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For the newcomers on thinking this will be cheaper than powder burners.

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elh0102 said:
The elephant in the room which hasn't been mentioned is the fundamental design of the PCP. It is a contraption that depends on O rings, springs, valves and seals to work properly, if at all. How long does that combination last before something fails? Compared to a cartridge firearm, not very long. It is a fun hobby and I like it a lot. I also have 6 of them, so something is generally working on a given day! I exaggerate, and I've actually had reasonably good luck with PCP rifles. But, it's a hobby unto itself. You grab a shotgun or rifle and head out to shoot targets or hunt game. The firearm is a tool, and it can be relied on to be available when it's time to shoot. The PCP isn't just a tool to support a goal. Having it in good shooting shape is part of the goal itself. It's kind of like a race car. You have a truck full of parts and you drive until something breaks, and it will.
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All very good valid points. PCP guns are not something you can just leave in your closet for a few years and then pull out and shoot like no time has passed. You have to actually put in regular time and maintenance on these guns to keep them in working order.
 
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longshot81 said:
Yeah that's where I went wrong. A guy I know has some PCP guns and I shot them and I just fell in love instantly so I went full blast into it without doing any research. I started out with cheaper guns had some problems ended up selling those and buying more expensive ones later on. If I just did the research I could have saved myself a lot of money.
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I've always had Champagne taste with a beer budget. I did buy the best I could afford at the time, starting with a Gen 1 Marauder. Shot the snot out of it for about 7 years before going higher end. My toughest decision was backing off of the FX Impact in favor of the Dreamline. That turned out to be an excellent choice, if I do says so myself. But it was the budget that set the rules.
 
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elh0102 said:
The elephant in the room which hasn't been mentioned is the fundamental design of the PCP. It is a contraption that depends on O rings, springs, valves and seals to work properly, if at all. How long does that combination last before something fails? Compared to a cartridge firearm, not very long. It is a fun hobby and I like it a lot. I also have 6 of them, so something is generally working on a given day! I exaggerate, and I've actually had reasonably good luck with PCP rifles. But, it's a hobby unto itself. You grab a shotgun or rifle and head out to shoot targets or hunt game. The firearm is a tool, and it can be relied on to be available when it's time to shoot. The PCP isn't just a tool to support a goal. Having it in good shooting shape is part of the goal itself. It's kind of like a race car. You have a truck full of parts and you drive until something breaks, and it will.
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Completely agree. Occasionally (especially a few years ago during the lock downs) you would see people talking about using PCPs as part of their prepper/survival plan. I would just laugh. PCPs are definitely the worst possible choice for a projectile launcher in a situation where there isn't an infrastructure available to support them.
 
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Spartan said:
Completely agree. Occasionally (especially a few years ago during the lock downs) you would see people talking about using PCPs as part of their prepper/survival plan. I would just laugh. PCPs are definitely the worst possible choice for a projectile launcher in a situation where there isn't an infrastructure available to support them.
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depends on your game ..i could go the rest of my life with my handpump, as long as you got some spare orings and silicone oil, and a big pile of crosman premeirs
. but no it wont be so ideal with a bottle gun or larger calibers ..
 
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dizzums said:
depends on your game ..i could go the rest of my life with my handpump, as long as you got some spare orings and silicone oil, and a big pile of crosman premeirs
. but no it wont be so ideal with a bottle gun or larger calibers ..
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Until the handpump fails. I had a good quality Hill handpump that took a rebuild kit once, but after the second failure I could not get it to function properly again, despite having the tools and knowledge. I could never find whatever ghost had developed inside of it, and boy was it a PITA to have to keep tearing it down.

All speculation of course, but if completely cut off from society and assuming unlimited pellets, I would be interested to know how long a person could actually go on a PCP having only a handpump and a few rebuild kits both for the gun and the pump. If they used it at a reasonable frequency, I would guess a few years at most before something failed that couldn't be fixed off the grid.

Just my thoughts on it...as a lover of PCPs.
 
