Damp - the Silent Killer for Air Rifles

These are internal pictures of a client’s Air Arms S410 air rifle which he recently bought in for, what he thought would be, a regular service.  The rifle looked OK, and was holding its charge, but hadn’t been serviced for over 5 years.  Things were somewhat different when we looked inside!  The Cylinder Tube was badly corroded (as shown) although fortunately we eventually managed to detach it from the Firing Value Body.  So what had happened?  It is difficult to know exactly, damp conditions when it was used or stored at some point, but we suspect damp (fill) air was the culprit.  It’s critical to ensure your pump has a moisture trap, or that you use a reputable supplier of clean air. So what else should you look out for?  If your rifle isn’t holding charge, it is probably due to a perished seal.  This allows the air to leak resulting in the loss of charge.  Using the wrong oil can cause seal degradation, we recommend a silicone based air gun oil, such as Bisley’s Silicon Gun Oil, or Napier’s Power Oil.  But seals can be easily replaced as part of the service process so again, regular servicing is important. Neither internal corrosion or perished seals are visible until you disassemble your rifle. Don’t let these invisible demon’s ruin your rifle, bring it in to us for a service – it could be the best £90 you’ll invest in your rifle.  Left too long you could end up having to scrap your favourite gun!  Contact ryan@emmettandstone.co.uk or ring 01628 474 187 to book your firearm in.