Pcp pumps

CYanchycki

Club Coordinator
Okay more than likely almost everyone that shoots hardcore air rifle uses a compressor or scuba tank. I just bought a Diana Stormrider just for pest control at the cabin.

First thing I am doing is ordering the regulator kit from Pyramid and installing it. I may even install a second barrel band just ahead of the stock to add a bit more stiffness.

I know it is a cheapo but the way it shoots at the moment it will more than lay the smackdown on the squirrels at the cabin.

Question is for a hand pump. What would be the bare minimum to go with?

Oh yah, and since I live in Canada and it is rated at over 495 fps, we do not get the crappy little suppressor.....lol

Thanks
Calvin
 
Hokayyy, I'll try get the ball rolling :)

I don't know much from PCP's altho I did once have a RAW all lined up to purchase once. I was prepared to spend 5 grand and I did do a lot of research.... and I do have an Extreme Big Bore in the shop that has killed elk.....

My little brother has a Rogue (Marauder) and a hand pump. And he's met some other PCP guys. He's 225lb of construction guy and he described what it's like to pump one up by hand.

I'm just going from memory here but it sounds like the keys to the equation are #1, tank capacity and #2 the pressure you want to (or can) run.

The hunting rifle in my shop is designed for 4500psi as I understand it.

The Benjamin/Rogue setup is 3000-3600 psi I think and

Your Diana seems to run around 2000 psi.

My IMPRESSION is that 2000psi is "easy" with a small tank. I'm going to guess 10 minutes up/down (these pumps pressurize on both strokes)

3000psi is like 20-40 minutes of sweat and from what I gathered 4500psi is basically masochism defined..... I think 3000psi is probably about where you need to weigh 200+ or you're lifting your body on the downstroke.

I_think_ you can pump up your Diana with a $40.00 pump in 10 minutes.

I also think you'll have a slight dew on your upper lip at the end of the ten.

BTW in the interest of preserving the rednekkid tradition of secret handshakes alive, most airgun terminology ref's pressure as "bar" which simply means ambient described as a power. I think in psi, and I'm an inveterate SWAG'er, so I just use 14psi as ambient and multiply by "bar" to get rough psi. In other words "150 bar" in AlWorld becomes 150X14=2100psi


There.....


That should be enough mis-information to get someone to correct me and thereby you'll get your answer :)

from a real airgunner, not Ol' AnilWa
 
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I_think_ you can pump up your Diana with a $40.00 pump in 10 minutes.

I know a lot has changed since I geared up, and there are some cheap pumps on the market, but I haven't seen anything in the $40 range. Ever. But, could be there today...

I have only owned one PCP hand pump - because that's how many you need to own to convince yourself that a 'real' compressor and scuba tank are worth the cost. It's an Air FX and it works great. When I bought mine, Sheridan had a cheaper pump but it had pretty mixed reviews. I've had the Air FX pump for 5-6 years(?). I used it heavily at first and it still gets used somewhat frequently just to 'top up' the gun when the scuba tank is a little low and on some field trips. Still works great.

GsT
 
decent hand pump with a filter is in the $250 area. Powered pumps inexpensive Chi-com units mostly a waste of money. Generally it is a 50/50 shot if they work out of the box and do not last long. A decent scuba pump will run apx $2000 on up. The ShoeBox compressor is a good deal at $500 but you need to feed it 90 psi from a standard compressor- preferably an oil-less one available all over. 1 BAR is= to 14.5 psi. Now a bit of good news, once you pump a totally empty cylinder up you will only be topping it off after x amount of shots as you will fall out of the useful pressure range. Number of shots (useful) depends on caliber and velocity. hope this clears up things up a bit. Note i have several pcp units I have a old miltary 3000 psi compressor for filling scuba tanks of apx 80 cubic inches and then use those to refill the small tanks on the rifle and pistols
Note the shoebox is a second stage compressor hence the reason for the average shop compressor. It will fill up to 4500psi,
Another popular option is to acquire a large tank ( 4500 psi) as noted above and have it refilled at a scuba shop if that is convenient in your area and then use that to fill your rifle tank. this method will give many top offs of the rifle tank before needing to revisit the scuba shop ( or similar source) Hope this clears things up a bit.

Check out Airgun Warriors forums for sources and overall information. ( it replaces the old yellow forum) be safe and have fun. Chris

another note; there are several compressors in the $1000-1600 range- generally the reviews while starting out ok - the long term seems to be a problem.
 
Thanks Al for

Starting this off and everyone for some help.

I went with the Diana as a cheap entry level and will definately do what I need it to.

I did some searching on Amazon but as usual, very SKEPTICAL about the cheap Asian pumps. Cheap Asian anything.

Blades, I did look up the Shoebox but I thought they were over 1G Note US? Add at least 40% for the Canadian dollar and the other red tape.......OUCH.

Thanks again. Will do more searching.

Calvin
 
search ' hand pump pcp ' on Amazon

Well, that was enlightening. I saw pumps as cheap as $50, although the reviews were pretty mixed bag, tending to be poor for those that have used the pump for a while and good for the "I just filled my PCP to 3000PSI" (i.e. first-use) folks. I did see a Hatsan (at least a name I recognize) for $100 - that's pretty good if it holds up.

GsT
 
I used the German ones when first starting out. Freedom 10 shoebox compressor direct websight.
 
I think someone should come up with a rotary pump linked to a recumbent bicycle spinning a 50lb flywheel.....
 
I guess, on second thought, that's a liddle crazy..... so maybe a small cost-effective stand for YOUR bicycle.

That drives a rotary pump.

I still like the rotary idea, bobbing ump-and-down like a timberdoodle just ain't in it.... for me :)
 
Actually you are not far off quite a Few years back Before the big hack) a couple of enterprising individuals took a hand pumps and motorized them using that basic principal. Cooling systems had to be devised as compressing air to these levels creates a lot of heat - enough to damage the seals on the hand pumps.
 
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