After re-shimming the hop up as in re-glueing, I found shoe goo to be more sturdy and strong compared to the Elmer's glue. However, the shim on the arm likes to come undone simply because it is a tight fit, and to move it takes some force causing the shim to slowly "peel" off. But with the piece applying pressure to the arm, it causes the shim to stay in place enough to do its job.
Onto the results....
A few changes have been made to the rifle. This includes...
1. SP 130 spring--CT man was right. Bolt pull is a piece of cake! I love the Sp 130 spring in there, and will never put a new one in. Absolutely amazing, so much easier and you will soon find out I am getting some very good range.
2. Cylinder unit: Cleaned this thing many many times for hours. Nice and shiny..
3. Shimmed hop up...duh
4. Bucking: I carefully made sure it went in the slot correctly. Before, it was slightly off, and caused the chamber to compress and squish the bucking. This resulted in no hop shots.
The results:
I only took a few shots with .28s, but I was getting some serious range off into the woods, and very nice and straight shots. The best part is, my hop up is set half way, meaning I could carry some heavier bbs if desired.
Extremely happy with the results. I mastered the l96, and am currently on my way to mastering the VSR. Special thanks to SVT Cobra for the great shim guide!