M48 .177 pellet test.

[bitterman]

Did some shooting as I have a Vortek pg2 comming. I want to compare to the current GSI (its slowing down so replacing it). The Plan was 10 shoots per target.... all shooting at 10M

When I get the vortek kit installed I want to see if accuracy is about the same or better and if its pellet preferance changes any.

JMGSIm48-177.jpg

Bruce

[AirGunEric]

Where did you get the Vortek Kit?

[bitterman]

Where did you get the Vortek Kit?

I ordered it from the Vortek site... unfortunately I did not realize scopes and ammo carried the kits. I recently got an order of QB parts and m48 breech seal. Might have saved me some $

I originally thought maybe it was just the breech seal leaking, The replacement seal was fun to install but only gained me about 10-15 fps... so it was not perfect and needed to be done but not the reason for my velocity dropping off about 50 fps. When I did the breech seal I inspected everything. The Piston seal fits nice and firm still... had to get the plastic faced channel locks to pull the piston out when I tore things down. It went in firmly also... Not bad for over 50,000 shots through the GSI kit the vortek pg2 is replacing. The rest of the m48 loooks like it did when it was put together after all the polishing, deburing and lube when I did the GSI kit with my dad. When I did the breech seal I also finally got brave and did a trigger tune... I originally did the file method but was never happy with it so this time after 20 years finall got the nerve up to cut the springs... about 1.5 tuns on the sear spring and 1 on the trigger return spring. Make a huge difference could have cut more possibly but I wanted to ensure safty... I wanted to get a thiner wire spring same length as the stock on but could not fin anything...

The gun was fine velocity wise before my father-in-law borrowed it to get ride of some coons in his attick... He mentioned forgetting and leaving it cocked for part a day... I had warned him not to when he borrowed it... ohhh well accidents happen. After I got it back I noticed it was shooting slightly low... I got the chrony out and said a couple choice words.

Regards,
Bruce

[bitterman]

The Vortek website... after ordering I noticed I could have got it from a place I recently received some qb parts and m48 breech seals.

Bruce

[AirGunEric]

The problem is Vortek is supposed to refer people to the "rep" in their home country. Vortek also seems inclined to try and "deal" with customers when there is an issue instead of informing their outside 'partners'- leaving them to clean up the situation at the end of the day without any prior involvement. These are all problems- for both the regional seller and the end-use customer. Perhaps Vortek Kits won't be available in Canada much longer if this is how Vortek ('Vortek' is one guy, as an 'FYI') continues to thinks a vendor "relationship" should work.

[bitterman]

Eric, Sorry to here :( I would have ordered from you. I looked around and you run scopes and ammo? I just got an order from you not long ago. 2 m48 breech seals, scope mount a .22 QB bolt and muzzle brake. Maybe the problem is with there website. Maybe if you try to purchase from certain areas it should inform the user to use there local distributor and who they are? I would have save shipping if I would have got it at the same time as the other parts. I did not realize the breech seals were VorteK ones. I looked there and ordered from you as I like to order what I can locally and support local business.

Bruce

[AirGunEric]

No need to apologize- it is Vortek that does not seem to understand how to deal with customers and help them in the most efficient manner- meaning that people end up receiving goods in a delayed fashion, if there's a problem of some sort it takes three times as long to sort out- and if the problematic item was bought from one of the Regional resellers, they end up being the entity that ends up "eating it" based on how Vortek ("Tom" is his name) deals with the issue/customer.

Essentially, Vortek steps way over the line in respect to how they handle customers in areas with regional representatives. This has nothing to do with the customer- only the poorly thought-out way in which Vortek is handling its regional reps/sales and support program (i.e. very badly). Maybe he believes he is helping people- but all it's done so far generally is cause problems and upset. Everytime I come across another example of this poor way of doing business I get more uptight. I don't think there is any solution to it other than to stop selling their products- perhaps I will call Mr. Vortek before going this way, perhaps not.

[bitterman]

Maybe if a customer e-mails him? Might be better coming from a customer..... might change his business tactics? I hope you continue selling there products. I might need replacement parts at some time... in that case I can go through you.

Regards

[bitterman]

I installed the Vortek pg2 tonight 3 times....

First time was with the small wash and tophat in the poston. I figured woudl be worth a try..

Second time was without the washer but still the tophat... still no dice.

Third was without the tophat but with the washer in the piston.

lol... All in all the only way I could get it to work was remove the top hat :( It woudl not cock otherwise.

The m48 is now much harder to cock! But when the guid wears in it will be better.

Shooting action/recoil.. The recoil is a little firmer... but not bad either other than that I did not notice much difference still quiet action and no twang. The GSI recoil was maybe longer time wise slightly but softer.

I did use the Vortec piston seal also even though my original still fit prefect. Infact the older piston seal migh be a slightly firmer fit.

Velocity is not bad... I expected a little more but can't really judge till it is broken in. Right after the install I got 1004 wiht Die 5 Cp lights and 930 with Crow magnums. So a little more then the GSI when new on the CPL's but the same as the GSI with crow magnums. The GSI numbers we after I shot it for a bit as I did not get the chrony till after the GSI install

Bruce

[AirGunEric]

I am not entirely sure I understand the rifle when you say "M48"- I am assuming you mean a Diana Model 48?

Going with that assumption, it appears you are not the first person to have issues with the 48/52/460 kit. The last guy, which really underlined the issues for me- was the kit was bought from us, then the customer ran into a problem during installation (along the same lines you describe) and went directly to Vortek as they should be the "experts" on their own products. Vortek then undertook a number of discussions with the customer, all the while not informing me of any issue(s). Customer ended up breaking a piece on his rifle during all the fiddling about trying to get things to work, so when he got a replacement Diana part, he sent the Vortek kit back- to me after I found out what was going on from him. He had decided (reasonably) he did not want to send the kit to the US for "replacement" and in fact did not want to try any more kits in his 460 (other kits he bought for other rifles, an HW and a different model Diana- apparently did install and operate exactly how they were described/should have operated). The customer was not to blame in any way, but Vortek had been asked (for the second time) not to carry on "secret" discussions with customers who had purchased from us in Canada as I would be left cleaning up any messes- and any customer dissatisfaction with the end result could reflect on my business far more than his as I am a multi-product "store" in Canada- not a one-product vendor- piss off a customer due to a junk product, maybe they never deal with us again. The fact that no one has ever been "referred" to us by Vortek is also a bit telling I think.

I will be talking to Tom about these problems and if we cannot reach an agreement, I will sell out the existing (good) kits and end up trying to figure out what to do with multiple useless 48/52/460 kits- which, by the way, have now been pulled out of our online store.

Not trying to make a public issue out of this- but when a vendor is going to "do his own thing" with people/customers and apparently continue to ship a kit that is less than advertised- I won't be a party to this sort of practice.