Saturday, May 3, 2008

Crosman Phantom 500 Disassembly guide

By
losttourist





Hello
I’d like to start by stating that this was my first attempt at tuning an air rifle. I used a combination of guides found online from various sources including Charlie da tuna and information from several air gun discussion groups. I decided to make a guide specifically for the Crosman Phantom 500 .22 cal air rifle since there were none to be found at this time.




Disclaimer: I am not responsible for any damage done to you or your air rifle thru the use of this document. It is strictly a guide. Your results will vary depending on your own abilities.
That said if you take it slow and work methodically you should be able to achieve successful results.




First things first: Make sure the rifle is uncocked! The safety should be on as well.
Now onto the tear down.
1: Remove the 2 forward stock screws and washers.
2: Remove the 1 screw behind the trigger.
3: Remove the receiver from the stock.






4: Break the barrel free but do not cock it! Remove the barrel block pivot bolt to separate it from the receiver forks.







5:Separate the sliding block from away from the receiver.

























6: Next you have to unhook the sliding block spring from the trigger block. Unhook it at the front leaving it hooked at the back on the trigger block. You can now remove the e clip as well.






















7: Now remove the trigger block retention screw, I used a pair of vice grips.





















8: Next comes the removal of the lock pin. When this is removed the spring will be released. This could pose a risk of injury. It is recommended that you use a spring compressor prior to completely punching out the lock pin. I did a really fast spring compressor for this job. Alternately for the disassembly part of the gun you can do this step without a compressor by butting the flat part of the end cap against a bench while pushing the receiver against it with force.
Then punch out the lock pin with a wooden dowel or a screw driver and a mallet. Once the pin is out while still retaining pressure on the receiver, pull out the dowel or screwdriver now in the hole. Slowly back off the pressure as the spring pushes out the end cap. Voila!






Similarly when putting it all back together you can try to do it the same way without a compressor just in reverse order. However putting it back is a little more difficult as you have to line it up right and put the lock pin back in. If you decide to put in a new stronger spring it will prove even more difficult without a compressor. It is your choice how you proceed.
9:Now you can remove the rear spring guide followed by the spring.


10:Remove the trigger block from the receiver.



11:Take the tophat off then pull the piston out using a screwdriver thru the slot of the receiver. My tophat did not fall out on its own. Seems there was some corrosion keeping it stuck in the piston. I sanded her down smooth before reassembly. (the above diagram is taken from a web source)


Congratulations ! You have now disassembled your Crosman Phantom 500 ! To reassemble your air rifle is basically the reverse of what you have done. Take care when you put back your piston. Make sure it is lubed lightly with silicone oil or dielectric grease on the seal and moly grease on the outside of the piston. (Not the seal) Align the long slot of the piston with the long slot of the receiver. You can use a dowel to push the piston all the way into the receiver.


Now that you have successfully taken apart your air rifle you can do a tune. Which may include upgrades such as springs or piston change that’s up to you. Tuning is another guide which you should be able to find online. A basic lube tune involves getting rid of the factory lubes some sanding etc. In my tune I replaced the 500 piston with a Phantom 1000 piston. I kept the original spring. I cleaned all the parts, sanded the spring ends and any rough spots I found on the receiver slots etc. Lubed it lightly with moly grease. My phantom is now a smooth firing powerhouse, and no factory twannnnggg!!


I hope this guide has helped you Phantom owners.
Happy airgunning!


losttourist








44 comments:

Anonymous said...

thank you for making a website on how to modify a Crosman Phantom 500. if been looking every were looking how to modify my Crosman Phantom 500 air rifle. It helped me a lot thank you. :)

losttourist said...

Glad it helped you out,happy airgunning!

Anonymous said...

hello i found your write up to be very helpful. i am looking for the part number for the new piston so i can order one for myself.
thanks in advance

losttourist said...

I dont have the part number, however when contacting crosman or other supplier simply ask for the phantom 1000 piston. You can get one from this guy as well.
scopesandammo.com

Anonymous said...

Thanks this helped me, but i am wondering if I want to increase the fps on my phantom 500 what would be the best thing to do get a phantom 1000 piston or a bigger spring?

losttourist said...

