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Needles · New Member

I took it out and fired about 40 shots today--- the first 40. It's a little loud, and heavy, but MAN! It hits hard, compared to the B3 I'm used to! Seems pretty accurate, too. Open sights I kept pretty well everything in a 3.5" bunch at 30 yards--- good for me. It will take a bit of getting used to, but so far I like it!

Mentolio · Veteran Member

Just got my Leverage .22 last weekend. I agree that it seems to be a hard hitter! I also found it to be freakin' loud, at least until I got about 50 pellets thru it. I now have approximately 100 shots thru it (maybe more?), it's quieter, and pretty darned accurate (for using open sights). Still smokes a bit...a lot, actually. It's also pretty "crunchy" (term used by Rick Eustler to describe it in his video review).
The pin that attaches the first "hinge" on the cocking level started falling out. I just re-peened it, and it seems ok now. Has anyone had one of these apart? How about an exploded parts diagram? Has anyone seen one of those for these rifles? I'm going to take it apart, but would feel a little more confident with an exploded parts view. I'd just like to smooth things out a bit.
Needles' has you rifle gotten any smoother? Do you still like it, now that you've had it for a few months?

robert w · Senior Member

congrats to the both of you on new rifles, never shot a browning but if you take her apart, id shoot a LOT of photos on the way apart for reassembly . its a nice thing using a smartphone. and sure saves time and trouble too. as for dieseling some guns don't quit till mabe 4-500 pellets and all the while getting a lot smoother too as the parts wear "home"

Mentolio · Veteran Member

Ok, took her apart...what a pain! It was shooting well, but sounded like it was going to fly apart. There was NO grease on the spring...none. Also, the inside was filled with gritty, crappy oil and rust. The skirt on the piston had no moly, and the piston seal had two bad spots on it (pictures of all this can be found on a post called "Nitro piston conversion" in the "Airgun smithing" section). So, I "honed" the cylinder using red Scotchbrite to put a light crosshatch into it, and remove obvious surface rust. I honed the receiver in a similar manner using fine emery cloth in attempt to smooth out sloppy machine work (which this gun has plenty of!). I then chanced using a Gamo piston seal, which while not a perfect match, seemed to fit pretty well, and was softer and in better shape than the stocker. So after smoothing out some rough edges, cleaning and lubing all the moving parts, and putting it back together, this dog hunts! Now, I don't yet have a Chrony, so I can't give any definitive performance numbers, but as some wiser, more experienced air gunners have said: "if it's accurate and you like the way it shoots, then leave it alone." The rifle seems like it makes good power and still hits the target hard (about 600 pages deep when shot at a phone book from 10 feet away using JSB 14.35 grain domed), and I am shooting quarter sized groups at 20 yards (rested, using the crappy 4x32 scope that came bundled with my Crosman) which is pretty darned good for me. Also, ALL the "crunchiness" is gone! The gun cocks smoothly, and fires pretty quietly (just a loud "ping" now, as opposed the prior "death rattle"). The trigger, which I also disassembled, is still a little "notchy," but I don't have enough experience to know what I should have smoothed out in there, so I felt it safer to lube it and leave that alone. All in all, I highly recommend "lube-tuning" this gun (if that is indeed what you call what I did), as it took it from "junky" to silky-smooth for next to no money (10.00 bucks for the Gamo seal, the chamber lube and lithium-based bearing grease I used on the spring I already had). This gun is well on it's way to being my primary hunter! Thanx to Steven Archer and all those others who took the time to answer a newbie's questions!!

Airhead · Member

Excellent job on the clean & Lube! Your definitely help increase reliability and longlivity of the rifle, enjoy!