SMK 15, Few questions please.

[shadow1993 1]

Hello, i have a few questions for the brainy brains out there.

 

1:

I've taken about 1200 shots through my new SMK 15 rifle and what I've noticed is that the whole metal assembly moves within the stock, so today i tightened the two screws on the side and one underneath the trigger, is it normal for screws to get loose over time?? (i spoke to my mate and he used to have the same problem with one of his rifles and it was only getting worse)

 

2:

What oil do i need to buy to oil the barrel and all moving parts and how frequently should i do it? Do i also need to buy a cleaning kit?

 

3:

I fitted my sights today, bought a SMK 4 x 28 and spent about 4 hours adjusting it and shooting it in, its all well now, but now the upgrade bug has caught me and i want to add a silencer, but i can't seem to see a thread inside the barrel? does it mean i need to use one of those clamp on ones? and how would i fit that as the open sights are in the way?? Or do they come off somehow?

 

All useful answers will be awarded with a thanks and "rep" button

 

Thanks in advance, shadow1993. ATB

 

Here is a pic of my precious:

[pianoman 3,589]

Hi Shadow1993.

 

 

1. It's not unusual to find stock screws loosening on new spring rifles as they run-in. You might need to recheck them again, periodically and re-tighten, after heavy shooting sessions but, generally they bed in and stay firmly put as the rifle settles down to a more consistent pitch of recoil vibration. If the firing characteristic is sharp and snappy, these tend to give the most problems with loosening stock screws frequently. So keep a check on them

 

 

2. Keep your precious looking precious with a wipe-down of light gun oil such as Napier's, David Nickerson's or Bisley Gun Oil on a piece of cotton rag to clean the action all over after handling/shooting. This cleans away corrosive oils from your hands and will preserve the new-look sheen of the blueing and keep her looking mint. Important that when you come to sell her on... And give a light, sparingly applied lube to the breech hinge-pins and cocking link once in a while to keep them operating smoothly. You don't want a build up of excess lube anywhere. But whatever else you do, DO NOT PUT ANY DOWN THE BARREL WHATSOEVER TO CLEAN IT!

 

That will cause your rifle to "diesel" that is, smoking ignition and that can do damage. It's a mess if it gets into the compression chamber via the transfer port (that little air hole in the front wall of the cylinder, directly behind your pellet's skirt, as it's loaded in the breech!) It can also send your pellet through the rifling in the barrel over the 12ft/lb limit and that's not wise if the police have cause to come knocking!. A cleaning kit for the barrel is a wise purchase. In time you will make your own pull-throughs. Clean you barrel with a few strokes of a pull-through and a cotton patch moistened (Not soaked!) in a barrel-cleaning solution after every few hundred or a thousand rounds or, when you notice accuracy falling off. Some barrels need a clean a bit sooner than others. Your gunshop should advise you well for which to use for your rifle and how often. If not someone with the knowledge of your particular rifle here.

 

3. I'm not certain how to remove the foresight shroud to fit a silencer to this particular rifle. Is it a plastic tube type shroud over the barrel? It might have been heatshrunk on to make a tight fit if there are no grubscrews holding it secure? Anyway, I'd take it to a gunsmith who knows how to use a precision hammer to remove the foresight shroud on the muzzle, if that can be removed at all. Or, you may find a type of silencer that will fit over it and secure with a grubscrew. I'm not certain from just your photo here The main thing is to avoid any impact on the crown at the muzzle; and this is very easy to damage if you are not sure how the foresight is removed. Damage the crown and the barrel will need re-crowning or it's had it as far as accuracy goes.

 

Personally, I don't think fitting a silencer to this rifle will make a lot of difference to gagging it's muzzleblast. But, if you must have one, that's what I would do!

 

 

 

Hope this helps keep you shooting well mate. Nice looking rifle you have.

 

Regards.

 

Pianoman

[davyt63 1,845]

Hello, i have a few questions for the brainy brains out there.

 

1:

I've taken about 1200 shots through my new SMK 15 rifle and what I've noticed is that the whole metal assembly moves within the stock, so today i tightened the two screws on the side and one underneath the trigger, is it normal for screws to get loose over time?? (i spoke to my mate and he used to have the same problem with one of his rifles and it was only getting worse)

 

 

Yes it is just keep an eye on them before and after shooting

 

 

2:

What oil do i need to buy to oil the barrel and all moving parts and how frequently should i do it? Do i also need to buy a cleaning kit?

