Frequently asked Questions


#1:  I want to send my gun in to get tuned and I want to get as much power out of it as possible?

My #1 goal when tuning a gun is to have a pleasant shooting gun that will stay that way for a long time.  If your primary goal is to have a gun that will shoot peak velocity right after the tune there are several tuners that will do this for you.  I could do the same but the end result is a gun that will shoot harshly and develop spring noise after 1500-2000rnds.  Sometimes a higher power spring can be fitted but with the tolerance on current production gun's compression chambers, this will often give less not more power.  Until your gun is here and I work on it I can't tell you what it will shoot.  I will say this, most guns sent in for high power tunes are guns that never shot at advertised velocity due to bad spec guns and the owners are hoping tuning it will be the silver bullet that fixes it all.  Almost all the time, it is not.

With all that said, most that ask this question need to get a more powerful rifle alltogether or get a rimfire.

#2  What is buttoning pistons?  What will it do for me?

Piston buttoning is where shallow holes are milled into the piston and 3/16 - 3/8th delrin buttons are inserted and then fitted to match the receiver of the gun.  It makes the gun cock a little smoother.  It eliminates metal to metal contact to eliminate galling on guns with soft pistons.  It will often cut down on vibration in guns where the piston to receiver fit is loose.

#3  What is a good gun to get nowadays?

Recommending a air rifle is like recommending a car or truck.  Personal taste weigh in too much for me to comment.  It's best for you to try them out yourself and see what you like.  In the past I've recommended guns only to have people complain.  I recommended a TX to one fellow several years back only to have him complain about how hard it was to load and how heavy it was.  I had one guy that couldn't handle the recoil of an R7 (go figure).  Everyone is worried about making the wrong decision, but soliciting opinions very rarely helps.  Often it just confuses things.  Try the stuff out and form your own opinions.  Try FT shoots or one of the airgun shows if possible.  Contact a dealer before going if you know they are going to be there and want to try something specific out.

#4  How do I pay you?

You aren't required to send money anyway until the rifle is near completetion, but preferably with money ;-)  Checks or Postal Money Orders are fine.  Checks are cashed on arrival, but not always.  If you have concerns about your gun actually arriving, waiting on the check to clear is not a good way of doing it.  Just give me a call to check on arrival.  Please read my Helpful Info page on turn around time before calling about how long it will be upon arrival.

#5 I want to send you my HZ2312 for a tune.  I want the gun to shoot 900fps with 8.2 JSB pellets with little to no recoil.  I shot *****'s gun the other day and that's what his does.

There is no way "Anyone" can tell you what your gun is going to shoot sight unseen, even if he knows what spring is going to be used and the caliber of the gun.  There are just too many variables from rifle to rifle.  Some guns that shot in the mid 900's with a Maccari TSpring back in the late nineties are hard pressed to shoot 820 to 860 fps with all the identical parts.  Receiver and compression tube tubing being the major culprit.   If you send me a gun with a detailed list of what is and isn't acceptable velocity wise, you leave me no choice but to bow out.  There is no way I can guaranty what your gun will shoot anymore. If you send it wanting to see what can be done with your particular gun, I have no problem with that and I'll be happy to help.

#6 How do I make a seal for my gun and what material do you use. (General how to questions)

    I get several of these requests a week.  I've spent tons of money finding what will and won't work.  The only way for me to recover my expenses and R&D time is to sell what I have come up with.  Besides that, most often the people that ask for help with a problem never have the decency to give me a thank you.  I just never here from them again.  There is also a good number of people that I have helped in the past only to have them set up shop and compete with me.  With the size of this niche market it just causes hard feelings when this happens.  I'd rather avoid that if possible.

#7  I've got a  **** and it has never shot as well as other guns I've tried of a similar model.  I want to send it in and get you to fix it up for me.

Every now and then a gun comes across my door that has various issues that leave it sub par.  That's not to say that it can't be made nicer but most of the time it can only be improved.   Other times the owner compares their gun to another gun they think is similar and they aren't happy with it. 

