So I am completely new to the PCP game. I have powder burners and a break barrel but no PCP's until now. I ordered a Kral Puncher Jumbo and now I have to figure out how I am going to fill it. I pretty much don't want to mess with manual pumping. I am 60 but still in great health and condition but the thought of pumping a gun up for 200-300 strokes just doesn't sound even a little fun. So from what I gather you can get a compressor or get bottles and have them filled. I am curious how many fills you get with a 60 minute SCBA bottle? 30 minute? And what about using a SCUBA tank instead of the SCBA? How much in extra parts will I need to purchase to interface with the bottles? As for compressors which one? Is it better to get a compressor and bottle/s and just fill up the bottles? I have a huge shop air compressor and it sucks you can't use that monster.......LOL! I know I have a million questions but you folks all seem quite friendly and willing to help a newbie out and I thank you in advance for any and all advice!
Bought a new PCP Gun now what? Need help please!
- Thread starter HKVP9
- Start date
Lots of posts here lately about "what's the best compressor," so figure out if you want to spend $300, $600, $1000 or $4000. Higher price equals higher quality and reliability, but only you can decide how much it will get used. Lots of guys, for years, have been using the low-end Yong Hengs and Tuxings.
Booster pumps are a viable alternative if you already have a good shop compressor. Altaros makes the most common one: https://www.militaryairgun.com/50-compressors
Many fill their guns directly from compressors, but I think most use a bottle in-between as it's more convenient.
Don't even consider a SCUBA unless someone give you one, and actually can't fill many guns on the market due to low pressure. An SCBA (new or used) tank will give you many, many more fills due to its higher pressure capacity. When it comes to fittings, don't cheap out. It can be hard to tell if parts from China are quality or not, so if in doubt buy from a reputable dealer in the US or Europe (e.g. Best Fittings in the UK). For my 2 SCBA bottles, I use https://www.topgun-airguns.com/product/scba-hose-assembly/ . $160 may seem like a lot, but it's quality-made, and really has only gone up in price about $10 between now & when I purchased my first one 12 or so years ago.
Booster pumps are a viable alternative if you already have a good shop compressor. Altaros makes the most common one: https://www.militaryairgun.com/50-compressors
Many fill their guns directly from compressors, but I think most use a bottle in-between as it's more convenient.
Don't even consider a SCUBA unless someone give you one, and actually can't fill many guns on the market due to low pressure. An SCBA (new or used) tank will give you many, many more fills due to its higher pressure capacity. When it comes to fittings, don't cheap out. It can be hard to tell if parts from China are quality or not, so if in doubt buy from a reputable dealer in the US or Europe (e.g. Best Fittings in the UK). For my 2 SCBA bottles, I use https://www.topgun-airguns.com/product/scba-hose-assembly/ . $160 may seem like a lot, but it's quality-made, and really has only gone up in price about $10 between now & when I purchased my first one 12 or so years ago.
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TN_Yankee is correct, upper right corner of page, search, "Yong Heng," "Tuxing," "GX CS Series," or "Vevor," topic well covered. SCBA tank works fine if you've a place to fill that's not too far away, or expensive. Booster pumps should also be researched, lots of homework. Optics and ammo questions might be next, bring those back along with any fill program ones, many here willing to help. Best of Luck, WM
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Thank you for taking time to answer my questions. The booster pump thing is a new idea I had never heard before. But they seem to be as much money as a high dollar compressor?
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I am good with the ammo and optics part of things. Waiting to try a Sightmark Wraith HD out on this new gun for nighttime rat eradication duty. The "fill program" has me scratching my head a little? Can you clarify please? Believe me when I tell you my eyes are bleeding from all the research and reading I have been doing.........LOL So how many fills can I get with a good sized SCBA bottle taking into account I will be using my new Kral Puncher Jumbo with a 200 bar/2900 psi bottle?
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I highly recommend the GX Pumps CS4! It's 4 stage, water cooled (on-board cooling system, no buckets), has a 5 hour run cycle, will fill air guns and large tanks to 5000 psi. Buy once and have plenty of compressor power to grow into as you delve further into the world of PCP! And, all for under $600 shipped! Here's a link to their website to check out the specs:
gxpumpofficial.com
Also, use Coupon Code GX10OFF to get an additional 10% off the current price! Good luck and congrats on tumbling into the PCP Rabbit Hole!
GX Pump PCP Air Compressor | GX CS4 Air Gun Compressors 2023
GX CS4 Portable PCP Air Compressor, 350W Powerful Motor,Max 5800Psi/40Mpa, Water and Fans Cooling, 5 Hours Continous Work, 12V Auto Stop，for PCP Air Rifle Paintball
gxpumpofficial.com Also, use Coupon Code GX10OFF to get an additional 10% off the current price! Good luck and congrats on tumbling into the PCP Rabbit Hole!
