TargetTalk

Is there a instructional manual on how to repair the Daisy 499? Will Daisy sell you parts if you are part of a club?

I don't know of a repair guide. We learned by trial and error. Daisy will sell you any parts you need. Contact Denise Johnson at 1-800-643-3458, ext. 4317. She is very knowledgeable and a delight to work with.

You also have the option to send the guns back to Daisy for repair. We have sent a couple of the 888 air rifles back because we could not repair them. However, the 499's are not that difficult to repair but because they often break, it's very frustrating for our 4-Hers, their parents and the coaches.

If I can be of any further help, let me know.

I have a couple of 499s. I'm not having much trouble with them. What troubles should I expect so I can pre-order some parts?

We've had fits with the magnets coming out of the abutments. This allows the BB's to roll out and the magnet damages the seals.

Daisy will give you a diagram for the tool you will need to make to work on these guns. It's not hard but you'll want to have a tool on hand.

I keep abutments, seals and trigger springs plus one extra complete gun.

I would also keep shot tubes on hand. Remember that these rifles have smooth bores and the tubes are not made with a high quality metal. I would also keep a couple of extra sights as they are made of plastic and will break. We also keep extra stocks as we cut them to fit the student. The kids do grow up quickly and we have to change the stocks.

I agree with keeping an extra rifle. We currently have 26 4-Hers with each being assigned their own rifle for the season. We have 6 complete extra guns so that when one breaks we give the 4-Her a spare and repair the gun after practice. While they are the worlds most accurate B.B. gun, they do require a fair amound of upkeep.

What kind of customizing are your doing to the gun besides butt stock length.

Any suggestion on adding weight to the butt or forearm stock.

What about spring strength, any stretching for additional fps, or shotnening for less recoil?

What about trigger refining, any need to make the trigger pull smoother?

There are two options on front sight, post or circle, any theory on waht is best.

All help is appreciated.

The NRA rules allow the guns to weigh a maximum of six pounds. The stock gun is about three pounds - ADD WEIGHT! As much as possible in the forestock and the remainder in the but. Do not add weights inside the barrel or on the shot tube. I'm not sure about external weights but I don't think they are allowed. Check the rules.

I would ask the same question though. What other mods are being done to improve these guns?

No, you cannot add any external weights to the gun and we have not been able to add enough weight to make the gun weigh 6 pounds.

We do cut the stock to fit the shorter shooters. We simply place the rifle in the crook of the arm by the elbow and make sure that the child's finger will comfortably reach the trigger. If not we cut the stock off but remember that you must keep the same shape of the end of the stock. We then bore holes in the butt end of the stock and on the bottom of the stock and add shotgun shot. We then cap the holes with wooden plugs and glue in the caps. The longer the stock, the more weight we can add. We now how the guns with the full stocks up to 5 pounds. Also, the forend oo the gun is cut out from the factory so you can add weight there as well. Again we use shotgun shot along with wood glue and add a coating of vasoline so that the shot does not stick to the forend. You'll be surprised how much improvement in the kids scores come from adding the weight.

As far as improvements to the accuracy, we have not found many. Some guns are simply better than others. If you have a shot tube that does not fit tightly against the barrel, use masking tape around the tube for a snug fit. This does seem to help.

If you have any more questions let me know. We are always looking to improve the guns.

I got overzealous and managed to get a few guns over seven (7) pounds. Had to remove some weight. The difference in the weight of shot that fits in a hole compared to the amount of molten lead that will go in the same hole is quite significant. Just pour the lead slowly or you will bubble the finish. The forestock can be routed or carved inside to get more room for weight.

How do you know when the shot tube needs replacement?

You'll know when the shot tube needs replacement because the shots will fly all over the target and will often miss the entire target. They don't give any warning. If you have a student that is shooting poorly in prone, try shooting the gun yourself. If you can't hit the target either, it usually is the shot tube.

Another major problem we have we a lose of velocity. It's almost always the plunger head assembly. While the part only cost a couple of dollars, you must most of the gun apart to change it. After each season, we tear all of the guns down and look for worn parts. The plunger head seems to last us, on most guns, a couple of years. We have also had the springs break, magnet come out of the abutment plug. I wish Daisy would put a screw to hold in place instead of using a punch and hammer to tighten.

Some good news. The new triggers which have some type of retainer to hold that small spring in place should now be available. The trigger spring was only held in place by pressure but we started adding a small amount of grease to the end of the spring to help hold it in place. We do keep several extra triggers as the spring is usually lost when it pops out. You know, I never wanted to be a gunsmith but if you coach a BB team it really helps to be able to work on the guns.

Good Luck!!!