Hey All PCP shooter,

There is one thing which which has bothered me, though not really bothered to the point of asking it, until now. Namely, do you guys keep your PCP's fully pressurized when not shooting it? When you are just keeping your guns in home waiting for the next shooting session, do you keep it under hard pressure, or just under some pressure?

I'm thinking that often... and would be glad if you could tell about your way and your rationalization behind it (if you have any precise way to keep your guns in relation to its pressure).

I'm keeping my guns halfway pressurized or like they are after shooting their power curve away... so they are somewhat pressurized but not in hard pressure. I keep them that wise because I have thought that it could be better to keep PCP guns relatively "low" pressure so that the reservoir doesn't get tired...

I bought one of Gary's guns used which probably had the same air in it since he first shipped it eight years previous, or close to it. Everything was in perfect order. Fortunately, it's a shooter now on my watch.

I keep all of mine at the same pressure that was left when I was last shooting, and top 'em off again when I'm back out the next time. No need to dump everything in the reservoir as far as I know . . . it may even help to preserve the seals by keeping things under pressure but I'll have to defer to the more knowledgable members here.

Short answer is that you can't hurt anything by keeping the reservoir pressurized.

-- Jim

Tim at Mac1 said, he had to replaced the seals due to customers kept full pressure for long term storage. He recommended that, for long term storage, just keep half of the charge. However, he only mentioned the Korean guns. Custom guns or other makes maybe different since they might have better quality seals.

The Korean guns will use a soft seating material for their intake valves. Those aften wear out even without long term storage. I suspect properly made valves last a bit longer with or without reduced pressure for storage. I can't see any reason to store the guns with a full charge or to get below what would be a natural place to recharge. As far as the air tube getting "tired", My guess is that the only degradation of the tube (barring corrosion or dents/scratches etc.) occurs during pressure cycles as the metal is work hardened.

I just store them with whatever I left the range with. Usually, around the bottom of my shooting pressure curve. But, always making sure I have a "keeper charge" enough to keep the knock open valves securely closed ... Probably a minimum of 1,500 psi.

Gary

Yep, keep mine stored at whatever it was when I finished my last hunt, be that 1000 psi or 2500 psi.