The best thing to do is keep the stock spring, replace the piston.

Anonymous said...

I have ordered a crosman phantom 1000 piston/seal from scopesandammo.com and I am wondering what does the fps go up to? and i am also wondering is it hard to get the spring and the piston back in the gun, like do you need a lot of force to get it back in?

losttourist said...

Hi
your velocities should increase similarly to my posted results. Everything depends on pellet choice and the gun itself. No two guns will shoot identical. You should be able to get your gun shooting at the high 600s to 700 with crosman hollowpoints.

Take care when you put back your piston. Make sure it is lubed lightly with silicone oil or dielectric grease on the seal and moly grease on the outside of the piston. (Not the seal) Align the long slot of the piston with the long slot of the receiver. You can use a dowel to push the piston all the way into the receiver.
You dont need a lot of lube. Use sparingly!
As to how hard it is to put back, if you keep the same spring you should be able to manage the pressure. You can make it easier by butting it up against a hard surface while pushing the whole assembly in.

Anonymous said...

Okay thanks
How much is the Fps on your air rifle? and is 600-700 Fps able to kill Crows, Squirrels, Rabbits and other animal about that size?

losttourist said...

All the fps info on my gun can be found on the blogs follow up.
http://losttourist-losttourist.blogspot.com/2008/05/crosman-phantom-500-post-tune-report.html

And here
http://losttourist-losttourist.blogspot.com/2008/05/rifle-has-settled-down.html

Yes it can easily take out the squirrels and crows. I've not shot rabbits so I cannot comment on that.

Anonymous said...

Thanks for your helpful write-up! I have a Phantom 500 (looking to upgrade to 1000) and was wondering what the difference was between the 500 piston you replaced, and the 1000 piston you put in. Is it just the length? Thanks!

losttourist said...

Yes the 500 piston is 2 inches shorter than the 1000. Therefore you could cut the 500 piston down.
Cut it down 2".
extend the channel for the cocking arm and drill/cut a new trigger tab hole with the same spacing from the end as it was before you cut it. Warning
If you too short or put the trigger hole too far towards the piston head you will have problems.

Anonymous said...

The pivot bolt screw won't move can you help me?

Anonymous said...

You know what would make this disassembly guide way better is if you made a video to go along with the info :)

Anonymous said...

Hey
I was wondering can I use WD-40 fo the piston?

losttourist said...

Zach! NO! absolutely no wd40! Keep anything with Petroleum distillates away from your gun. It will kill your seals and orings. Not to mention dieseling effects which are bad.
As for a video I may do one when I do the Benjamin Classic upgrade.
Im not sure I understand why you cant get the pivot bolt out.

Anonymous said...

Hi,

Thanks kindly for the guide.
I just swapped the piston and spring in my Phantom 500 and this being the first time tearing into it, the walk through was great reference.
I am now getting consistent shots @ 900fps over the Chrony.
Next is the Benjamin Classic .22 which only requires the piston.
For anyone interested, the Classic .22 has the same internals as the Phantom so this guide will also help with that.


Thanks again!

Anonymous said...

Just a note, the pivot bolt on my 500 was also impossible to break free but if you are careful and take your time you do not require removal of it anyway.

Anonymous said...

I just swapped the piston and spring in my Phantom 500..........getting consistent shots @ 900fps over the Chrony.Where did you get the spring? I thought that the stock spring was best. ScopesAndAmmo have the piston and seal.

losttourist said...

Is your phantom a .177 cal ? I'm guessing that's what it is with that high velocity of 900fps. Mine is .22 cal.
I've thought of adding some washers to get a bit more velocity increase, but don't want it to become to harsh a shooter.

Anonymous said...

How much better would a tuned Phantom .22 vs a a tuned .177?

losttourist said...

