ozzy

I have a Logan S-16 compressed air rifle and would like to buy a small storage tank for re-filling the rifle.

I know small SCUBA tanks can be used, but wondered what is needed technically to fill a rifle cyclinder with 200 bar of compressed air e.g. what valves, hoses, etc.. would be needed. Also, what are the alternatives to SCUBA tanks?

Stefan

sillysi

I use a medical cylinder, it's got CIBA-GEIGY and Drager wrote on it. It has a gauge showing how much air is left and a regulator on the adaptor that connects to the rifle to show how much charge is in the rifle. Can't tell you much more than that as it came with the rifle. My friends use the same type of cylinder.

ozzy

Cool. A friend of my brothers works for a compressed air Engineering company. I'm hoping to bump into him in the pub later tonight for some more ideas.

Stefan

Barron

ozzy my advice would be to go to a shopto get it done, by the time you buy a scuba bottle then the hoses it may not be worth doing yourself , if you do try it you'll probably end up on the 999 programme with michael buerk,

ozzy

Si,

Do you know what capacity the tank is or roughly how many charges you get out of it?

Stefan

ozzy

One of my brother's mates has been kind enough to refill the cylinder a few times since we bought the rifle a few weeks ago.

He uses a small 3l SCUBA tank. I'm a member of the local SCUBA club, but since I've just started training I've still no idea what's needed. They do have a compressor with free air to all members

If we can get some good alternatives (since the SCUBA stuff is quite expensive), then we can get our friends Engineering company to connect it all together ready for use.

Bodyparts and 3000 psi don't go well together

Stefan

sillysi

Ozzy,

The tank says 3Lt on it and also 48KG. I charge my rifle to 200 bar and have had over 25 charges out of it so far and the gauge is still in the full area. When it drops out of this I get it filled at the local scuba shop, only cost a £1 as it is just being topped up. I think it is made by Draeger as this is stamped into the cyclinder.

Si.

chaos.

I use a styrup pump to fill the stealth bottle, which will be a similar (if not the same)size.

Pay 70 quid for a 2nd hand pump and you've got free air whenever you need it! Don't believe what other people say about it being difficult, it only gets difficult above 200 bar of pressure, and the s-16 only needs 200 bar. I actually look forward to filling it, good exercise!

ozzy

The exercise doesn't bother me (I get more than enough as it is), it's more the convienience. 20mins vs a few seconds.

sillysi

ozzy, do you want a few pics of the cylinder e-mailing?

chaos.

Rubbish, takes me 4 minutes to get from 150 to 200 bar. With the bottle you'll pay best part of a fiver to fill it up and you've got to have the diving tank filled.

What ever floats your boat though.

ozzy

Si,

Yes please.

Chaos,

I'm just going by what others have said to me about using the stirrup pump. Never tried it myself. How long does it take to completely fill an empty cylinder?

I can get tanks filled for just a few quid OR I can use the air compressor at the diving club for nowt.

Just keeping my options open.

Stefan

chaos.

With a buddy bottle the size of the sweet 16 (1/2 litre) you'll get around 400 shots in .22 cal (300 in .177). So in a session you'll probably only get down to 150 bar of pressure, takes me a few minutes to fill back to 200. To fill it from 0 bar, it might take a bit of time and effort, mines never been much lower than 150 bar, when the pressure gets that low, you'll be tired of shooting for that sesh anyway, just fill it up after every session and its easy.

ozzy

Ah right, I'm with you now.

Any particular stirrup pumps better than others?

Stefan

chaos.

Most are good quality, just get a 70 quid second hand one.

sillysi

ozzy, yhm.

sillysi

chaos, would it be possible to fill my bottle using a stirrup pump? I know nout about these pumps.

Cheers,
Si.

ozzy

Cheers Si.

sillysi

No problem, you'd best get off to the pub now it's getting late

ozzy

My Dad owns it, so there's time yet - well at least 'til Friends finishes

chaos.

heh, I'm not an expert, but If you mean a small rifle buddy bottle, no probs. If you mean a huge 12 litre diving bottle (!) I guess you could, but you'd more than certainly hypreventilate, have arms like popeye and ultimately die

Can you imagine how long it would take??!!

sillysi

Ozzy have one for all us Scoobynetters who can't go out to play. I'm in with my daughter, she has gone to bed and I have Stella and the laptop.

ozzy

Will do m8

Have a good one.

IWatkins

As for the original question, yes, you can get all the gubbins to connect a Scuba tank to an air rifle buddy bottle.

The better Scuba shops actually sell the full kits, but failing that will supply a bottle, fill it up for you etc. You can just buy the hose/adaptor from any good air rifle shop and off you go.

I've got a nice 12L bottle, hose, reg and adaptor for my RapidMKII, takes about five seconds to refill the buddy bottle (400cc), comparred to 10 mins on the stirrup pump.

Stirrup pumps are evil. The pressure rises easily to around 150bar, but after that it is fairly hard going. Once over about 200bar you have to push down with your full body weight. The last 20bar (I run at 235bar) takes for ever and you are absolutely fugged when finished.

Cheers

Ian

ozzy

What about costs with the SCUBA kit? I know the price for the tank can vary from £140 or so for a small 3litre 300bar one, but what about all the hose and valves?

Stefan

IWatkins

Stefan,

IIRC I bought a brand new 12L 300bar tank with regulator, gauge, hose and adaptor for the buddy bottle all in for £190 including the first fill (which I'm still using a year later).

But because you will not using the bottle for actual diving, you could easily use a second hand tank which will be much cheaper. Most dive shops I've been to keep a stock of second hand tanks.

Have a look here for charging kits, or even full kits including bottles. Bottles have to be delivered empty so you will need a local scuba shop, or gun shop with their own compresser.

Cheers

Ian