GTA
Airguns by Make and Model => Air Arms Airguns => Topic started by: Hoppalong Doc on November 05, 2022, 11:36:07 PM
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I'm sure that I'll be thought of as a dullard, but I need some help. My TX200 MKIII in .22. Cal hasn't been shooting up to standards, so I shot it through my chronograph. In a 10 shot string, it's shooting an average of 617 fps. Oh no! So I shot it again the next day . . . same results. The rifle is just two and a half years old, with between 4 & 5 thousand pellets through it. I generally shoot Air Arms Diablos 16gr. Someone I trust suggested that a few drops of lube might be in order on the breech seal. My problem is that I don't know how to properly access it. Can anyone be of help here, please? Thanks, Orv.
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I don't oil seals. If you think it's the breech seal why don't you test it? The tissue test is the accepted choice. Lay a tissue over the area where the compression tube enters when returning to battery. Fire a shot. The tissue should not move. If it does move you probably have a defective breech seal. If that's the case I'd just replace it. It consists of two O rings by the way and requires the gun to be dismantled to change.
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I don't feel competent disassembling this rifle without experienced, hands-on assistance. Will my warranty be voided by digging into it. I truly don't want to send it back to Pyramyd. What do you all suggest? With a very clear diagram, along with written instructions I might be talked into taking it apart. I hope not though. ORV.
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Seems really easy.
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=6CMoWUcHPoI
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Jay's video is great. If you go to youtube yourself and search 'tx200 disassembly' you'll find a litany of other videos. Watch as many as you can to build up confidence, see the similarities between the videos, consider writing a check list of the steps from those videos too.
If you're still uncomfortable with your mechanical abilities; you can look to either deal with Pyramidair as you'd mentioned, or perhaps consider sending it off to a tuner for both a repair and a tune (if it isn't already).
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I'd call Pryamyd and see what they have to say. These rifles are very simple to work on.
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Thanks to each of you. The video should be of great. Tom Gaylord 's blog on the TX200 is also great. I just don't want to screw this rifle up. I'll keep in touch, Orv.
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Breech seal is only about $2 and is changed with a dental pick. Keep spares around. If you start having issues where a new breech seal seems to help, but only for a few days, then your TX may be suffering from the lockup problems that they are notorious for.
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I watched the aforementioned Gary Chillingworth video last evening and am considering my options. I wish that I had an old junker rifle to practice on rather than taking my TX200 apart. I'm still concerned about voiding the warranty on this rifle by taking it apart. If I knew of an experienced airgun gunsmith here in Southern California I believe that I would take it there. Any suggestions? Another question: why would this breech seal go bad? Is there a maintenance procedure to prevent their going bad? I just want to get back on the gunrange with my rifle. I suppose that I'll have to enjoy one of my other rifles for a while. I haven't shot my Dragonfly much lately . . . so I suppose now's the opportunity. Orv.
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Have you done the tissue test Thomas suggested? It is decidedly non-invasive, quick and easy. If the tissue stays put, the breech seal is likely not the reason for the low velocity.
This hasn't been brought up yet, but it is also possible that the mainspring has fatigued, with the ~5 000 pellets shot. AA springs are of a better quality than Weihrauch or Diana mainsprings, which usually are toast sooner than at 5K, but it's still a possibility.
I fully understand your position, having a high-dollar gun that you just want to shoot (and have every right to expect it to), and not start risking by dismantling with little knowhow and / or few tools, even when AA's are among the easiest springers of all to work on (due to their design quality).
I would imagine there are airgun tuners in Southern Caiifornia (what wasn't there?), but cannot name any names.
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I don't feel competent disassembling this rifle without experienced, hands-on assistance. Will my warranty be voided by digging into it. I truly don't want to send it back to Pyramyd. What do you all suggest? With a very clear diagram, along with written instructions I might be talked into taking it apart. I hope not though. ORV.
Send it to Motorhead. Good Cali fellow! ;)
-Y
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I watched the aforementioned Gary Chillingworth video last evening and am considering my options. I wish that I had an old junker rifle to practice on rather than taking my TX200 apart. I'm still concerned about voiding the warranty on this rifle by taking it apart. If I knew of an experienced airgun gunsmith here in Southern California I believe that I would take it there. Any suggestions? Another question: why would this breech seal go bad? Is there a maintenance procedure to prevent their going bad? I just want to get back on the gunrange with my rifle. I suppose that I'll have to enjoy one of my other rifles for a while. I haven't shot my Dragonfly much lately . . . so I suppose now's the opportunity. Orv.
