TANK PROS & CONS

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DO NOT BUY A SCUBA TANK There only 3000psi instead buy a SCBA tank off eBay there 4500psi they come in 30min and 45min and 60min sizes the 30min is 45 cubic feet and the 45 min is 66 cubic feet and the 60min is 88 cubic feet get a expired one that is in good condition there usually pretty cheap tanks and the fill station is usually like 39$ it's a cga-347 fill station I recommend the hand tighten ones! Another reason not to get a scuba tank is because there heavy as HELL. The SCBA tanks are carbon fiber there very light too. Also make sure you have a place that will fill the tank most places probably won't since there expired but I have my own 4500psi compressor so if you have your own 4500psi compressor your good. And also if it's portable compressor don't try to fill a tank with that cause it will burn that compressor off I highly recommend the water and oil cooled Yong heng 4500psi compressor there cheap and parts are very available and these compressors are reliable! And easy to work on when something does go wrong.
 
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rodm1 said:
OK it looks like a SCBA cylinder it the way to go. What suggestions do you guy's have in selecting a good one that will last for years? Valve replacement seems to be recommended.
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Best one I know of...

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Great White 550 Cu In/97 Cu Ft 4500 PSI Tank (Shipping new tanks by Dec. 15th)

Guaranteed to ship by December 15th. Just in time for Christmas!!! MADE IN THE USA!!!! Let's keep Americans employed! Tanks ordered now will be shipped the third week of August 2023. When you compare our tanks, note the following features: Our tank is 550 cu…
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rodm1 said:
OK it looks like a SCBA cylinder it the way to go. What suggestions do you guy's have in selecting a good one that will last for years? Valve replacement seems to be recommended.
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You have to be clear about what you mean by "last for years." The reality is that if you are running your own compressor and doing a proper job of removing water vapor from the air charge, pretty much any new DOT or CE tank will last for decades with the typical use of an air gunner. Used tanks might even be the same, but personally I would not trust them for that long . . . Treat them right, keep them dry internally, and they will last.

If you are having them filled by a commercial source, then 15 years will be the maximum "life" in that application (if bought new) and that will require a hydro test at 5 and 10 years to get there.

If buying a used SCBA tank, they can be had with a functional valve that does not need replacement.
 
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anonymous_.457 said:
DO NOT BUY A SCUBA TANK There only 3000psi instead buy a SCBA tank off eBay there 4500psi they come in 30min and 45min and 60min sizes the 30min is 45 cubic feet and the 45 min is 66 cubic feet and the 60min is 88 cubic feet get a expired one that is in good condition there usually pretty cheap tanks and the fill station is usually like 39$ it's a cga-347 fill station I recommend the hand tighten ones! Another reason not to get a scuba tank is because there heavy as HELL. The SCBA tanks are carbon fiber there very light too. Also make sure you have a place that will fill the tank most places probably won't since there expired but I have my own 4500psi compressor so if you have your own 4500psi compressor your good. And also if it's portable compressor don't try to fill a tank with that cause it will burn that compressor off I highly recommend the water and oil cooled Yong heng 4500psi compressor there cheap and parts are very available and these compressors are reliable! And easy to work on when something does go wrong.
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what type of regular or hose do you then hook up to top of tank so you are able to fill PCP air rifle?
 
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And now for something completely different....
Why not just get one of many portable compressors on the market today? I have a GX CS3-e that runs on 110v or 12v.
I also have a Yong Heng and a Vevor (YH knockoff) that I use at home for filling guns. But the CS3 is a great grab and go compressor.
I have a friend that has a farm and he has several Martin houses but the Starlings are a real problem. I can take the CS3, a gun of my choice and a tin of pellets and spend the day taking them out. The compressor don't weigh much more than a tank.
I can also set the CS3 on my shooting bench. I have time to refill mags while the gun is refilling.
 
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I still very much like my 12 L Worthington carbondive 300 tank, even if its just a hybrid tank and so not very much lighter than a full steel 300 BAR tank.
But carrying it in and out of a 2 floor apartment 2 times a week did get " boring " fast for this crusty old Dane.
Also have to factor in i have other things to carry, but of course i could make 2 crawls up and down the stairs, but again crusty & old so rather do 1 overwhelming effort and be done with it.
Add to that decades of being a suck the smoke looser so down to 50 % or so on the lounges efficiency, so i aint running anywhere, walking is more than enough.
A young fit person should not find it the same in the same conditions.
So i am now using my 9 L Carbon fiber bottle, which granted is smaller but i now also have my own compressor to fill it in minutes.