Rifles with slightly large bores that have had the barrels chopped to unreasonable lengths is another issue.  No matter how much someone brags on the forums that his was OK, they generally increase the recoil by as much as a third if not more.  Your basically making a rifle that is semi-dry firing.  Seals wont last as long and spring life is reduced buy as much as 50%.  Why do I say that?  I often get these rifles with the owners hoping that rechoking the barrel or other tricks are going to pull a rabbit out of the hat.  I've seen too many over the years to count.   While choking helps, it's often a band aid approach. Guns with good tolerances in the compression chamber and good tight barrel bores can be cut with out much problem though.  The rifle would have to be checked before any such work would be done.

#8  Can you tune my Webley Kodiak?

I no longer do any work on the Webley line of rifles.

#9  I'm in Canada and want to buy parts for my CZ 630/631.  I would be nice if I could get the power up on it some.

I no longer offer parts or services for the little Slavia rifles.  

#10  I want to buy a high performance seal for my gun.  How much?

All seals are made in house on a per gun basis.  Gun tolerances vary so much from gun to gun that a one size fits all approach on a high performance seal won't work.  ADV seals are only available on in house tunes unless you see something on my site under deals.  On occasion I'll sell something that is a fairly common size if I think it will work across the board on a current production run.

#11  My Guns accuracy is off.  I want to send it in to get a tune.

There are many many variables that can make a guns accuracy suffer.  Doing a tune is the least likely way of fixing accuracy issues.  Generally something else is wrong.  Often it's something as simple as a dirty barrel or bad pellets.  Most of the time a gun is sent in for inaccuracy, I can go out and shoot one hole groups with pellets I have on hand.  If the gun chronographs fairly consistent with good pellets and the barrel is clean.  The most likely culprit is shooter error or stock securement.

#12  When I shoot my gun every now and then it throws a shot low.  Sometimes as much as a inch at twenty yards.

Chronograph your gun.  If it's fairly stable, the spring and seals are OK.  You've got another problem.  A inch drop at 20 yards can only happen with a 200 + fps drop in velocity if the powerplant were at fault.  Most likely bad pellets or inconsistent hold is the problem.

#13  I'm sending my gun in for a tune and want the trigger tuned.  I don't like the long first stage, I want you to convert it to a single stage.

Most of the better European spring guns are built with a two stage trigger.  The fist stage you pull up until it firms up and that should be the point that it's about to break.  Slightly more pressure and the trigger will break and the gun will fire.  Guns like the FWB124 and a few others have no sear engagement adjustment, only a second stage let off point.  It is impossible to adjust these triggers  for a single stage action.  A new trigger would have to be built from the ground up to do it.  On others like Beeman R series guns or Air Arms, while it's possible to do so, you wind up with a gun that is unsafe.  The slightest wear in the trigger or hard bump when the gun is cocked and it could go off when you least expect it.  It's a liability issue.  I'd be sticking a gun to my head to do it (Pun Intended) ;-)

#14  I'm tired of breaking springs in my gun.  I want to send it in to get it tuned and eliminate the problem.
 

All things mechanical will eventually wear out.   I've been using Jim Maccari's springs for over fifteen years and know Jim on a personal level.  You won't find longer lasting springs or a person more persistent at looking to improve upon what he has.  All things mechanical will eventually  need "maintenance" though.  As a general rule of thumb I rebuild my personal guns every seven to ten thousand rounds. That said, I have customers that have over ten thousand rounds on their guns with no loss of performance.  Most often it's more making sure that the gun is sealing properly rather than the spring.  I attribute these long lasting guns to good sealing.  A tune that fixes any sealing issues and replaces the spring with one of higher quality will not only last lots longer than the factory set-up but will be more enjoyable to shoot.

#15  I want to send in a gun for a tune but I don't know if I should get the ADV or maccari kit install?

