Originally Posted by
bezzer
It does make sense, when you set a reg up you don't just plug and play, you have to do a lot of testing with various components to get the optimum shot count at your chosen power. You can get the same power with different springs, preloads, weights etc but the shot count will vary, wasted air etc.
Totally wrong, AA power adjustment is just a screw that moves in and out of the airflow as it enters the transfer port disturbing the airflow. Further in it is more the disturbance so less power, screw it out and the power increases BUT it uses the same amount of air no matter where the adjuster is so shot count doesn't alter at all as the air enters from the firing valve before the adjuster comes into play.
First point certainly correct, but I think you missed the subtleties in Krisko's question. Second you are correct in the mechanism, but it's not completely true as a reduced flow causes a slight reduction in the air actually used due to back pressure.
Anyways, the real point here is that the question is flawed - it's not a question of "is a reg efficient" as a reg just regulates - it is neither efficient nor inefficient (unless it leaks or is otherwise broken). What really matters is the overall setup of hammer weight, hammer spring, valve properties, port size, return spring, air flow, and reg pressure. Balancing that little lot equates to efficiency (or not).
having a 130BAR reg pressure doesn't make a gun inefficient per se, but it is likely to mean a reduced number of shots per (smaller - say 200>130 vs 200>100) fill. So do we care about shots per fill, or efficiency ?
Always looking for any cheap, interesting, knackered "project" guns. Thanks, JB.