PCP cylinder testing

[nitemax]

Does anyone know if PCP cylinders can be pressure tested and if so, who might do it ?
On a related issue, if a cylinder was to fail would it likely be a split in the steel rather than a full on explosion ?
Thanks

[angrybear]

Well there is no requirement to test a cyl under 500cc's, but if you wanted to I suppose ask the place that does your dive cylinder, or the rifle manufacturer.

If it's a buddy bottle that some moron has drilled & fitted a QF in the base then it's scrap,
if it's a tube that has been part drilled fitting a stud then it's probably scrap if drilled more than 0.5mm or so.

How they fail is more down to why they fail, they usually burst from a weak/failure point so the edges are blown open & peel back due to the force of escaping air, (like they do in cartoon explosions) but if it's due to general corrosion the stresses from the burst could cause the whole thing to shatter.

Burst or split if you were holding it, it would likely rip/blow your hand off.

[nitemax]

Well there is no requirement to test a cyl under 500cc's, but if you wanted to I suppose ask the place that does your dive cylinder, or the rifle manufacturer.

If it's a buddy bottle that some moron has drilled & fitted a QF in the base then it's scrap,
if it's a tube that has been part drilled fitting a stud then it's probably scrap if drilled more than 0.5mm or so.

How they fail is more down to why they fail, they usually burst from a weak/failure point so the edges are blown open & peel back due to the force of escaping air, (like they do in cartoon explosions) but if it's due to general corrosion the stresses from the burst could cause the whole thing to shatter.

Burst or split if you were holding it, it would likely rip/blow your hand off.

Having no requirement to be tested does not mean they are safe.
I have 3 PCP's and they are all pre-anti tamper so if they were dive bottles they would have required at least one pressure test by now.
My hands are something I use on a daily basis !

[angrybear]

True enough but there's hell of a difference in stress between a cyl at 300bar & a rifle tube at under 180bar.

[max headroom]

for testing, a dive shop. my s200 and 400 had numbers on. it told me my test date. some bggrs will say you need to replace the cylinder. the nice peeps say it is well in date.

[nitemax]

for testing, a dive shop. my s200 and 400 had numbers on. it told me my test date. some bggrs will say you need to replace the cylinder. the nice peeps say it is well in date.

One of mine is an S410 so I will check that, are the numbers coded or just straight forward dates ?
The other gun is an FX with a buddy bottle, the bottle has numbers on and I will check those too.
Thanks for the info.

[RobF]

Well there is no requirement to test a cyl under 500cc's...

Where does it say that?

[hareng]

More like theres no requirement to test or periodically test a fixed cylinder sub 500cc. To my knowledge no manufacturer tests every cylinder, usually at best a pre production batch sample.
There are only a couple of producers that may test every cylinder they make, all local within 15 mile.

Any dive shop should be able to test the cylinder but will need the attachment to do so.
If they test to IDAS standards most will fail ie operate at 200bar means test to 300bar.

Steels good unless its rusted internally, aluminium no warning. Manufacturers have been putting dispose by dates on usually 10 years purely to cover themselves for the last 12 years or more.

[acmsarh]

After Falcon took over Titan the first off machined gun cylinders were sent to us (MDE) for testing , I set the hydro rig up using the blanks supplied with the cylinders and cycled the first cylinder to 200bar working pressure a number of times and then to test pressure 300bar but it did not get there as at 235 bar one of the blanks blew out across the test room (A mild shock to the system to say the least) , On examination the o'ring seal on the plug was in the wrong place allowing the pressure to act directly on the threads expanding the threads on the cylinder allowing the plug to let go ,The seal should have been at the other end of the blank sealing the threads off from direct pressure ,As the blanks and cylinder sealing areas were to be the same as actual airgun production components all further test's and manufactured components were scrapped as a redesign was needed.

[angrybear]

Where does it say that?

In the rules for testing compressed gas pressure vessels.

As hareng above has put, there might even be a link in the stickies.

[RobF]

In the rules for testing compressed gas pressure vessels.

As hareng above has put, there might even be a link in the stickies.

Which rules are they then?

Here's the rules. TPED.

http://www.conformance.co.uk/adirect...nsportpressure

Here's the UK law carrying out the EU directive

http://www.legislation.gov.uk/uksi/2.../contents/made

It makes reference to the directive, which in turn defines what is covered in section 2. There's some exceptions in section 6 from here.

http://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-conte...X%3A32008L0068

So you'll have to do some cross referencing.

No where does it say under 500cc doesn't need a test. Well not that I can find.

What it says is that if it's manufactured to spec it should carry markings which should cover you for 10 years. Like Pi for instance (which is on at least one of my Walther tubes). This is why ISSF don't allow cylinders over 10 years in their competitions because presumably there's no way to remark thin walled cylinders even if they're tested, or perhaps because they're deemed to be industrial cylinders (pi) there isn't a established test method.

Industrial cylinders are covered by different tests to scuba cylinders designed to be used for breathing air... assuming they have the correct markings.

[lensman57]

Does anyone know if PCP cylinders can be pressure tested and if so, who might do it ?
On a related issue, if a cylinder was to fail would it likely be a split in the steel rather than a full on explosion ?
Thanks

HW 100 cylinder that is made of stainless steel has a stamp asking fo rthe cylinder to be tested after 10 years from the date of manufacture. Who does it in the UK , I don't know.

A.G

[Murphy]

HW 100 cylinder that is made of stainless steel has a stamp asking fo rthe cylinder to be tested after 10 years from the date of manufacture. Who does it in the UK , I don't know.

A.G

Does it ask for a Pressure test or a visual inspection??