Help - Some advice please
Printed From: Kiwi Airgunners
Category: General
Forum Name: Flub's General Discussion
Forum Description: General discussion goes in here.
URL: www.kiwiairgunners.co.nz/forum_posts.asp?TID=974
Printed Date: 19 Apr 2025 at 11:46am
Software Version: Web Wiz Forums 10.14 - http://www.webwizforums.com
Topic: Help - Some advice please
Posted By: Declan
Subject: Help - Some advice please
Date Posted: 19 Feb 2024 at 3:13am
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I’ve acquired a 50 year old springer as a project gun. I plan to refurbish the internals by replacing the mainspring, seals etc etc so that it shoots like new one. What I’m unsure about is do I also get the appearance looking like new. Back in the day I’d have completed the cosmetic work along with the internals so the the gun looked and shot like a new one. However it’s been some time since I’ve worked on a project gun and I’m wondering if I still do what I’ve traditionally done and get it looking like a new one - or is the modern trend to give the exterior a clean up and retain the patina built up over 50 years of use. Your advice will be very much appreciated. Thanks. Declan. |
Replies:
Posted By: Pauly5
Date Posted: 19 Feb 2024 at 4:15am
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Sounds like good fun. I've never done a refurbishment like that. I like seeing what others do, but personally, I have no problem with "patina", opting for performance, or correct operation. Making it look new again is quite an art. So I look forward to a new thread hopefully. |
Posted By: kruzaroad
Date Posted: 19 Feb 2024 at 9:16am
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From 2021 https://www.gatewaytoairguns.org/GTA/index.php?topic=188610.0 |
Posted By: J-S
Date Posted: 19 Feb 2024 at 10:10am
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http://www.kiwiairgunners.co.nz/forum_posts.asp?TID=653&KW=hw77" rel="nofollow - http://www.kiwiairgunners.co.nz/forum_posts.asp?TID=653&KW=hw77 This was my biggest restoration, and it would have been cheaper to buy a new gun… ------------- https://www.instagram.com/js_airguns/" rel="nofollow - J S Airguns Air Arms TX200('s) Theoben Sirocco HW77 FWB 300s Webley Patriot One or two others... Current projects: Too many.. |
Posted By: RangerPete
Date Posted: 20 Feb 2024 at 5:22pm
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Getting an old rifle back into good functional/shooting condition is always nice. Restoring it to original condition… personally I wouldn’t. You’ll loose a lot of its character, it’s “spirit” as we say in Afrikaans. ------------- Walk quietly, but carry a big stick. |
Posted By: nunga
Date Posted: 21 Feb 2024 at 3:43am
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I would leave it as original and just clean. ------------- 2nd place HP springer - WFTF World Championships 2014 |
Posted By: J-S
Date Posted: 21 Feb 2024 at 5:05am
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What is the springer? that may also dictate what route to go down... ------------- https://www.instagram.com/js_airguns/" rel="nofollow - J S Airguns Air Arms TX200('s) Theoben Sirocco HW77 FWB 300s Webley Patriot One or two others... Current projects: Too many.. |
Posted By: Mic
Date Posted: 22 Feb 2024 at 8:12am
| My wife deals with antiques and says leave it as it is |
Posted By: kruzaroad
Date Posted: 22 Feb 2024 at 8:25am
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I think a good question would be are you planning to sell it? If so original would be best in my view as you'll never get the original varnish or stains they used 50 years ago to keep it original, probly differnt bluing as well, nor are air rifles a huge collecting market. If your keeping it, do it to what ever standard you want. It is at the end of the day an air rifle and if you want it looking immaculate for your own personal use, then make it how you are happiest with it. |
Posted By: Deano
Date Posted: 22 Feb 2024 at 10:55am
| Personally if I was keeping it I'd "refurbish" but use as much of the original gun as possible. Nothing wrong with removing a bit of rust here and there IMHO. |
Posted By: J-S
Date Posted: 23 Feb 2024 at 9:48am
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I think you need to show us the rifle... we're all keen to see a project take shape ------------- https://www.instagram.com/js_airguns/" rel="nofollow - J S Airguns Air Arms TX200('s) Theoben Sirocco HW77 FWB 300s Webley Patriot One or two others... Current projects: Too many.. |