 

Your local gun shop will have gun oil , and grease for metal to metal moving parts

 

 

3:

I fitted my sights today, bought a SMK 4 x 28 and spent about 4 hours adjusting it and shooting it in, its all well now, but now the upgrade bug has caught me and i want to add a silencer, but i can't seem to see a thread inside the barrel? does it mean i need to use one of those clamp on ones? and how would i fit that as the open sights are in the way?? Or do they come off somehow?

 

 

You can remove the front site, it should have a small screw ? Take a closer look at it.

But there is no need for one IMO

 

 

All useful answers will be awarded with a thanks and "rep" button

 

Thanks in advance, shadow1993. ATB

 

Here is a pic of my precious:

[AR177 588]

You can buy HW silencers that have a cutout for foresights, secured by grub screws

 

For everything else listen to Simon and Davy they know what they are talking about wiht those spring machines

 

ATB

 

Adam

[pianoman 3,589]

Sorted!

[Phantom 631]

I took the foresight off my 19 with a wooden mallet worked a treat with a few gentle(ish) taps to the plastic by sliding it down the barrel; But if you have access to a heat gun/hair dryer use one to warm up the plastic (wear gloves though that polymer can get mighty hot!).

 

Tony

[shadow1993 1]

Hi Shadow1993.

 

 

1. It's not unusual to find stock screws loosening on new spring rifles as they run-in. You might need to recheck them again, periodically and re-tighten, after heavy shooting sessions but, generally they bed in and stay firmly put as the rifle settles down to a more consistent pitch of recoil vibration. If the firing characteristic is sharp and snappy, these tend to give the most problems with loosening stock screws frequently. So keep a check on them

 

 

2. Keep your precious looking precious with a wipe-down of light gun oil such as Napier's, David Nickerson's or Bisley Gun Oil on a piece of cotton rag to clean the action all over after handling/shooting. This cleans away corrosive oils from your hands and will preserve the new-look sheen of the blueing and keep her looking mint. Important that when you come to sell her on... And give a light, sparingly applied lube to the breech hinge-pins and cocking link once in a while to keep them operating smoothly. You don't want a build up of excess lube anywhere. But whatever else you do, DO NOT PUT ANY DOWN THE BARREL WHATSOEVER TO CLEAN IT!

 

That will cause your rifle to "diesel" that is, smoking ignition and that can do damage. It's a mess if it gets into the compression chamber via the transfer port (that little air hole in the front wall of the cylinder, directly behind your pellet's skirt, as it's loaded in the breech!) It can also send your pellet through the rifling in the barrel over the 12ft/lb limit and that's not wise if the police have cause to come knocking!. A cleaning kit for the barrel is a wise purchase. In time you will make your own pull-throughs. Clean you barrel with a few strokes of a pull-through and a cotton patch moistened (Not soaked!) in a barrel-cleaning solution after every few hundred or a thousand rounds or, when you notice accuracy falling off. Some barrels need a clean a bit sooner than others. Your gunshop should advise you well for which to use for your rifle and how often. If not someone with the knowledge of your particular rifle here.

 

3. I'm not certain how to remove the foresight shroud to fit a silencer to this particular rifle. Is it a plastic tube type shroud over the barrel? It might have been heatshrunk on to make a tight fit if there are no grubscrews holding it secure? Anyway, I'd take it to a gunsmith who knows how to use a precision hammer to remove the foresight shroud on the muzzle, if that can be removed at all. Or, you may find a type of silencer that will fit over it and secure with a grubscrew. I'm not certain from just your photo here The main thing is to avoid any impact on the crown at the muzzle; and this is very easy to damage if you are not sure how the foresight is removed. Damage the crown and the barrel will need re-crowning or it's had it as far as accuracy goes.

 

Personally, I don't think fitting a silencer to this rifle will make a lot of difference to gagging it's muzzleblast. But, if you must have one, that's what I would do!

 

 

 

Hope this helps keep you shooting well mate. Nice looking rifle you have.

