Oh-oh,,Just when things are...

[TM7]

....going pretty good with my 99m a problem happens. The rifle has settled down to be a good shooter and action and trigger smoothed out pretty Okay. Power is very good, too; and I think I figured out the fastner loosening problem.  Then it happened.....I like to shoot 40 to 50 shots a day--while cocking I felt resistance and crunch like noises in the spring compartment. I stopped and removed the stock. The spring is not laying neatly in its cylinder and seems to have a bend or kink in it, thus preventing smooth cocking and compression of the spring. I don't think the spring is damaged, but maybe a foreign object is in the mechanism.
.
Can I remove the spring cylinder end-cap with out a spring compressor and look in there, or is this going to be a big problem?

thanx...........TM7

[dave]

Spring compressor, almost certainly. I wouldn't try to open it without one. Sounds like somethings bent or broken, probably the spring. Its either snapped or has kinked badly, a common occurence in cheap guns with poorly fitted spring guides.  Either way the gun needs to be repaired. Welcome to the world of Chinese airguns.

[victorcharlie]

TM7........What can I say......I've had my TF99M for six weeks or so......I too, like  you....shoot about 50 pellets a day..........my gun just now settled in and is starting to shoot pretty good.......

Let me know how this works out for you.......

[dave]

The spring almost certainly has a fair amount of preload(unless it broken of course). While it is possible to disassemble some spring guns without a compressor, I wouldn't try it. Even uncocked the spring can do a fair amount of damage if it gets loose. If you do manage to get it apart, putting it back together can be a problem also.
Maccari spring or not, it'll still bend or break if the guides aren't long enough or don't fit the spring right.
In your initial post you said that the action had smoothed out- did you mean that any vibration or noise had gone away?  If thats the case, its because the spring was slowly bending. A spring with a slight bend will still work, but parts of the spring will be tight against the guide, and there will be no spring vibration. However, whatever is causing the spring to bend will keep bending the spring a little at a time until it reaches the point where it either starts hitting something or breaks.
If the gun is fairly new, I'd call the dealer and see if its warranteed.

[victorcharlie]

TM7......quick question.......what if any PM and cleaning schedule did you use?  I.E did you oil the cyl?  If so, what lube and how often? etc.........

[Lawdog]

TM7,

Seeing that you haven't had that TF99M all that long, have you called Compasseco, Inc. about this problem?  This is the first time I have heard of this happening in either the 99m or M97.  As long as you haven't made any modifications to the rifle it should still be under warrantee.  The only other time I have heard of something like this happening was on a Air Arms TX200.  Doesn't matter who makes them(European, Chinese, American, etc.) problems can and do occur.  Lawdog
 

[Lawdog]

TM7,

What is the lifespan of these mag springer rifles anyway? More dollars probably equals longer life I assume.

As with most things in life it all depends on the person.  How one takes care of the rifle plays a major part in longevity.  I have somewhere around 3,000 plus pellets down the bore of my 99M with no signs of loss of power or accuracy.  Just have to wait and see how long it will last.  Lawdog
 

[victorcharlie]

I've got about half that, or 1500 down my 99m and it's shooting better everyday.  I suggest you keep it oiled.  I try to oil mine before starting a new can of pellets, or at least every 250 rounds......especially after hearing of your problem.

Please keep updated as this plays out.  I'm interested in the failure analysis.....