Got my '93 mag running well, now fine tuning . . .

[gabriel9090]

With all the great advice I've got my Old School Mag running great! It was a blast having people ask "What is that?!" (only three people knew what it was), and then shooting guys in full jerseys w/ guns that need batteries.

Since I originaly got this when I was 15 fine tuning was not even a thought. I get the gist of the level 10 w/ the shims & all, I'm really curious about consistancy in velocity & distance.

What is considered consistant in terms of velocity? ie: 15fps, 10fps, 5 or less fps? Now that CO2 isn't a factor, can these babys shoot 10 in a row at 300fps? If there's a range, up or down, that I should be shooting for 1)what is that range & 2)what should I address to narrow it down?

Now to distance? I have four barrels. The first two I've had all along - my Fave is the old Armson int. rifled 10in. w/ muzzle breach that can hit two inch dia. trees in about 5 shots at 50 feet, the 11in. smooth AGD 'Crown Point' that I got back in the day to hopefully not break balls in the winter. The next I got recently w/ a mini that's not much newer than the classic. First is a 10in. silver DYE barrell that must be steal 'cause it's heavy & has porting that follows the line of the barrell, the second is a 16in. (no markings but looks like the All American that I traded for the Armson many moons ago) with spiral porting in the last 7in.

Before I waste a case on targets, is there anything that should be a 'given' for any of these barrels?

Also, are there any specific paints to be recomended for a classic valve w/ l10 and any of these barrells? . . . an after thought . . . .

. . . soon I'm sure I'll have some questions about the retro-valve that my buddy has had for 5 years & never had working (it leaks out the side vent) . . .

[Coralis]

Your velocity shouldnt fluctuate more than say 10fps unless you are using really bad paint or your bottle regulator cant keep up with your rate of fire. If you find you have alot of velocity fluctuation it most likely cause by the regulator seat http://store.airgun.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=catalog.prodInfo&productID=31&categoryID=18

as far as specific paint you will really want to match the bore size of the barrel to the bore size of the paint , thats why these multibore barrel systems are so popular , you will have to choose what is your favorite

as far as the retro valve it probably needs the regulator pin cleaned and new regulator seat and a new regulator piston oring

[pierce]

As Colalis stated ball to barrel match, be sure to buy quality paint for better consistancy. I have bought cheeper paint to save $10 and then banged my head on a tree for doing so. :D

[ThePixelGuru]

Might be worth it to compare barrel efficiency. Just shoot half a dozen shots though each barrel without touching the velocity adjustment, and the one with the highest average velocity is your most efficient barrel (at least, for that paint).

[athomas]

Yes, shoot the barrels and determine which one is right for you and the paint you are using at the time. Using good paint, a classic valve shooting air should maintain a very consistent fps velocity, even for long strings of shots. Mine stays near bang on every shot. The level 10 won't affect range or accuracy, but may affect your efficiency.

[gabriel9090]

it's shooting great! def w/in 10 fps.

sizing the paint . . . I've never done this before. Where do I measure the barrells and what do I need to measure the paint?

Thanks again

[athomas]

Just drop a paintball down the barrel and look at it while it rolls. It should touch in just two spots and should roll easily. That is perfectly sized. Bigger is better than tight. To actually measure the id or the barrel you need a set of calipers.

[pierce]

Personally i don't like the balls to just roll though. I have a plastic rod that i use to push the ball down the barrel. I look for (or should i say feel for) very very little resistance and it might roll though for a inch or two in some spots.

[angrysasquatch]

You're basically going to get one of three methods when you ask that question. two have been mentioned, the third is to blow them through. So, from least stressful to most stressful on the ball is: roll, blow, and push. You're going to have to see which method works for you, though you may want to use a less stressful one when in the cold.

[athomas]

When I state "rolls", I mean if you give it a shake or nudge it will move quite easily. You should be able to blow the ball through without much breath at all.

[Thotograph]

You should be able to blow the ball through without much breath at all.

That's my philosphy as well... but of course to each his own though. Some open bolt shooters like it to roll through (possibly helps with the efficiency a little due to less resistance), and others want a slightly tighter fit...

I'd say if you want a little more consistency, in addition to a paint/bore match, you could look to your air system. A good adjustable system can really help give you both consistent inline pressure, and some other tuning options. Not sure if you have one or not, I've got 3 :D (dynaflow, flatline, and armageddon) I'd recomend any of them.

:cheers:

[Tig]

Sounds like you got eveyrthing under control gabriel.
While you have everything up and running, I just got mine apart.
I was going to go for the Xvalve, I changed my mind in favor of the lvl10.

How was tuning it?
Any tips you can share with another old time Mag?

Thanks

[[NA]WARLORD]

Tuning your Lvl 10:

Oil your o-ring, put it into the 2.0 carrier (2 lines, no dots), slide it onto the bolt stem and attempt to dangle the bolt (you are holding the carrier while trying this). If the bolt slips off the carrier from its own weight, go to a smaller carrier. Use the largest carrier that will not allow the bolt to slip off using this test. Do not add any shims yet. Oil everything, assemble, and break in the o-ring by shooting out a tank of air. After doing this, you may need to change carriers and use the next smallest. Now, start adding shims one at a time until it leaks down the barrel. Take a shim out. You are ready to go.

You should have got the X Valve, it comes with the LVL 10 included :rolleyes:

[phizz]

10in. silver DYE barrell that must be steal 'cause it's heavy & has porting that follows the line of the barrell

this is probably an old Dye boomstick barrel I have one and it works great, but I also have a rifled armeson and it works just as well.

[gabriel9090]

Sounds like you got eveyrthing under control gabriel.
While you have everything up and running, I just got mine apart.
I was going to go for the Xvalve, I changed my mind in favor of the lvl10.

How was tuning it?
Any tips you can share with another old time Mag?

Thanks


Since mine is so old, I think I bought it in '94, I replaced everything else in the valve . . . new on/off, spring pack & regulator piston.

I bought the lvl 10 first, got it installed and then learned that you need the new reg piston with the lvl 10. I got everything together w/out it and it fired well but tons of air was leaking out the back because of the increased pressure needed for the new bold.

since I had to pay the shipping again, I got the on/off and spring pack as well so I new everything would work well.

The gun is working great!

As far as installing the level 10, I started a thread titled "ball breaker" and if you read the posts that people responded to my questions, that's what I used. If I had to put another one on, I'd have to go back and look at the info . . .

[gabriel9090]

WARLORD']Tuning your Lvl 10:

Oil your o-ring, put it into the 2.0 carrier (2 lines, no dots), slide it onto the bolt stem and attempt to dangle the bolt (you are holding the carrier while trying this). If the bolt slips off the carrier from its own weight, go to a smaller carrier. Use the largest carrier that will not allow the bolt to slip off using this test. Do not add any shims yet. Oil everything, assemble, and break in the o-ring by shooting out a tank of air. After doing this, you may need to change carriers and use the next smallest. Now, start adding shims one at a time until it leaks down the barrel. Take a shim out. You are ready to go.

You should have got the X Valve, it comes with the LVL 10 included :rolleyes:


I recently bought a slightly newer mini mag than my old am. I made it a goal to get my 15 year old gun running by myself before I get the x valve for the newer one. Since no one out hear uses these guns, I wanted to know that I'd have a clue before I got the good stuff!