
Airgun Designs gives you very basic instructions for installing and tuning the Level 10. By all accounts, this can be a very time-consuming procedure that requires multiple disassemblies. However, there is an easier way that requires a minimum of effort.
1. Following AGD instructions, remove the old bolt assembly from the marker and place the white plastic spacer in the valve.
2. Choose a carrier O-Ring from the kit, and place it in the bottom of one of the larger carriers.
3. Slide the carrier and O-Ring over the shaft tip of the Level 10 bolt. Keep going down in size (remembering to move the O-Ring to the new carrier) until you find a carrier that offers a tiny bit of resistance when moving on the shaft, then select that carrier and the next two smaller sizes from the bag.
4. Install the first carrier you selected in the last step in the valve, place the bolt in the valve, install the short gold spring on the bolt, and insert the valve assembly into the gun and gas it up. Crank the velocity up a couple turns to ensure you have enough pressure.
5. If you hear a leak, listen closely. If it's barely audible when you place your ear to the feed neck, pull the trigger and dry fire it. If the leak goes away, add a shim or two on top of the carrier and you're done. The shims place additional pressure on the carrier, thus effectively decreasing its size by squeezing the O-Ring.* Until the O-Ring breaks in, you may hear a slight leak until the first dry fire. If, however, the leak is quite noticeable, remove the valve and switch to the next smaller carrier and repeat this step.
6. Once you have eliminated the leak, pull the valve out one final time. Install the red spring on the Level 10 bolt, reinstall it, gas the gun up again, and crank the velocity screw down until it will fire. Now stick your finger in the feed neck and pull the trigger. Surprise, surprise! The bolt will stop on your finger and reverse. That's it! You're done!
* Airgun Designs claims the shims actually increase the size of the carrier. However, if you actually understand how the Level 10 works, this is impossible. The pressure from above helps to flatten the O-Ring. When you flatten an O-Ring it expands horizontally to compensate, and the hole on the inside gets smaller, thereby making it fit tighter. It therefore reduces the size of the carrier when you add extra spacers on top of it.
Note: The Level 10 is sensitive to changes in velocity. The red spring is used for most play, and works fine in the 270-300 FPS range. However, if you are playing a night or indoor game, and must turn your velocity down to 260 FPS or below, you will need to use the shorter gold spring. If you are running a basic Automag or with the T2W stock, you can perform this change in about 2 minutes at the chronograph. I have personally performed the changeover while wearing a mask and pod pack, so I know it is simple. Just carry the Level 10 box in your pocket. If you are using the Longbow shroud, you must perform the disassembly in the staging area. There are 4 tiny screws to remove, and you do not want to risk losing them.
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