OTB First steps

[avator]

What are the steps you take when you open the box of a new airgun?
Many of us have different procedures including myself. That's not to say I am right and you are wrong.
IMO, all guns can benefit from some level of prep and tlc. Most come with a protective coating of "gunk" in the barrel.
I'll be the first to admit that I don't always clean the barrels right out of the box.
The first thing I do is check for shipping damage, fit, finish and function. I have been very fortunate in this area. I think I've only returned one new gun for not passing muster.... a Jet2. There is a story there but this thread is not about that.

[Back_Roads]

 Yup air up if applicable, test for leaks, test fire then invest time into barrel cleaning etc. then find its favorite ammo.

[avator]

"Shipping damage" needs no explanation. We all know what "duck foot damage" looks like.  The package looks like the driver walked over top of packages to get to the one in the back of the truck. UPS dropped a package off just yesterday that clearly had a footprint on the crushed box. Fortunately it contained smoking vape products and an adult signature was required. That gave me the opportunity to open the box right in front of the driver and check for damage. All was good inside.

"Fit and finish" is also just that. Depending on the quality level you expected when you pressed "play" on the "buy now" button. It's not always "you get what you pay for". Sometimes you get less and sometimes you get much more. I tend to buy sub $300 guns due to budget restrictions. Thankfully these lower level guns have really stepped up their game lately.
I look the gun over and make sure everything fits together, no dings, dents, blotches, rust or missing whatnots.

[avator]

Yup air up if applicable, test for leaks, test fire then invest time into barrel cleaning etc. then find its favorite ammo.

LOL... we're getting there..

"Function".
This one takes a bit more time. Like James said... air it up if needed and check for leaks. Test fire it.. (remember, never dry fire a breck barrel/underlever gun). If it won't hold air right out of the box make a decision.. are you comfortable finding and fixing a leak? Do you feel like you "got what you paid for"? Are you willing to send if back for repairs? (wouldn't that make it a refurb when you paid for a new gun?) Besides that, who is paying the return shipping fees? These details should be researched before "play" is even pressed on that button.
Load a pellet or a mag, cycle the gun, aim downrange and let er rip, tater chip. Did it make you smile or did it make you feel like a fart gone wrong? 

[JPSAXNC]

I'm not looking for fit or finish, or accuracy. I'll test it for mechanical repeatability first thing. Three 10 shot strings over the crony, if they look close, the work can begin to make it everything it can be. I've already rebuilt it in my mind before I even see it.

[avator]

I'm not looking for fit or finish, or accuracy. I'll test it for mechanical repeatability first thing. Three 10 shot strings over the crony, if they look close, the work can begin to make it everything it can be. I've already rebuilt it in my mind before I even see it.

Yep, like I said, we all have our procedures. There ain't no right or wrong.

[avator]

Next I'll run a few strings and test a few pellets... is it picky, does it need the barrel cleaned?
How is that trigger? If the trigger pull takes my mind off of my poa then I address that first.

[avator]

(Insert optic options here)

If all the above is up to snuff I move into finding the right pellet for hitting the acceptable mark on the intended target.
For me there ain't no sense in investing the time to run a bunch of chrono strings and making adjustments using a pellet that can't hit the side of a barn, from the inside. I want to tune/adjust my gun for a pellet(s) that repeatedly hit what I aim at.

[avator]

Now I'll run some strings over the chrono.
That begs the question.... what are my plans for this gun? Is it a plinker where shot count may matter? Or is it a hunter/pester where power may matter? At what typical range will it be used? Adjust accordingly.

Tinkering/modding...
I buy two kinds of guns.. Guns that I plan on tinkering, modding and making my own. And guns I buy because they are what I want right out of the box (with a bit of tlc). I have lots of each.

[avator]

The fact remains... All guns can benefit from some level of tlc out of the box.. I challenge anyone to post about a gun that they took out of the box and have been shooting since day one without some level of massaging.
Now that said... there are guns I've used right out of the box for more time than others before any tlc but all get some sooner or later.

So, how do y'all do it?

[happymecanic]

... I challenge anyone to post about a gun that they took out of the box and have been shooting since day one without some level of massaging.

Well I think I actually have such a ''unicorn'' airgun

It's a Weihrauch HW35E in .177, with a beautiful walnut stock. I bought it new in 2018 and NEVER did anything to it except oil the action to prevent rust, adjust the rear sight, and put a few drops of oil on the moving parts (is that massaging?). I never adjusted the trigger, never tuned it, never even opened it ''just to see'', I can't even remember if I ever cleaned the barrel. It's one of my top 3 most accurate springer airgun (with many brands/models of pellets), and the shot cycle is super smooth. It's the last airgun I'd part with.

[happymecanic]

Hmm, thinking about it, I also never did anything to my Taichi PCP pistol OOTB. Also a superb shooter .

[avator]

Congrats on the unicorns...   

[happymecanic]

Lol, thanks!

[ranchibi]

Like you I check the whole thing over with a toothbrush and fine toothed comb then clean the barrel as that barrel gunk usually has an effect on accuracy.

[Back_Roads]

 I too have a handful of unicorns in the stable. Here is the needed barn target for the others

[Zsigmund]

 The only 'unicorn' in my collection is a Beeman P1 I got new, decades ago. The dealer I got it from advised that air guns and .22lr's never needed a barrel cleaning, and that I should put a few drops of their magic, expensive silicone oil in the compression chamber every few hundred shots.

 Didn't buy their oil and have never done anything to the P1 but shoot it once in a while. It's been put up for a long time, but now I'm compelled to get it out and clean the barrel!

 On guns I receive now I usually inspect for damage and overall condition, do a quick barrel cleaning with a pull-through, test shoot over a chrony for basic function and power, then for PCPs I air up and leave em overnight to make sure they hold air.

 After this it may be a minor tuning or complete disassembly and rebuild, really depends on the gun and my insanity level at the time lol.. 

 P.S. I think the insanity is winning..

 

[Rick67]

Before anything else, I garb meself with a bio suit 

[avator]

I've eaten enough dirt and such throughout my life that my immunity levels are high... 

[Rick67]

Just kidding 😂

Almost half of my childhood years was spent at one of my grandpa’s farms, so I was very exposed to nature.