Any PCP airgun owner knows the way to keep their airgun shooting is to keep it filled with compressed air. The most common filling options are; a PCP hand pump, a PCP air compressor, and a bottle/tank. Of these options, the compressor is the fastest, easiest way to fill your airguns. But not all compressors are created equal, so it’s important to understand the different features and benefits offered by each type before making your purchase.
Compressor Types
There are two main types of compressors for airguns:
What Size Compressor Do You Need
Different airguns require different amounts of air to function correctly. When picking the right size, consider these four factors:
- How much air will your gun require?
- How much pressure does it need?
- How often do you need to refill it?
- Where do you do your filling?
Air Requirements
The size of the compressor you need depends on your air requirements. Air tanks under 300cc can be filled by a small compressor easily, while tanks between 300cc and 500cc will cause a small compressor to struggle, and may need to pause filling to cool down so it doesn’t overheat. For tanks over 500cc, a large compressor is better.
Pressure Requirements
Airguns that have a fill requirement under 3500 psi can be filled with a hand pump or small compressor. Airguns that have a fill requirement of 4500 psi should be filled with a compressor.
Fill Timing
If you do a lot of shooting, you’ll want to fill your gun often. Having a compressor can make this very convenient. The amount of time it takes to fill a tank is determined by the size of the tank as well as the pressure the tank requires. Generally, smaller tanks take a few minutes to fill, while larger tanks can take several hours, depending on the size of the compressor.
Fill Location
In the field you can get a quick top-up from a small portable compressor. But these compressors are only suitable for filling onboard gun tanks, not carbon fiber fill tanks.
If you only do your filling at home, portability isn’t important and you could set up a permanent filling station in your home, making a large compressor a better choice. This would allow you to fill both guns and fill tanks as often as you need them.
In conclusion, if you have one or two guns with small onboard tanks that use less than 4500 psi, a small compressor should serve you well. But, if you have several guns that you shoot a lot, or tanks to fill, a large compressor would be better.
Other Filling Options
Benefits of a Compressor
PCP compressors are a valuable tool for PCP airguns owners. They make using PCPs more enjoyable. In the past, the only way to fill one was with a hand pump. And while that is still a very valid way of filling an airgun, it takes a lot of work and time. Using a PCP compressor eliminates the work completely and cuts the time down significantly.
