Spring compressor

[A moron]

 Just need a piece of screw pipe ( one end thteaded).  Comes in 1/2 - to like 2-3/4" pipe sizes..    if you need 20' worth  or 2" worth of clamp..lol and cheap .   Ones with the base part maybe hest for table top work like this one.
https://www.homedepot.com/p/BESSEY-H-Style-3-4-in-Black-Pipe-Clamp-Fixture-Set-BPC-H34/204986131

[SteveP-52]

To each their own and I know of many who don't on certain guns, but better to work safe and avoid potential, unexpected problems, so
no matter the gun, I use a spring compressor. 
Easy enough to make as many have already shown or like Yogi and many others, buy one.

[A moron]

To each their own and I know of many who don't on certain guns, but better to work safe and avoid potential, unexpected problems, so
no matter the gun, I use a spring compressor. 
Easy enough to make as many have already shown or like Yogi and many others, buy one.

I dont practice what i preach, but the safe then sorry can be a factor one day when you butter finger and it goes boing and that one thing gets bent or lost in a 1/2 day looking all over the shop for it or have to order somthing lost or broken makes a good firm tool to do the job look extra real good..   (experience 😉)

Also most all good suggestions here can be done for like $20+/-.

[nced]

Hi, just purchased a spring rail compressor for dismantling my R9 . Do I use it to apply pressure to  back of the trigger block in order to more easily pop out the 4 little blocks ? First time taking this gun apart .  Replacing spring with pg4 ho vortex tune kit. I assume compressor will be used to push block in but will I be able to rotate block to lock in grove with pressure from compressor? I am new to working on this gun . Thanks Al

The "retaining lugs" aren't difficult to "pop out". When I disassemble my R9 and HW95 I first remove the stock (obviously), then remove the trigger block by driving out the two dowel pins, pull the trigger block from the receiver being careful to catch the spring loaded safety button that will "fly out". When the safety button is released and if it "flies out" the small spring might be lost since it's a loose fit on the safety button. As a side note, on my HW springers I slightly close the "end couil" of the safety spring so it grips the safety. LOL, I started doing this after losing a safety spring that ejected into parts unknown however I did find a suitable replacement from an OLD computer video card. I also found that a trimmed ball point pen spring can vork..........
 

After removing the trigger block and safety button I use a bent pick with the point ground flat to pop out the "retaining lugs" from inside the end cap. All 4 lugs can be popped out from the inside but I prefer to simply use a blunt nail to drive out the lugs on the opposite side.........


Concerning the "spring compressor", I personally wouldn't put "spring compressor pressure" on the trigger block to do anything due to the folded sheet metal construction..........


I also like my repurposed Groz sash clamp because it's handy for HW springer disassembly where I can fit the whole R9/HW95 action in the clamp to put pressure on the end plug as it's rotated to disengage the "retaining catch", then release the end plug and spring..........

[Pistonpellet]

I am  relatively new to this forum. I can't figure out how to ask a question or start a new topic so I'll try it here.
I  slightly damaged one of  the thin spacers on the pivot bolt area  while reassembling the barrel of  my R9. I was trying to install a  Vortek PG4steel tune kit. It was slightly bent on the end but did manage to get both spacers  in and secure the pivot bolt. Will this affect the accuracy of the gun? I haven't got the trigger block in yet.
I purchased a rail lock spring compressor for the job. Perhaps I was not using it correctly but it's pretty straight forward. What an absolutely useless tool that was. No way would that thing ever compress the  spring. The back of the rail lock kept lifting of the 11mm grove on my R9 no mater how hard I torqued it down. It actually damaged the v grove on my gun. Maybe it's only designed to release the pressure of a spring and not compress one.
If anyone has ever used this  rail lock spring compressor to install a HO spring, love to hear about it.   

[Stinger177]

Hello Al, and welcome to the Forum.

Regarding the deformation of the thin barrel/breech washer/shim/spacer, if you deformed it in the inside hole while trying to get it lined up, I've done that more than once, for sure. I now use a series of ever larger pin punches to wiggle them into alignment, ultimately using the breech bolt for final alignment.

