My new .25 SPA M16 (Air Max Dominator) thread... :-)

[Rat Sniper (AKA: PaulT58)]

Happy birthday Mike!!!

[WesBob]

Hey Guys,

A few notes.

One

I already have the CP-2 here in stock.

All included with both stocks, both barrels, two mags and the LDC. 177 or 22 for  189.95 shipped
They will be enabled on the website later this weekend for release Monday.

Hope you all have a great Labor Day.

I for one, am taking the weekend off, as its my birthday also.

Thanks for the info Mike, and a happy birthday and a happy and much needed break I'm sure!
All the best to you in your business as well, don't burn yourself out! Looks to me like these guns will continue to sell like hot cakes. Make sure you take care of yourself, and find some good people to help you out, if possible. I'm sure your family needs you and wants you around for many more years! God bless

[shultz]

Never can tell with the Brown Truck, but this is what their website says:


Delivery Date and Time    Sender and Tracking #    Status/Manage
sat, Sep 2
7:00 PM
   
MRODAIR.COM
1Z12X6Y2P291925553
   
In Transit
Change Delivery

Steve,

 Did your dominator deliver?

[Wayne52]

My Dominator was 10 miles from me at 5:30AM but they don't deliver on Saturday and Monday is a holiday.   

[Old Corps]

My Dominator was 10 miles from me at 5:30AM but they don't deliver on Saturday and Monday is a holiday.   

Bummer Wayne! That'd drive me nuts (nuttier?)! Looking forward to your review when you get it.

Ed

[avator]

I actually hope they are the worst POS on the market so I don't turn green with envy.

Just Kidding !

[smythsg]

THE DOMINATOR IS IN THE HOUSE!!!!!  Sorry Bill, it's not perfect, but close enough that you will look good in green... 

So, the Dominator arrived right on time, thank you Mike (Happy Birthday Boy) and the Brown truck. The rifle was double boxed, well packed and protected, and arrived in pristine condition. The stock has no flaws, and the machining shows no imperfections that I have found so far. The rifle is 37 inches long without the included LDC, 41.5 inches with the LDC, and weighs exactly 6 lbs according to my digital luggage scale. (and feels lighter than 6 lbs) With the scope attached the rifle total weight is 7.4 lbs so definately lighter than my P12 (9.4 with scope) and M10 (10.4 with Scope). The trigger is surprisingly good, fairly light and crisp. The shot cycle also seems crisp and the gun is backyard friendly quiet at the power level it is currently shooting. (about 39 ft lbs)

I removed the shroud and unscrewed the barrel for a good cleaning, it was VERY dirty. I also removed the stock just to see the remaining machining and to see if there were any adjustments underneath. Machining was all nice, and there is an adjustment screw of some kind, but since the very sparse instruction manual did not mention anything about adjustments, I will wait for Mike to give us more information before tinkering with it. I hope it is an external adjustment for the regulator, that would be super nice.

Chickie is going to love this gun, the length of pull is just right for smaller framed shooters and the weight just screams all day trecks in the woods. Chickie will also love the fact that while there is a LOT to like about this gun, it isn't perfect...   Loading pellets in the magazine are pretty straight forward, but you will need a probe of some kind (I used a tooth pick) to seat the pellets in the magazine as you can't push them in all the way with your fingers. Not a big deal, but a minor inconvenience. (Are the Varmit magazines the same way?) As I shot the gun it also became apparent that the magazine did not index properly about 20% of the time. I hope that is just because it is still new...

I found a more serious flaw, that I think was a bad design by the Chinese, but also easily fixed. The pin that secures the cocking lever to the bolt probe just fell out after I had shot the gun a few times and in essence it just seems to be press fitted in the slot, and can easily work lose and fall out. Luckily for me it fell out on my kitchen floor and I quickly recovered it, but if it had fallen out in the woods, the rifle would be useless until replaced. I am not yet sure the best way to secure the pin, certainly open to suggestions...

The Dominator came with an assortment of O rings, some hex wrenches, a fill probe, and a tool of some sort that is not referenced in the manual that I have not figued out what it is for yet. I did fill the gun to 24 mpa and shot three mags (9 shots each) over the chrony. Every shot fell between 825 fps and 830 fps with AA  25.39 gn pellets for about 39 ft lbs. The gun had not fallen off the regulator yet and I believe a fourth mag could still be shot.

By the time I got the scope mounted it was too dark to shoot any groups, that will have to wait until tomorrow.

My mission for this gun is more power. I will try to get as close as I can get to what I want (north of 50 ft lbs) with the regulator intact, but will remove it if that is not possible. All in all I am pretty pleased with the M16 so far and I think most everyone else will be as well.

[Nomadic Pirate]

Could you post a couple close up pictures of the mags ?

[smythsg]

Sure Manny, will take me a few minutes

[shultz]

Steve,

Nice that UPS came thru! Sounds like a good start so far. Do the mags have any screws? Maybe one is a touch to tight and causing some binding? Or maybe some flash or other debris inside the mag.

On the pin. Does it need to move with another part? If not red loctite applied sparingly on the pin will help hold it in place. Another option, put a light peen at each end.

Looking forward to groups

Edit:
Will a magnet stick to the air tube? Still not sure what it's made of...

[smythsg]

Hi John, a magnet will not stick to the airtube

[shultz]

Hi John, a magnet will not stick to the airtube

Thanks Steve! This confirms it's either aluminum, or, titanium like the P15. I'd guess titanium.

Either way, I bet that puppy ain't nose heavy like steel tube guns

Dang it, now I'm even more excited to get mine

[smythsg]

Hi Manny Pictures of the M16 Mags attached.

[smythsg]

Not nose heavy at all John. Actually very nicely balanced, especially after adding a scope. Nothing says for sure, but I suspect the tube is titanium.

[shultz]

Good news indeed. One of the things I dislike about my moods MRODS, nose heavy on top of just plain heavy...

I suspect you're right. Makes sense they would use titanium since its already something they are using on other guns to save weight and get the higher fill pressures.

On the mags. I'd loosen and then snug the screws, see if you get better function. I assume they are aluminum? Might need a little lube or some sticky lube removed...

Edit:
Silly spell check...my moods fine, mrods are heavy though.

[shultz]

When loading the mags, you said something is needed to fully seat the pellet. What about using the next pellet to be loaded? Shouldn't take much to seat it so I don't think either pellet would get damaged...

[smythsg]

I suspect that would work John, just happened to be chewing on a toothpick at the time and that worked nicely. I will try another pellet tomorrow when I shoot some more.

[Old Corps]

Congrats on the Dominator Steve! How's the noise? Is it back yard friendly? Thanks!

Ed

[Nomadic Pirate]

Hi Manny Pictures of the M16 Mags attached.

OK then, as I suspected they are a close copy of the Evanix mags,
Spray some Ballistol where the tab goes into the mag then without putting pellets in wind the mag up until it stops then with a probe of some kind click the tab so the mag unwinds, repeat a couple times making sure the Ballistil makes it's way into the mechanism.

Now this might work or not, when Evanix 1st came out with this new type mag they skipped chambers at time, Evanix quickly came out with revised versions and there was no more problems,

There's gonna be a chance SPA will have to do that too but hopefully not, how many mags do you have ?

try that little lube workout and see if they improve.

[smythsg]

Thanks for the tip Manny, I only have one mag right now as I got in too big a hurry when ordering and missed the two mag deal. I will order another or two when Mike has things settled down a bit.