Last summer I put up a Want to Buy for a TX200 in .22Cal. Nothing happened until a couple weeks ago when a fellow member ask if I was still looking. Sure I said - he shot me a fair price and a week later I had the rifle in my hands.
I shot it a couple times and it was really smoking heavy. So I watched a couple Youtube videos on tuning a TX200 and got after it. I took it apart (very easy to do) removed the spring (heavily greased) and pulled the piston from the sleeve where the piston seal just fell apart on my bench.....Well darn, but oh well, kind of wanted to freshen it up anyway so an order to Pyramid Air and I had a rebuild kit coming. The kit had all the seals and a new spring as well as proper grease to put it all together with. Another week and I had the parts - removed all the old stuff, cleaned what was to be reused and installed the new kit. All was well except.......I had a broken cocking shoe. Could not find one anyplace in the USA and was just about to order from the UK when low and behold Pyramid Air got 4 in stock. I quickly ordered one and a few days later had it in hand. Went to install the trigger shoe and the cocking arm would not fit (probably why the original one was broken). So I got after it with a jeweler's file until it would slip on properly. So a little drama, a couple parts orders and a little tinkering and I have it back together.
Time to shoot. So when I initially shot it, it was very smooth, quiet and just a pleasure to shoot. When I got it back together with the new spring it was pretty rowdy. A couple shots across the chrony quickly told the tale. 680fps+ with a 14.3gr pellet produces almost 15ft/lbs of energy. In the UK they have a law about 12ft/lbs being max and so many of the guns that come from there are designed to shoot best just under that threshold. So - I decided to put the original spring back in and WOW what a difference. It now shoots just over 600fps. Geez that rifle is so smooth and quiet. What a joy to shoot. It's nearly as smooth and easy to shoot as my R7. It fully lives up to all the hype and positive reviews that I have read.
I want to say, in no way do I blame the member I purchased the rifle from. He told me that he purchased the rifle from a buddy that had it on consignment and so they had no way of knowing any history. He did not shoot it much and never took it apart. He was apologetic and actually offered to build a cocking shoe (before I could find a factory part). I think this is just a case of a rifle that sat around too long and dried out. So a little reminder to shoot your springers once in a while to keep them lubricated and shooting like they should (and to remember just how fun they are to shoot).