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Spartan said:
Completely agree. Occasionally (especially a few years ago during the lock downs) you would see people talking about using PCPs as part of their prepper/survival plan. I would just laugh. PCPs are definitely the worst possible choice for a projectile launcher in a situation where there isn't an infrastructure available to support them.
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You are right, in a end of the world apocalypse society breaking down situation air guns are not what you want to solely rely on. But they will keep you going long enough to find somebody with real guns and Rob the hell out of them lol
 
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longshot81 said:
You are right, in an end of the world apocalypse society breaking down situation air guns are not what you want to solely rely on. But they will keep you going long enough to find somebody with real guns and Rob the hell out of them lol
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Yeah forget about airguns as a reliable source of self defense
 
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PasadenaMike said:
Yeah if that’s the case I’d rather have air than nothing at all. Sorry I didn’t think about that.
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Like I said, in a society breaking down end of the world scenario, of course you need to find real guns as fast as possible. But if some punk was to break into my house, I feel confident with the collection I have that I could defend myself with no problem.

And you have to remember Lewis and Clark explored the new world while having an air rifle so I mean they're usable.
 
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If you live off grid like I do you have power for the pump and lead pot to cast more ammo. I have a shoebox f10 that I've used for the last 4 years and the only problem was I blew a fuse because I tried to restart it without releasing the pressure. Airguns are great for if and when the SHTF because they are way quieter than a PB. You can take a rabbit, or? for a meal and not announce your presents. Springers don't require anything more than a pocket of pellets. I had my Diana 48 for 30+years before I resprong it and it was 5 years old when I bought it.

If you think PCPs are expensive try a big bore 2 stroke dirt bike. I've got around 6k-7k $ into a 1995 KTM 550 mxc. A new piston alone is $350 if you can find one.
 
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I do not agree with the premise that PCPs are more expensive than PBs. I have only owned a PCP since I retired in late 2019 so I cannot comment on long term maintenance but all my 6 have needed is an occasional O-ring. You can't hardly buy one so I have lots. Maybe long term something else breaks but after having them apart I doubt it.

I disagree that more expensive PCPs are so desirable that you won't want less expensive PCPs any more once you try one. I did and I prefer my less expensive for most purposes. 3 of my 5 are P35s in different calibers. My one more expensive is an Air Maks Caiman. It's CZ barrel has not yet produced a better 30 yard challenge score than the china barrels in 2 of my 3 P35s. It is machined noticably better but the only way that makes an obvious difference is when filling it. The fill probe of the P35s often leaks a little and the Caiman probe has not yet. Not worth the 3X price difference to me. The Caiman weighs about a pound and a half more than the P35s. I can lift it but I prefer lighter. All the triggers required adjustment, the Caiman was probably the worst out of the box, but at this point they are similar. About a pound and crisp letoff. Very light first stage. My Avenger is single stage and crisp and reasonably light. The Huma regulator in the Caiman has given me a better shot string than some of the P35s but it has given me worse ones too. I would say the regulators in all the guns are OK.

To me the sweet spot on PCPs is around $500. You can find them less expensive (like my Avenger) but they start having to take short cuts you may not like. You get to around $500 and you find guns like the SPA M60b and P35, Stoeger Bullshark, and the Air Venturi Avenge X. More solidly made, plastic not used where it should not be. Probably need adjustment but capable of good accuracy and dependable.

You can find dependable minimal plastic PBs cheaper but ammo is more expensive. If you stick to 177s and 22s, pellets are not very expensive, especially if your gun prefers H&Ns to JSBs. But even JSBs are not so bad if you shop around. Target quality ammo for PBs is not cheap by any stretch. You can also spend every bit as much on PBs as the most expensive airguns. Probably more if you try a little. Scopes are about the same for both.

My Yong Heng is pushing 3 years and fills my bottle to 300 bar a little more than once a month on average. Good oil changed yearly and some low cost cooling mods may be helping. You do not have to spend thousands on a compressor.

I have PBs too but to shoot them I have to drive to a range. That has a cost too. A private range requires a membership and dues and then there is the gas and time to get there. I can shoot my PCPs in my backyard. That is convenient and lower in expense.
 
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As a hobby it is what you make of it. You don’t have to spend a ton of money and you can have reliable fun. In the PB world as soon as you step out of 22 lr ammo per shot sky rockets. About any centerfire rifle and ouch it’s expensive and most people can’t shoot those in their backyard or afford to shoot 100’s to 1000’s of rounds like we do in our air rifles.
 
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