POLL: Your mod strategy & routine on new airguns?

[KevinP]

So do you shoot a new airgun stock for a while and then slowly do upgrades? Or buy the gun and a whole pile of parts and change everything right away?

My 1377 and 2240 just showed up. I am already taking a liking to the 1377 (I haven't shot either one yet...). The plastic grips/forend are outa here. That's gotta happen. Next may be the internals and trigger. And maybe another breech... and the list goes on...

It's sorta like going shopping  to the food store when your hungry ...   

[Fronzdan]

For me it's usually breech first so I can use a dot sight or scope, then trig frame, then grips, then an optional barrel change, then bling.

[Brent]

Never heard of this yet - what is the advantage of replacing the valve spring... with the trigger spring?

[JEBert]

Never heard of this yet - what is the advantage of replacing the valve spring... with the trigger spring?

The original trigger/sear spring is lighter than the original valve spring.  The valve spring strength to hammer spring strength ratio affects how long the valve is open.  The lighter valve spring/heavier hammer spring will let you dump more air.  You could get the same result by just changing out the hammer spring for a heavier one but a heavier hammer spring is harder on the other parts.  The trigger spring becomes available as soon as you start fooling with lightening your trigger pull with a lighter trigger spring.
The first time I did it, I had a 1377 that would only dump 9 pumps.  If I put 10 pumps in it, I could fire it and if I cocked and fired it again without pumping, I could tell that there was still a little air in it for the second trigger pull.  Not enough to shoot a pellet but I could tell that the valve hadn't completely emptied for the first shot.  After replacing the original valve spring with the original trigger spring, it would retain a little air at 15 pumps but it would completely dump 14 pumps.    I didn't chronograph any of the shots and I don't have that gun any more but you get the idea.
The down side is, on some guns, you might have to cock the gun, at least to the half-cock position to get the hammer spring's tension off of the valve stem before the valve would seat enough to begin holding air, especially if you had a stronger hammer spring than the original one such as a Discovery hammer spring.  Further, if you have done the 1701p/P-rod trigger mod to the gun, there wouldn't be a half-cock position on the hammer anymore so you would have to fully cock it to get it to take air.
IMMOP, I would prefer a lighter valve spring to a heavier hammer spring because the heavier hammer spring would adversely affect the trigger pull and/or  the cocking difficulty of a given gun.  To me that would be a worse problem than having to cock the gun before pumping it.
Cheers,

[AS13]

I shoot it to get the feel. Then a trigger tune and test out pellets to find the most accurate one for the particular gun. Bling at this point is low on the list.

[turrrrdle]

The original trigger/sear spring is lighter than the original valve spring.  The valve spring strength to hammer spring strength ratio affects how long the valve is open.  The lighter valve spring/heavier hammer spring will let you dump more air.  You could get the same result by just changing out the hammer spring for a heavier one but a heavier hammer spring is harder on the other parts.  The trigger spring becomes available as soon as you start fooling with lightening your trigger pull with a lighter trigger spring.
The first time I did it, I had a 1377 that would only dump 9 pumps.  If I put 10 pumps in it, I could fire it and if I cocked and fired it again without pumping, I could tell that there was still a little air in it for the second trigger pull.  Not enough to shoot a pellet but I could tell that the valve hadn't completely emptied for the first shot.  After replacing the original valve spring with the original trigger spring, it would retain a little air at 15 pumps but it would completely dump 14 pumps.    I didn't chronograph any of the shots and I don't have that gun any more but you get the idea.
The down side is, on some guns, you might have to cock the gun, at least to the half-cock position to get the hammer spring's tension off of the valve stem before the valve would seat enough to begin holding air, especially if you had a stronger hammer spring than the original one such as a Discovery hammer spring.  Further, if you have done the 1701p/P-rod trigger mod to the gun, there wouldn't be a half-cock position on the hammer anymore so you would have to fully cock it to get it to take air.
IMMOP, I would prefer a lighter valve spring to a heavier hammer spring because the heavier hammer spring would adversely affect the trigger pull and/or  the cocking difficulty of a given gun.  To me that would be a worse problem than having to cock the gun before pumping it.
Cheers,

thank you that does help. i realize the link but if you have the valve apart might as well do some of what he suggests for air flow. http://airgununiverse.net/13xxvalve.html i think ill wait till i have a flat top to increase volume though.

[Brent]

The original trigger/sear spring is lighter than the original valve spring.  The valve spring strength to hammer spring strength ratio affects how long the valve is open.  The lighter valve spring/heavier hammer spring will let you dump more air.  You could get the same result by just changing out the hammer spring for a heavier one but a heavier hammer spring is harder on the other parts.  The trigger spring becomes available as soon as you start fooling with lightening your trigger pull with a lighter trigger spring.
The first time I did it, I had a 1377 that would only dump 9 pumps.  If I put 10 pumps in it, I could fire it and if I cocked and fired it again without pumping, I could tell that there was still a little air in it for the second trigger pull.  Not enough to shoot a pellet but I could tell that the valve hadn't completely emptied for the first shot.  After replacing the original valve spring with the original trigger spring, it would retain a little air at 15 pumps but it would completely dump 14 pumps.    I didn't chronograph any of the shots and I don't have that gun any more but you get the idea.
The down side is, on some guns, you might have to cock the gun, at least to the half-cock position to get the hammer spring's tension off of the valve stem before the valve would seat enough to begin holding air, especially if you had a stronger hammer spring than the original one such as a Discovery hammer spring.  Further, if you have done the 1701p/P-rod trigger mod to the gun, there wouldn't be a half-cock position on the hammer anymore so you would have to fully cock it to get it to take air.
IMMOP, I would prefer a lighter valve spring to a heavier hammer spring because the heavier hammer spring would adversely affect the trigger pull and/or  the cocking difficulty of a given gun.  To me that would be a worse problem than having to cock the gun before pumping it.
Cheers,

Jerry... as always, a great explanation!! Thanks!!!

[JEBert]

You're welcome!

[dan_house]

outta the package and straight to the bench for a tear down
if the factory grip frame is staying, a working over of the trigger and sear, replace the sear spring with something lighter
smooth and polish the inside of the entire length of the pump tube. the area the hammer runs in will get a Militec treatment, the hammer will be polished and also Militec treated. The slot for the hammer pin will be smoothed a tad
valve gets air path eased, and poppet shaped for air flow, valve TP opened a little, poly tube TP. lighter valve spring, pinned in tube after the tube is polished (see above)
barrel cleaned, leade polished
bolt polished and militec treated
breech (plastic or metal) bolt raceway smoothed and polished steel breech gets Militec, plastic breech a _very small_ dollop of divers grease
custom grips
after that will depend on what purpsoe I ahve in mind,,, then it on to sceopes/sights, power tunes  and pellet choices

[Trophyhunter49]

AS for me I love the 13XX platform. I'm not as steady as I once was,so out of the box and tear down . Breech ,triger job , flat top piston and valve , longer barrel , stock , fore grip , and scope! I only have one 1377 in stock platform , phase II . I guess I will leave it like is .