Relum Tornado, Air Rifle

[bullmastiff 610]

I think I need a bit of help! I've got an old relum tornado .22 air rifle I've had for about 12 years, well I hadn't used it for years so thought I'd dig it out and try a few shots with it again (wanted to give it to a friends son). At 30 yds it was putting a group of 5 shots in a spread of about 6 inchs!!! cleaned the barrel out as best I could (blind barrel, under lever, any cleaning tips???) which improved the grouping quite a bit down to about 3 inches. but when popping off at a few beer cans it couldn't even punch through both sides, I used to be able to bole over a bunny at about 35yds with it. So does anyone know how to change the springs? (twin springs one inside the other) I've found a site selling the springs for about £4 but can't find any other info on them??? is the end cap behind the springs brazed on or just stuck? I don't want to damage the piston or spring housing by clamping it and using mole grips if I don't need to.

 

Any help would be most appreciated

[Guest DOLLSEYES]

Relum tornado was my first ever rifle when i was a wee kid.I believe if you take the inner spring out and discard it and reassemble with only the one spring, it works better.

[Guest baldie]

It will work even better with a shortened airsporter spring, its that many years since i did one, i cant remember how, but i dont recall it being difficult.

[bullmastiff 610]

I'm off to Mendip shooting range tomorrow so hoping I might get some advice if I take it along!! more searching and all I've managed to find is a parts diagram and price list, but it's still no help if I can't get the end cap off!! I ended up putting it in the vice (rubber jawed) and taking a pair of mole grips to it but it still didn't shift I'm guessing it's a screw thread??? maybe a soak in diesel will will release it? (just the end cap) I might as well change all the valves and seals at the same time, only comes to about £30 for all the internals so fingers crossed I can open it! It was a great rifle back in it's day and with a bit of work I'm hoping I can revive it again :thumbs-up:

Any other ideas on that end cap??? and where would I find a shortened airsporter spring? obviously I would chronograph it after to make sure it's within the legal limit....

[Guest baldie]

Just buy a standard airsporter spring, count the number of coil the larger of the two relum springs has, and cut down the airsporter spring to the same number of coils.Then take a blowtorch, and with the spring in a vice, leave the last inch, hanging out of the vice, take the torch, and heat the last half coil, cherry red.Then hammer it flat to the next coil in line.Let it cool naturally, dont quench it, then tidy it up on the grinder.The end cap, will either just be a push fit, or threaded, most likely a push fit, as their is a cross pin underneath it, which holds the mainspring in place.Soak it in a penetrating oil, and if that doesnt work, apply a little heat.Beware, when removing the pin, the chap that taught me gunsmithing, lost the cornea from his eye, removing a tornado spring, he never did another one.

[bullmastiff 610]

Well I finally managed it... well an engineer from work managed it anyway got the main spring, valves and piston head changed (the new springs are an inch and a half longer than the old ones!!!) The Relum Tornado is back!!! I'm not fitting scopes again (their on the logun) so just need to get a front sight fitted on again then I'll get it out in the field for test.

Had some teething problems with it to start with but it was just the trigger adjustment wound in to far (every time I cocked it the lever would snap back) anyway I'm rambling so thanks Baldie for your help