Air Gun Home :: View topic - Can someone explain the benefits of tuning an air rifle?

Thevolkp · New Member

First post here. Recently purchased a new Diana RWS 350 Magnum .22 with the T06 trigger. I'm still breaking it in. Can someone explain to me what is tuning and what are the benefits of tuning an air rifle? When should an air rifle get tuned?

Thanks.

broommaster2000 · Moderator

When it doesn't work after breaking in, or when it doesn't function properly. Diana's don't need tuning.

Benefits: No "twang", shorter lock-time, so the pellet leaves the gun quicker, improving accuracy.

Technically you can get more power but this usually doesn't work on the Diana powerplants. Wink

They come, pretty much, tuned out of the box.

Dukemeister · Member

I agree with BM, and would add that "tuning" a springer is adjusting the shot cycle to the users preference. Quality made and designed spring rifles such as Diana, Weihrauch, Air Arms, etc SHOULD be good shooters out of the box. Some minor improvements can be made by replacing or tweaking stock parts with aftermarket parts and polishing, honing, grinding and the kike, the use of friction reducing lubes, piston buttons etc. For the average shooter the result is usually a quieter gun that shoots somewhat smoother. I'd guess there is a little improvement in shooters accuracy, as the gun is easier to control.
Now, for the more hastily built rifles, and those designed for cheap manufacture and assembled and packaged without great QC (many Chinese guns fall into this category), a tune is a whole different thing, involving serious mechanical deburring, spring refinement, seal replacement, trigger mods, honing, tweaking, even stock reworking. This turns a potentially fine shooting gun into a fine shooting gun. These types of guns are usually OK out of the box, and then good to excellent after a tune. The Crosman B18/19s fall into this category, along with Umarex Air Hawk, etc. The stock triggers on the Crosmans for example are POS, easily rectified with a 2-stage aftermarket trigger blade and the removal of a spring. The recent popularity of nitro-pistons to replace steel springs has added a new twist to tuning. I have seen in increased interest in this as a "tuning" method - it reduces harshness, virtually eliminators dual recoil, improves lock time, and thus improves shooter accuracy.
If you can buy an inexpensive gun and tune it economically to be a great shooter then it's worthwhile. I have opened up and "tuned" all my rifles except My HW97K ... it doesn't need tuning!
The Rekord trigger, the Diana T-06, and the Air Arms triggers are generally superb out of the box and are merely adjusted, using built in mechanisms, to the shooter's preference.
Some addicts enjoy the tinkering/tuning part of the hobby. You can learn a lot about the firing cycle, and can learn how to identify, fix and repair problems and issues when they occur.
Sorry, this is a long winded response... and is just my opinion. Laughing