The kit install will have close to the same firing characteristics of a ADV.  The ADV will have additional work that will make the gun cock smoother, have less recoil and on many comes with additional trigger work.  Basically, you ask yourself if you want very nice or all the bells and whistles.  Most of the ADV tunes have the triggers reworked for slightly lighter pull so if you want a very light trigger and piston buttoning your better off with the ADV.

#16  Why would/should I cut my barrel to a shorter length?

Many people cut their barrel to a shorter length to allow for more empty room when installing a carbine length barrel sleeve.  The reason being the gun will be quieter with the extra dead air space.  When using a muzzle brake instead of a shroud it can make for a very very short carbine barrel if that's what the customer wants.  If the work is done properly accuracy will not suffer and some cases be slightly improved.  In a good many cases velocity falls off slightly when barrels are cut back.  It's rare that you get a increase in velocity.  Some that I've done have lost 20-50fps with a six inch cut.  Some didn't loose any.  Adding the choke will also cut 15-20fps in some cases.  Suffice to say, if your a chronograph jockey, you might loose power with a choke and going with a shorter barrel.  

#17  Do you tune or work on other guns such as Gamo, Chinese, Russian etc. etc...

This depends on my work load.  Most of the time the answer is no if there is a heavy work load of stuff I specialize in.  When my work load is high I usually limit the number of models or brands that are taken in.  It's not a reflection on the value of your gun, it's a matter of the amount of time that's available to get everything done.  For example, some Gamo rifles I'll take in if work is slow but if work load is high I won't take in some German made guns if they are not some of my main offerings listed on my pricing page or if they are older obsolete rifles needing extra work to be made viable again.

 

#18  Can you sell me a kit or parts for my TX200?  Can you sell me parts or kits for any of my guns?

Unless you see the parts listed on my page as a separate item, usually in my deal section on the main page chances are slim I'm going to sell you what I have on hand.  I don't supply parts or kits for guns.  Try Jim Maccari.  If he doesn't have them listed, they are either in short supply or none existent.  Either way, I'm not going to sell off my inventory if either is the case. I need them for tuning.

#19  I can't log into your forum.  When I applied for membership it was denied. 

Most that apply never tell me who they are and never fill out their profile.  That's the number one reason.  The forum was originally set up as a service for my customers.  Many want to use it as a source for DIY info.  It is for previous customers who have bought rifles or had theirs tuned.  Not trying to be ugly, but that's what works best for me and keeps the foolishness low.
#20  Can you site in my gun before sending it back to me?

Yes I can, but it probably won't be dead on for you when you get it back.  Everyone holds guns different and many times after shipping the impact point will change, or the shooter may tilt the gun slightly and think the reticule isn't level. The price is listed on my Tune Price Page but it's often wasted money.  I'm fine with it but would rather not do it for the affor mentioned problems.  If you know the drill I have no problem doing it though.  I do have to charge for the time spent though.  Another thing to ad is that scopes and stocks are the two items that shippers usually break.  Proper packing will go a long long way to keeping either from happening but it's best to just leave scopes off as they aren't needed when tuning your gun.

#21  Do I need to buy the parts from ARH (Maccari) for you to tune my rifle?

I supply everything needed when you have a ADV tune done to your gun.  I keep ARH springs and seals in stock.  I no longer offer a basic tune.  If you want something similar to a basic tune you can buy a kit from Maccari and I'll install it with the proper lubes for $100 shipped back to you.  $10 extra for oversize or heavy packages.
#22 I sent a email a week ago.  Why haven't I got a reply?

Simply because I can't keep up with it for the most part. 

If you have a question that needs a fast answer, call.  If you can't call I'm sorry about being late replying.  I'll try and be a little more swooft about it but it's something that falls between the cracks when I'm busy in the shop.  If you can and have called in the past, please continue doing things that way.  I appreciate it!
#23 I'd like to get a custom stock for my XXXXX.  I see some of the ones in your gallery but I want one like XXXX.

