Air Gun Home :: View topic - Rediscovered my old Daisy 99 Target model.

Goldwing · New Member

My older brother was helping my Mom clean out the attic the other day and found my old Daisy 99 Target. He shot me a text picture of it and said that if I could tell him what it is I could have it. I gave him the right answer and told him I would be right over. The gun is in beautiful shape except that the peep sight insert is missing and it only fires a BB three feet. There seems to be plenty of tension on the cocking spring and you can tell the piston (for lack of the proper word) is moving like it should as the trigger is pulled. I checked on the web concerning this and it was suggested that I put lots of silicone oil in it to swell the rawhide seal that pressurizes the air upon cocking the gun. Any thoughts on this? I don't want to cause more problems with a 40 something year old gun.
Terry

Slavia · Moderator

I have a Model 99 also. That was the gun that evolved into the 499, which is billed as "the world's most accurate BB gun." (The 499 is a single shot muzzle loader, while the 99 is a repeater.) Pretty nice trigger for a Daisy lever action. Same shot tube as the Model 25. It is part catapult and part airgun. The front of the piston has a long, hollow probe that directs air to the BB, and also whacks the BB off the magazine spring that holds it in place. It sounds like you're getting the catapult effect but no air.

I would use a light non-detergent motor oil on the seal. A quart from an automotive supply store is cheap and will last forever. If that doesn't restore the seal then contact Daisy for a replacement. The gun is so low-powered that you don't have to worry about the oil dieseling.

Goldwing · New Member

Thanks for the reply Slavia,
can you direct me to a parts break down or an exploded view so I can tell how to install the seal?
Terry

Slavia · Moderator

Here's some stuff to get you started:
http://www.network54.com/Forum/576299/message/1309598349/Daisy.++++Model++99.+++++Service++Manual.
http://www.pyramydair.com/blog/2009/06/bb-gun-disassembly/
http://css.treenut.net/projects/bb_gun/

As you cruise the net you will find people making screw-jack spring compressors to remove the springs in their air rifles. The 99 spring is not nearly as powerful, and you can do it with hand pressure. The trick is that you have to make a tool to reach down inside the tube (with the trigger assembly in the way). That last link shows a guy using shish kebab skewers. I went to the hardware store and got 1/16" square X 12" long steel rods - same difference.

Here's Daisy:
http://www.daisy.com/contactus

Goldwing · New Member

Slavia, I thank you kindly for the great info you've given me! My Daisy 99 Target is working as well as it ever has. The parts breakdown from the manual was the key to me understanding how it all works. The problem was all caused by oem lube being left to bake and freeze in an attic for 40 some years. Now she's clean and well oiled and seems to really snap the BBs into the target. Any estimates on what FPS they will generate? Thanks again.
Terry

Slavia · Moderator

Happy to help. A guess as to velocity would be in the neighborhood of 300 FPS, based on the capabilities of Daisy's other guns:
http://www.pyramydair.com/a/BB_guns_and_pellet_guns/1116/cat_1117/calibers_0_177/vel_240_0T600_0

shawn706 · Member

Here's a drawing for a plunger fork for depressing the main spring for disasembly.

http://www.georgia4h.org/safe/disciplines/Rifle/BB/499%20plunger%20fork.pdf

Should the need ever come back up.

Slavia · Moderator

That's cool. Way more elegant than the two rods I used. The PVC option on the drawing should work just fine - it's a wimpy spring that isn't preloaded much.

LANNY HAFF · New Member

What happens to this particular gun is the 2 seals [rubber] stick together if the gun sets for awhile. there's a guy on the web called treenut that has good info about taking 1 apart. You can get parts from a place called Daisy Gun Works in Green Valley AZ. The owner is real helpful. The Model 25 + the 99 are the most powerful BB guns daisy made. Lanny

cobalt327 · New Member

Forgive me for dredging up this old thread, but it came up during search I did so possibly this will help someone else who sees it.

I made a spring compressor from a piece of scrap wood and two lengths of steel rod. It is shown below.
Specs:
The wood is 1-1/2" x 5/8" x 10" long. I smoothed the end and edges for ease of handling.
The rods are 5/32" diameter (1/8” would work fine, too.), having >/= 6-1/2" exposed length.
The rods are inserted into drilled holes that are ~1" deep and JB Weld holds them in place.

This is one made from a cheap spark plug socket and a piece of broom handle:

Below are spring compressors of a different type- they compress the plunger spring. This was made from inexpensive hardware that many folks will already have:

An innovative plunger tube assembly compressor:

To make compressing the plunger spring easier when it’s time to reinstall the plunger assembly, I use a 13/16" OD washer with an ID large enough to fit easily over the plunger tube to give the spring compressor tool something more than just the end of the spring to purchase on. The washer goes on the tube first followed by the preload spacer if used, then the spring, followed by the wiper and piston. I found some washers that were a perfect fit while rummaging through the hardware drawers at my local Ace hardware. IIRC they were in the bushing area. Cost was like a nickel each.