If yours was not damaged to the point of not finally 'seating", and your rifle is now cocking as normal, I would not worry about it. Consider this - if that shim is of soft metal as to deform (compared to the hardness of the breech block and the yoke of the barrel), then it is just that soft enough to flatten back out. Just keep an eye on the tightness of the barrel/breech for the time being. And that tightness is a whole other subject on which there are varying opinions.

You're not the first to have done that. I have bunged them up and made them ultimately fit with no problems, yet there are some that I have replaced when in doubt.

It does take a bit of finesse to get them to fit perfectly. The compression of the breech seal is what causes that alignment with the bolt and shims to not want to line up perfectly, so whenever I do a barrel take-down, I usually consider that I will change out the main breech seal anyway, so by removing that breech seal, you will get just enough slack to allow those shims to align more perfectly. I always have spare shims and seals on hand, so for me, replacing the breech seal is a given thing.

As for the rail lock spring compressor - I never thought it was a good idea to put that much pressure on the scope rail, which is why I never even considered trying one.

Sorry to hear of your dilemma, and hope you didn't damage your scope rail.

As for starting new topics on your own, I'll try to get you some advice from one of the Admin's.

 

[Lt. Dan]

A few years back I was looking for plans to build my own spring compressor when  I happened upon a Sun Optics ST1700 spring compressor on sale at D'vor for $45.00.  Yep, I bought one.

They have been discontinued by the manufacturer. I guess at the retail price of $200 not many were being sold. I certainly wouldn't have paid that much. I guess D'vor bought a bunch of them for pennies on the dollar and liquidated them here.

[avator]

Still use my home made Harbor Freight pipe clamp and wood compressor. Hasn't failed me yet. If it does I have an idea for one using a "C" clamp.

[A moron]

Go to harbor freight use coupons and cold get one like this for real cheap.   

I use one from lowes 24".   

https://www.harborfreight.com/hand-tools/clamps-vises/bar-clamps/24-inch-bar-clamp-96213.html

[lizzie]

I am  relatively new to this forum. I can't figure out how to ask a question or start a new topic so I'll try it here.

The best area for you to start a thread on the R9 is probably in the German section.

Go to the German Gate, and you should see an option for
New Topic.
Click on that, and it will give you a page to type in your topic, then a blank field to type your question/ problem, then hit "post" to submit the new thread.
If this doesn't make sense to you, please send me a message, and we will try to take it from there.

[Bayman]

I am  relatively new to this forum. I can't figure out how to ask a question or start a new topic so I'll try it here.
I  slightly damaged one of  the thin spacers on the pivot bolt area  while reassembling the barrel of  my R9. I was trying to install a  Vortek PG4steel tune kit. It was slightly bent on the end but did manage to get both spacers  in and secure the pivot bolt. Will this affect the accuracy of the gun? I haven't got the trigger block in yet.
I purchased a rail lock spring compressor for the job. Perhaps I was not using it correctly but it's pretty straight forward. What an absolutely useless tool that was. No way would that thing ever compress the  spring. The back of the rail lock kept lifting of the 11mm grove on my R9 no mater how hard I torqued it down. It actually damaged the v grove on my gun. Maybe it's only designed to release the pressure of a spring and not compress one.
If anyone has ever used this  rail lock spring compressor to install a HO spring, love to hear about it.   

Al the shim is harder material than the breech block. I think Dennis meant it's more flexible than the breech block and will flatten out once the pivot bolt is adjust properly. This is true to a degree. The rolled up edges will still likely wear into the breech block. Even new those shims aren't perfectly flat as they are stamped from a sheet of shim stock. The stamping process leaves the shims sort of cupped. The raised edges will often wear the rings in the breech block. Not terribly detrimental but unsightly when apart. If you install the shims with the raised edges towards the receiver fork the breach block will wear less and more uniformly.

Most people bugger up those shims because they either force the bolt through or they assemble and disassemble the gun in the wrong order. That pivot bolt needs to be removed and installed with the barrel in the open position with the spring pressure removed. Otherwise there is spring pressure working against you and the parts are very difficult to align without damaging something.

Disassembly goes Trigger >spring >barrel >piston. Reverse this to assemble.

Without spring press working against alignment is easy. Paste the shims in place (convex side) to the breech with moly. Hook the cocking linkage to the shoe. Slide the breech in place from below in the open position. Align the left side bolt holes and shim with a wood BBQ skewer or tooth pick. Start the bolt and slide gently until it stops. Then align the right side shim with the wooden skewer and then start threading the bolt.

