FX wildcat 111

no haven't haven't played whth the reg, hammer weight & spring - aways back, tunsgsten hammer weight was 2half the standard, slug prob -- got awesome power 70 ftp but only had power setting, full tit. So changed it completely back as I don't have the fast twist slug liner barrel. 

Yep a slug twin hole & pellet single hole, will swop over to the slug, but experience with with that didn't improve anything unless using the adjustable slug prob. I am  sure he hasn't played with with any thing so I will degas & look at the reg. Only screw he could have made is to try adjust the power wheel when cocked, checked all that doesn't look damaged.

Hi Flock,

Ive played around with my wildcats a few times and have had some strange and interesting results.
I've actually ended up with 4 different hammer weights and I've been planning on doing a whole deep dive into the rabbit hole of hammer weight vs reg pressure to try and work out how that relationship actually works. if I can make sense of it I might even make a video on it.

To answer your original question, is it possible that the rifle was left cocked for a long time when it was put away? If the hammer spring was under compression for a log time that might have changed its characteristics??? and could explain lower fps while everything seams otherwise normal?

I dont think a drop in fps across the board would be related to the power wheel or damage to it.
Possibly a slightly higher reg pressure, just a little???
Also another explination for an across the board slight decrease in fps, could possibly be the hammer spring pre tension screw might have been changed/adjusted??? Even a small amount of adjustment there could easily give a change of 50 to 80 fps across the board but again would hardly be noticeable to the naked eye. Have you ever made a note of what that hammer spring pre tension screw was set at?
(Having asked that, I'm only familiar with the Wildcat Mk3, I don't even know if the mk1 and mk2 have a hammer spring pre tension screw???)

With regards to turning the reg pressure up and having the fps go down, I experienced the same, but the opposite way round. I was trying to get my fps down, so I turned the reg pressure down (logical thing to do, right?), and the fps went up!!!
I think this has something to do with what I mentioned in the beginning of my post, the relationship between reg pressure/pressure behind the valve, and hammer weight.
So here is my theory... (still untested, which is why I want to dive into that rabbit hole with 4 different hammer weights).
A given hammer weight can only produce an efficient shot when the pressure behind the valve is with in a certain range, which matches that hammer weight. If the reg pressure and the hammer weight are well balanced, the gun is nicely tuned, you get efficient use of air, high shot counts and consistent velocity's.
You should be able to adjust the reg/valve pressure a little, with in a "Range" and the hammer should still be able to control (open) the valve in a smooth, controllable way. Just like you should be able to adjust the hammers energy (hammer weight x compression in spring) a little but turning the power wheel.
But if you open the reg too much, the valve gets harder and harder to open, less air escapes when the valve opens and your velocity drop. Conversely, if you shut the reg down too much, the valve gets weaker and easier to open, every time the hammer hits it, more air is escaping (even thought it is at a lower pressure, the valve is open longer) and the fps goes up.

I think (again untested) if you want to open your reg up to 100 or more bars to get more FPE, you might need a heavier hammer, and maybe even a stronger spring to move that heavier hammer, to balance the stronger valve. Well thats my theory anyway. More testing to follow on my side....