
If they do I'll grab 2 more. That will give me a total of 6.
60 shots between fills and reloading mags works for me.
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177 Avenger mags fit the Gauntlet 1 just fine!
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Good news John, Thanks
Oh and, Welcome to the GTA.
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This gun is accurate almost to the point of boredom.
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Bill, I'm sorry you are having to risk your money to find out the answer but I can understand why you gave up on getting an answer from the GTA membership after 8 minutes had elapsed. ;D
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LOL Jason... I didn't give up, I found the answer on one of Hajimoto's posts.
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Have to love those boringly accurate guns lol.
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Betty Lou called to tell me the mags came in from PA along with 2 16 oz. shampoo bottles of AV compressor oil.
I'll report back how they work.
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Oil dose not work all that great as shampoo.
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I've seen some folks in my life that must not have got that memo.... :-[
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It might keep my chrome dome shinny though.
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true that...
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Confirmed..
The AV Avenger .177 mags do work in the Gauntlet.
Not to loose, not too tight. They snap in and don't slop around at all. I shot a full mag and they cycled perfectly.
I'll most likely order 2 more at $12.99 each. That will give me enough mags for a full fill on the air tank. 60 shots.
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Good to hear.
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You got that right, Broham Slickness.
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It appears to me that I kinda left this thread hanging... I have a real problem with staying focused these days. I can't blame it on life getting in the way anymore because I'm retired now and don't really have a life to get in the way.
So without further delays, let's pick it up where we left off...
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First off, the slow leak has been confirmed... I pulled it out of the case this morning and the gauge was way down, not empty but way down. Mind you, I haven't shot this gun since I began this thread so I'm not sure how long it took to leak.
I took the gun to thee Red Shed this morning and topped it off with the Vevor compressor. Then I came back in for some breakfast and let it warm up outside a bit.
I did fill the 6 mags with H&N 10.65 Match pellets before I came in. I need to swap the internet connection from the bar to the Red Shed and grab the chrono out of the bar.
We'll get to that after I eat.
Stay tuned... today we'll be running the Gauntlet.... ;)
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Oh yeah...
6 Mags easy. May be even more.
And at 35 yds they have no problem flipping up the re settable targets.. and flip them back down as well.
Very respectable accuracy out of this gun. I wouldn't want to carry it around all day but I feel bad for any critter than wanders into my path from the bench. ;)
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Just a quick check to make sure the PChrono Dig was seen by the tablet via blue tooth and the software was recording shots.
The gauge was down to 2k and I have 7 shots left in the mag. It's still pretty chilly out there... maybe 50.
I would call this respectable.
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60 18fpe shots with under 1/2 accuracy at 35yds + per 3k fill is about all I could ask for.
I don't see any reason to tinker with this gun any further.
Mags fit nice and firm and cycle great.
Trigger is good... I know this because it don't distract my mind from poa when I'm shooting like a bad trigger does.
I just wish the gun was a few pounds lighter. But I'm bench and bag or bipod shooter anyways so that don't really matter.
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I thought I remembered getting 80+ shots on the reg from a 3k fill (I think the regulator pressure is 1100 PSI). I checked the ad from the classifieds, that is indeed what I advertised:
"-Gets 80+ shots on the regulator at ~890 FPS with Crosman Premier Ultra Magnum 10.5 gr for ~18.5 FPE."
So it might be even better than you thought!
If you ever do decide to track down that leak I'm 99% sure it's those bottle block o-rings, I always had trouble with getting those sliced when putting it back together.
I'm really glad to see it thriving in its new home! And it sounds like you're feeding it better than I was, in terms of pellet quality.
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Thank's Adam.
I plan to get out and shoot it some more today. I left the gun in the insulated gun cabinet out there when I came in yesterday.
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Just thinking out loud....
Like I said.. I left the gun in the insulated gun cabinet in the Red Shed over night and it got a bit cold out there over night... I'm check the pressure this morning and if it dropped significantly I might get in it and see if I can fix the leak.
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The fiasco with the TV falling off the wall yesterday and crashing to the floor, I felt like I needed some alone time in the Red Shed.. I chose that over the bar/mancave because I knew where that would lead... the fridge is fully stocked.... :( :o
After coffee this morning I headed out. I left the Gauntlet on the bench with 3k in it Tuesday. Looks like it lost 500 psi or so.
As the original owner stated, the drop block orings may have gotten nicked last time he had it off. I verified that I had spares the degassed and tore it down. Yep, noticeably nicked.. and I can see how that would happen.
2 thin orings have to pass over 4 screw holes. And we all know, punches for hole wear during production run and are prone to leaving burrs. So I went in with a loose fitting flap wheel on the cordless and spun it a few times.
I lubed the orings with some silicone grease and worked it back in. It felt good and I'm pretty confident I didn't nick the orings.
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I also noticed the bottle fitting loose and tightening it up would put the fill nipple and gauge about a quarter turn past where they would align with the cover. Back it off the quarter turn and it can wobble a bit.
This is where I chose to reach out to the Pro.... Hajimoto.
I gave Haji a call and picked his brain... Haji is a wealth of info on these guns and he provided me the answer and a heck of alot more hints, tips and tricks.
