N/A 10 air gun questions from a new airgunner

I know almost nothing about air rifles...just starting to learn myself and in fact should be receiving my first air rifle in the coming weeks (i believe)

that said, i did find a copy of the owner's manual for download....maybe that might help at least a bit with some of the questions? I too am looking to learn from the responses to your query.

Having spares of every o-ring your gun will need is advisable. The O-ring Store, O-rings and More, Mcmaster-Carr are some good places to get them in quantity cheaply. You'll need em at one point or another, that's a given! Instead of silicone use Ballistol for cleaning & lubing just about anything, including wood stocks. Store guns with at least a few hundred to a thousand lbs pressure. There's no "set time" for replacement of O-rings. Of course when they go bad or if you're tearing into your gun it's advisable to change rings you have access to. I'm a PRN (as needed or required) kinda guy. I expect MY guns to outlast me, AEA stuff, not so much imho. Learn how to service your equipment. Not that difficult & it becomes a less anxiety filled endeavor every time you do it. As far as how far down a fill to shoot, I'd say until accuracy drops off or power you require is no longer attainable. I visually inspect my guns bottles & keep an eye on leaks. As long as it works I have no plans on replacing any of them. There's a VERY LARGE window of safety & robustness built into them. As far as PARTS to have at home, research your particular gun, find out what's likely to go bad or cause trouble & maybe have spares on hand for those situations.

I bought my first airgun in 2020 but I have no plans to ever have them inspected or replace their airtubes. If you want to be conservative get rid of them after 10 years.

I usually just put my guns away with the pressure they were at the last time I shot them. Sometimes I fill them back up to their max fill. I'm not sure it's a great idea to routinely fill them to their max fill for storage but some pressure in them is better for the O-rings than no pressure. I fill them before putting them away mainly when I know I will shoot them again soon.

I mainly use silicone grease on my O-rings but I also use silicone oil sometimes. For a normal gun with a hammer hitting the valve you do not want to put lubricant other than possibly graphite on the area the hammer slides in. It can attract dust and make the hammer work worse opening the valve. On things like the trigger parts normal lubricants can be used. I use Ballistol to clean the barrel and it can be used on the outside of it too to clean and protect it. I use a "patch worm" pull through bore cleaner. I've tried other kinds but I think the Patch worm is the one to get. Cheap and works. Get one and some extra patches with a can of ballistol and you are set.

I don't take my guns apart to clean them but if they got wet or something I would. I take them apart to adjust or fix them and if I see something that needs lubed I do it.

It is always better to pull from the breach to the muzzle, not the other way around. You do not want to pull junk from your barrel towards your action. You want to pull it towards the floor in front of your muzzle. You also want to protect the crown of the barrel. So use a patch worm. Do not use silicone oil for cleaning, use Ballistol. I use a little silicone oil on the pellets, it is not a terrible thing to have in your barrel but I don't think you want the kind of volume that cleaning would introduce.

On an unregulated gun you need to shoot a long shot string from the fill pressure down to where the velocity is too low. Many guns will start out at a lower velocity and then rise and then fall. So you need to decide the velocity range you want to use and then fill it to the higher pressure and shoot til the lower pressure.

I fix my own guns. I found a parts list for my gun and bought the O-rings it uses and I have them in a little plastic box with labels. That is for my P35s. For the others, I just get O-rings when I need them. If you do not want to wait for things to be delivered you need to figure out what you need and order some. I also have a couple inexpensive assortments from Amazon and I use them sometimes. Like today I need one for a Bullshark I did not have and found something in one of my assortments. Bullsharks are very similar to P35s but not completely the same. I only replace an O-ring if I am trying to fix a gun including stopping it from leaking. My P35-22 is two years old, has fired thousands of shots and has never had a part replaced or been opened up.

The things to have on hand are some silicone grease, silicone oil, ballistol, patches and a patch worm. O-rings if you want to plan ahead. The problem with O-rings is knowing what you need and also the fact that some seem to last a really long time while others may fail fairly quickly. Not opening up your guns seems to help them last.

I've been doing this for a number of years. In answer to your questions:

1. Never
2. Whatever I last left them. Could be 250 bar, could be 100 or anything in between. I don't fill more than 250.
3. Ballistol for cleaning and applying to exterior surfaces.
4. Generally, no.
5. Always from breech to muzzle if you can help it.
6. I check new rifles with a chronograph and plot the velocity from 250 bar down until it drops significantly. Then note the pressure and always stay above it when shooting.
7. I maintain what I am capable of doing confidently myself. If there is a serious problem, I send the gun back to the dealer or manufacturer. That hasn't happened very often.
8. I've accumulated some parts over the years, but not too much. Mostly certain O rings.
9. That's hard to say and it depends on the gun you buy. I suggest buying something with a good reputation for durability. That said, all guns will need repair sometime in its lifetime. With today's supply line, you can have replacement parts pretty quick. Stay away from strange dealers selling mongrel guns.
Price isn't always the best choice.
10. Buy yourself a nice gun and enjoy it. Don't be tempted to listen to all these outhouse mechanics and start fiddling with the internals. Take your time and enjoy shooting.
Good luck, my friend.

Most visually inspect air reservoirs for damage and blemishes, addressing, as needed. Internal corrosion, from introduced moisture, is an unseen problem that most responsible PCP owners take steps to avoid up front. Contact manufacturer for recommended replacement intervals, should any exist.
Like to keep my PCPs full, never empty. Alternate shooting at home range so some will be full while others not, but never less than set pressure of regulator.
PatchWorm and Ballistoll are popular for cleaning barrels, Steve, at AEAC, has a great "how-to" video on YouTube. I use heavyweight silicone oil (used for treadmill exercise machine service) and plumber's silicone grease, as well. "O" rings love silicone but it's not for metal to metal contact. Airguns don't require frequent cleaning like powder burners, after initial barrel cleaning to remove rust preventative grease, I only clean when accuracy starts to fall off.
Only tear into my PCPs when repairs or adjustments are needed. Hasn't happened yet but would tear down, dry out and oil if drenched in downpour.
Non-regulated guns will dispense air just like re-leasing air from a balloon, lots up front, then fading away. The pellet will have best accuracy when to air behind it is of a certain preferred pressure. Too much up front and too little at the end can affect accuracy, while a certain portion at mid-range will be ideal.
Most of my PCPs came with spare parts bags filled with "O" rings but only replaced some in one so far. Hobby can get expensive for those unable to repair, most owners tend to be handy. YouTube videos abound for many repairs so that's a plus.
Recommend calipers, metric hex wrench set (1.5-10) and wooden dowel, of appropriate length and width, to push back stuck pellets towards breech without damaging muzzle crown. Best of Luck, WM

Air cyl? Almost never have them checked. If they look good I use em. Lots of research to back it up.

Storeage? No hard & fast rule. Enough air to keep seals under compression.

Cleaning? Seldom, but Ballistol for barrel cleaning and general lube. Inside hpa sys, pure silicone works (no aerosol). Breech to muzzle.

Unregd or regd you need to shoot over a chrono and get your string figured out.

Parts & longevity? O rings and properly cared for, your kids could enjoy them.