Sometimes the forks are too tight to slide the breech in easily with both shims in place. You can either wiggle the breech a little during the install to spread them or start with just the left side shim and slide the right side in from below. Just have plenty of moly already on all the parts and slide it in from below with the wooden skewer. Then align it and thread the bolt.

Nothing should be forced. These guns are well designed and if you are forcing something you're doing it wrong. Stop and ask advice as you already did. Feel free to pm me for my phone number if you want help.

Good luck
Ron

[nced]

Hello Al, and welcome to the Forum.

Regarding the deformation of the thin barrel/breech washer/shim/spacer, if you deformed it in the inside hole while trying to get it lined up, I've done that more than once, for sure. I now use a series of ever larger pin punches to wiggle them into alignment, ultimately using the breech bolt for final alignment.

If yours was not damaged to the point of not finally 'seating", and your rifle is now cocking as normal, I would not worry about it. Consider this - if that shim is of soft metal as to deform (compared to the hardness of the breech block and the yoke of the barrel), then it is just that soft enough to flatten back out. Just keep an eye on the tightness of the barrel/breech for the time being. And that tightness is a whole other subject on which there are varying opinions.

You're not the first to have done that. I have bunged them up and made them ultimately fit with no problems, yet there are some that I have replaced when in doubt.

It does take a bit of finesse to get them to fit perfectly. The compression of the breech seal is what causes that alignment with the bolt and shims to not want to line up perfectly, so whenever I do a barrel take-down, I usually consider that I will change out the main breech seal anyway, so by removing that breech seal, you will get just enough slack to allow those shims to align more perfectly. I always have spare shims and seals on hand, so for me, replacing the breech seal is a given thing.

As for the rail lock spring compressor - I never thought it was a good idea to put that much pressure on the scope rail, which is why I never even considered trying one.

Sorry to hear of your dilemma, and hope you didn't damage your scope rail.

As for starting new topics on your own, I'll try to get you some advice from one of the Admin's.

 

" if you deformed it in the inside hole while trying to get it lined up"
LOL....Been there, done that like this?........

Learned to use an "alignment pin" inside the receiver fork/barrel pivot block hole to align the shims before installing the pivot bolt!

[lefteyeshot]

A few years back I was looking for plans to build my own spring compressor when  I happened upon a Sun Optics ST1700 spring compressor on sale at D'vor for $45.00.  Yep, I bought one.

They have been discontinued by the manufacturer. I guess at the retail price of $200 not many were being sold. I certainly wouldn't have paid that much. I guess D'vor bought a bunch of them for pennies on the dollar and liquidated them here.

That's how I got mine. Works good.

Saw a video years ago with a guy using a block of wood on the floor and another on his belly and gun in between. What's at hand.

[KWK]

My compressor. Or I can chuck it in a lathe and push with the tailstock quill. I can do most sub 12 ft lb guns by hand. Same with prewar BSA's. Hold the stock and trigger block and just push down with the barrel against a carpet scrap or pad on the floor to catch a thread


For a BSA Mercury or Airsporter (I bet you haven't worked on these lately) put the back block in the vise carefully  (there's an area to clamp that won't show if you do scratch the paint) and push the cylinder into it to get a thread started. Note where the thread starts first!

[Bladebum]

I work on the gun vertically, muzzle up. After removing the trigger cartridge, I put denim or heave cloth over the barrel and pull it down while I unscrew the plug fixing screw. When the crew is out you can ease off the pulling pressure.
On reassembly I pull the receiver down over the plug in the same manner, but I stick a punch/dowel/screwdriver through a trigger pin hole temporarily hold things together. This allows me to easily adjust pulling pressure to line up the fixing screw without having to pull against the entire spring.
Variations of this method also work with guns held together by two pins, like Dianas with cartridge triggers.
Have fun!

