PCP compressor choice

[North Country Gal]

We've been going back and forth for some time on whether to take the big plunge and add an air compressor for our few PCP rifles and have finally pulled the trigger one one. The time was ripe for it, since we've been selling off a lot of our regular guns and have the funds to finance it. Since I promised to let a few of you know when and what we decided, here goes.

The issue for us is that we have been using scuba tanks to fill our PCP rifles and driving forty miles one way to get them filled at the nearest dive shop. The tanks, though, are now out of date and will need to be pressure tested, again, to be safe. That's a whole different headache, since that will require a drive of hundreds of miles. Just not practical.

Back when we got into PCP air guns, there weren't any affordable options for compressors, anyway. Things have sure changed these last few years.

So why bother with PCP air rifles in the first place, you might ask? This is why and these are only average 50 yard groups for our Daystate PCP. Believe it or not, I've shot even better groups with it.


Oh, we could fill this great PCP rifle with a hand pump, but that would require about 150 pumps with our PCP hand pump and take well over an hour of really hard work, not counting rests in between to let the pump cool. At our age, not an option. And we will never part with this rifle, a vintage Daystate CR97.



After researching this choice of compressor for literally months and months, we narrowed it down to two, both of which have received great reviews from owners.

First is the surprisingly compact (and relatively affordable as compressors go) AV Nomad II
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GYNSx1OhMmk

The second is the more expensive AV EC-3000, but, unlike almost all the other compressors we looked at, it is made in England, not China. It's also air cooled instead of water cooled, which is a better fit for our cold northern climate. Very simple to operate and great construction quality, too.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GYNSx1OhMmk

We decided to pay more and go for better quality and ease of use with the EC-3000. Will let you know how it works when it arrives.

PS
We also added one more Daystate PCP rifle to go with it, but that's another story. Here's a teaser, though. Shows what state of the art PCP rifles can do.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=879bgLE4vB4

[John E Davies]

FYI, I have the Nomad 2 which replaced a junk Xisisco pump that came out of the box full of rust. The Nomad 2 is built much better and it works flawlessly. It won’t fill larger tanks, but works great on a rifle cylinder. I really like the built in power supply, so I can use it from a truck battery or from my travel trailer.

I am sure the bigger pump will be a joy to use, but it is not very portable. Can it fill a scuba tank, for when you are away from 120 vac power? What do you plan to do to dry the air? I use the suppled AV inline filter and it works fine, but the humidity in my garage is really low. You need a better setup in your moist climate, especially considering all those very fine rifles you have.

John Davies
Spokane WA

[BigAl52]

Just curious did you look at the portable one that Airguns of AZ sells NCG
https://www.airgunsofarizona.com/compre ... ompressor/

[North Country Gal]

John, no, it is not designed to fill large tanks like scuba tanks, but it can do small pony tanks. You could push it to do scuba tanks, if you wanted, but it would take a very long time. We may add an inline filter. We'll see.

We don't plan to keep using our scuba tanks, anyway. Once they're empty, that's it. Not going to mess with getting them re-tested and they are now over-due. We bought them used at a bargain price and they've served us well, but they are definitely showing their age. That's mostly what pushed us into getting a compressor. Then, too, standard scuba tanks run at 3000 psi, so after a number of fills, the pressure drops and I can't do a complete fill on our current Daystate which runs at 3000 psi. The new Daystate runs at 3600 psi, so I'd never get a complete fill with scuba tanks.

The nice thing about this Hill is that a fill on our rifles is around 2 or 3 minutes, tops, so the compressor won't have to work hard enough for the auto shutoff to kick in to cool the unit. We may add a pony tank, later, but all we really need is direct fill.

Al, yes, we looked at the Omegas, but they're all out of stock, right now. Again, didn't want to mess with a water cooled unit and all the hassles of running water through a bucket or small cup, anti-freeze and so on. That just won't work with me shooting in the winter. With the Hill, all we have to do is add the lubricants and go. Also like the auto controls on this Hill. Very simple to use.

Portability is not that big an issue for us. At 55 pounds, this is still portable enough to cart down to our shooting bench. We have a utility light pole there with an outlet. We have no plans of ever running it off a car, since we do all of our shooting at home. The heavier duty construction and made in England was more important to us. Also like that it is wired directly for 110, rather than using a converter. Most likely, we'll just set it up and leave it in the garage which is only a short walk from the shooting bench, anyway. That's where we have the scuba tanks and do our fills, now.

[BigAl52]

Ill likely never own one or a PCP rifle but one never knows. So on the water cooled units is it necessary to change that water often. Or whats the maintenance involved with the water cooling.

[North Country Gal]

The smaller water cooled units, especially the portables, don't have radiators, so you have to supply water for circulation, externally, via a hose and a bucket as the unit runs. From what I've read, it's a workable solution, but in winter, we'd be forced to run the unit indoors, of course.

With air cooled units, you usually have to sit and watch a temp readout and shut them down to cool once a certain temp is reached. Running them too hot quickly wears them out. On ours, the unit shuts down automatically when the heat reaches a certain temp and then automatically restarts once the unit has cooled. That means we don't have to babysit the unit while a gun is filling.

Believe me, I do understand about the feeding PCP guns. It's a headache, no matter what method you use, but PCPs are where the air gun world has gone, big time. I'm as diehard as it gets with spring piston guns - they'll always be our mainstay shooters - but even I have to admit that there are some serious shooting advantages to PCP guns.

For me, one of those advantages is how easily I can change shooting positions and not have a POI or accuracy change with PCP guns. With my springers, I have to develop and work on a hold for each shooting position. Springers can get very grouchy, so to speak, when you take them out of their usual shooting position, some much more so than others.

[Sir Henry]

Thanks for the write up. I still haven’t bought a PCP. The CO2 pistol is still on back order and I finally received the cylinders yesterday, a week late because of weather delays. I want to become familiar with the new CO2 rifle and pistol before moving on to PCP.

When it’s time to but a compressor I hope I can find this thread.

[BigAl52]

Thanks NCG but from what I gathered on a couple for youtube videos the omega actually has a small radiator and cooling fan of course. I get the cold weather and anti freeze issue I was just curious about whats involved with the water maintenance in general. Seems to me a guy would be better off with a 50/50 mix in that system to begin with. But maybe it wont work with that item. Straight water would equal rust somewhere I would think. Unless its all aluminum.

[Sir Henry]

I forgot to mention that Daystate is a beauty! Great shooting too.

[John E Davies]

FYI, install an inexpensive hour meter, there are dozens to choose from. I bought a vibration activated one with no wires, it wakes up when it senses the compressor turn on, then shuts off after a while. This makes it really easy to monitor run time, which is critical for maintaining the pump (draining moisture, lubrication) and filter(s). I keep a chart showing when I did stuff, I would never remember otherwise.

This is mine, it reads to the nearest 0.1 hr and seems to be accurate enough. I installed it on top with 3M VHB tape, no drilling required. The battery is not replaceable, they say it has a life of “over two years”. As little as I run my compressor, it will be probably be much longer. When it dies I will write down the number of hours it reached, and install a new one. Or pry open the back to see if I can swap in a new button cell.....

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B081 ... UTF8&psc=1

Note: one reviewer commented that it will not record at all if the meter operates for less than 0.1 hr (6 minutes). This is wrong, it works fine to record accurately a bunch of three minute fills. It just takes 6 minutes before the last digit changes .

John Davies
Spokane WA