School me on HPA tanks

[prodigalSON]

I have always filled my pcp guns with a hand pump and never had an issue but all the air leaked out of my .457qb and the hand pump just don't seem to put out enough air to close the valve. The idea i got is buy a cheap hpa tank, fill it with my hand pump and the i would have enough pressure to fill the gun. What would i need to purchase in along with the hpa tank to achieve this?

[Mod90]

If your valve can't seal to allow you to fill with your hand pump, did you try cocking the gun first to take the weight of the hammer off the valve stem?
If that doesn't work, you might really need to get a tank. If so, you'll need to get the following.
Tank(new or used with a current hydro)
Valve (preferably with gauge)
Hose rated to at least the tanks maximum pressure, and with fittings that allow it to connect to both the valve and fill probe (long microbore hoses would be ideal, but not mandatory)

Most importantly, you'll need somewhere to fill it. This will be important according to what type of tank you plan on going with. No sense getting a 4500 psi tank when the only places you can take it to have it filled only fill up to 3000 psi.


Try cocking it first, then if that doesn't work start looking for a fill set up.
Good luck.

[prodigalSON]

yeah Ive tried cocking it. Tried tapping it with a rubber mallet. It just aint happening. Most likely I will get a cheap 3000psi gorilla tank since its only use will be filling that one gun if all the air leaks out. I'm guessing I can just hook the hand pump to the tank to fill it?

[Taso1000]

Eric,

Maybe there is a member here that is close to you with a tank that can help and get your valve sealed up?  Unless you were looking to get a tank regardless?

Taso

[Hoosier Daddy]

Most likely I will get a cheap 3000psi gorilla tank

Chances are that tank will come with a 800psi regulator for paintball guns. You will want a "HPA Airgun" regulator  for it instead...
I am waiting on a 2000psi one for my Tippman bottle.

Also verify the Born on Date. There are brand new tanks out there cheap that were actually made 2-3 years ago so they are well into their 5 year Hydro already. My Tippman was made in April of this year.

[Wayne52]

I made my own adaptor for SCBA tanks, got two of the tanks from ebay at $100 each shipped both with three years left on the expiration date at the time, I spent about $80 making my own fill adaptor (heavy duty 316 stainless too) and now all I do is get the tanks filled at the local dive shop for $5 each

[Doug Wall]

You should probably forget about the idea of hand pumping tanks. By all accounts it's a real effort, and if your gun won't seal by pumping, it very well may not seal from a tank. Remember, you still want to fill the gun slowly. Also, any time you are hand pumping, unless you have good moisture removal ahead of the pump, you are very likely pumping water into the gun, or a tank. That can cause corrosion and leaks. For a look at real corrosion in tanks, check this out:

https://www.scubaengineer.com/tank_servicingx.htm

[prodigalSON]

The issue of hydro testing causes me to wonder, why are tanks rated for 5 years and the tube on the gun is assumed to be good forever?

[Hoosier Daddy]

GREAT QUESTION!
Tom Gaylord just had a write-up on HPA safety that discussed the very same issue...

https://www.pyramydair.com/blog/2017/03/do-pressure-vessels-become-unsafe-over-time/

[Doug Wall]

The issue of hydro testing causes me to wonder, why are tanks rated for 5 years and the tube on the gun is assumed to be good forever?

Hydro testing for tanks is mandated by the D.O.T. . There is a "2 and 2" rule that they have that pretty much states that a vessel less than 2" diameter, AND less than 2 feet long, doesn't require hydro testing. The newer Ninja 13 cu tanks are less than 2" diameter, and don't require periodic retesting. It would be pretty much impossible to hydrotest a gun. To do it, you would have to fill the reservoir with water, and submerge the whole gun (not the stock) in a sealed tank, to measure how much the tube stretched when pressurized. Of course, the gun would have to be TOTALLY disassembled afterwards to dry everything, and then re-assembled.

[Blacktalon6]

With my new guns I use my home air compressor with a rubber tip blowgun. I only puts like 80 PSI in the gun but it seems to close the valve so it can be hand pumped. IT also saves like 6 pumps by hand 

[MonsterMaxx]

I got my valve adaptor when I bought the S510 (used.)  Upgraded to a nice gauge from the hydraulics store.

Call your local SCUBA shop and see if they have any used steel cylinders available.  I got one that had just been hydro'd for $100.

Works great for me.

You can also rent from the SCUBA shop.  Mine will rent me a 120 cuft for $8.