Buying a used PCP?

[JBFUK]

I have many years of springer ownership with a HW95K, HW97K, HW30S and a TX200HC.

I'm now thinking about a first PCP rifle - mostly for pest control in the garden as the squirrel population is booming and they’re becoming quite destructive.

My favourite rifle (the 95K) was a used bargain that I gave a good service, polished and tuned with a vortek kit and it’s great. With this in mind I’m not against buying a used PCP rifle (thinking a HW100 would suit) and giving it some love - meaning spending some time and money on a full tuning / seal kit, stripping it down and cleaning it up etc.

I’ve noticed quite a few of the older examples on sale (and I do prefer the older style stock) already have some non-standard components like third party cylinders. What are peoples views on this? Should I steer clear of anything that’s not completely stock or are a few aftermarket parts a sign of a rifle that’s been looked after? Also are there specific things I should pay attention to when looking at older examples of this type of rifle (perhaps 10-15 years old). Are there specific parts other than seals that tend to wear out and coat a lot of money to replace?

Any advice appreciated.

 

[Coopster132]

Personally I'd not consider a used gun that's had aftermarket parts fitted something to be avoided. 9 times out of 10 aftermarket parts are fitted as upgrades and are a good sign that someone has invested some love and money into the rifle.

If you were to consider anything negative about buying a gun with aftermarket parts fitted it'd be:

1. The possibility that the parts operate differently from the original parts and so parts diagrams/instructionals etc available online may not be as accurate in your case.

2. The gun has been tinkered with by a person of unknown competency. Particularly if it's had internal upgrades within the breech block/regulator/ trigger group.

3. Standard complete oring kits etc may no longer be fully compatible to your rifle.

And I'd temper that with:

1. Most aftermarket parts work in the same way as the originals.

2. You're going to he tearing down and tuning anyway, if Bubba has been at it you can put that right during the process. You can often get an idea of competency from talking to the seller about what it's had done.

3.Boxes of assorted orings etc are varied and cheap to buy. Usually size orings can be found online relatively cheaply. It's not really much of a factor.

Personally I'd pay more attention to how the gun has been kept and cared for.

Regardless of what modifications have been done it's the gun that's dirty, scuffed up, with rust spots, half its supplied accessories and that'd got a look like it's been bounced around a shed that you want to avoid.

Anything that appears clean, smart and properly stored (usually with a host of ziplock bags full of accessories and old parts etc) being sold by someone who's owned it for a while and can articulate what they've done with it should be a safe bet for what you have planned.

 

[SPB]

I think @Coopster132 has comprehensively dealt with this...
My only tuppence worth would be that if you have a trusted shop near you to buy from then they may have a range of second hand guns, that will go through their service before being sold on and may come with a guarantee.

My experience is that when someone has tinkered with a challenging part or gun and subsequently knackered it up they have opted for an aftermarket mod to cover it up.

 

[Dodgyeye]

My experience of deep diving into pcp ownership was a £180 ultra SE single shot.

It had a slow leak so having experience of giving springers a spit and polish I dived in.

It was really easy to strip, with help from knowledgeable AGF members and replace all the seals and polish bits that needed polishing.

It's now a very accurate and sublime to shoot rifle, with a trigger on par with a rekord, accounting for many pests including greys

 

[Sharpsman]

The main thing is condition , if it's in good condition with no chewed up fixings and shoots well it's probably ok internally . If I was looking to buy another Hw100 I would go for a newer version with the reg sleeve , plus some of the very old ones had questionable barrels .

 

[JBFUK]

Thanks, that broadly follows my line of thinking too, but not knowing much about PCP I’m a little cautious.

Do you know how long I’ll need to wait to gain access to the classified sections of the forum? I’d tend to trust forum members to have cared for their guns a lot better than Joe public - given they have a keen interest and a reputation to maintain. My TX200 was brought from a member of the old forum and aside from the fact that I prefer my weihrauch rifles I have no complaints, it was in excellent condition and is extremely accurate.

 

[JBFUK]

If I was looking to buy another Hw100 I would go for a newer version with the reg sleeve , plus some of the very old ones had questionable barrels .

Interesting, I do prefer what I think are the older right-handed stocks compared to the newer ambidextrous stock. Not a fan of thumbhole.

Do you know what era had the dodgy barrels and when was the reg sleeve introduced?l If I’m planning to fit a full HW100tuning kit3 would that still be relevant or would I be replacing that part anyway?

I’ve spotted a low cost used 100 at a local gun shop and might go take a closer look at it. From the serial number lookup it looks like a 2005-2007 model - so pretty old.

 

[Fatbob 59]

No idea when the sleeve started but if you ask the shop to remove the air cylinder it's obvious whether it has one or not