How long do PCPs last?

A very long time with general upkeep. Big things are the o-rings. Keep in mind since you're not igniting gun powder the stress factor isn't as high.p

I think they are almost forever guns. Only orings and valve need to be changed

I had a couple Air Arms rifles with so many rounds through them I could not even guess as to how many!! I had a cardboard box 2 feet square full of empty tins and it they were .177 with 500 in each I shoot 5 or 6 days a week and have never had one let me down unless I caused it!! Don't buy cheap as that's what you get!! You might get lucky but don't be surprised if you have problems. Not trying to convince you to buy any certain brand but Air Arms is hard to beat as far as a plain simple air rifle with outstanding quality,fit and finish at a reasonable price and from what I have seen, we have 13 of them in our club they all have been rock solid for the past 4 years. I have a Daystate's now and they are very good also but it should be at twice the price and more!! Good luck in your Airgun venture. J.L.

Maybe a better question would be is Have You Ever Worn Out a PCP and How?

As long as you are careful when cleaning the barrel, seems pretty indefinite for a lot of them. I've resealed 3 Daystates that had a documented 100k + through them with no decrease in accuracy or power. The biggest factors imho are how the sliding parts are designed and what materials are chosen. I have seen a couple of models of other brands that were worn and sloppy in less than 20k rounds, so that is a consideration. Match rifles are typically designed to go well beyond 100k, as these shooters practice a LOT.

Bob

When I buy o-rings in packs of 50 or 100 they have a stated shelf life of 15 years and a cure date. So a set of spares received with a gun may be not worth installing by the time the gun needs them.

I have my first PCP that I bought brand new in late 2008. A Benjamin Discovery in .177 caliber. And I just last fall "2019" had to put o-rings in it because of it's first slow leak in 11 years. That should speak pretty well for Benjamin.

Ray

I once heard Tom Gaylord say, "Airguns don't wear out, they wear in". 

As guys said, o-rings wear out. Manufacturers tell you to replace the air cylinder after ten years or so. I'm curious if PCP shooters out there do this, and how faithfully?

I've worn out and replaced 6 rifle centerfire barrels in the last 10 years, just sayin.

My USFT PCP has been trouble free for 15 years. Might have to replace orings at some point but that's about all it'll need because it's built like a tank.

Some believe that airgun barrels are just getting broken in at 15,000 rounds. As others said, basic maintenance and it should last for a very very long time. Soft led Pellets don't wear the barrels like jacketed bullets do. Pellet guns don't use explosive, hot corrosive propellants, just air. Pressures are much less.

It all makes an equation where an airgun with proper maintenance should last decades, even with heavy use.

Let's just say I probably have 9,000 to 10,000 rounds through my Marauder. Still shoots like a dream. No accuracy loss and no perceivable barrel wear

Best part, I only clean it every 5,000 rounds or so. Powder burners, every time I shoot.

Love airguns!