How much charge

[JinOK]

I'm sure someone has asked this, but I can't find it in search.
Can you leave a pcp fully charged all the time, so it's ready to be used on a seconds notice?

 

[frankie]

Fully charged is preferred, it helps to keep the o-rings in place.

 

[MJS]

I leave mine about 25% charged, but there are times I don't shoot for weeks or more. That's enough charge in case I need it in a hurry for pesting.
So far its worked...no leaks in 6 years.
YMMV

 

[kahu]

Depends on the manufacturer and model.

For my Epoch, if I'm not going to shoot it for a while (HUH??) it's recommended to degas it, and has an easy way to do just that. i think for all of them, short-term isn't an issue, and long-term depends model to model.

Best bet is to shoot frequently, regularly, and often. 8^)

 

[Chief Ten-Beers]

I charged My JTS back in Nov when the really cold temps came in, It's still at the 3000 Psi. However, the XM1 Ranger I bought new and only shot a few hundred times Maybe? Went from 3600 psi down to 700 or so in the same amount of time. The JTS is not regulated.

 

[JimD]

I don't usually refill the gun when I am done with it for the day. No special reason, my practice is to fill it as I am getting ready to shoot. Sometimes, especially the 177 has enough air without a refill. I do not leave the hammer cocked, however, nor do I leave a pellet or slug in the barrel. I leave air in the gun but not lead. The free length of springs can decrease if you leave them compressed. So I don't think leaving the gun cocked is a good idea but leaving air in it seems fine.

 

[beerthief]

I have an Daystate Pulsar that i haven't shot in over a year , (just checked ) full charge and a bullseye just shot 48 yards out back .
5:27 pm 4/6/25
Stan in KY

 

[Struckat]

I leave em charged, all unregulated.

 

[JinOK]

Thank you! Looking at the FX Tactical, so I'll have to look into it's requirements.

 

[JinOK]

I don't usually refill the gun when I am done with it for the day. No special reason, my practice is to fill it as I am getting ready to shoot. Sometimes, especially the 177 has enough air without a refill. I do not leave the hammer cocked, however, nor do I leave a pellet or slug in the barrel. I leave air in the gun but not lead. The free length of springs can decrease if you leave them compressed. So I don't think leaving the gun cocked is a good idea but leaving air in it seems fine.

Yeah, I agree, no lead in the barrel and not cocked. That's not good for the springs at all.

 

[coastal drifter]

I usually shoot down to reg pressure or just above.

 

[c_m_shooter]

I'm sure someone has asked this, but I can't find it in search.
Can you leave a pcp fully charged all the time, so it's ready to be used on a seconds notice?

It can be useful to keep them charged when stored. You know right away when you pick it up if it has leaked down with a quick glance at the gauge. I prefer to top them up to whatever fill pressure I have them tuned to before putting them away.

 

[john8]

When I started PCPs I was told, read to keep some air in the gun, oring preservation. I keep 200 bar in the gun, nice easy number to remember to spot leaks.

 

[Jay308]

A little above the reg setpoint is good for storage, no need to stress everything.

 

[MikeVV]

Yeah, I agree, no lead in the barrel and not cocked. That's not good for the springs at all.

In red above.

Check that, leaving a coil spring compressed, does...NO harm to overall power of the spring.
Check any good spring manufacturing manual.

Also, I've got first hand knowledge on a few types of coil springs.

Mike

 

[Avator]

I leave mine charged to the level they are at the end of a shooting session.
I top them off at the beginning of a new session.
If I pick one up and it is on 0 pressure I know I have a leak and go about fixing it.

 

[Avator]

Not sure how springers got into this PCP conversation but I never leave a springer cocked.

And as long as we are here... I leave a couple pumps in my pumpers and I don't dump C02.

 

[Chief Ten-Beers]

I don't leave anything cocked. Springer. PCP or a PB'er.

 

[JimD]

While I do not leave my guns cocked while in storage I do often store magazines when full of pellets. Storing the magazines full does leave a spring stressed for the period of storage. So if I wanted to be consistent perhaps I should not do that either. But magazines are relatively inexpensive so if I were to soften the spring to the point that it not longer worked properly it would not be as big an issue as if my hammer spring softened and would not open the valve at higher regulator pressure. So risk is different. I also do not do anything in tuning my gun that changes the force on the spring in the magazine. Whatever stress it sees was addressed in the design of the magazine and it should be well within it's elastic limits. That does not totally eliminate possible creep in the spring but it eliminates the spring taking a set from exceeding it's elastic limit. But the hammer spring in my P35-25 is turned up to the maximum it can be and still be cocked including adding shims under the spring. That almost certainly was not addressed in the design of the hammer spring.

If the spring is well designed and not overstressed by modifications by the owner it should not exceed the elastic limit of the spring and take a permanent set. But it will still creep. That is a much smaller effect but it will occur and more stress on the spring will increase the rate of the creep. I don't see increasing creep as desirable but I can accept an opinion that is not significant as reasonable, at least in a well designed gun. I worry a little about the design and the materials of my inexpensive Chinese made guns. I think they work very well and I like them but I see more reason to be concerned and therefore not over stress them without a good reason.

But the biggest reason I do not store the guns cocked and especially not cocked and loaded is I do not think it is safe. I do not store any gun with a round in the chamber. I know others do, especially with PBs the owners want available for home defense. I have decided I'd rather take the risk that the few seconds to chamber a round is important than increase the risk a grandchild could find the gun and an accident could happen. I am much more concerned about safety than any potential damage to the hammer spring. My airguns are not what I would want to use in an emergency so there is just no reason to store them cocked or loaded. There is always plenty of time for that when I am preparing to shoot. All my grandkids have seen my airguns and the oldest has shot the Prod under close supervision. I lock them up (or at least I try to remember to lock them up) when they are around but I want to stay several steps removed from an accident.