What is a "tuned" airgun?

Once you jump into the world of airgunning, you'll probably try at least a half-dozen different airguns within a short period of time. The "need" for a new airgun sort of takes over, and the hobby becomes a collector's delight as you see the "need" for a new airgun, or an airgun that runs off a different powerplant.

I got into airguns after a long hiatus from my youth because of squirrels in the attic. And once there, I did just what I described above. I tried different airguns, switching from powerplant to powerplant (CO2, pump-ups, PCP's, and spring-piston airguns), and really enjoyed myself as I learned about airguns. I hopped on the internet and began reading and educating myself about what you could do to get the most enjoyment out of an airgun. As I continued to research, the term "tuning" came up, and so I dived in to figure what it was all about.

If you drive a car, you probably are aware of the vast amount of after-market parts and services that "improve" what the factory offers. The same is true of airguns. Airguns are mechanical devices, made to certain specifications with a target market in mind. But as in all things mechanical, there is room for improvement in most cases.

Let's talk about spring-piston airguns today in reference to tuning. Some spring-piston airguns have closer tolerances than others in their moving parts. When you shoot one that has less-exact tolerances, you often experience the "twang" or "buzz" of the firing sequence. Sometimes it is harsh, sometimes it is barely noticeable.

The difference between a "tuned" gun and a stock gun is that someone with the ability and know-how has taken the gun apart and tightened up the tolerances in the moving parts in question. A brief list of things done, but not an inclusive one would be:

*de-burring metal parts
*custom fitting piston seals
*installing guides on the piston
*tarring the spring to reduce buzz/twang
*installing a tighter fitting spring guide
*honing the inside of the compression cylinder
*tweaking the trigger parts so they work smoothly together
*checking the muzzle crown and repairing if needed

And there are other things that good tuners do to make a gun much more pleasant to shoot, more enjoyable to own, and generally create a better all-round gun for your shooting pleasure. It isn't something that I'm very good at, but one of these days I plan on diving into the guts of a gun just to see what I can accomplish on my own.

Until that day arrives, I will continue to enjoy the services of a good tuner who can help an okay gun become a good gun, and a good gun become a great gun!