Posted By: Declan
Date Posted: 23 Feb 2024 at 2:43pm
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Thanks for the replies everyone. The Mk2 BSA Meteor arrived today. When my wife saw it unpacked it nearly made the trash can as a heap of junk.Fair go to her it did really look like a heap of junk. If it were a vintage car I’d liken it to a barn find. However I reckon that it’s worth saving and retaining as much of the original patina/ character as I can. So the decision is - replace the internals with new parts, but retain it’s cleaned up original cosmetic look. It will never be a valuable airgun which means I need to work to a tight budget. I’ll start a new post in the next few weeks to keep you all updated. Cheers. Declan. |
Posted By: Billbobnz
Date Posted: 23 Feb 2024 at 3:50pm
| Awesome Declan, dive in boots and all. Custom air seals have piston seals I think for that model if needed. |
Posted By: KiwiTR6
Date Posted: 23 Feb 2024 at 4:00pm
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I have an old Gamo that is one of several unfinished projects and if it shoots any good when it's all together it'll go to my grandson. It's cleaned up very well but the stock is what may be of interest. It was originally coated with a mid-brown lacquer of some sort that was pretty scratched up. I decided to have a go and stripped the bulk of it off with paint stripper (2 coats), then scraped off the residual and sanded it back to clean timber. I then finished it with 5 coats of Trueoil applied with a small piece of cloth. The finish isn't perfect but it's a hell of a lot better than what I started with. It really wasn't hard to do and didn't take a great deal of time.   ------------- FX King 600 .22 FX Dreamline Classic .22 Diana Outlaw .22 Air Arms S410 .22 Cometa Fenix 400 .177 Weihrauch HW50 .177 Crosman 2240 Custom .22 Crosman 2250 Custom .22 Brocock Grand Prix .22 |
Posted By: Declan
Date Posted: 24 Feb 2024 at 3:24am
| Thanks for the stock info. Definitely food for thought. |
Posted By: J-S
Date Posted: 24 Feb 2024 at 8:26am
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Sweet project by the sounds of it. Basic rifle, if you restored it it wouldnt be worth a whole lot. so agree; clean it up and try for performance. Ive got a BSA mercury coming that has aparently got a seized piston - externally nice but buggered inside. so that will be a bit of a fun "get up and going" project ------------- https://www.instagram.com/js_airguns/" rel="nofollow - J S Airguns Air Arms TX200('s) Theoben Sirocco HW77 FWB 300s Webley Patriot One or two others... Current projects: Too many.. |
Posted By: Declan
Date Posted: 24 Feb 2024 at 12:31pm
| The Mercury is a really nice rifle. I look forward to your updates. Cheers. Declan |
Posted By: Alawry
Date Posted: 01 Dec 2024 at 4:10pm
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Hi I have a BSA Mercury I bought used in 1983 and not touched for a long time. Today I dismantled it, the piston was dry, and initially stuck. I followed my nose and found the nylon piston head, retained by a pin thru it, and a rubber O ring, also a steel "ring" in a groove for it, above the O ring. Under the Nylon head a fibre sort of washer had disintegrated. I gave it all a good clean, made a replacement for the disintegrated part from a tap washer and with lithium grease reassembled it, it seems to give good power again. Looking thru parts lists and illustrations I find no mention of that steel circlip. What did you find in yours? I guess I should really track down proper replacement parts, O ring, the spacer (is it called a support) and breech seal. I opened up my old meteor, it only has an O ring and a support for the piston head. What do you know about that O ring? I'm 4 years retired and playing, I bought my Meteor Super with my first tax refund, 1973. Still on all original parts and fun to use. Cheers. Added later. I read they used that steel ring to try to stop the piston swelling and jamming. Later Mercurys used an alloy piston head. Some people leave the steel ring off which seems like a good idea. THe washer that had fallen apart is called the buffer spacer. Kits out there for various different piston heads, the best one looks to us a "parachute seal" a lipped seal as i often see in bicycle pumps. Any advice, how did your Mercury go?
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