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AoA has a fill calculator you can play with
If I remember correctly for SCBA's a 30min is 45cu ft | 45min is 66 cu ft and a 60min is 88cu ft. Some shyt like that.
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I believe he just means what equipment & choices you're going to make on filling your gun.
Fresh from the new "How to" section of this site: https://www.airgunnation.com/threads/how-to-basic-airgun-calculators.1302661/
Additional details: https://www.airgunnation.com/threads/what-size-bottle-can-my-compressor-fill.1283837/#post-1422980
https://www.airgunnation.com/threads/laymans-terms-for-fills.1297452/#post-1572784
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HK,
Of course, how to fill your PCP is a big part of things. From a $50 Chinese high-pressure air (HPA) handpump to a multi-thousand-dollar compressor there's a big range in products and pricing. Many members, having given up on the handpump and lacking both funds and need for big dollar compressors, have settled on the $500 range compressor, mainly Yong Heng and GX CS Series. Narrow your AGN archival search to these two and, hopefully, some clarity will follow. WM
Of course, how to fill your PCP is a big part of things. From a $50 Chinese high-pressure air (HPA) handpump to a multi-thousand-dollar compressor there's a big range in products and pricing. Many members, having given up on the handpump and lacking both funds and need for big dollar compressors, have settled on the $500 range compressor, mainly Yong Heng and GX CS Series. Narrow your AGN archival search to these two and, hopefully, some clarity will follow. WM
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My choice is a Yong Heng and a used, expired, SCBA tank (available on ebay). I tried a cheap fill set but it leaked badly which is apparently common. So I spent about $150 on a good one. I get about 10 full 250 bar fills of my ~200cc airguns from my 45 minute SCBA tank. I use the bottle if I go to the range or something. I like the fact that fills from the bottle are nearly silent and immediate. The Yong Heng works best with good oil and some additional cooling. It also helps a lot that I have a place in the house I can leave it set up. It is noisy but relatively powerful (motor is about 1500W).
Another reasonable way to go in my opinion is the GX CS2. You can get it set up for a little Makita battery or 120V/12V. So you can use it away from your house. The motor is only about 300W so fills are going to take longer. But I do not think it is as noisy and it doesn't require water cooling so you do not have all the setup/space requirement. Target Forge also did a video about modifying the 120/12V version for a battery so you could have all three options. I like that option the best because I have a bunch of Milwaukee tool batteries. I have not purchased a GX CS2 yet but I may. It seems like the easiest to carry for a longer trip. But at home I would use my bottle. There are cheaper similar compressors but Target Forge has parts for the GX line.
The GX CS4 is another way to go. It has a slightly larger motor but is still small compared to the YH. But it's cooling is all self contained and it can run for hours so it can, in over an hour, fill a bottle. It is also relatively quiet.
There are more expensive compressors and some of them are probably worth the money but I don't really know anything about them. My YH has already lasted 2 years and is still working great. If it failed tomorrow I would fix it or buy another. I have a couple hand pumps I would use temporarily if my YH dies. You are correct in my view that it isn't fun to pump particularly a larger gun (wasn't bad with my Prod) but it can keep you shooting and pumps are also very portable.
Another reasonable way to go in my opinion is the GX CS2. You can get it set up for a little Makita battery or 120V/12V. So you can use it away from your house. The motor is only about 300W so fills are going to take longer. But I do not think it is as noisy and it doesn't require water cooling so you do not have all the setup/space requirement. Target Forge also did a video about modifying the 120/12V version for a battery so you could have all three options. I like that option the best because I have a bunch of Milwaukee tool batteries. I have not purchased a GX CS2 yet but I may. It seems like the easiest to carry for a longer trip. But at home I would use my bottle. There are cheaper similar compressors but Target Forge has parts for the GX line.
The GX CS4 is another way to go. It has a slightly larger motor but is still small compared to the YH. But it's cooling is all self contained and it can run for hours so it can, in over an hour, fill a bottle. It is also relatively quiet.
There are more expensive compressors and some of them are probably worth the money but I don't really know anything about them. My YH has already lasted 2 years and is still working great. If it failed tomorrow I would fix it or buy another. I have a couple hand pumps I would use temporarily if my YH dies. You are correct in my view that it isn't fun to pump particularly a larger gun (wasn't bad with my Prod) but it can keep you shooting and pumps are also very portable.
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I loaned an Altaros booster to a friend who's compressor broke. He's been running almost daily for the better part of 7 months (no issues). I top off my 88cubic foot tank when I go to his house. Most trouble free system if you have a large shop compressor. I have Omega Trail Charger (gx-cs4 - recommend) and tuxing 032 (faster but likely to need intelligent rebuild before use, all info on forum here)
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