 

Regards.

 

Pianoman

 

Hi thanks for the extensive answers.. However I'm not familiar with some of the terminology that you use: "Bisley Gun Oil on a piece of cotton rag to clean the action all over after handling/shooting" What is the action?

 

You also mentioned not to put any oil down the barrel, but i read in the very brief manual that came with my rifle to oil the barrel every 1000 pellets and I've gone through about 1300 already.. But the gun still smokes after each shot.. so that's a sight of excess oil still being present, correct? (see im learning?)

 

Can you please recommend me a cleaning kit ?

 

Barrel Cleaning solution and Gun oil is two different things right?

 

My gun shop is absolutely useless as i went in to speak to them about the screws loosening and the guy was like: "WHAT have you done?? have you taken the gun apart..." Which wasn't very professional of him.

 

As far as the sights on the end of the barrel go, it does seem that it is plastic but i don't know of any gun shops in Aberdeen where i live.. Also even if its removed will i ever be able to put it back on in case i want to sell the rifle and keep the scope? or is it once you remove it, that's it? There is no grub screw on the sight either it just seems to be glued on or heat-shrunk on there like you said...

 

And yes as much as its pointless i must have a silencer on it!

[shadow1993 1]

You can buy HW silencers that have a cutout for foresights, secured by grub screws

 

For everything else listen to Simon and Davy they know what they are talking about wiht those spring machines

 

ATB

 

Adam

 

Hey, i searched around Google and i couldn't find any of the HW silencers that would fit my gun, could you be so kind and please link me?

[shadow1993 1]

I took the foresight off my 19 with a wooden mallet worked a treat with a few gentle(ish) taps to the plastic by sliding it down the barrel; But if you have access to a heat gun/hair dryer use one to warm up the plastic (wear gloves though that polymer can get mighty hot!).

 

Tony

 

Once its off its off for good right?

[neil82 1,088]

2 finer answers to get for springer use will not be found from anyone else, only point i can add is before going down the `must have silencer` route is have someone else shoot it while your standing about 15 feet away then decide how noisy it is, bear in mind a lot of the noise on a springer is mechanical and a silencer will have no effect on this, a tune up will maybe reduce this

[AR177 588]

You can buy HW silencers that have a cutout for foresights, secured by grub screws

 

For everything else listen to Simon and Davy they know what they are talking about wiht those spring machines

 

ATB

 

Adam

 

Hey, i searched around Google and i couldn't find any of the HW silencers that would fit my gun, could you be so kind and please link me?

 

You can get them from a few shops, this is from BAR's website

 

http://airgunbuyer.c...ers Accessories

 

However i took a close look at your foresight and it seems to have a large ring round it which may interfere with the fitting

 

if you can get the foresight off then they also do a normal push fit one without the cutout

 

ATB

 

Adam

[pianoman 3,589]

Hi Shadow1993.

 

Hmmm, not the best patient encouragement for a novice I've heard from a gunsmith!

 

Okay then mate. A few hints and tips on caring for your Spring rifle. And a few terms generally explained about it.

 

THE ACTION

This is a dual term which describes, collectively, all the metalwork of your rifle. Eg. the outside metal surfaces cylinder, breech, barrel, trigger and trigger guard. And the type of internal mechanism your rifle is cocked and fired by. Basically, a spring piston, break barrel rifle as you have or, a sidelever or underlever cocking action. Or Pre-Charged-Pneumatic, or PCP rifle to give the commonly-used abreviated term. Springer or PCP air rifle, bolt action, semi-automatic, single shot, multi-shot, magazine-fed etc. etc. is the action type used by any particular rifle employing such methods to load and shoot with it

 

THE BLUEING.

Is the blue-black coating that finishes off the metalwork of the action. This is not a paint but, actually is a protective coating process, ironically derived from rust! Essentially, it is made with a property of rust, used to fight rust! It has a petrol-like swirl of blues and golds in its finish under certain light when cleaned with a wipe of gun-oily rag. And it is a beautiful feature of quality firearms and air rifles.

