Newsgroups: AIRGUN.LIST
Hi Folks:
     I've heard that the factory spring isn't really long lived, but have
only had my R7 about 1.5 years and have only put about 2,000 pells thru it
(max).   Currently it does  606 fps (10 pell string, 1 foot away from
chronograph, w/extreme spread of 18 fps) with 7.9 gr Cros Prem Lites using
the round end of a Beeman pellseat (until the pellet 'clicks') to seat it,
according to my Chrony Delta w/indoor lighting feature (from FSI) and about
592 fps with Lites, fingernail seating (10 pell string, 15 fps extreme
spread).
    I've had good luck with Maccari springs in my R1 and enjoy not having
any need for a spring compressor for disassembly/re-assembly with Maccari
mainsprings.    More power is available (ref. Tom Gaylord's R1 book) from a
Venomac Lazaglide kit, but it would need a spring compressor or an
airarmsmith (the best choice for ordinary "users" like me anyway) to
install.
     A really big inducement to upgrading from stock R## internals, to me,
is to get a better spring guide.   The factory Weihrauch spring guide is
pretty crude (tubing w/split & folded ends) and inclined to gall the end cap
(did on my R1....haven't checked our R7 yet).   A custom set of spring
guides (available via Venomac kit, Maccari kit....but not, IMO, Beeman
Laserization kit....which has a better spring guide but it fitted the laser
spring rather loosely) which are made to fit tight for the individual spring
used, is very desirable as thus little or no mainspring dampening compound
is needed to dampen spring vibration (which adds noise and loss of discharge
aesthetics).   I've heard that mainspring dampening compound tends to
migrate anyway.   Venomac springs have a better "black tar" coating and
Maccari "black tar" is also better than Beeman dampening compound.
     I would probably be happy to have just a better spring guide....even if
it was only for factory springs....but for custom guides (Maccari & Watts
makes them....probably other airarmsmiths also do that I just don't know
about....Tim McMurray---I don't know, but he is IMO is vastly skilled and so
more than skilled enough to do so), I figure if Maccari is going to start
making a R7/R8/HW50* mainspring in two or three months, I'll plan to trash
the stock spring guides in our (really my wife's) R7 and get the
Maccari/Watts custom guides (around $25 I'd guess) made to fit an individual
spring and then get a couple spare springs that also match the guide
closely.
    This should increase velocity slightly as the velocity-reducing
mainspring dampening compound won't then be needed.   I think a Maccari
R7/8/HW50 (55?) spring won't increase power much, but will be designed for
smoother performance and longer life.    I suspect the longer life is due to
the lack of pre-compression while uncocked with Maccari springs along with
good steel.   Venomac, Laser and stock R1 springs are longer in length and
thus pre-compression is much greater.    Tom Gaylord's R1 book results
however suggested that the precompression wasn't a significant factor.   As
just a regular user, I naturally have more guesses than actual knowledge.
It is important we protect from abuse the airarm experts that are online or
things will degenerate to three blind men describing an elephant.    We had
a Beeman rep (Rick Johnson) on the Airgunletter chatline for a while.   I
had encouraged him to do so and thought it great to have a genuine Beeman
rep online.   Unfortunately, some (Chinese I think) guy with a three part
Chinese name which escapes me at the moment, apparently sent Rick/Beeman's
some nasty communiques and so now we, once again, lack a Beeman rep online
to field questions, etc.    I may try to encourage him to return to
Tom/Edith's chatline....we shall see.
Robert Hamilton
ps.  It continues to appear, at least in .177 which is the only caliber I
have, that fingernail seating gives about 10 fps less velocity than Beeman
pellseating (ball end/ "click").   I tested my FWB124d (w/Maccari
spring/seal kit) and with pellseating, it puts out 870fps w/19 fps extreme
spread and with fingernail seating, it does 857 fps w/21 fps extreme spread,
w/Cros Prem Lites.
 -> Has anyone ever worn-out an R7-8 spring?  I can't imagine anyone
 -> needing to replace an R7-8 spring.
I definitely wore out the spring in my HW-50.  Of course I had it about
15-16 years as my main air rifle before I needed to replace it! 
Jim
--- QScan/PCB v1.19b / 01-0671
---------------