Educate me on regulators..specifiaclly for FX Bobcat

[ahobie17]

I have a FX Bobcat FAC in 22 caliber which shoots at about 890fps. Very tight groups at 25-35m, but has a tendency to open up quite a bit further out. Some could be my trigger technique. I'm still new to pcps and still trying to better my technique.

Could someone take the time to explain the benefits of a regulator and is it worth the $210 cost to up grade..this may be just for he part. At the time of purchase I didn't think it would be that much of a benefit, but I am beginning to wonder as I try to stretch out my range. With this gun I doubt it is capable of tight 100 yard groups. I haven't tried it you.

How reliable are they and can I install it my self??? The gun is less than a year old, so it might be good to have it done..IDK

 

[30cal]

In an unregulated air gun when the tank is full lets say it has max fill of 3,000 psi. The hammer hits the valve when the trigger releases it and lets out a small burst of air to shoot the pellet. When the tank is at max psi the valve is harder to open do to the very high pressure trying to close it. The hammer has to be set to over come this high pressure. However after many shots the pressure in the tank and thus on the valve trying to close it is less so the hammer is able to open the valve further letting more air out. This makes the pellet go faster than when the pressure was higher. This keeps happening until the pressure in the tank is lower and pellet velocity begins to drop as the tank is running low. This is why unregulated guns have a curve to their shot strings. 

A regulator goes between the tank and the valve and only lets the valve have a set pressure say 2100 psi. This allows the valve to open the same every time until the tank gets below the set pressure of the regulator at which time velocity will start dropping and its time to refill the tank. Regulated guns tend to be more consistent in their velocity over the entire shot string and this can make for better groups especialy at longer ranges. Hope this is understandable.

 

[ahobie17]

thanks 30 cal for the explanation...is there any maintenance involved or longevity issues with the regulator??

 

[30cal]

I don't have any first hand knowledge of the FX but regulators do need some maintenance very rarely. Probably just replace o rings or seals and maybe lube with silicone grease. Many are adjustable for pressure output as well. Although you probably have to remove it to make the adjustment.

Hopefully someone with FX experience will chime in. Good luck!

 

[30cal]

You can always send the gun to the dealer to have it installed and tuned accordingly.