Advice on buying TX200

[ptpalpha]

Hi guys,
I've decided to sell off some of my powder-burners to be able to buy a TX200.  I'm not in a hurry, as snow is about to fly up here and deer season is kicking in, so my air rifle shooting is going to slow down a bit.
I'd like to know if it's possible to ask a vendor to hand-pick a TX200 for me with dark walnut and pretty grain....you know, "can you sell me the prettiest one you have?" type of deal.
Or would it be better to watch the classifieds like a hawk until I see the one I want?
Oh, and thanks to you all for serving up the Kool-Ade.  Turns out I can't resist after all.  (if you'd have told me 2 years ago that I would be spending upwards of $700 for an air rifle I'd have laughed in your face!!  Now I'm wanting a TX200, followed by a Pro Sport, then rounding it out with an HC.  I need counseling.)
Thanks,
Paul

[Roadworthy]

Paul, I hate to be the one to burst your bubble but I don't think any vendor is going to spend the time opening a stack of boxes so you can have the prettiest walnut TX 200.  Since beauty tends to be in the eye of the beholder his choice may not have been yours anyhow.

Pretty doesn't shoot better.  My guns live in a safe.

Good luck finding what you're after.

[K_sqrd]

You might give Straight Shooters a call and talk to them. I seem to recall a few posts where folks asked for something
a little special in the stock and SS took the time to look for it. You might also try Pomona Air to see if he would fulfill
your request. Just a thought.

[Frank in Fairfield]

Paul,
My TX200 MKIII is two weeks old and has already been in an FT match. This is what it looked the day it arrived:
After about 6 coats of hand-rubbed Boiled Linseed Oil:
I have tried to fine Walnut Oil, thinking it would be darker than Linseed Oil. No good. My dad, his dad, and so forth all used Linseed oil. I am sure it will get darker. I was always toldto keep applying tthe oil until, it can't hold anymore. I am getting close.
Stay safe!

[Sfttailrdr46]

  Paul I think that any TX200 will please your desires if you are already comfortable shooting springers. The beech stock is also pretty and if I could have gotten my Pro Sport in beech I would have liked it just as much as my walnut one. I just did not want to wait for the beech to come in at the time there was a 3 week back order delay.

[ptpalpha]

Thanks for the responses, I appreciate the advice.
Frank, that stock is beautiful!  Wow.
I think I'll keep an eye on the various classifieds for now, and see what (if anything) comes up.
John, you said that I want a MkII, do you mean that you prefer the MkII over the MkIII?  And don't worry guys, I plan on doing all my homework (i.e. using the search feature) to research all the subtle variations between the models.
Just curious about John's post.
Thanks again for your help.  I'm determined not to rush into this, despite how badly I want one!
Regards,
Paul

[chuckinohio]

  Supposedly they changed some of the internals midway through the MKll production run, and the early bluing is supposed to be better, as in more rust resistant.
  AirArms is said to have sacrificed a bit on their manufacturing, to up their production to meet demands.
  This all comes from reading on the UK boards primarily.

  The consensus seems to be that the MKl and early MKll rifles were better rifles, but having never shot them, I am perfectly happy with my MKlll.

  Oh yeah, almost forgot, the checkering is actually checkering on the early rifles, not the fish scale pattern on the later ones.
  I think the fish scale pattern is totally boss, so mark me down for the later rifles.

[ptpalpha]

I like the fishscales too, Chuck.  After spending time lurking on some U.K. forums, it seems to me that the concensus is the early ones were made with more attention to detail.  The Mk3 may or may not need some tuning "out of the box", the blueing may not be as durable as the blueing of the earlier models, and it wears a barrel shroud.
That's about all I've come up with so far regarding how the mk3 differs from it's ancestors.  Still researching.
Since there seems to be a lively secondary market of AA springers in the U.K. I'm wondering if anyone here has bought a used rifle from a U.K. seller and had it shipped to the states? 
-Paul

[chuckinohio]

  Yep, that's about all that I can pick up from reading through thread after thread on the various forums as well.

  I'm not too sure about the durability issue, but I can't really immagine the bluing being any deeper or richer than is available on the current production rifles.