If by better you mean velocity, the .177 will shoot faster. So if that's what you are asking the .177
is the higher velocity gun. The .22 however will give you a higher energy impact due to the weight of the pellet.
For example:
a .22 cal pellet weighing 14.3g
going at 700fps will produce 15.6 foot pounds energy or 21.10 joules.
whereas a .177 cal pellet weighing
7.9g going at 900fps will produce
14.21 foot pounds energy or 19.27 joules.
So as you can see in the above scenario even though the .22 is travelling at a slower speed of 700fps it produces more fpe than the .177 pellet travelling 900 fps.
So which is better, it's all up to you to decide.
I used to shoot strictly .177 but since I tried the .22 I really enjoy shooting that caliber better. There is nothing wrong with the .177 cal it is strictly my preference.
Hope this answers your question.

Anonymous said...

Thanks, you nailed it!!!

Anonymous said...

Nice work lost tourist. ha, I am intrested in the same guns. I am looking at the .22 Bejamin Classic the Pahntom and the Beretta PX4(recon version).

I was thinking that the Classic .22 was more like a tuned down Super streak than a Phantom 1000. Are the Super Streak Pistons and Springs availible yet? Will they fit?

How do the dimentions Of the classic compare to the SStreak? On the web they look identical in the pics except for the lack of sites on the classic.

Have you found a Parts diagram for teh Classic 22?

losttourist said...

It is a lot like the super streak though it is not the same length. The super streak measures
49.75" long while the classic is 43.75". I presume it is as you say a spring and piston away from being as powerful as the superstreak.
I've heard from a reliable source that replacement parts wont be available for about 5-6 months. So I'd be looking at around the fall of 2009 to be able to tune it to the superstreak's specs.
No I haven't found any parts diagrams at this time for the Classic.
Though I like the Phantom, I can tell you that I feel the Classic to be a much better gun. It shoots so much smoother in my opinion. As I've mentioned on my blog the thumbhole stock gives you total control of the rifle. The scope included is also a very nice one with adjustable objective.

Anonymous said...

Thanks LT, that helps with my desision to buy one. Although I may just wait for my PAL and buy the Super Streak.

Sounds like the delay in parts has to do with the change-over to crosman being at the helm of Benjamin S. Or so I gather from talking to one of the Reps.

Did you buy yours at C-Tire? I had a look at it there. Man the quality is fantastic for an sir rifle. The wood is so smooth, the trigger feels great, nicce and balanced weight.


If you come across a Parts breakdown for the Classic 22 please post it.

Thanks for the Blog.

losttourist said...

Yes got it from CT. When I find the diagram I will put it up.
best regards

Unknown said...

Hey Losttourist,


You said:

"Yes the 500 piston is 2 inches shorter than the 1000. Therefore you could cut the 500 piston down. "

I'm a bit confused by this statement. Did you mean that the 500 piston is 2 inches LONGER than the 1000 piston? So if you cut those two inches off you get a piston the same size as the 1000?

Also, is there any difference in the spring or any other parts between the 500 and 1000 models?

Thanks!

losttourist said...

Yes the 500 piston is 2 inches longer than the 1000. The shorter piston allows for more swept volume, giving you more power. The 1000 spring is different than the 500. At the time of the tune the 1000 spring did not fit into that current phantom 500 model. I have heard that later model phantoms may accomodate the 1000 spring, but I cannot confirm this. Just replace the piston it's a good upgrade on its own.

Unknown said...

I was just going to purchase a new piston but I have a lot of metal working tools so on your advice I am modifying my existing piston.

I cut off 2 inches with a chop saw and created a new trigger lock slot, and the gun cocks fine (and it fully compresses the spring too which is good), but I neglected to lengthen the cocking slot on the piston so I couldn't get the barrel closed once it was cocked. Doh. I'll fix it and then post my results.

Just a note that if you go this route the steel the piston is made of is super hard, none of my drill bits would touch it. The only effective tools I found that worked well were the thin dremel cutoff wheels and the dremel grinding bits.

Anonymous said...

Hi Losttourist, I have a crossman 500 and was looking to upgraded it. To upgrade it i need to replace the spring and piston right? Could you possibly give the dimensions of the upgraded spring? because i found a website but do not know which spring to get

losttourist said...

