The Retay 135X is a break barrel air rifle with impressive specifications that would perhaps lead some folks to consider it as an entry level hunting and pesting rifle. The following will help those folks to decide if this would be a wise choice.
This particular Retay 135X came to me with the barrel jammed in the fully cocked position, forming a large "V" shape - the barrel could not be returned to battery. The owner had only just purchased it from the classifieds section of one of the (Canadian) airgun forums, and within a matter of a dozen or so pellets, the gun failed. During the cocking stroke, the foot of the cocking lever rode up over the rear skirt of the piston, resulting in the piston slamming forward under tension of the mainspring, while the cocking lever was driven solidly into the trigger mechanism due to the energy exerted during cocking now being un-impeded by the powerful mainspring. As I got further into the gun, it became clear that this was another case of someone selling a known defective gun as being "in perfect working condition". Since neither the factory, nor most Retay retailers offer any form of warranty on these guns, the original owner decided that his best option was to simply pass this known defective gun on to the next, unsuspecting victim. One point of note here, is that one Canadian retailer offers his own warranty repair on these guns - but - only if the gun is purchased from him.
Now, a look at the damage caused, and the root problem that caused the failure.
The track that the cocking lever guide bushing rides on is broken in three places, so this is not the first time that the cocking lever has slipped past the piston.
The trigger guard portion of the stock is cracked through at the point indicated by the red arrows.
The cocking ears are uneven due to the twist in the laminated lever - not sure if this was a result of the failure or not. Also, note that the LHS ear is thinner than the RHS by about 0.009".
The cocking lever is bowed out at the midpoint. Again, not sure if this was caused by the failure or if it was due to being insufficient for the job.
This is the guide bushing for the cocking lever (that broke through the stock rail). Not sre if it is supposed to rotate on the metal shaft or not - but it doesn't.
The broken rear fixing bolt stud. Note the flange that has been raised by someone over-tightening it. The gun has obviously been opened up prior to my doing so. Note all the toolmarks on the stud, except for the flat(s) for the wrench. There are telltale signs that there was once a lockwasher between the stud and the action, but no lockwasher was found in the stock, so it is MIA.
The anti-beartrap interlock lever was bent when the cocking lever slipped past the piston, and was no doubt smacked solidly by the carry through of trying to #### the gun.
The rear skirt of the piston with the sear groove. Note that there are two distinct gauls where that cocking lever has slid past the piston. The marks are far enough apart that they could not possibly have been caused by a single event.
This is what I believe to be the root cause of the failure(s). The area where the rear skirt was welded to the piston body was cleaned up by what appears to me to have been a free-hand touch to a grinding wheel, and by so doing, left a very nicely formed ramp, of almost 0.027" to aid the cocking lever foot to escape from the proper side of the piston.
The piston is completely covered in longitudinal scratches. They don't show up well in the pics, but they are most likely the result of the uneven cocking lever dragging against the piston.
For a virtually brand new gun, the piston seal is not in the best of shape - small metal chards inbedded, and numerous nicks, scratches, and abrasions.
The mainspring with one inch spacers at either end, noted by the red circles. Ridiculous amount of preload on the spring. I thought that these were added by a third party, but after reading the info on the above alluded to retailer's website, this is a factory installation. These are the two pieces that are removed by that retailer to aid in the longevity of the gun, but at somewhat derated specifications.
The arrow points to the most obvious bow in the main tube where the cocking lever rode up and over the rear piston skirt. Both sides of the cocking slot are bowed out like this, and are very rough on the ID.
The trigger assembly frame is deformed, no doubt the result of (at least twice) having the cocking lever slammed into it, after slipping past the piston. The pin that is noted by the yellow arrow is bent, and the main sear bar at the top is obviously askew.
I have absolutely no clue what caused this buggered edge along the RHS of the breechblock. Almost appears to me to have been a manufacturing flaw that was ignored by factory QC.
For all intents and purposes, this gun is pooched. The cost involved in now repairing the damage caused by that factory defective piston allowing the cocking lever to slip past the rear skirt engagemant ridge wil exceed the cost of a brand new gun. The owner has told me to scrap it, but I may putter with it just to see if it can be salvaged, sort of a challenge project for the winter months.
