Canadian Airgun Forum

Friday after work I was passing by Calebas and stopped in and picked up a Umarex Surge non pal version. Read a few good reviews and was eager to give it a try after I put the kids to bed. All over the place for 400+ shots then things tightened up a bit but to enough for my liking. No doubt my springer skill are lacking. This morning I gave it another try but still very inconsistent. About 700+ shots with 6 different pellets. Seems to like the heavier stuff a bit more. So I watch some videos on technique, didn't help, then came across one that says to tighten the barrel pivot screw if the barrel just falls down. OK mine did and so I gave it a try. Bad things happen.

Correct cocking should look like this



But I did this



Which bent the inner steel tube. Not that I knew it right away. I had assembled the rifle back together and the spring was catching on the tube. Was not fun trouble shooting. From assembled and working to this mess.



Brand new and I was 5 mins from offering it to anyone here who would take it. I did finally figured it out and this was my fix. Drive a socket down the sleeve.



And then I did it again trying to figure out how the safety assembled. Great. assembled and apart more times I can count.

I still can't group sub 1" AT 10m but I think the scope is suspect. I'll buy better glass and re-test but not this week. It's been maddening. Stack two pellets then the following pellet hits 2" from that group in a random direction. Over and over and over.

My 953 has spoiled me.

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I have some airguns.

Check the barrel for tight spots. Use a 1/8" wooden dowel, cleaning rod or join a couple of bamboo skewers to make a rod. Insert a pellet into the breach and slowly push it down the barrel. You will feel tight and loose spots if you have them. The tight spots can destroy accuracy, especially if your muzzle is a loose spot.

I appreciate the advice. I'll give that a try. Well over a 1000 shots fired and it's settled down quite a bit. Dime sized groups are regular now when rested. Off hand is good too. Putting effort into the little things with my hold and follow through and it's paying off. I can see this turning into one sweet shooter in another 1000 shots. Tempted to upgrade but other than better glass I'll try and avoid that trap. Going to be hard though. DL has the premium 34 stock. Sure looks nice.

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I have some airguns.

You can also put the Surge into this Ruger Airhawk stock: I purchased one earlier this year from Rob out at R&R Airgun Repair in Winnipeg. He is an Umarex dealer. IIRC the cost was under $100.00. It is not as nice as the one at D&L, but only half the price..and it gets rid of the fugly black "polymer" stock.

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When the 425-hp "street Hemi" version hit the street in 1965, it was akin to taking an M230 chain gun to an arcade shooting gallery
Peter

Nicer than the surge plastic stock for sure. Thank you. Not sure what I am going to do. If I drop money on the stock, glass, and a tuning kit I might as well have bought a lgv from the start. I'm really enjoying the surge though. Surprisingly good trigger. Decent accuracy.

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I have some airguns.

That's my advice to you: always grab the 953 for a few shots after using a springer. This has kept my sanity at bay and me from tossing any springer out into the backyard. Shooting the 953 after touching a springer puts a smile back in your face. Consider yourself fortunate to be able to resort to that. I pity those that lack one and have to spend the rest of the day wondering if they're just poor at shooting or if the gun is defective. The 953 is confirmation that the problem isn't you, it's the sproing/twang/teeth shattering/headache causing rifle you just tried. Pneumatics are the necessary therapeutical treatment afterwards. At least it has worked for me.

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No, no, it was bigger than that! It looked like a weird monkey-dog thing!
COG First Class Recruit
Gears of War

absolutely maddening at times. A day ago dime sized groupings. Knocking down the field target like no tomorrow. This morning, 4 shots right on then couldn't hit the broad side of a barn afterwards. My fitness is definitely the culprit. Hit or miss shooting the springer has made shooting the 953 easier. My offhand shooting is much quieter so to speak. I'll keep shooting the surge until it or me breaks. Probably me.

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I have some airguns.

Maddening, yes. I so can relate.
What I found helped was reading up extensively on properly using the artillery hold, something I learned from the members here. May seem trivial but proper hold of the gun is key and this may vary from gun to gun and where you place your hand, how loose or tight your grab is, etc etc. Definitely experimenting with the hold is a key thing for springers.

The other is to eliminate any possible mechanical imperfections. Besides what Tcooper explained you may also want to ensure the crown is fit. Decrowning is necessary on some of these cheaper Chinese built rifles. Another is the scope. Since you're doing your shooting indoors consider removing the glass and using the open sights, even if it means reducing the distance to say, 6m. This is a good way to eliminate the scope as a possible culprit. Others claim that some guns need over 1,500 shots to break in.

Just remember, whenever you grab that thing, place the 953 nearby. Always grab it and dispense a few pellets down the range for that important calming down effect. It is a mandate I have decreed upon myself whenever I shoot a springer. My sanity is important, the 953 is the remedy.

Edit: if building a wood dowel proves to be difficult, I found a great alternative, although some may drop their jaws over the idea: pay a quick visit to a junkyard and buy a $1 antenna, not the telescopic kind. Some older antennas were made of a single metal rod. Thin enough and sturdy, ideal for .177 cal barrels. I like to place a small piece of tape on the end to avoid scratching the rifling. Works wonders.

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No, no, it was bigger than that! It looked like a weird monkey-dog thing!
COG First Class Recruit
Gears of War

I've highjacked Joolz thread enough.

Checked the barrel. Seems pretty good until the end of the muzzle where it tightens up a bit. Maybe the last 1/4" Not exactly a taper. The crown is pretty bad. I'm inclined to chop then end off and re-crown other than I cannot remove the plastic piece on the end. I'll await some input before taking such drastic measures.

The piston seal is damaged. Nicked in a few spots.

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I have some airguns.

Vortek kit came in the mail today. It's the sub 12 fpe version. Fast shipping.



Re-crowned the barrel.



Sanded a tight spot in the bore, cleaned it up, and went shooting. It went from 2-3"+ absolutely random groups to 1/2" ctc over 10m without too much attention to hold or pellet, and all under 100 shots. I expect things to tighten up as it all settles down over the next 1000 shots. I think she deserves a new stock, and a new scope.

Thank you everyone for assisting. I'll sleep better tonight.

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I have some airguns.

Nicely done.

Thanks

Proof is in the pudding. Came home after the kids swimming class, sat them in front of the tv with take out, and ran down stairs to put a few shots down range as fast as I could.



Very encouraging to me. You can see the shots on the top walking over as I zeroed the scope. That in itself was a success as previous attempts baffled me with randomness. The right group is a indication of the potential if I do my part. 10 shots not quite 3/8" ctc and aside from the obvious poor form I'm quiet pleased with the result. I still have to take it all apart for a proper clean and lube as the installation was a rush job. Ordering the nice stock tonight, after the kids go to sleep of course.

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I have some airguns.

Congrats! Always a relief when things turn out!

Sent from my SM-G930W8 using Tapatalk

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Website: https://airgunarcheryfun.ca/

Yes, definitely a lot of stress relieved. Kids went to bed and put in another 5 shots. 0.25" ctc. I even pulled the calipers out to double check. I know you shouldn't judge by a 5 shot group but I'm pleased nonetheless and with that I'm calling it a night.

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I have some airguns.

Sorry I didn't read all the comments lol
But did you ever tried seating the pellets?
That's what it took to give me 3/4" groups at 25 yards.