Posted by Alexey on July 31, 2001 at 01:51:06:
Hi, everybody,
I live
in Russia and I'm going to buy a high-end air pistol. There are no dealers to
order a gun from, and trained gunsmiths are to be found in Moscow or perhaps
even in Helsinki. Since the performance of all the modern high-end pistols is
actually so good that you can discuss it at indefinite lengths and still end up
nowhere, the only reasonable criterion of my choice is obvious - it should
never, ever crap out. So: Is there among them a model which is definitely more
reliable and maintenance-free than all the others?
Best regards, Alexey.
Posted by Joseph Tousignant on July 31, 2001 at 03:18:48:
Hi Alexey, boy,
you're asking the impossible here! EVERY pistol will need servicing and
maintenance on a regular schedule. Pneumatic pistols have seals that will need
replacing, same with CO2 and PCP pistols. True enough different models more
often than others. Some have said the seals can go bad if "dirt" gets into them
from careless handling of tank connections and so forth. You're "never, ever
crap out" criteria is therefore not an absolutely attainable goal! An
interesting question is are there "scuba" type tanks and supplies available if
you choose a pre-charged pneumatic? (Or a bulk supply of CO2, for that matter?)
You could bypass the tanks with a pump, of course, but at some point the pump
itself will need servicing also, though most will last a long time from what
I’ve heard.
If these necessary supplies and maintenance items would be a
problem attaining on a regular basis, then i would recommend the pistol I’ve
chosen for it's very long track record of reliable service and low maintenance.
Most reading my posts are already aware of it, the Feinwerkbau 65 Mkll (FWB)
Nothing else to buy except pellets and a very infrequent drop or two of a
quality chamber lube such as "Beeman's" Ultra Lube. After a lot (several years
sometimes)of shooting a breach seal might need replacing, but it is user
serviceable and inexpensive(at least in the US). Everything else about the gun
has proven itself reliable, with the additional benefit of being quite familiar
to most airgunsmiths should anything else need servicing. As the "spring-piston"
design of this pistol has a steel sealing ring over the piston (much like a car
engine), it will last a very long time. If not stored "cocked" for extended
periods of time the mainsprings will also hold up quite well. No reason you
couldn't shoot this pistol several years without a whimper out of it! Getting an
extra breach seal ahead of time, and possibly a set of mainsprings (the FWB 65
Mkll and the one inch or so longer barreled FWB 65 Mkl both use 2 concentric
springs) would go a long way into insuring the most probable area of future part
needs would be met.
They can cost, in the US, anywhere from $300-about $600
used. (only available "used" now as FWB had discontinued production in 1998, and
any "new" ones are basically older stock). It will take you a very long way to
becoming a respectable pistol shooter, but may not be available to you there. I
also have no idea what they might cost in your part of the world.
Anyway,
good luck in your search!
Joseph Tousignant
Posted by william on July 31, 2001 at 08:22:05:
Good morning, Alexey! Are
you not able to find the Izh-46 anywhere in Moscow? They are built a thousand
kilometers East of you. You will be hard pressed to find anybody who has had a
problem with one - I have had mine for 6 years. It comes with all the spare
parts needed for a lifetime's shooting, and just about everything is user
replaceable. No tanks, no pumps, no adaptors! Good luck
Posted by Joseph Tousignant on July 31, 2001 at 10:58:30:
Just as a
follow-up...I was going to mention the IZH 46 (or even newer IZH 4M), but Alexey
had stated he was looking for a "High End" match pistol. No disrespect intended
here, but i saw one at the recent air gun show (Baldwinsville, N.Y.) and was not
personally impressed by the esthetics of its construction. (The sample there,
while new in a box, appeared like it might leave "slivers" if someone were to
use it as the wood parts were not fully sanded and finished). Most posts I’ve
read about it say it shoots pretty good, and is a good value for the money...but
a "high end " gun it is not! One poster even talked about the barrel being
off-center on his, so i can't believe the quality control is up to, say, German
manufacturing standards. I also assumed Alexey KNEW about the pistol available
from his homeland, and had passed on acquiring one. Anyway, hope he finds a
pistol he can be happy with.
Joseph Tousignant
Posted by carl on July 31, 2001 at 09:52:51:
Hey Alexey,
Welcome to the
sport. I think you’ll find air pistol to be quite challenging and fun. As far as
reliability I haven’t heard of anybody having trouble with any of the high end
air pistols. Except for a few of the early SAM K-11's. My steir LP-10 has been
perfect after 7000 rounds. Any machine can break down. One option is to federal
express the pistol to Warren here at pilkguns. He is one of the gunsmiths for
our Olympic team and a very nice guy also. I don’t know about Russia but here in
the US an air pistol is not classed as a firearm so there isn’t any regulations
on shiping it. So, Id go for it and get one of the high end guns like the steir.
The baikal is a good entry level gun but it’s not as fast and easy to shoot at
the other high end guns. If you know anybody in Russia its best to try them all
before you buy. However you cant really go wrong with any of them. Remember the
most important part of any pistol is the grip holding nut. You’ll do fine. I
knew some Russian guys in college. Smart and hard working people. Take care,
Carl
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