I no longer offer custom stocks for rifles other than the custom rifles I occasionally offer on my page.  I also cannot recommend anyone that might.  Most that were are no longer doing it and the few who are don't entertain "one off" projects.
#24 I have a rifle I want to get tuned but there is some rust on the rifle.  I'll send it in for a tune if you'll re-blue the action.

I no longer offer bluing services.  I takes too long for me to get to it and with my regular work load being as high as it is, it's just one more iron in the fire I can't deal with at this time.  If the rust or thin bluing is just on the barrel, installing a barrel shroud is the most cost effective way of dealing with it.
#25 I was browsing your gallery and I want to send my rifle in and get it customized like one of those rifles in your gallery.

Some options like set/back triggers and shrouds are available but I no longer take customers rifles in for custom builds.  The projects take too long to complete with all the other work I have to do on hand.  If you want a custom rifle they will occasionally be offered on my main page.  I also no longer have a waiting list for custom rifles. Most that have been added to such list never purchased a rifle when their name came up.  I only occasionally build custom rifles when I'm tuning similar rifles for customers and even then only if they were already near completion.
#26 How long have you been tuning rifles.

I've been working on German made rifles since 1992, but it was around 1994 that I started doing custom tuning.  My tuning was a side business until 1999 when it became too much for me to deal with.  I took a break from tuning for the public at large until 2002 and then went full time with it in 2003 until currently. 

#27 I want a muzzle brake that is ten and a half inches long and fits a XXXX.

I do aluminum shrouds and muzzle brakes in large batches about once or twice a year.  They are done to compliment my tuning services so the design, shape and length are geared toward that end.  One off parts orders are just about never taken in on HardCoat shrouds and brakes due to the long time between tooling up to do another batch. 

However, if you are wanting blued steel brakes, shrouds or fastener kits for one of the rifles listen on my tuning page I can occasionally do them but it might have a few weeks lead time.
#28 I'm going to send my rifle in and want to send just the action.  What's the best way to pack it?

I would prefer the stock be attached.  Sometimes it makes a difference in how the trigger will be adjusted and without it I can't test the rifle when done.  The biggest issues with shipping is for it to be in a sturdy enough box that when dropped at a angle it won't fold easily, there is enough padding on the end that the stock won't take the brunt of the force when dropped on end and that the rifle is secure and cant move inside the box.  Usually double boxing and five inches of bubble wrap rolled up in both ends or secured in a hard case and then boxed.  If the rifle can move at all it will eventually "hammer" through the ends of the box with repeated handling by a carrier.
#29  I want you to tune my rifle.  I want to get a lot more velocity but I want it to be smooth.

I can tune it keeping one or the other in mind "but" on many have to choose to lean in one direction or the other.  If you tell me this I'm going to lean towards higher power not smoothness.  Past experience has taught me that if someone mentions more velocity it is their #1 concern.  The result is always more cocking effort and recoil but will not have any vibration.

#30  I have a rifle that was tuned by you several years ago but the owner that sold it to me lost the tune card.  I'm thinking about selling the rifle and was wondering if you can you send me another tune card?

Once a rifle has left my shop I supply the person paying for the tune with a card as a basic list of services performed.  Once the rifle leaves my shop I don't have any control over what is in the rifle or what has happened to it.  If I have the original owners name I can verify if it was here for a tune but after that it's up to the integrity of the seller to verify if the rifle has been left in it's tuned state as it was sent out by me.  The only way I can verify what's in it and send another card is if the rifle is sent in for a refresh. 

Just because someone has a card from me it doesn't mean I did anything to the rifle.  It's not uncommon for people to sell rifles with one of my cards that was never here to be worked on.  It happens on the yellow forum and other classifieds from time to time and when I see it I try and point it out.  Not long ago a person was selling a rifle as being one of the rifles pictured in my gallery.  Even though it was obviously not the same rifle.  If the rifle is functioning like it should and the power isn't way off you shouldn't have a problem selling, just give a three day inspection.  As far as a card being some sort of provenance of having a tune done here it just can't do that.  Seller's integrity is where the rubber meets the road in any sale of a used rifle with purported internal work.

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