How long does a pcp airgun bottle last for?

[ImpactX]

So we all know large cf tanks last for 15 years and need hydro test every 5 years. After 15 years shops won't even fill or hydro test it anymore.
So question is, how long does bottles on pcp last for? Do they need to be hydro test evert 5 years? Can I keep using my 480cc bottle after 15 years or do I toss them away? I haven't heard anyone sending their small pcp bottles for hydro testing.

 

[Star7]

In some countries, bottles/tubes smaller than a certain size are not required for retest/discard. This is because hoop stress goes up with square of radius. The rest of the world relies on the lowest common denominator that abuses these and gets into trouble. The legislated requirements are oriented around greatest safety.

Olympic venue will not pass an AG that has an "out of date" tank/tube. However, to my limited knowledge, virtually all accidents occurred during filling with improper technique/fill wands or with tubes that had really buggered threads.

I have a TAU8 that I don't take to matches anymore as the tubes are past the expiry date, but I still shoot it without worry.

 

[Goodfast08]

The way I see it, if you are filling it yourself, its just a matter of a common sense visual inspection.

 

[Motorhead]

Dry air and at least looked at inside POST expiration every few years for signs of corrosion ... Many many years of use w/o a worry IMO !!!

 

[DesertSilver]

The biggest problem with a CF tank is exterior damage and corrosion. CF tanks will delaminate if impacted to hard but it should be visible. Corrosion is another killer of CF bottles but if the liner lets go the air will just leak out between the fiber strands. I believe the biggest problem with metal tanks would be corrosion as motorhead already said.

 

[wildcj5]

I still shoot my 35ish year old Sportsmatch GC2. I don’t think any have exploded since Thatcher was in charge.

 

[JimD]

The question is logical but is based upon the arbitrary and unsupported 15 year life specified for carbon fiber tanks. The fact that in most areas, at least, there is no similar lifetime specified for the gun is just further evidence of the lack of basis for the 15 year limit.

I also check my air tube's when I have the gun apart as Scott suggested. Regulator adjustment of my P35s requires opening them up. I look for signs of moisture or other damage. To me that is just common sense. My guns are less than 5 years old but I still think I should look them over when I have a chance.

 

[Goodfast08]

I would imagine the 15 year life expectancy comes from the use of a tank that would see abuse from fire fighters or even scuba use. Where impacts are anticipated with normal use/transportation. That is on top of a determined safety factor.

 

[elwoodblues]

That and the only thing that destroys CF tanks is Hydro testing, without any impacts, scratches or corrosion they could last a 100 years.
I have seen in my years of industrial gas sales steel cylinders over 112 yeas and still passing hydro and in service both nitrogen and oxygen

 

[ImpactX]

So I'm guessing my 480cc and 580cc bottles on my impact will last till I die? not even sure if they will hydro test these small bottles. The only thing I worried about these small bottles is they don't have burst disc like the bigger cf tanks as safety features.

 

[rcs9250]

As many posts have shown, they last a very long time. And honestly, they probably have an infinite life. BUT, if your knowingly out of date tank ever failed for whatever reason and someone besides you is injured or killed you stand to lose everything you own.
I’m not wealthy by any means, but $600 or so every 15 years is cheap insurance. That’s $40 a year ($3.33/month). I would budget for that. Put an envelope with your pellet stash and discipline yourself to put money in it for tank day.
My 2¢.

 

[Gerry52]

I would imagine the 15 year life expectancy comes from the use of a tank that would see abuse from fire fighters or even scuba use. Where impacts are anticipated with normal use/transportation. That is on top of a determined safety factor.

Absolutely correct.

 

[DesertSilver]

Remember, in Europe they use them for 30 years. It only in the US that it's only 15 years and I'll bet there was some bribes involved in the 15 year decision.

Another thing people need to remember is carbon fiber does not fatigue like metal does.

 

[Gerry52]

How long? Ages!

 

[Motorhead]

Another thing people need to remember is carbon fiber does not fatigue like metal does.

tell that to the OCEAN GATE families and crew etc ...

 

[rcs9250]

tell that to the OCEAN GATE families and crew etc ...

NOW, the discussion is going to get going.

 

[JimD]

Ocean Gate was several glaring bad design decisions. It means nothing about carbon fiber reinforced air tanks.

 

[Goodfast08]

tell that to the OCEAN GATE families and crew etc ...

Pushing in 6500 psi. If they had any clue what they were doing and the occupants had knowledge of how under designed it was, it would've never been a story. Bad engineering leads to death, shocker.

 

[DesertSilver]

tell that to the OCEAN GATE families and crew etc ...

Carbon fiber is way way waY stronger in tension than compression. In compression it's mainly the resin matrix that gives it strength. The idiots who designed that sub should be charged with criminal stupidity ! I spent 30+ years working with the stuff. A lot of it doing destructive static testing aka pulling apart, crushing, and bending it until it broke. A tensile made from uni directional tape .040 thick by.500 wide depending on the fiber used was getting between 5000 lbs and 7500 lbs of load. That's like picking up a car to picking up a pickup truck.

 

[DesertSilver]

How long? Ages!

We made (cytec materials) some mountain bike handlebars out of comingled carbon fiber and had it cycle tested. It was tested far beyond what any MTB bar would ever see. It went a million and a half cycles then the machine broke. The thing that will fatigue is the liner. By the way the handle bars never failed and I think one of the techs ended up putting them on their MTB.