PCP Charging 101 By Mac1

[MustangMike]

maustangmike

id say load a magazine, hook up your fill line , fill in a couple seconds , disconnect, then go shoot, opps if you dont have any oil.trash, or anything else in the line....  

i have a disco so mag to load, but no way  would i start pumping or filling my disco with it loaded and ready to shoot.. i dont even keep my pb's loaded their clips are loaded but there is never a round in the chamber. figure if i need em its easy and quick enough to chamber a round, but i will not leave a chambered and ready fire airgun or powder burner sitting there.

the guys here on the forum will not beat around the bush when they speak i take it as more then advice i take it as this is how its done end of story. why, becuase they have a lot more time with pcp's and airguns then i do and they always and i do mean always air on the side of safety when they give advice to open public like this..

[Jay]

Good post Tim, an in my view your second(rather polite I might add) post hit's it on the head, it IS safety first an alway's an doing this is a true sign of a thinking shooter. Showing respect, Proper range etiquette an above all INTELIGENCE!!! The kind of shooter I enjoy having on the bench next to me so I can relax an enjoy my shooting time.

[lloyd-ss]

keep in mind that even though it may not be a big deal to you, there are lots of newbie inexperienced people searching the web. they don't all necessarily have the level of experience you do. they may find this thread/post etc. and it could be taken for the gospel. always best practice to post/preach it on the safe side. if someone wants to cut corners on their own then so be it. only they can know their readiness and experience level. just a bunch of good advice to get gun to seal easily, protect seal/orings, prevent/prolong corrosion etc. it was a good post and dead on.

aaak73, You've really hit the nail on the head with your comment.  There are a lot of people on here with years of experience like Tim and you and Nipper.  But there are also people on here who are going to be filling their PCP for the very first time and don't have a clue of the proper way to do it or what the dangers are.  They know that you don't shoot the gun at anyone, but they don't know that a valve can fail (and what happens when it does) or that a quick disconnect can pop off, and they don't know that you need to bleed the line before disconnecting it, etc, etc.   

That's where statements such as "it ain't rocket science" are not only inappropriate, but downright dangerous, because 3,500 psi IS downright dangerous.  Sure, there are corners that can be cut from Tim's methodical process, but only if someone understands exactly what the implications of cutting those corners are.  Shortcut methods, if they are presented at all, should always have a discalimer to the effect that "they work for me, but if you don't truley understand it, don't do it."  think of the audience here.... don't set somebody up for an accident.

My two cents,
Lloyd

[grimlama]

The procedure is suited to any and all guns and is a generic type of post. I always like to be ready for the worst case scenario which is a loaded gun with no air and a failed valve. Even if it is cocked the air will push the pellet out. When Bolts are open there is no safer mode for any bolt action system. It truly is a sign of respect, proper range etiquette and inteligence whenever you see a gun with an open bolt. It is the safe way to have your gear when your not shooting it and mandatory at any range.
A gun that already has an air charge does not need to be cocked but an open bolt is always a sign someone with a brain is in charge.
I let my guns do the talking. Bronze in Worlds BR HV & USA A team HV Gold. I shot High Card (248) in the HV event.

Later

Tim

Thanks for the post Tim...pcp's are new to me and I am easily confused anyway!  Seems to me the moral of the story here is to use care, follow a safe procedure and pay attention to what ya doin'

[TOM aka critter99]

"We always prepare for worst case scenario which is loaded gun & failed valve."

I thought that explain the why quite well....

[TimmyMac1]

if its on a range with other shooters i fully agree with open bolt all the time, or bolt removed,...and this post overall in my opinion turns a lot of people off to pcp airguns, and if you dont agree we will agree to disagree, because its not freeking rocket science.......

Nipper,
Not sure if you know who I am but I do tend to know a bit about shooting and airguns. It is my life!
My experience is that if you practice safe gun handling at all times it becomes second nature and you don't have to think about where you are, just do what you always do.

I'm a third generation airgun expert and I have over 45 years on the bench and 30 years shooting competition and rangemaster/Safety officer duties.

You can trash solid advice or take it but if you have any rangemaster experience you know people who practice poor gun handling scare rangemasters and if they show up with bad habits they have a *(&^ of a time not doing them.

Case in point is what I call Video Finger. A kid that can activate a controller 15 times a second is impossble to keep off the trigger. Their subconscious knows where the trigger is and they always have two fingers on it. That si what you get when you practice what you should not do.

You may want to avoid reading my posts if that post offended you because there are lots more to come.