The upgrade I performed did not include a spring replacement. I used the phantom 500 spring that was in the gun to begin with. I have heard that the quest/phantom 1000 spring did not fit early models of the phantom 500. I can not confirm this but I believe later models of the phantom now can accept the 1000 spring. Best bet for your I guess if you want to change the spring, go ahead and order the spring and see if it fits. However by just replacing the piston and polishing and deburring the internals you will get a decent increase in fps. Check out the Crosman website for the spring part number.

ACSial said...

How much does the Phantom 1000 piston cost?

Does one need to purchase a new seal, &c., too?

losttourist said...

Yes you need to order the seal as well. All together if I recall it came to around $40. shipped.

Anonymous said...

I recently purchased a piston, seal and spring from ScopesAndAmmo.com for 45.75 shipped.

I ordered the spring because I was tuning the Phantom .177 version (from Cdn/Tire). The .177 spring is about 1.5 inches shorter then the one in the Phantom 1000.

To remove the spring I didn't need a spring compressor because the spring was so short. All I had to do was push the pin out with a screw driver. But it took some work putting the pin back in with the new spring.

Thanks losttourist for your guide I found it very useful.

losttourist said...

Hi there
Im glad to hear that your tune up was a success and that my little guide helped out. Were you able to get any chrony numbers from your tune? Im curious what the .177 can do compared to my .22

best regards
LT

Anonymous said...

Hi LT

I thought I had posted my comment but I don't see it. So I'll post it again. I don't have a chorny so I can't give you any numbers. But, when I use PBA pellets I do hear a sonic crack. So with PBA pellets I'm getting at least 1150 fps. I would assume that with lead pellets I should average 900 fps.

regards,
TV

Anonymous said...

just whacked off 1 3/4 off the piston in my gun it works great

Anonymous said...

When you do the piston modification, the only mod you have to do to the gun is swap pistons? Am i correct? or do you have to modify the gun to suit the new 1000 piston.

Thanks

losttourist said...

The piston simply replaces the stock 500 piston. No mods needed to fit it in. You should however check that any burrs on the receiver tube are removed,polish as needed. If there are any burrs you may damage your seal on your piston as you insert it back in.

Anonymous said...

Hey, thank you very much for you post, it helps me a lot increasing my passion to modify my own phantom 500 to a higher lever.I'd like to know the difference when you hear the shooting sounds before and after. It is good to make it possessing better fps, but will it increase the sound a lot? or just a little bit?

Anonymous said...

Alrighty,

Just bought, the crossman phantom 500 .22. I switched the piston to a 1000 piston, but i also drilled the transfer hole out to .128 a #30 drill. Wich is about .015 bigger than the stock transfer hole. After a few very powerful shots, the pressure just seems to plummet and the shots become less powerful than the stock phantom 500. Any Ideas on how to fix this problem? Is the barrel heating up? Is there air passing the seal? Is the stock barrel seal not hard enough? Any help would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks

losttourist said...

Hello
It's been so long since I heard the stock phantom that I cant remember if the sound increased or not after the tune. I believe it may increase a little, but nothing extreme by any means.

Now as for the next comment regarding your power loss. Since I dont have any experience with drilling the transfer port, I have no idea what could have happened. You say you think the first couple of shots were very powerful then, it died. Maybe the seal on the piston is toast, dont know. I suggest you visit these sites and ask for help there.
http://ultimateairguns.aimoo.com/General-Discussion-1-34465

http://www.airgunhome.com/agforum/index.php?sid=56f6aadfd15a897638d6bfd147853546
good luck.

Anonymous said...

I have a Canadian Crosman Phantom 0.22Cal; factory 495fps.

I bought it last week, and plan to upgrade the Piston, Seal, and Spring to a Phantom 1000. I contacted Scopesandammo.com, including shipping; the total will be $46.33

A) Any word if the spring will fit my gun? or where I may be able to confirm if it will fit? Call Crosman directly?

B) The Phantom 1000 is a 0.17Cal correct? is there a 0.22Cal Phantom 1000 on the market? When ordering my spring/piston do I have to specify that I have the 0.22Cal, or will the 0.17Cal spring/piston fit?

C) If I swap the Piston, Seal, and Spring, what FPS can I expect from my gun?