 

To clean the blueing of the action is to wipe away all your hand and fingerprint marks after each shooting session. Your skin has natural oils which, if left over time, will react favourably on the rust part of the process and eat away at the beautifully blued finish of the barrel and trigger and anywhere else of the metalwork surfaces that come into frequent contact with your hands. Protecting it is easy to do and it keeps the rifle working efficiently and an attractive proposition when you want to sell or trade it for a newer gun.

 

EXTERNAL CLEANING AND HANDLING CARE.

Simply, take a rag of clean cotton. I use a ripped piece of old T-Shirt; and splodge of gun oil. Wipe the entire surface of your rifle till it shines and gleams without a trace of your hands left on it. This will protect your rifle and keep it looking and performing its best for as long as you keep it.

Do not leave it wet with surface oil as this will cause you to let the barrel slip from your hand one day and that will very likely wreck your stock and will certainly bend the barrel upwards! Even your scope might be smashed. Not a happy situation but one every spring rifle shooter must be aware of at all time. Just a good wipe as if you were polishing your table!

 

BARREL CLEANING AND GENERAL LUBING.

Now we come to a much-debated part. How to clean a barrel and how often??? As with most mechanical items, if you can see lube there is generally too much. But...A drop on the cocking link, cocking arm joint pins and the breech block hinges will keep those moving parts working sweetly and smoothly. A drop on the trigger mechanism won't hurt either. But again, not too much in excess.

 

RULE No 1. NEVER PUT OIL DOWN THE BARREL TO CLEAN IT -EVER!.

Your rifle is currently dieselling with oil smoke. This is a symptom caused by all-over factory-lubing and finishing and is nothing to worry over really, as it will eventually settle down and dissapear with use. Most air rifles will do this when factory-new. Worse though, is when it occurs with excessive oil in the system. I'll explain "Dieselling" in a bit more detail.

 

Never mind what your Chinese-translated guide book tells you is "happy ways to deep sensual joy and greatest pleasure with hunting rifle..". Putting oil ANYWHERE that involves blasting compressed air and pellets shooting down the barrel will cause a condition of ignition known as "DIESELLING" This is quite literally, your carefully well intended oil-clean going up in smoke! The pressure of air charge compressed in an air rifle is phenominal. It produces massive hydraulic compression friction that instantly heats lube oil hot enough to smoke; and the smoke into something like a force of combustable gas that will render your rifle inaccurate and inconsistent at best, damage it at worst. Another downer is Gravity itself when you store your rifle upright. Loose oil trickles back down the barrel, through the breech and in through the transfer port and into the compression chamber of the cylinder. That will give your rifle a vicious crack from ignition under compression and can even turn some shards of the resultant grated metal into flash at the muzzle like a powder cartridge under ignition. So be careful how sparing you are with the oil can!

 

I clean my barrels after every three thousand rounds or 6 tins of ammo.

 

A Cleaning Kit from your gunsmith, correct for your barrel calibre is simple to use. Mine's an old thing but a good one! A rod of thin metal with a cleaning brush of spiral fillaments is inserted and rotated gently and slowly down the rifling of the open barrel. Take great care if you have to cock it to open it sufficiently. Keep your hands and anything away from any possible activating the safety catch and the trigger. And above all, don't rush it. just firm but gentle patience is all you need. After a few turns of this inside the barrel this should remove hardening lead swarf and other metal debris from ingress into the "Lands" that is, the spiral grooves cut into the bore, on loading and firing.

 

Washing your ammo in warm water and Fairy liquid is always a good thing to do. Lubing it is another thread!

 

Finish the scrub with a pull-through of cotton patch. Napier make a neat patch cut to size like a bandage and pre-moistned with solution NOT OIL that you knot into a long length of finely wound string with some form of guide-bomb attached which drops down the barrel and emerges at the muzzle as handle!. Ive used patches moistened with a little white spirit successfully as a cleaning solution. But nothing actually wet and soaked in the stuff. Make sure the patch is securely knotted or you will have fun and games trying to get it out of your barrel. Draw it through the breech end ideally, as this will clean down along the flow of the rifling "lands" that spiralling bit you see when you look down it. Do this a few times until there is no more dirt visible on a clean patch.

