CO2 Use in Marauder?

[whitfang]

Just got my first PCP air rifle, a Benjamin Marauder in .22.  It's great and I've already cleared out some squirrel pests attacking our house.  Using a hand pump to charge it, but thinking about buying an air tank. The local sporting goods store only sells CO2 for use in paintball guns.  My question is: Is CO2 safe to use in a Marauder? Why or Why not? 

Also, are used air tanks safe to buy, or do they 'wear out' after ten years, as I've seen in some articles? 

[Rob M]

the gun works fine on co2.. rick eustler did a test on a 22 marauder with bulk co2, the numbers were horrible as the valve is not tuned for co2 breathing , but rather pcp efficiency.. 590 fps in 22 was his average ,, with mild tuning , low 700s in 22 would be easy

[kkarmical]

If you're using a Benjamin hand pump, unless I had a better source for air than CO2, I'd just buy a Hill pump which will make filling way easier by hand.  Then at some point look into a few of the mods that will increase your shot count.

[Ribbonstone]

Haven't found anything "wrong" with running PCP's on co2 (including ones not recommended for co2 use).  Valve stem seals seem to be made of the same stuff...o-ring haven't suddenly died....but the performace of 3K PCP's is poor with co2.

THAT excludes regulated PCP's...and the fact that the maker would be a bit perturbed if they know that was what you were doing.  So any problems would be yours fot fix.

Winter is just around the corner and I haven't found co2 to be real good about colder weather (when I need a sweater or lite jacket to go out, the co2 rifles stay in).  If you live in a warm climate, can likely have fun with co2 a lot longer than the cold-climate guys.

Without any tuning, if you were to fill your M-Rod to about 900PSI of air, fire a shot or two...would expect co2 to be 5-8% slower.  Not pressure so much as co2's "thick" nature. Some tuning specific to co2 use (which in some ways, it opposite of high pressure.non regulated air use) can make co2 more reasonable.

So...could retune the rifle for more optimal co2 use, or start with a rifle designed around lower pressure air.

It won't get your power...and co2 doesn't work well in the cold....but you might find it useful for indoor plinking/target shooting.

[Wayne52]

When I first got into PCP's my intentions were to continue using a hand pump but when I got my Mrod, that was enough pumping for me, I bought an SCBA tank on ebay for a $100 shipped and made my own adaptor for it which was about $80, it's the best hundred and eighty bucks I've ever spent, I've since bought another tank as well, when I got to the dive shop approximately once every two months I get them both filled for $10.  They're the 88 cubic foot ones too.  Finding a place to get them filled was easy once I talked with them guys in the local airsoft club.

[Ribbonstone]

Just as a counter-point.

When I first got into PCP's (about 11 years ago), was a tank filler.  Friendly scuba shop quite close by, no real problem if I had to walk there.

But I found I actually liked/preferred pump filling for various reasons....those reasons still hold true for me, so I still pump fill (but do go have a beer now and again with the Scuba shop owner).