Dive bottles

[wildfowler.250]

Right chaps. To a compete novice in this department. Where is the best place / site to source dive bottles from? Are they all equal? What sort of size are you generally looking at for a hunting rifle / occasional use?

Do they arrive full? Are most of you filling up through gun shops or is it easier to try and find a dive shop for a refill?

This has been an area that’s always put me off the pcp’s rather than the actual gun outlay so figured I’d pick the bones out of it and go for it.

 

 

Thanks!

[Mullard83]

Not sure who does the best prices, but I`m sure the quality will be the same wherever they are purchased from as they have to be safe. I have a 12 litre steel tank wich I keep at home for topping up ( wouldn`t want to carry that around everywhere due to weight ) & I also bought a carbon bottle I believe about 5L second hand off here, where the fittings weigh more than the bottle & make it more nose heavy, but still light. I`d imagine they all come empty due to postage laws as mine all had to be. I think if you read the  reviews of the new Chinese air compressors would make it an option for topping up a rifle/air tank.

[oldypigeonpopper]

Hello, where are you based in UK ? and for what PCP rifle, ?

Edited January 30, 2023 by oldypigeonpopper

[DUNKS]

Try GO_DIVE  GO SHOOT in Derby they have a web site. yes all bottles come empty. Go dive will post to you.

Edited January 30, 2023 by DUNKS

[eggy74]

For occasional use you might be better off with a stirrup pump 👍

[Bobba]

If you are buying new then one thing you may wish consider is buying one with a surface only pillar valve. Dive cylinders will come with a pillar valve for diving. A cylinder capable of supporting diving, even if used only for surface only use, will be regarded as a diving cylinder. This means it will be subject to an IDEST visual test 2 1/2 years after manufacture (that date is stamped into the shoulder of the cylinder) and a hydrostatic test 5 years after manufacture date. Whereas, a surface only cylinder needs to be tested only every five years. Thus you will save the cost an inconvenience of visual tests.

[bruno22rf]

Take into account which gun it's for, if you go for a gun with a bottle that has a large shot count you can buy a smaller,say 4 ltr, tank as you will have longer to get it refilled. There's a good Airgun Forum that's worth joining where a wealth of experiece is available.

[Dougy]

Go for a 12 or 15 litre 300 bar, you will have close to double the amount of fill's and  less time traveling to get it filled. Cost of the cylinder compared to 232 is negligible.  

 

Edited January 30, 2023 by Dougy

[Ultrastu]

A 232 bar bottle  won't give any full fills at all if your gun accepts 250 bar  or even 232 bar for that matter .

A300 bar bottle is a must .

If you think your gonna put it in the car and take it out with you a 7 ltr steel  is about the max size that manageable. Any bigger and it will always live at home .some people run a 12 ltr and a 3 ltr . The 3ltr lives in the car and can actually  be topped up from the 12 .though this is an inefficient  way of using air. 

[Manymissedpigeon]

If anyone wants a ‘well out of date’ dive bottle that, at the last check, had around 220 bar in it they are more than welcome to mine for free ( I’ve been looking to get rid of it for five years) No one will, obviously, fill it nowadays and I have an in date second hand one ( bought ready filled from Aaron Wheeler gun shop in Brighouse in West Yorks) 

Sorry but no gauge or fill pipe included and not sure of capacity ( it’s about two feet tall with neck fitting)