  You also read about guys having the earlier production MKl and MKll rifles tuned as often as the MKlll rifles as well. Whether this is due to the dreaded twang, tweaky shot cycle, broken springs, or developments that stem from long term use, I am not real clear on.
  With the current MKlll rifles, you very well may wind up needing to address issues with it to get it running up to speed for accurate FT or bench shooting. There have been several that have given guys fits, and there are some that run like greased lightning straight out of the carton.

  Remember as well, that the vast majority of the posters on the UK boards are dealing with 12 FT. LB. rifles at the maximum, and they are generally very mild mannered from the get go, where as we are playing at a different energy level in the US.
If AirArms changed their manufacturing to better accommodate producing rifles that would appeal to the US market, then the guys across the pond would poo poo that move as it wouldn't apply to or benefit the greater majority of them. They would see it as the ruination of a good thing and cry 'woe is me' while pining for the MKl and MKll rifles of yore.

 

[Frank in Fairfield]

In reference to the bluing on my MKIII, it rivals the bluing on my Colt Python, arguably, the finest bluing ever, on any firearm. IMHO

[EMrider]

The tx200 mk3 was just given a fairly extensive test/writeup on the PA blog.

It was assessed to be the full equal of prior models.

Very seldom is the latest generation of any product deemed to be superior by regular users.  Things are always remembered to be better in the old days.

Odd that this sentiment rarely matches my experience for the vast majority of products.  I will always go with the new stuff.

R

[Arjuna]

A few pits showed up in my Tx's cocking arm about two weeks after i got it.  I don't know if they were there when I got it, or if it was something I did.  But I don't really care.  I love my Tx, and shoot it almost daily. 

[Frank in Fairfield]

The first thing I did was order a cocking handle for my TX. Came the same day.

[SciGuy]

If you want a TX shooting around 14-15FPE then MkIII is the way to got.  If you want a 12FPE TX then the early MkII or MkI is reported to be better since it was designed as a 12FPE gun.  The MkIII uses a longer stroke with a bigger piston to make the extra few FPEs.

Having said this, I love my TX200HC (MkIII).  I put a Vortek 12FPE PGE2 kit in it and it shots very smooth.  If A MkI or II is netter I'm not sure I can stand it

As others have said, for a highend springer I'd look for a used one from a known FT shooter.  I went that route and couldn't be happier.

[ptpalpha]

Great info and advice; thank you all.  Now I just have to figure out how to pull this off without a divorce.  Just kidding...sorta.

[Sfttailrdr46]

Great info and advice; thank you all.  Now I just have to figure out how to pull this off without a divorce.  Just kidding...sorta.

Just show her that the new toy was paid for by selling old toys and discretely hide any cost over run with ot funds

[Frank in Fairfield]

Twang?
Vibration?
I have been reading and hearing about these issues?
Don't seem to feel it or hear it.
Of course I have been shooting an R1 from ol' Doc Beeman for the past 29 years.
Maybe I am used to it.
Had Motorhead change the spring last month.
(I have had the extra spring for 29 years too!)

[palonej]

Mine was lubed out ofthe box in Jan of this year. I was shooting JSB Heavies and broke the spring after about 2000 rounds.
I had Scott put a new OEM spring with his magical custom guides and she is still going strong with over 17000 rounds down the chute!! Never had any twang and she shoots beautifully!!
The bluing is deeeeep and gorgeous!! Much deeper than my HW 98.
I got the beech, didn't want to wait for walnut, and love it!!
Great gun!!

[ptpalpha]

Darn, Joe...on your way to 20k rounds this year!!  That's awesome.
Curious--what made you decide to stick with an OEM spring instead of a JM or Vortek?

[WHITEFANG]

Mine was lubed out ofthe box in Jan of this year. I was shooting JSB Heavies and broke the spring after about 2000 rounds.
I had Scott put a new OEM spring with his magical custom guides and she is still going strong with over 17000 rounds down the chute!! Never had any twang and she shoots beautifully!!
The bluing is deeeeep and gorgeous!! Much deeper than my HW 98.
I got the beech, didn't want to wait for walnut, and love it!!
Great gun!!

TX200HC .22
I agree! Yet my gun does not have the number of shots but this gun shot out of the box on the bag. Twang was free but as mentioned a new delrin guide and factory spring the gun is sweet. I call the bluing a black chrome. Superior by far. The gun shoots what ever I feed it. Beech stock is super nice. Even the older stock are nice. I bought a used one and re finished it in a walnut for the BAM B40 .20. That stock had very nice grains that just popped out with the work.