Every once in a while we have to stop shooting so much and actually do some much deserved "MAINTENANCE" on our hardware (airguns).....lol. I had been wanting to shoot my tried and true Dragon Slayer 454 for some time now and i finally got around to ordering some 150 gr. EPP/UG's as recommended by my buddy Chris Butcher for it to test and while i waited on those to come in, i located the case with the Slayer in it and wanted to clean the barrel and to check for any leaks. Its probably been over a year since i last shot it and no time like the present to check the gun out and prepare it for it's upcoming outing. Thank God i did cause upon opening the case, i found the guns reservoir to be empty.
Upon filling the gun again then straining off the air inside the fill whip line, i could hear the DS (Dragon Slayer) leaking back through the OEM fill port. This is a very common problem with the Slayer line of Korean guns. No problem though as i had done this before. So now i drain the air tube by shooting the remainder of the air out of the tube. I then remove the fill housing from the gun and begin to disassemble it to get to the check valve. Once apart, i used denatured alcohol on the inside to remove any oil/debris and to in general clean the check valve seat. I then remove the check valve seal and i visibly see wear on the face of that seal so i decided that flipping it over would be the "QUICK FIX". And if it leaked still, i could try and order the part through Pyramid air or have one made.
I then decide that while the gauge/fill port assembly was apart, i might as well replace the o-rings on the assembly as well as on the opposite end of the air tube as well. My profession has taught me that when something like RUBBER (orings) has been under pressure for years then all of a sudden that vessel looses all pressure, those orings should be replaced before putting the item in question (guns airtube) back together. Rubber changes when its been under extreme pressure and heat and tend to become harders and more brittle. So change it is.
While the air tube was off, i decided to go ahead and also remove the valve stem and attempt to clean the valve seat with alcohol also. I also replace the o-rings on the bolt probe as, well, i thought, WHY NOT...lol. This would be all the maintenance that i performed on the gun and this should put it back in service for at least the next couple of years if not longer. These fixes/preventative maintenance items are reasonably easy and inexpensive as they only cost you the price of o-rings and a little time. Nothing last forever and these parts are under enormous stress and are necessary at times when you own PCP's. As a matter of fact, seals are part of every major type of airgun as seals are the KEY when storing and capturing and expelling high pressure air. Springers, PCP's, Pump Pneumatics, and CO2 guns all have them and should be replaced when worn.
Fill port (OEM, BEFORE):
Fill nipple (LR, AFTER):
The gun as of now has been holding EXACT pressure for some time now (12 hours) which is a LOT longer than it was before i started the maintenance. The LR male fill connector is a great addition and a very well made item. It now makes my Dragon Slayer what i call STANDARD meaning that all i need to fill the gun is the female end of the fill hose. No more fill probes and no more leaks.
STAY TUNED!!