It took longer to type this than to change it. No disassembly required. Try the breech seal and if it is deeper than that, then send it to moterhead. The TX is the easiest of the springers to rebuild if it needs it.
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Orvil,
I have a .177 TX200 MKIII
Bought in 2014, it has fired in excess of 40,000 rounds now.
When a few months old the rifle spent some time at the Motorhead Airgun Spa.
Scott replaced the spring guide with one of his DELRIN guides and played with the trigger.
The rifle had been shooting in excess of 900fps before Scott put the new guide in and I asked him to not make it too tight so as not to slow it down too much.
It settled in 885fps for the 30,000 rounds.
Late last year and early this year I could sense something was amiss as I was not shooting my normal 50% at the monthly field target matches. I checked the speed and it was down around 840fps with the 8.64 grain pellets I use.
I watched Scott many time working on air rifles and after watching all of the YouTube videos, I ordered a rebuild kit from PA.
I even made a spring compressor (not needed at all).
The kit includes a new spring, piston seal, two breech seals, spring guide, cocking shoe, top hat and grease.
I used the original top hat, Scott’s DELRIN spring guide and the original cocking shoe.
“If it ain’t broke, why change it?”
The new spring was 3” longer than the original. I replaced it (after lubing it a bunch), the breech seals and the piston seal.
It only goes back together one way and it did that with ease (BTW I am 77 years old and am partially handicapped).
The first few shots I detected a bit more than normal dieseling so I might have gotten some grease in front of the piston but after three rounds it settled down.
It was shooting at around 835fps (12fpe +/-)and I was a little disturbed but having adult springers for the past 40 years I am aware of the required break-in period so I commenced to shooting it(I shot the TX 750 times the first weekend I had it when it was new).
I put about 400 pellets (7.9CPL) through the barrel to break-in the spring and the next weekend was our monthly silhouette match so I thought as long as it was so anemic I would shoot the TX at the short range pistol targets.
It was shooting fine and the animals were falling at the same rate as those being shot by my fellow competitors.
However, somewhere between the pigs an the turkeys the TX spring finally was broken in.
The turkeys were knocked down with a force everyone agreed was more than 12fpe.
When I got home I brought out the chronograph and discovered the rifle shooting at 860fps or 14fpe.
This past week I checked again and the speed has increased to 875fps or 14.6fpe.
So the TX is back.
I will say this about PA advertising.
The rifle was advertised at 930fps and as we all agree that was probably achieved with a 7 grain or lighter pellet.
Too, when dismantling the rifle, initially I could not find a top hat in the piston and I inserted the new top hat while assembling.
The rifle did not want to go together very easily (I almost used my spring compressor).
So I took it back apart and struck the piston on a soft piece of wood and lo and behold the top hat came out but….
It came out backwards. Instead of the narrow portion of the top hat being inside the spring it was facing forward. This position has the effect of increasing pressure on the spring with an increase of speed and energy.
I put the top hat inside the spring correctly and completed the assembly without difficulty.
I know there are some rebuild kits that include some washers that shooters can insert ahead of the top hat to increase speed and energy and I suspect the during original assembly, whether in the UK or Ohio, the top hat in my rifle was reversed to provide that speed and energy.
So Orvil, as suggested if you are not comfortable rebuilding the rifle yourself, box it up and send it to Scott.
If he is too busy, another option is Cameron K also in Northern California. He rebuilds all types of springers and the TX is his specialty.
He is here on the forum and you can send him a PM at Kerndtc.
Good luck
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Have you done the tissue test Thomas suggested? It is decidedly non-invasive, quick and easy. If the tissue stays put, the breech seal is likely not the reason for the low velocity.
This hasn't been brought up yet, but it is also possible that the mainspring has fatigued, with the ~5 000 pellets shot. AA springs are of a better quality than Weihrauch or Diana mainsprings, which usually are toast sooner than at 5K, but it's still a possibility.
I fully understand your position, having a high-dollar gun that you just want to shoot (and have every right to expect it to), and not start risking by dismantling with little knowhow and / or few tools, even when AA's are among the easiest springers of all to work on (due to their design quality).
I would imagine there are airgun tuners in Southern Caiifornia (what wasn't there?), but cannot name any names.
+1
Do the tissue test so that you have a better idea of what might be the problem. If it appears to be the breech seal, IMHO that is a simple do it yourself fix and no need to send the gun off to a tuner. If not, then you’ll need to decide what route to take.
R
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The TX has two breech seals and while the first one is easy to extract, the 2nd one normally requires a complete tear down to retrieve it.
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The follow up question to getting your TX200 repaired is what other air guns do you have? And if none, perhaps its time to shop for a back up to keep you shooting during the TX's downtime 8)