5 year CF bottle hydrotested for airguns, are you having it done?

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hitech

Member
Oct 24, 2018
255
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Maryland, United States
This isn't a pole but more of a question. 

For those of you that have carbon fiber bottled guns, what are you doing - if anything - about getting the bottles hydrotested? Just like the larger CF tanks, there's a 5 year inspection date on the bottle.

There's a lot of new airguns (and ones that have been around for awhile as well) that have carbon fiber bottles as the air source. I'm considering buying another one ( I sold my last one and really didn't give it much thought ) but not sure about getting one due to the 5 year date on the bottles. Yes, I know that it's for safety and it should be done, but has anyone done it, and if so, what was the cost? I have an 18Cu ft tank that has 3 years left on it, so in 3 years I will have it hydrotested.

I'm bringing this up because I see more and more CF bottled guns being sold and I've not seen a single word from any manufacturer's ad that states that they need to have the bottle hydrotested every 5 years ( for 15 years ). I imagine that if they said anything it would drive sales down. I could be wrong, maybe there's some fine print I'm missing. I'm also wondering if aluminum bottle guns don't need a hydrotest even though their bottles ( most guns with aluminum bottles, certainly not all ) are removable as well.

If there's already been a recent topic on this, sorry, just point me in the right direction and check out that thread.
 
I purchased my Impact MKI back in 2016 from Precision Air, and that bottle is probably up for inspection here in the next 12 months. I'm not sure if the new owner knows to take care of this or not, but it's not a bad idea. I just had my 91 CuFt tank inspected at my local dive shop last year, which was $35 for a hydro test. I can't imagine it would be any more than that, but I'm also not sure about what additional piece you might need to include for them to test it as it has an FX valve installed. If FX could chime in with a best practice about approaching this, that would be ideal.
 
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No - not at all; I don't even think about it. Most of my rifles live a very boring, nurtured life and I don't know how any of them would get any structural damage that would affect their performance or reliability. I understand firemen taking their tanks into fires and putting them through other rough treatment would require periodic testing . . . but the bottles on my guns don't any sort of abuse like that.

But the more realistic situation is that I don't keep any rifle over 5 yrs to ever have to worry about it...
 
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No - not at all; I don't even think about it. Most of my rifles live a very boring, nurtured life and I don't know how any of them would get any structural damage that would affect their performance or reliability. I understand firemen taking their tanks into fires and putting them through other rough treatment would require periodic testing . . . but the bottles on my guns don't any sort of abuse like that.

But the more realistic situation is that I don't keep any rifle over 5 yrs to ever have to worry about it...
Click to expand...

"Structural damage is NOT...the only reason to have "pressure vessels", pressure tested.

Every time a "bottle"...is filled, especially if it's filled to its maximum pressure, it expands. Yes, steel, aluminum AND carbon fiber bottles expand from their unpressurized state to full.

I don't think I need to worry about mine, I'll probably be dead (old guy !) by the time mine need testing..!



Mike
 
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There was a thread about Used CF SCBA being sold on eBay that we’re past test date and end of use date. Various opinions but I bought 2013 cf SCBA and don’t worry about it. But, I do fill my own tank. I also have a cf on my Brocock and don’t plan on getting it tested ever. Just my 2 sense worth, if I have that much left!🥴
Click to expand...

I love this informed bit of tuff talking from the "experienced"..!

Ever seen a bottle / pressure vessel explode...? I have. It's NOT pretty OR safe to be around. Especially with you hand on it, at the most inopportune time.

I've been part of some testing in the past. Makes no difference the material OR...the "visual" condition.

Anyone remember that passenger plane in Hawaii a few (more !) years back that blew 2/3's of its top off ? Well...IT...exceeded its pressurized life...BY ONE time..!

Mike
 
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No, I don't ever think about it, much. It has been my understanding that the small gun bottles don't require such inspection by law, I could be wrong. This is from past threads on the forum, but please don't trust my recollection, make your own decisions. I know my FX gun only fills to 250 bar. The tank itself is rated much higher and that rating is 3:1 safety rated as well. Thank you DOT for that, but not all tanks are DOT approved.

I also fill two large DOT approved CF tanks myself. Both tanks were purchased off eBay with current hydro's. Those dates have past, but when filled, I trust the burst disc and I am not standing near them very often. I also visually inspect them for any signs of bulging and have them always secured in a tight fitting lid of a 5-gallon bucket as a test gauge sorta. They could fail I guess, but are rated much higher than 310 bar. The only major concern I have is the neck and valve getting broken off by my clumsiness, hence the large base of the bucket and always store upright at the bench, or traveling. I figure if they fail, it would be a split in the tank and air would just come out really aggressive but not explode. I could be wrong again there, but makes sense to me to my thinking. I don't how my fate will come to an end, but I don't think it will be my tanks taking me out, again just guessing there.
 
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