A portable compressor would now be useable in our shot shed as it is also wired with mains power, but then i would have to learn to count my shots.
And i am too stupid to do that, so i shoot tethered to my large bottle and just shoot and shoot for hours on end ( yesterday about 200 MRD - 400 13 grain Zan and also a couple 100 10 grain KO MK3 to start with, so about 800 shots in total )

I have no idea how many times i would have needed to refill my Two rifle ( pipe version ) but i recon a whole lot of times.

Going the bottle route is fine, but most important here is, do you have options to get it refilled within a reasonable distance and price.
 
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I still have my expired 45 minute (6.8L) Scott bottle and Yong Heng to fill it and I still like them. I recently bought a GX CS2 and added a setup which lets me power it with 18V Milwaukee tool batteries. So now it works on 120V, Car power, or battery power. I refilled my P35-22 using the CS2 with the gun still in the Caldwell Rock BR rest recently just to see if it would work. Worked great. As I see it:

Bottle fill advantages:
* Fast. Takes seconds.
* Nearly silent
* Bottle is very portable but kind of big at the shooting bench and takes up some space in the vehicle.
* Saves running the compressor often (average for me is about once a month)
* Can tether the bottle to get mega shot count

Small Compressor gun fill advantages:
* Full fills up to 300 Bar. Bottle essentially never does this (first fill on a bottle gets close). I get a dozen or so full fills to 250 bar from my bottle and then lower pressure fills (still usefull)
* GX is much noiser than a bottle but much quieter than a YH. You could talk over it. Quiet enough for inside use or use around people
* Very little space required. Maybe half the space required of a bottle.
* Weighs less than 20 lbs with a battery (might be more than bottle but could be less, my Scott bottle in the tray I have it in is heavier)
* Nearly unlimited fills if 120V or a vehicle is around. Half a dozen or so per tool battery.
 
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Just understand this about ANY and ALL high pressure breathing air bottles ...
The SCBA tanks have a 15 year life span for any commercial filling station & in that a 5 year required hydrostat test requirement. Either if expired 15 years in total from Mfg date or past 5 yr hydro they will not fill it !!
The SCUBA tanks are a tad more lax, as I recall ( Been a long time since an active diver ) a 3 year Visual needed and 5 year hydro .. but if passing as years go on no expiration on dive tanks steel or aluminum.

* Those who own compressors can fill & fill & fill at there own risk & liability unchecked by anyone. Please be safe about it tho !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
 
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WorriedMan said:
Forget SCUBA, max fill pressures low for effective PCP charging, think SCBA (Self-Contained Breathing Apparatus) carbon-fiber tanks used by firefighters. Max fill of 4500psi, perfect for PCPs. WM
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I have a 45 min MSA Last tested date was 5/06 bought on Ebay last year $ 80.. I just had it retested last month and passed, These tanks are worth every penny when you find one in good shape.

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357cal said:
I have a 45 min MSA Last tested date was 5/06 bought on Ebay last year $ 80.. I just had it retested last month and passed, These tanks are worth every penny when you find one in good shape.

View attachment 552732

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Surprised that you were able to get an eighteen year old tank hydro tested, was there a special circumstance about this particular tank such as having a 30 year rating? Hydro testers here won’t touch a tank once they hit the 15 year mark.
 
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duchunter007 said:
Reach out to Air Guns of Arizona can get you set up nicely with the proper tanks and valve systems!
Aimright said:
Surprised that you were able to get an eighteen year old tank hydro tested, was there a special circumstance about this particular tank such as having a 30 year rating? Hydro testers here won’t touch a tank once they hit the 15 year mark.
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They did it without hesitation, they also said that firefighting tanks are made so much better than others because of the heat they have to endure, I said that i was shocked that it passed, and he said he sees them all the time and 99% of them pass even older than mine if in good shape. If you get a MSA tank with a valve like I have all you need is the attachment like the one on the right.
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20250329_112109.jpg
 
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