This is exactly the same way I do it. Never had a problem either

[Pistonpellet]

Hi Ron, Thanks for the advice. That is pretty well the order in which I did it the first time, trigger , spring , barrel, and reversed it to assemble. It went really smooth the first time, got the shims in perfectly , My mistake was I inserted the cocking shoe all the way  through the slot and not on the rails grove so the gun would not lock up. Had to do it over again. This time I forced one of the shims in with  small screwdriver and bent the edge. Did get it eventually lined up but had to screw  the  pivot bolt through  the first shim hole , very little force required  and managed to line the second one up perfectly and then tighten the pivot bolt. Almost seems to be a bit to much power with the Vortek steel PG4 and vortek piston. Do some guys cut a few coils of the HO Vortek spring to slow it down a bit?  Is there a break in period for that spring meaning accuracy may take a while to show up with tighter groups? I hope so as have about 60 rounds through it so far and not quite as accurate as original  power plant. Wish I had a chonograph just to see how fast the pellets are going. Think I broke the sound barrier tonight shooting FTT 6.64's as sounded like a 22 rim fire. That's not good   for  my neighbors or my small targets.

Thanks Lizzie. I'll see if I can find the German section. i can't figure out how to send a personal message. Not the sharpest teck tool in the shed.

[Cslinger]

If it sounded like a .22LR then chances are you have too much lube and it’s in front of the piston and detonating under compression. This will obviously increase velocity and will cause erratic shots and could damage the piston seal.  You may want to take another look inside and see if you possibly used too much.  Just an off the cuff thought.

Besides that some guns may need a few hundred pellets to settle down when new or when you change the internals.

[Bayman]

Hi Ron, Thanks for the advice. That is pretty well the order in which I did it the first time, trigger , spring , barrel, and reversed it to assemble. It went really smooth the first time, got the shims in perfectly , My mistake was I inserted the cocking shoe all the way  through the slot and not on the rails grove so the gun would not lock up. Had to do it over again. This time I forced one of the shims in with  small screwdriver and bent the edge. Did get it eventually lined up but had to screw  the  pivot bolt through  the first shim hole , very little force required  and managed to line the second one up perfectly and then tighten the pivot bolt. Almost seems to be a bit to much power with the Vortek steel PG4 and vortek piston. Do some guys cut a few coils of the HO Vortek spring to slow it down a bit?  Is there a break in period for that spring meaning accuracy may take a while to show up with tighter groups? I hope so as have about 60 rounds through it so far and not quite as accurate as original  power plant. Wish I had a chonograph just to see how fast the pellets are going. Think I broke the sound barrier tonight shooting FTT 6.64's as sounded like a 22 rim fire. That's not good   for  my neighbors or my small targets.

Thanks Lizzie. I'll see if I can find the German section. i can't figure out how to send a personal message. Not the sharpest teck tool in the shed.

Al without a chronograph it's hard to figure out what's happening.. It may be possible that you broke the speed of sound with a pellet that light. I'm not sure as I don't use them. If it was because it was over powered it would make the sonic crack pretty consistently. If it only did it i few times it's likely detonation. Neither going supersonic or detonation is good for accuracy. Detonation is bad for the gun as well. Detonation happens when there's too much lube in front of the piston seal and it combusts violently from the heat of compression. It will burn through seals and shorten spring life. Do you smell oil or see smoke from the gun? You shouldn't.

The Vortek HO kit only makes the same or a tad more power than a healthy Hw95. Sounds like it may be detonating, you need heavier pellets or both. The gun should be as accurate after the kit install as it was before when done right. At least after 40 or 50 shots. Pm me for my phone number and we'll figure it out. Oh to pm me click on my login name Bayman at the top of this post and you will see my profile come up. Then select send personal message from the menu. I just sent you my phone number via pm. Now all you need to do is read it.
Be well
Ron

[Mrblonde40]

Ed, Could you explain or show a picture of how you use that sash clamp to compress the spring without removing the barrel?

[nced]

Ed, Could you explain or show a picture of how you use that sash clamp to compress the spring without removing the barrel?

Actually, pretty easy since I use the 60" Groz sash clamp and my R9 barrel + receiver is only 30" long so the "barreled action" will fit between the clamps without breaking down the gun. The Groz sash clamp has about 5 1/2" usable clamp range which allows compression and releasing more spring preload than I've ever needed .........


Actually, a 48" Groz sash clamp will accommodate a R9 barrel and action with a working length of 42" which is about a foot longer than a R9/HW95 barreled action but at only about $5 difference in price I opted for the 60" model.
https://www.woodcraft.com/products/groz-48-t-bar-clamp