HW30 Tune or Not to Tune?

[Reddleader68]

To all HW30 (and R7) owners...Does this gun need tuning? I am [or was] under the impression that its a very well made gun, but I see lots of people tuning or offering a tune service for them. I have a HW30 on order from AOA and due to arrive in about 2 weeks. I purchased it because of the claimed reputation of smoothness, accuracy and fit/finish. But, after reading through the posts, I'm not sure if I should have just purchased a lesser quality gun if it's going to need a tune. Please share all your thoughts on this.

[grauhanen]

Tune it if it needs it.  What I mean is that if it is shooting well, keep shooting it and don't worry about tunes.  Usually springers begin to shoot their best after a couple thousand pellets are through them.  A lot of guys are responsive to all the chatter about "tuning" airguns that can be found on the various forums and as a result feel compelled to spring into action () about doing something -- anything -- to their rifle.  Some people don't feel an air rifle is worth shooting unless it's been tuned. 

One problem is that there is not a consensus as to what exactly is meant by a "tune".  Is a springer tuned when a its opened and relubed and checked for burrs?  Does it need to have a aftermarket kit like a Vortek or Maccari put in to be "tuned"?  Does a spring change qualify as a "tune"?  What if you change the seals, or add a new piston seal that has been "custom" fitted by reshaping?  Is that "tuning"?

The HW30 is a light shooting rifle with minimal recoil for a springer.  Unless there is something wrong with it -- and there is very little that does go wrong with them -- just shoot it and enjoy your very well made and designed air rifle.

[JimL911]

No gun NEEDS a tune, however all mass produced guns benefit from one. You will find swarf, nicked seals and too much/little lube. I open up mine right from the box. Clean up, replace seals, springs and lube for trouble free performance.

[RatRacer]

Coming up on a year with my 30, and ain't even considering a tune.

[Yak54]

Shoot it for a year to become familiar with it, and then make a decision about tuning or letting it be as is. 


Dan

[zenonine]

I've had my HW 30 S for a year with 4k pellets through it. The only thing I've done is adjust adjust the trigger. Being the mild mannered rifle it is, I say just shoot it. Any springer will calm down after a couple thousand pellets are fired through it. The higher quality ones are less likely to need a "tune". I'm buying an HW-95 in 3 weeks, and am going to treat it the same as the HW 30 until I'm convinced it needs "tuned"; and then I'll do it myself.

[Motorhead]

If gun operates smoothly ... Amount of buzz or twang if present does not bother you ... and outside of hearing of tuning you never thought about it  ... NO your gun does not need a tune.

Smooth, buzzy are all subjective to users experience 

[DonH]

I have a R7 never been tuned. I can shoot 15yds one ragged whole with about any  .177 pellet. With a cheap 4x32 Gamo scope.
Just a fun little gun!      Don

[Mulby]

I used my 30s for six years on factory parts. Then I refreshed it with a PG2.

[Brazos]

Mine is not tuned.  I imagine it would help but it shoots so good I haven't felt compelled to screw with it.  I would say shoot it and enjoy it.

[wimpanzee]

My R9 busted a spring after a thousand shots or so, so I replaced it with a PG2 kit. I did not tune it, as my metal working skills probably would have left it worse than it began, but I can say it is much smoother with new lube, seal, and spring. The PG2 kits are very nice. I don't think I would have bothered with it tho, if my spring hadn't busted. It was already a nice shooting rifle, if a bit buzzy.

Someday when I have some cash to burn, I might send it to Motorhead. He did wonders on my marauder. I know it will come back better than it is...but it's not required for my plinking and occasional foray to the woods.

[north country gal]

Like some of other shooters, we've had our 30 for about a year, now, and shot the heck out of it over the winter. Well over a thousand on the pellet count, now, and it has really smoothed out and tightened up on group size. If and when it's time to tear it apart, I'll probably have it tuned, but I'm not about to fix something that isn't broken at this point. Really is one of our favorites.

[Gliderflyer]

I've been shooting my R7 for a few weeks and just because I like to tinker and improve things I got a Vortek kit in the mail yesterday. Hopefully, I'll do the install this weekend or at least get started. I plan on deburring, honing, polishing etc. as well as fabbing a cocking lever insert.

Here's some good reading on the R7/HW30. He makes some interesting comments about these guns smoothing out after some shooting time,
http://springgunning.com/r7tune.html

I like this guys video on taking down a R9/HW95 for maintenance.


I do wonder about his method of greasing the tube before putting the piston back in though. Isn't that pretty much guaranteeing that  your going to have too much grease in front of the piston seal?

Disclaimer. I'm brand new to this stuff and just figuring it all out myself.

Randy

[Reddleader68]

A thank you to everyone who responded, it helps clarify this. It looks like the majority of you all say to just shoot the gun and enjoy it as is. This is what I'll do unless something drastically changes.