Hand pumping a pcp

[john8]

I would say it depends on your shooting habits. I can go through half tin of pellets at a sitting, plinking and paper punching so I opted out for a compressor. When hunting I rarely use more than 10 pellets. I can eat the air up with the Hubens and SK, hand pumping was just a non starter.

 

[badger5th]

Me..with feet on the pump base/stand, I pull the pump handle up to my belt-line. At this point my elbows are slightly bent. I then relax my legs and let my weight drive the pump down..to about a half-squat position..then stand back up. Repeat. My arms remain "locked" and don't move at all. There's really not a lot of work to it..

That's exactly the same way I did it. It works and is probably the most effective way to hand pump up to the higher pressures. Nevertheless you still have to effectively lift your body weight by straightening your legs, similar to climbing stairs. Consider each hand pump stroke the same as climbing a step or two. A 50 pump fill is like climbing 4-5 stories. I just never cared for it; would rather walk back and forth to 50/100 yards and change targets.

 

[lbc_PSI]

Try hand pumping a empty 580cc tank and tell me it isn’t difficult

Well I’ve never tried a 580cc tank..but I’ll guess it may be easier than a GC Rim2Rim in 14 hours. Plenty in the 220-300cc range, though. If I start shooting more I’ll probably make the switch to the “darkside” and get a GK compressor..and yes, I am a frugal chump

 

[rigbymauser]

15 years ago I handpumped 1000cc(2x500cc) for this .25cal Theoben Rapid. It was in the days when I could at anytime of the clock take 130-150 push-ups several times . Today I am very happy I only have a Daystate that has a 162cc volume to handpump. Aircompressors have come to stay....I will get one too.

 

[harrymoreland]

Horses for courses.

 

[Joedirt199]

You learn to tune for efficiency when you hand pump.

 

[beerthief]

HMMMM ? got my invention mind working now

 

[Nomadic Pirate 66]

A rower,
....with two pumps, or even 4
I bet you you could even fill tanks with it and would be way easier then a bicyle pump style.


Somebody should start making it and put it on the market, betcha would be a hit

 

[Joedirt199]

I would be down for a rowing machine air pump. Now that's good cardio.

 

[Royal Scam]

Or you could have one that you sit at like an old blacksmithing grinder stone...with a peddle.
Or a gear wheel you could turn by hand.

 

[badger5th]

OK, putting this into perspective. I am a fairly healthy late 50's guy. I use an exercise bike about a 1/2 hour a day. I breakout in a decent sweat doing 125-150 watts output on the bike. Now look at a Yong Heng unit. It's nameplate rated for 1,800 watts INPUT from a wall receptacle. The motor is about 50% efficient so a YH pump compressor is seeing about 900 watts of work input at the crankshaft.

That's 5-6 times what an average human can do over an extended period.

Another thing to be mindful of is the reciprocating nature of the work input into a HPA compressing cycle. A turbine compressor is smooth running but requires insane RPM's for much less pressure boost. A turbofan aircraft engine compressor operates at 30,000 RPM +/- and only approximately doubles the air pressure entering the combustion chamber. For filling our airguns/tanks we need to increase it by 200 TIMES intake pressure, nevermind the 4,500 PSI stuff.

It's kind of fun to think about human powered machines for our hobby. The rowing machine idea is intriguing since it would utilize our stronger back and leg muscles and you can do it sitting/reclining while watching TV.

 

[Nomadic Pirate 66]

Can you imagine ? .....getting a good workout all the while filling a tank for later shooting your guns,.......Win, win