TargetTalk

Can someone please tell me what is supposed to be the ideal weight when fully filled for an LP5 CO2 cylinder so I can safely fill it.

Any advice on properly filling the CO2 cylinder would be great.

Thanks!
Victor

According to the manual the maximum total weight for a 158mm long steel cylinder is 0.346kg.

That should be engraved on the cylinder.

It's not wise to rely on a manual in determining fill weight for a Steyr CO2 cylinder. That's because Steyr CO2 cylinders were made in both steel and aluminum, and the aluminum cylinders came in several different (unfilled) weights. Every Steyr CO2 cylinder I've seen has the unfilled ("tara") weight and the recommended fill amount engraved on it. As a rough rule of thumb though, you can weigh the cylinder completely empty and add 43g CO2 to a short cylinder or 53g CO2 to a long one.

You're going to fill the cylinder with all it will take (it's a liquid).

I've found that will not completely fill it unless it's cold, but it will give you more shots than you need.

In other words, don't worry about it.

Rover wrote:You're going to fill the cylinder with all it will take (it's a liquid).

Sorry, but I've found it's definitely possible to overfill a Steyr CO2 cylinder by 10g or more. I don't know what Steyr's reasoning is (safety? reliable operation? other?), but they clearly do not want you to fill the cylinder entirely full of liquid CO2.

Rover wrote:You're going to fill the cylinder with all it will take (it's a liquid).

A full to the brim cylinder.....and what do you suppose happens when your gun takes in liquid co2? Ever shoot a co2 gun pointed upwards? Try it.

Of course you can overfill it. That's why they supply a cylinder bleeder with the gun and tell you to weigh your cylinder.

Have you EVER overfilled one using my method?

Rover wrote:Of course you can overfill it. That's why they supply a cylinder bleeder with the gun and tell you to weigh your cylinder.

Have you EVER overfilled one using my method?

The co2 gun I used to shoot had a integral tank, I never stuck the entire gun in the freezer.

Rover wrote:You're going to fill the cylinder with all it will take (it's a liquid).

I've found that will not completely fill it unless it's cold, but it will give you more shots than you need.

In other words, don't worry about it.

Rover wrote:Of course you can overfill it. That's why they supply a cylinder bleeder with the gun and tell you to weigh your cylinder.

Have you EVER overfilled one using my method?

So your method does include weighing the cylinder, but weighing isn't "worrying"? That's good to know. But if the OP is going to use your method, doesn't he have to know what his target weight is? That was his question.

I did NOT say to weigh the cylinder. The manufacturer says to do that after you freeze the cylinder prior to filling.

I didn't say to freeze the cylinder either.

I just said to fill it with all it would take.

I said he would get plenty of shots using this method; certainly more than enough for a match.

CO2 seems complicated.

Rover wrote:I did NOT say to weigh the cylinder. The manufacturer says to do that after you freeze the cylinder prior to filling.

I didn't say to freeze the cylinder either.

I just said to fill it with all it would take.

I said he would get plenty of shots using this method; certainly more than enough for a match.

Sorry if I misunderstood you. So this is now what I understand:

Manufacturer's manual:
1. cool cylinder so it is cooler than bulk container
2. weigh cylinder after filling
3. if weight is more than target filled weight, use bleeder to bring down to target weight.
This process gives the maximum safe fill every time.

Rover's method:
1. fill cylinder (without worrying about whether cylinder is cooler than bulk container and without weighing)
This process gives an unknown fill amount (but Rover believes it will always be enough for completing a match, say 75-80 shots, and saves hassle and worry).

Is that a fair description of the differences?

and for SamEEE, this is not complicated, it's fun!

I've stood next to a shooter who did precisely this: "...fill it with all it would take." Needless to say, it was somewhere between entertaining and disturbing to watch the liquid CO2 spew from the muzzle and vaporize as it went downrange. I don't think the first pellet or 2 even reached the target. Interesting to say the least! My PCP gun, meanwhile, exhibited none of this amusing behavior. I'm just missing all the fun.

FredB wrote:and for SamEEE, this is not complicated, it's fun!

It's one of the reasons I sold my LP5 CO2 and later bought an LP5P.

With air it's:-

1. Screw the cylinder on to the tank
2. Open the valve
3. Watch the needle go up to the red line
4. Close the valve
5. Unscrew the cylinder

An alternative is:-

1. Take the cylinder to the reception at my preferred shooting range
2. Give them some money
3. Take the filled cylinder away

Weight empty and full, and co2 content is engraved on the cilinder.
Cilinder in freezer, fill it, weigh, if needed, bleed, shoot.
I prefer co2 over pcp. No seals blown when overfilling. No need to be carefull with the crane opening, just open it, and leave open for a lil while. You can use near all filling with co2. Pcp usually stops/blows off below 80/90 bar.(regulator pressure).

If you slightly overfill, the 1st shots will be louder than normal.

Fred B, you have it exactly right! After owning five or six CO2 guns, I think I have it down.

Even better yet, get a decent SSP and don't sweat any of this stuff.

I'm only pushing CO2 guns because a new shooter (or anybody) can get one cheap.

> This process gives the maximum safe fill every time.

Overfilling a CO2 cylinder is annoying but not dangerous, because the pressure is affected only by temperature, not by the amount of liquid.

Rover wrote:Fred B, you have it exactly right! After owning five or six CO2 guns, I think I have it down.

Even better yet, get a decent SSP and don't sweat any of this stuff.

I'm only pushing CO2 guns because a new shooter (or anybody) can get one cheap.

Good, now we're on the same page, and I can disagree with what you are actually saying. I too have owned five or six CO2 guns, and in my experience only the Steyr guns can be filled with your no-worries method and get a decent amount of fill. Others - the worst in this respect was a CPM-1, otherwise a great gun - are very unreliable fillers unless the cylinder is first cooled. And if you cool, you then should weigh, per manufacturers' instructions.

But it's not rocket surgery, it's no big deal. I'm with Yana, I think CO2 is the best.