 

If you have a silencer fitted, you need to get the pullthrough through the sllencer's muzzle and tubelength and into the barrel. You can send the pullthrough string down from the breech but the easier route is to use a drinking straw as a guide through the silencer and into the barrel. Simply take a long straw and use a rubber sealing ring from a fishing float as a guide marker to where the silencer ends and the muzzle of the barrel begins. Insert your pullthrough, till you feel it has entered the rifled barrel and your in!

 

Hope this will help you keep shooting well and living safely with your precious! And always remember. A clean rifle is an efficient rifle.

 

All the best.

 

Pianoman.

Edited August 28, 2012 by pianoman

[Phantom 631]

I took the foresight off my 19 with a wooden mallet worked a treat with a few gentle(ish) taps to the plastic by sliding it down the barrel; But if you have access to a heat gun/hair dryer use one to warm up the plastic (wear gloves though that polymer can get mighty hot!).

 

Tony

 

Once its off its off for good right?

Pretty much yes, You could refit it at a later date by warming it up again and pushing it back, however you would need to take great care and probably a few attempts to get it perfectley vertical again.

 

The removal of my forsight was permanant as it landed in the depths of my (very deep) garden pond!

 

However! Most hunting guns now lack standard "Irons, or Open Sights" now as fitting a scope is now pretty much standard for most people, especially hunters.

 

Tony

[shadow1993 1]

Hi Shadow1993.

 

Hmmm, not the best patient encouragement for a novice I've heard from a gunsmith!

 

Okay then mate. A few hints and tips on caring for your Spring rifle. And a few terms generally explained about it.

 

THE ACTION

This is a dual term which describes, collectively, all the metalwork of your rifle. Eg. the outside metal surfaces cylinder, breech, barrel, trigger and trigger guard. And the type of internal mechanism your rifle is cocked and fired by. Basically, a spring piston, break barrel rifle as you have or, a sidelever or underlever cocking action. Or Pre-Charged-Pneumatic, or PCP rifle to give the commonly-used abreviated term. Springer or PCP air rifle, bolt action, semi-automatic, single shot, multi-shot, magazine-fed etc. etc. is the action type used by any particular rifle employing such methods to load and shoot with it

 

THE BLUEING.

Is the blue-black coating that finishes off the metalwork of the action. This is not a paint but, actually is a protective coating process, ironically derived from rust! Essentially, it is made with a property of rust, used to fight rust! It has a petrol-like swirl of blues and golds in its finish under certain light when cleaned with a wipe of gun-oily rag. And it is a beautiful feature of quality firearms and air rifles.

 

To clean the blueing of the action is to wipe away all your hand and fingerprint marks after each shooting session. Your skin has natural oils which, if left over time, will react favourably on the rust part of the process and eat away at the beautifully blued finish of the barrel and trigger and anywhere else of the metalwork surfaces that come into frequent contact with your hands. Protecting it is easy to do and it keeps the rifle working efficiently and an attractive proposition when you want to sell or trade it for a newer gun.

 

EXTERNAL CLEANING AND HANDLING CARE.

Simply, take a rag of clean cotton. I use a ripped piece of old T-Shirt; and splodge of gun oil. Wipe the entire surface of your rifle till it shines and gleams without a trace of your hands left on it. This will protect your rifle and keep it looking and performing its best for as long as you keep it.

Do not leave it wet with surface oil as this will cause you to let the barrel slip from your hand one day and that will very likely wreck your stock and will certainly bend the barrel upwards! Even your scope might be smashed. Not a happy situation but one every spring rifle shooter must be aware of at all time. Just a good wipe as if you were polishing your table!

 

BARREL CLEANING AND GENERAL LUBING.

Now we come to a much-debated part. How to clean a barrel and how often??? As with most mechanical items, if you can see lube there is generally too much. But...A drop on the cocking link, cocking arm joint pins and the breech block hinges will keep those moving parts working sweetly and smoothly. A drop on the trigger mechanism won't hurt either. But again, not too much in excess.

 

RULE No 1. NEVER PUT OIL DOWN THE BARREL TO CLEAN IT -EVER!.

Your rifle is currently dieselling with oil smoke. This is a symptom caused by all-over factory-lubing and finishing and is nothing to worry over really, as it will eventually settle down and dissapear with use. Most air rifles will do this when factory-new. Worse though, is when it occurs with excessive oil in the system. I'll explain "Dieselling" in a bit more detail.

