- Last edited:
- Replies: 18
Last edited:
Today we’re looking at some simple Umarex Komplete tune possibilities. Why? Well I think that the Komplete is one of the best airguns in the market at $200 or less. It’s also an ideal first airgun for newbies and thus a great learning platform.
“But surely there’s nothing to tune with the Umarex Komplete?” I hear you say.
My response is that the Komplete is very well set-up by the factory. I agree that there’s no external tuning capabilities, such as we have become used to with many recent PCPs. However there are still some simple steps that can be taken to improve this versatile airgun.
Also, I’ll say that these “tuning” possibilities are simple ways to make the performance better and more consistent. So I took a regular production Komplete in .22 caliber, fitted it with the Komplete PCP Conversion from Air Venturi and set to work…
Umarex Komplete Tune Possibilities – Power Increase 1
This first “tune” is so simple that many people are going to laugh at me. But – if you are new to airguns and thus in the Komplete’s target market – it’s still one that you may not know.
As with almost all PCP airguns the single most effective, simple way to increase power is to shoot heavier pellets. Yes, these heavier pellets will travel more slowly than lighter ones, but they will hit with more “umph”. If you’re hunting, that’s something that will be very welcome.
Power in airguns is usually measured in Ft/Lbs. But as it’s derived from Muzzle Velocity, let’s start by filling the Komplete and shooting for 50 shots across a chronograph.
Above we see the Muzzle Velocity obtained with our test gun using 14.66 Grain H&N Field Target Trophy pellets. As is very clear from the graph, the velocity is very consistent at 881.36 FPS until shot 39, after which it falls rapidly.
The graph below shows the same Muzzle Velocities but converted into Ft/Lbs of Muzzle energy. That 881.36 FPS Muzzle Velocity average represents 25.29 Ft/Lbs with the 14.66 Grain pellets.
Now lets repeat the exercise using 21.14 Grain H&N Baracuda Match pellets. The chart is below. Immediately we see that the Muzzle Energy has jumped to an average of 28.75 Ft/Lbs
That’s an increase of 13.7% more power just by using a heavier pellet. Plus, you’ll see that one more shot was achieved before the regulator set point was met. So 40 very consistent shots. Conveniently, that’s four magazines capacity for the Komplete in .22 caliber.
Umarex Komplete Tune Possibilities – Power Increase 2
So we can see that the Komplete likes heavy pellets. The Baracudas shoot accurately too. But now it’s time to try something a little more interesting. It’s a good, old-fashioned hammer spring compression pre-load increase.
The thinking behind this is that more spring pre-load places more force on the hammer when the trigger is pulled. That opens the valve longer, allows more air to be released behind the pellet and so increases its Muzzle Energy.
At least that’s the thinking…
On the Komplete this involves first making the gun safe and un-cocked. Then remove the stock by unscrewing the stock screw (below).
The action simply lifts out of the stock. Then we need to push out the dowel pin in the rear of the molded receiver. It’s arrowed in the photograph below.
With the dowel pin out, the hammer spring is exposed and a washer or washers (I used 1/4-Inch SAE) can be placed between it and the retaining cap to increase the pre-load.
Before doing this, note that the hammer spring is already under some compression pre-load in the gun. It’s not a fearsome amount, but it’s enough that – if not restrained by your finger – the retaining cap can shoot across the workshop and get lost, resulting in a long hunt to find. You can guess how I know…
Having put the Komplete back together again. I filled again with High Pressure Air and repeated the 50-shot test. The result is shown in the graph below.
The result surprised me! Adding increased hammer spring pre-load did NOT increase the Komplete’s Muzzle Energy. In fact, it reduced it very slightly from an average of 28.42 Ft/Lbs to 28.33 Ft/Lbs with the same Baracuda Match pellets.
But! What we do see is that our Komplete now delivered 44 shots before reaching the regulator set point. That’s an increase of 5 shots per fill. Good!
If we now take that total number of consistent shots (44) and multiply it by the average Muzzle Energy, that gives us a total Muzzle Energy of 1,278.30 Ft/Lbs. That compares to the total Muzzle Energy of 986.45 Ft/Lbs with the Field Target Trophy pellets.
So simply changing to heavier pellets and adding one washer to increase the hammer spring pre-load gives us an additional 29.6% in total power for the same fill of High Pressure Air before the regulator set point is reached. Not bad!
Plus, the Standard Deviation (the mathematical calculation of shot-to-shot consistency) improved. It dropped from 0.28 Ft/Lbs to 0.23 Ft/Lbs. That’s easily visible in the more consistent shot curve. So we achieved more power and it was more consistent, too.
However you can go too far with this technique!
As the graph below shows, the performance with a second washer added reduced the total Muzzle Energy and widened the Standard Deviation back to where we started. That’s clearly not such a good result!
One comment I’d like to make here is that the Umarex Komplete delivered spectacular shot-to-shot consistency. Particularly at our “+1 washer” setting, it would not disgrace a $1,000 air rifle.
That’s outstanding!
Umarex Komplete Tune Possibilities – Trigger
The final part of our simple tune is to adjust the trigger. It’s done by rotating the setscrew arrowed in the photograph below. (This is likely a sear engagement screw, but Umarex does not tell us that).
For this test, our Komplete was fired 10 times and the resulting trigger pull weights measured with a Lyman Digital Trigger Pull Gauge.
Here’s the results with the gun in factory condition. As we can see, the average trigger pull weight was 45.2 Ounces (2 Lbs 13.2 Oz).
Then I rotated the trigger adjustment screw by half a turn counter-clockwise.
Again I was surprised to find that the trigger pull weight did not reduce. However, the Standard Deviation reduced – improved – by 50%. This made the trigger pull perceptibly more consistent.
Going further, I made another half turn counterclockwise to make one full turn. Again the pull weight did not actually decrease, however the Standard Deviation improved again slightly.
However the “feel” of the trigger also dramatically improved. There was a lot less “drag” between the first and second stage and the sear break was much more pronounced and easier to feel. So a big improvement!
At each stage, I banged the buttplate hard on the floor (with the gun unloaded, of course) to check for safety. The gun did not discharge and so remained safe!
I tried rotating the trigger adjustment screw one further half turn. But by then the Komplete would not cock or shoot at all. So back to the “1 turn” setting!
Umarex Komplete Tune Possibilities – Summary
So I learned that the Komplete does respond to these simple “tuning” steps. I now have a more consistent-shooting gun that delivers more downrange power. All of these are good things, of course!
Naturally every individual Komplete will be slightly different and it does require the appropriate measuring devices (chronograph and trigger pull gauge) to be precise. But I’m guessing that most Kompletes will be capable of similar incremental improvements on what is already an outstandng air rifle.
Plus I had fun doing it and learned some things, too!
BUY FROM PYRAMYD
Umarex Komplete NitroAir PCP Rifle 0.177
The post Simple Umarex Komplete Tune Possibilities appeared first on Hard Air Magazine.
ahead 