He told me to back it off the quarter turn and set it to line up with the cover. Once it is pressurized it will make the seal.
So again, I greased up the 2 clear (white) bottle orings and screwed the bottle back on aligning it with the cover and pressurized to 3k. Sure enough, snug as a bug.
It's been aired up for over an hour now and no sign of leakage.. so far. But it could take much longer for that leak to show it's ugly face. If that happens I'll do some soapy water checking.
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After 2 hours..... no signs of leakage. At this point, whatever leakage there may or may not be, it wouldn't affect a shooting session.
This gun will not stand at the ready for shots of opportunity or hunting. This is simply a cheap bench gun that shoots alot of cheap pellets accurately between fills. So it does not need to hold air for weeks at a time.
I filled and shot 6 full mags (60 rounds) and most likely could have shot more. 6 mags is what I have and that is where I will stop, refill the gun and reload the mags.
Houston, we are good to go.
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BTW.... according to Hajimoto, this is somewhat of a rare bird. They don't make the Gauntlet in .177 anymore.
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Probably just not a big market looking for a long, heavy .177.
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BTW.... according to Hajimoto, this is somewhat of a rare bird. They don't make the Gauntlet in .177 anymore.
Anything that was at one time but is no more, becomes highly sought after. You sir have a 13ci of cylinder volume, 3000psi, 80+ shots of pure joy to shot.
The stiff cocking effort is the only hiccup in that version.
Here in the U.S. the .177 just doesn't have a huge following, but when it comes to pesting or plinking, they are hard to beat.
Enjoy!
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I guess I should have hung onto my .177 Gauntlet! Oh well, water under the bridge... I do have a .177 Akela that I probably will hang onto. These have been deeply discounted on numerous occasions, which leads me to believe they aren't near as popular as the .22 version and thus, may ultimately go the way of the .177 Gauntlet as well! Or one could hope anyway! LOL!
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I also have the Buccaneer in .177 that I enjoy.
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I left the gun at 2k for more than 6 hours today. I went back out to close up the Red Shed and had a lool at the gauge and it was right at 2k. I think I may have fixed the leak. I'll check again in the morning to confirm.
BTW... that safety lever is a pita to keep in the proper position to put the stock back on.
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I ventured out to the Red Shed this morning with 20oz, YETI cup of coffee in hand. I sneaked up on the Gauntlet and had a peek at the gauge.
BOOYA !! Right at 2k where I left it yesterday. Even at the cooler morning temp it was right where I left it.
I'm happy as a punk in boy's school. ;D
I went ahead and topped it off to 3k with the Vevor and noticed, after replacing the white compression seal in the bleed screw yesterday, it appeared to fill faster.
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Just a personal opinion....
As heavy as this gun is (for me anyways) combined with the fact that I don't hunt, there are 2 must haves...
A good bipod and a side focus scope. 6 mags is an added plus.
Something I noticed this morning....
I've heard folks complaining about the heavy cocking effort. The truth is, you don't have to pull the bolt all the way back to cycle the mag. You do need to pull it all the way back and latch it to release and remove the mag. It takes a little practice to find the sweet spot but once you do, it changes the ball game. It's no harder to cycle than the average repeater for me.
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So now that the Gauntlet is all done and ready to go, I'll put it back in the cabinet and look for the next one that can use a little TLC.
Meantime, I have a little clean up project to do on a gun of a different flavor for a friend. That won't take long because it's just a clean, lube and sight in.
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I have 2 of the Gen1's in .177 and one in 25. I put one in a QB78 stock and it lightened it up quite a bit. The .25 has such a small leak that it doesn't matter if I top it off and go shooting. I haven't shot any of my pellet guns in over 2 months, but when I do shoot them I always pull those three out to shoot. Much more accurate rifles than I am a shooter so they make me happy.
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I have 2 of the Gen1's in .177 and one in 25. I put one in a QB78 stock and it lightened it up quite a bit. The .25 has such a small leak that it doesn't matter if I top it off and go shooting. I haven't shot any of my pellet guns in over 2 months, but when I do shoot them I always pull those three out to shoot. Much more accurate rifles than I am a shooter so they make me happy.
Would be nice to hear you shooting again, Cole.
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I have the Gauntlet out this morning..
To bring the thread up to date...
More than a year or so ago I thought we had a failure on Big Red.. the MRodAir MKII AirMax Extreme compressor.
I put it on the bench yesterday to begin repairs. I did a test run to see where to begin tearing into it and to my surprise it ran as there was no issue.
Being that I had it on the bench in the mancave and that I had moved all the 35yd and under targets to the Red Shed range, I thought I would get the Gauntlet out to shoot at the remaining 50yd. and beyond targets from the shooting deck.
I topped the gun to 3100 psi and loaded up a mag of Crosman 10.5 Ultra Mag Domes. From a bipod and seated position I was 10 for 10 inside a 1/2" circle.
The plan is to continue shooting over the next day or so and run that compressor several cycles. At some point I plan to do an oil change on it.
A tin of 500 pellets should get me around 6 fills on the gun at 6 mags per fill.
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This is one heavy monster of a gun.