 

Never mind what your Chinese-translated guide book tells you is "happy ways to deep sensual joy and greatest pleasure with hunting rifle..". Putting oil ANYWHERE that involves blasting compressed air and pellets shooting down the barrel will cause a condition of ignition known as "DIESELLING" This is quite literally, your carefully well intended oil-clean going up in smoke! The pressure of air charge compressed in an air rifle is phenominal. It produces massive hydraulic compression friction that instantly heats lube oil hot enough to smoke; and the smoke into something like a force of combustable gas that will render your rifle inaccurate and inconsistent at best, damage it at worst. Another downer is Gravity itself when you store your rifle upright. Loose oil trickles back down the barrel, through the breech and in through the transfer port and into the compression chamber of the cylinder. That will give your rifle a vicious crack from ignition under compression and can even turn some shards of the resultant grated metal into flash at the muzzle like a powder cartridge under ignition. So be careful how sparing you are with the oil can!

 

I clean my barrels after every three thousand rounds or 6 tins of ammo.

 

A Cleaning Kit from your gunsmith, correct for your barrel calibre is simple to use. Mine's an old thing but a good one! A rod of thin metal with a cleaning brush of spiral fillaments is inserted and rotated gently and slowly down the rifling of the open barrel. Take great care if you have to cock it to open it sufficiently. Keep your hands and anything away from any possible activating the safety catch and the trigger. And above all, don't rush it. just firm but gentle patience is all you need. After a few turns of this inside the barrel this should remove hardening lead swarf and other metal debris from ingress into the "Lands" that is, the spiral grooves cut into the bore, on loading and firing.

 

Washing your ammo in warm water and Fairy liquid is always a good thing to do. Lubing it is another thread!

 

Finish the scrub with a pull-through of cotton patch. Napier make a neat patch cut to size like a bandage and pre-moistned with solution NOT OIL that you knot into a long length of finely wound string with some form of guide-bomb attached which drops down the barrel and emerges at the muzzle as handle!. Ive used patches moistened with a little white spirit successfully as a cleaning solution. But nothing actually wet and soaked in the stuff. Make sure the patch is securely knotted or you will have fun and games trying to get it out of your barrel. Draw it through the breech end ideally, as this will clean down along the flow of the rifling "lands" that spiralling bit you see when you look down it. Do this a few times until there is no more dirt visible on a clean patch.

 

If you have a silencer fitted, you need to get the pullthrough through the sllencer's muzzle and tubelength and into the barrel. You can send the pullthrough string down from the breech but the easier route is to use a drinking straw as a guide through the silencer and into the barrel. Simply take a long straw and use a rubber sealing ring from a fishing float as a guide marker to where the silencer ends and the muzzle of the barrel begins. Insert your pullthrough, till you feel it has entered the rifled barrel and your in!

 

Hope this will help you keep shooting well and living safely with your precious! And always remember. A clean rifle is an efficient rifle.

 

All the best.

 

Pianoman.

Thanks for the extensive answers, i guess i need to invest into cleaning solutions oils and cleaning kits before i get a silencer. As there is tiny spots of rust on it, i was away on holiday for two and a half weeks came back and noticed them, at least now i know what caused it to rust. Is there anything i could use at home to clean it off so it doesn't get worse until i can afford oils and stuff?

[shadow1993 1]

I took the foresight off my 19 with a wooden mallet worked a treat with a few gentle(ish) taps to the plastic by sliding it down the barrel; But if you have access to a heat gun/hair dryer use one to warm up the plastic (wear gloves though that polymer can get mighty hot!).

 

Tony

 

Once its off its off for good right?

Pretty much yes, You could refit it at a later date by warming it up again and pushing it back, however you would need to take great care and probably a few attempts to get it perfectley vertical again.

 

The removal of my forsight was permanant as it landed in the depths of my (very deep) garden pond!

 

However! Most hunting guns now lack standard "Irons, or Open Sights" now as fitting a scope is now pretty much standard for most people, especially hunters.

 

Tony

I guess i just need to make a decision whether to remove it and sell it with the scope when the time comes or just live with it