Hand pumping a pcp

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Shouldn't this thread be in the Aerobic Exercise section? My first PCP was a Gamo Urban and I bought a Chinese hand pump. I knew pretty quickly that I would buy a compressor before I bought another airgun. With that being said, the handpump and Urban got me into the PCP world at a price I could handle, and for many beginners, that's a big deal.
Shoot straight, tell the truth, and be kind to one another!
James
 
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It really depends on how many shots you *need* to take before refilling. In my case, I only pest in my backyard so I don't need a lot of shots except when issues crop up with the accuracy/precision of the gun.

In any case, I shoot around 30+ shots before I refill/pump the gun back to 3000psi, which only takes about 30 pumps with a hand pump. That keeps me from sweating and keeps the pump from over-heating and the entire pumping event takes less than 3 minutes including setup and putting the pump back into the closet.

If you want a lot more shots than that in any given session, then you might want to consider a compressor. (maybe...)

For me and what I do, hand pumps make the most $ense. Even if I had a large bottle gun, I could/would do the same thing with a hand pump.

The trick is not to shoot it down so low that it will take several sessions with a hand pump to bring the psi back to max for any given gun.

P.S. If you live in a really humid area (like I do) you will want to only pump up inside where the a/c has "conditioned" the air to a much lower dew point/RH.
I never pump up my gun outside in the summer. Actually, I never pump it up outside in the winter either! (smile)

Also, if you are shooting one the larger calibers that naturally use more air, then a compressor may be a necessity.
 
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I have three hand pumps - each takes a different amount of effort per stroke at higher pressures. I usually don’t use them side by side but I recently discovered one of them (Diana brand) is MUCH easier than the others and is still relatively easy to pump at 3600 psi. The others require my full weight and a little extra momentum to get the handle down at those pressures.
 
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corny said:
Biggest issue with hand pumps is the moisture.

I personally wouldn’t recommend it for more than a marauder piston
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Moisture is an issue with compressors as well, no different than hand pumps.

That is why I only pump up my gun indoors where the a/c has lower the dew point and RH considerably.

In the winter, the dew point and RH indoors are considerably lower than in the summer.

So far, I have never had an issue with moisture in any of the PCPs I have owned.
 
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BackStop said:
Moisture is an issue with compressors as well, no different than hand pumps.

That is why I only pump up my gun indoors where the a/c has lower the dew point and RH considerably.

In the winter, the dew point and RH indoors are considerably lower than in the summer.

So far, I have never had an issue with moisture in any of the PCPs I have owned.
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Most ppl use moisture separators on compressors
The same can’t be said for hand pumps.
 
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corny said:
Biggest issue with hand pumps is the moisture.

I personally wouldn’t recommend it for more than a marauder piston
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Really ?.....and where did you get this data from ?

Been Handpumping for a decade and a half, never seen any moisture inside my guns when I open them even if it has been half a dozen years since the previous time.

Cannot just print missinformation like that,......also people that tested for moisture found that compressors put out way more moisture then Handpumps do.
 
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Go ahead and pump this up and get back to me next week. The problem with hand pumps is they put out very little volume, hence a smaller tube style gun is generally easier to get started in actually building usable pressure.
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Crosman999 said:
Go ahead and pump this up and get back to me next week. The problem with hand pumps is they put out very little volume, hence a smaller tube style gun is generally easier to get started in actually building usable pressure. View attachment 277000
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Once filled, I would still be topping it off after about 30 or so shots with about 30 or so pumps if I was shooting the same caliber, fps and pellet as my current pesting gun, so after the first fill... no difference for me. Pump doesn't get hot and I don't get tired. Simple.

That's the nice thing about .177 and lower velocity for backyard pesting. ;)

Oops!

Just realized you were talking about an air tank. If you need one, then a compressor is definitely recommended.

Glad I don't need either! (y)
 
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rsfrid said:
A lot depends on the size of gun tank. My Brocock Atomic XR isn't worth breaking out my compressor or Great White air tank. It only takes 30-40 pumps after 15-20 shots.
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I agreed, but my Atomic XR has been so much fun to plink with that it will be top off at least three times during plinking sessions. So a hand pump is a non starter for me other than as a backup to my SCBAs and compressor. Feeding a PCP from just a pump is doable as others have stated. It gets old very quick if tuning your PCP or you like to shoot a lot though.
 
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AirArcher66 said:
Really ?.....and where did you get this data from ?

Been Handpumping for a decade and a half, never seen any moisture inside my guns when I open them even if it has been half a dozen years since the previous time.

Cannot just print missinformation like that,......also people that tested for moisture found that compressors put out way more moisture then Handpumps do.
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They put out more moisture because they compress more air. The moisture comes directly from the air being compressed.
They also have excellent moisture traps and fiteration.
The trap on my compressor doesn’t even start working till the chamber hits 1000psi. That’s when the compressor start filling whatever bottle is hooked up.
I doubt it would even be feasible to pump though this kind of filteration/moisture traps by hand.

My experience with handpumps is they put a lot more moisture and debris into the system. Internal components rust, and orings fail more often.

On top of everything else…the handpumps seem to be on a consistent verge of failure. Or having failed all together.

Obviously u guys seem to think they work well for you. So maybe my issues are the climate I live in.
I rarely have less that 50% relative humidity indoor. Dew point is usually around 70-75F.
Soon as any pumps hit 80f in the pressurized side…u get droplets of water forming. I’ve stripped down hand pumps right after using…literally water ran out of the tubes. Corrosion was awful and components were coated or filled with rusty, wet, greasy gunk. None of which u want in compressed air.

As stated above, I wouldn’t recommend them
 
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Atleast the cheap chinese pumps don't rust and with a larger filter/dessicant trap right next to the pump air out catches whatever gunk may end up in the air. The bottom of my hand pump has more space below where the air comes out that it acts like a water/oil trap. Easy clean, remove the whole pump top and wipe out with a rag. I also store it on its back with the air release screw open so moisture can run out the back if there is enough to even drip out.
 
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Joedirt199 said:
Atleast the cheap chinese pumps don't rust and with a larger filter/dessicant trap right next to the pump air out catches whatever gunk may end up in the air. The bottom of my hand pump has more space below where the air comes out that it acts like a water/oil trap. Easy clean, remove the whole pump top and wipe out with a rag. I also store it on its back with the air release screw open so moisture can run out the back if there is enough to even drip out.
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Which pump do you use?
 
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HIRAM high pressure pump and creation core or echaprey filter they are the same just different names. For the price of the cheap pumps you can get 2 to have a backup and still cgeaper than the hill pumps. Tried to take my hill apart and it was a pain. The cheap pumps come apart easy and clean up well, come with several rebuild kits. Only had to change one oring. The one in the base got smashed up and wasn't sealing.
 
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I’ve been hand pumping for a decade, always indoors with a 1qt desiccant canister on the intake. I service my guns myself and have never found a trace of rust. At least not in the pressure cylinder. Have on occasion found rust on the opposite side of O-rings caused by
moisture from the environment.

Granted I know it can happen because I’ve found it in other people’s guns.

Looks to me it’s one of those ounce of prevention kind of things.
 
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I shoot a lot. I always have and that is one of the reasons that I got into being an airhead.
How much do I shoot? Shot the slide loose on a steel frame Colt Commander not once, but twice. I bought a Remington 11-87 new and wore it out in 9 years. Two gunsmiths declared that old shotgun deceased.
There is no way on God’s green earth I am hand pumping to feed that habit.
My hat is off to those who do hand pump. You folks are the true hard cores in this hobby.
 
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