This particular Retay 135X came to me with the barrel jammed in the fully cocked position, forming a large "V" shape - the barrel could not be returned to battery. The owner had only just purchased it from the classifieds section of one of the (Canadian) airgun forums, and within a matter of a dozen or so pellets, the gun failed. During the cocking stroke, the foot of the cocking lever rode up over the rear skirt of the piston, resulting in the piston slamming forward under tension of the mainspring, while the cocking lever was driven solidly into the trigger mechanism due to the energy exerted during cocking now being un-impeded by the powerful mainspring. As I got further into the gun, it became clear that this was another case of someone selling a known defective gun as being "in perfect working condition". Since neither the factory, nor most Retay retailers offer any form of warranty on these guns, the original owner decided that his best option was to simply pass this known defective gun on to the next, unsuspecting victim. One point of note here, is that one Canadian retailer offers his own warranty repair on these guns - but - only if the gun is purchased from him.
Now, a look at the damage caused, and the root problem that caused the failure.
The track that the cocking lever guide bushing rides on is broken in three places, so this is not the first time that the cocking lever has slipped past the piston.
The trigger guard portion of the stock is cracked through at the point indicated by the red arrows.
The cocking ears are uneven due to the twist in the laminated lever - not sure if this was a result of the failure or not. Also, note that the LHS ear is thinner than the RHS by about 0.009".
The cocking lever is bowed out at the midpoint. Again, not sure if this was caused by the failure or if it was due to being insufficient for the job.
This is the guide bushing for the cocking lever (that broke through the stock rail). Not sre if it is supposed to rotate on the metal shaft or not - but it doesn't.
The broken rear fixing bolt stud. Note the flange that has been raised by someone over-tightening it. The gun has obviously been opened up prior to my doing so. Note all the toolmarks on the stud, except for the flat(s) for the wrench. There are telltale signs that there was once a lockwasher between the stud and the action, but no lockwasher was found in the stock, so it is MIA.
The anti-beartrap interlock lever was bent when the cocking lever slipped past the piston, and was no doubt smacked solidly by the carry through of trying to #### the gun.
The rear skirt of the piston with the sear groove. Note that there are two distinct gauls where that cocking lever has slid past the piston. The marks are far enough apart that they could not possibly have been caused by a single event.
This is what I believe to be the root cause of the failure(s). The area where the rear skirt was welded to the piston body was cleaned up by what appears to me to have been a free-hand touch to a grinding wheel, and by so doing, left a very nicely formed ramp, of almost 0.027" to aid the cocking lever foot to escape from the proper side of the piston.
The piston is completely covered in longitudinal scratches. They don't show up well in the pics, but they are most likely the result of the uneven cocking lever dragging against the piston.
For a virtually brand new gun, the piston seal is not in the best of shape - small metal chards inbedded, and numerous nicks, scratches, and abrasions.
The mainspring with one inch spacers at either end, noted by the red circles. Ridiculous amount of preload on the spring. I thought that these were added by a third party, but after reading the info on the above alluded to retailer's website, this is a factory installation. These are the two pieces that are removed by that retailer to aid in the longevity of the gun, but at somewhat derated specifications.
The arrow points to the most obvious bow in the main tube where the cocking lever rode up and over the rear piston skirt. Both sides of the cocking slot are bowed out like this, and are very rough on the ID.
The trigger assembly frame is deformed, no doubt the result of (at least twice) having the cocking lever slammed into it, after slipping past the piston. The pin that is noted by the yellow arrow is bent, and the main sear bar at the top is obviously askew.
I have absolutely no clue what caused this buggered edge along the RHS of the breechblock. Almost appears to me to have been a manufacturing flaw that was ignored by factory QC.
For all intents and purposes, this gun is pooched. The cost involved in now repairing the damage caused by that factory defective piston allowing the cocking lever to slip past the rear skirt engagemant ridge wil exceed the cost of a brand new gun. The owner has told me to scrap it, but I may putter with it just to see if it can be salvaged, sort of a challenge project for the winter months.
