I just bought an AN2002 pcp rifle and the air tank that came with the rifle is dated 5/98. I've read that the tanks only have a 10 year life and then they should be discarded.
Ok, I'm not looking to hold anyone to the fire on this, but what would you do, buy a new tank or use the one I got. The gun, and tank look pristine, I mean they look UNUSED, new. I'm thinking it's probably just fine to go ahead and use it, but need some guidance from those with more pcp experience than me, as this is my first pcp gun.
Anschutz 2002CA air tank question
Moderators: pilkguns, Marcus, m1963, David Levene, Spencer
bchannell, there was a discussion on this subject about two months ago in the pistol forum.
http://www.targettalk.org/viewtopic.php?t=37099
The reason for the 10 year "limit" is due to E.U. legislation by which the manufacture (European based) has to comply. After that they should be re-certified.
The only issue you would possibly have is with equipment control since the new rules state that the cylinders must comply with the manufacture date.
Also if something goes wrong your insurance may not pay up.
If it was me I wouldn't fill it up to the maximum, but would still use it if I knew that it was in good condition.
http://www.targettalk.org/viewtopic.php?t=37099
The reason for the 10 year "limit" is due to E.U. legislation by which the manufacture (European based) has to comply. After that they should be re-certified.
The only issue you would possibly have is with equipment control since the new rules state that the cylinders must comply with the manufacture date.
Also if something goes wrong your insurance may not pay up.
If it was me I wouldn't fill it up to the maximum, but would still use it if I knew that it was in good condition.
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little_doodie
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From what I've been able to tell, the 5/98 date cylinders were among the first ever made by Anschutz for a pcp gun. They were long before the recall, which I'm guessing were cylinders made in the 2004-2006 time frame. There is actually no discernable serial # on the cylinder. There is, however, a couple of weird symbols that, again from what I can learn online, are some sort of serial # , symbol combination, whatever. Anyway, the only concern for me, is the age of the cylinder, not the material being inferior, as was the case in the recalled cylinders. From the looks of the cylinder and rifle, it was used VERY little. I mean, I just can't imagine using a gun much at all and not putting at least some mark on it somewhere and this one is as near mint as I've seen anywhere.
Most folks agree that the cylinder is usable and safe, it's just that Anschutz and other manufacturers have put an abritrary 10 year lifespan on them. Now, while we can argue all day long about the decision making process that went into such a time limit, it still makes one pause and ponder further use of the cylinder.
I've tried to read everything I can find on this subject and it's a fair bit of 1) opinion, 2) common sense, 3) engineering, and just plain old gut instinct, all pooled together to leave one still wondering what to do.
Here's what I've decided to do, right or wrong. In my heart, I feel the older cylinders are completely safe, as long as properly cared for and not abused, and above all, not used in some sort of club situation where they were filled and emptied on a daily basis. I'm talking about normal use by someone who shoots, but not in competition on a daily basis. So, I'll continue to use the cylinder and not fill it to it's full capacity, say maybe 1800psi max or so. and get some more life out of it. I have already ordered a new cylinder, and will use it most of the time anyway, so that'll take care of itself. I have no way of knowing how this cylinder was used before I came to own it, but from it's visual appearance and mechanical condition, it appears it's had little use, so I feel relatively safe with it. I think it makes a fine backup for my rifle. If you get, for instance, 300 shots form a 200BAR new cylinder, then you could conceivably get 100 or more shots from this older cylinder partially filled.
Most folks agree that the cylinder is usable and safe, it's just that Anschutz and other manufacturers have put an abritrary 10 year lifespan on them. Now, while we can argue all day long about the decision making process that went into such a time limit, it still makes one pause and ponder further use of the cylinder.
I've tried to read everything I can find on this subject and it's a fair bit of 1) opinion, 2) common sense, 3) engineering, and just plain old gut instinct, all pooled together to leave one still wondering what to do.
Here's what I've decided to do, right or wrong. In my heart, I feel the older cylinders are completely safe, as long as properly cared for and not abused, and above all, not used in some sort of club situation where they were filled and emptied on a daily basis. I'm talking about normal use by someone who shoots, but not in competition on a daily basis. So, I'll continue to use the cylinder and not fill it to it's full capacity, say maybe 1800psi max or so. and get some more life out of it. I have already ordered a new cylinder, and will use it most of the time anyway, so that'll take care of itself. I have no way of knowing how this cylinder was used before I came to own it, but from it's visual appearance and mechanical condition, it appears it's had little use, so I feel relatively safe with it. I think it makes a fine backup for my rifle. If you get, for instance, 300 shots form a 200BAR new cylinder, then you could conceivably get 100 or more shots from this older cylinder partially filled.