PCP Air Pistols

[Dogchaser]

How do you store your pistol with the air cylinder seated on the gun ready, or backed off so no air pressure is on the gun ?

I just got an LP2 and was wondering as the manual doesn't say.

Thanks

[tenex]

I store mine with a 1/8" plastic washer behind the tank, so it's not pressurized. I prefer not to dry fire in my living room with a charged gun (because it's impossible to tell if the gun really has a pellet in it). What I should do is cut another washer with a tab I can attach a "remove before flight" flag to, so it's more obvious that it's in a safe configuration.

I did store my charged at one point, didn't seem to hurt it. It had a slow leak at one point, but must have been a little dirt on the valve, since it's been fine for several thousand rounds now (just left it for over a week with a fully charged cylinder, no leak).

Steve.

[Fred Mannis]

How do you store your pistol with the air cylinder seated on the gun ready, or backed off so no air pressure is on the gun ?

I just got an LP2 and was wondering as the manual doesn't say.

Thanks

I've heard some say yes and some say no. I think (correct me if I'm wrong) Scott P has said not recommended.

I have stored mine under pressure for several weeks at a time with no obvious problems. Generally I remove the cylinder if I know I will not be shooting the pistol within the next week or so. My rationale for this approach (rather than removing it every day) is that it reduces wear and tear on the threads and o-ring.

I will say that the one time I stored my LP1 without the cylinder for several months I found that it took 10-20 shots for it to settle down at the old POI. Probably specific to my particular pistol, but something I remember as it chewed up a considerable amount of time for the sighting in period.

[randy1952]

When I bought my first PCP Pistol from Don Nygord he recommended that I don't leave the cylinder screwed all the way onto the gun as it reduces the life of the seals. How much it reduces the life of the seals has never been explained to me.

[David Levene]

I store my Steyr LP5P with the cylinder off and my Morini 162EI with the cylinder on.

Don't ask me why, it's just the way I've always done it.

In 12 years with the LP5P and 8 years with the 162EI, both of which can go for several weeks without use, the only leaks I have ever had are from the non-gun end of the cylinders; pressure indicating "pip" on the (early) LP5P and pressure gauge on the 162EI.

[Houngan]

Seals are made to be compressed, once they lose their compression, they stop working. Similarly, there is more strain on a seal under pressure, so we can assume that the material is breaking down more quickly when squeezed. Ergo, I would store it unpressurized.

H.

[GaryBF]

This subject was discussed at length in this thread: http://www.targettalk.org/viewtopic.php ... highlight= . Pay particular attention to Pilkguns post.

[jipe]

The user manual of the Anschutz LP@ says at page 13:

To protect the housing, valves and seals, we recommend you always remove the compressed air cylinder when you do not use your compressed air pistol.

The Steyr manuals do not say anything about the cylinder for storage, but the Anschutz LP@ and the Steyr LP10 are essentially the same pistol, only the barrel and compensator are different => what is valid for the LP@ is also valid for the Steyr pistols (LP1, LP10, LP5, LP50, LP2, all share the same cylinders and pressure reduction system).

[Dogchaser]

I guess I need to make a washer then.

My gun didn't come with one, but I have seen the one on my buddy's LP@.

Thanks, Lee

[jipe]

I guess I need to make a washer then.

My gun didn't come with one, but I have seen the one on my buddy's LP@.

Thanks, Lee

If you make it yourself (what is pretty easy) do not make it thinner than the one of your buddy LP@, if it is thinner, you have a high risk of damaging the O ring on the cylinder mounting of the pistol.

[GaryBF]

Dogchaser,
I don't see why you need a washer. Just unscrew the cylinder until you hear the air leak out and you are done. Or unscrew the cylinder completely if you prefer.

[Dogchaser]

Dogchaser,
I don't see why you need a washer. Just unscrew the cylinder until you hear the air leak out and you are done. Or unscrew the cylinder completely if you prefer.

During dryfire and transport the cylinder is too loose on the threads for my comfort. If bumped it may damage the cylinder threads.

[jipe]

Dogchaser,
I don't see why you need a washer. Just unscrew the cylinder until you hear the air leak out and you are done. Or unscrew the cylinder completely if you prefer.

During dryfire and transport the cylinder is too loose on the threads for my comfort. If bumped it may damage the cylinder threads.

For dryfire, you can leave the cylinder screwed and should use the dryfire mechanism.

For transport, you are right, leaving the cylinder partially screwed is not very safe: risk of O ring or thread damage. It is better either to unsrew it completely or use a washer.

It is a bit a pity that Steyr doesn't deliver a washer like Anschutz, Tesro and Walther do, it cost nothing, and there is no place for two unscrewed cylinders in the standard Steyr pistol case.

Personnally, I first made a washer copying the Anschutz one (as said thckness is critical: too thin => risk of damage of the O ring, too thick => not enough thread remaining) then I had the opportunity to buy an Anschutz one (it cost almost nothing).

[J.Hoes]

The manuals of my Steyr LP5 Air and Pardini K2S Air are silent about this point; I keep the pistols under pressure. The manual of my Anschutz 2002 airrifle recomments to take the pressure off when not in use.

Greetings Hans

[JimUK]

In my experience, changing the pressure on the cylinder side of the regulator can un settle it. This can be caused either by charging the gun or removing the cylinder and then replacing it. The gun can take a good few shots to settle down after this. The regulator may take up to 20 shots to settle as mentioned above, although this is extreme.

This is particularly noticeable in Field Target where consistent velocity is critical to maintain a 55yd group with an airgun. It is common at these shoots to se people discharging the gun without a pellet to settle the regulator, especially after re-charging . The effect on the regulator may be less critical at 10m but still noticeable.

In view of this I would be advisabl to keep cylinder removal or recharging to a minimum and certainly never immediately before match cards are shot. The replacement of a few seals is a small price to pay to maintain the consistency of a piece of precision equipment after all. I would always leave the cylinder in place for the duration of a full charge to maintain zero.

[Richard H]

If I was storing it unused for a long time I'd remove the cylinder, I shoot 3-4 times a week so I really don't worry about it. I think the only seal that your like to damage is the one on the nipple where the cylinder threads on and you're far more likely to damage it by taking the cylinder on and off.