by Tom Gaylord
Writing as B.B. Pelletier
This report covers:
- The problem
- Air Venturi compressor
- Temperature gauge
- Technical
- Pressure gauge
- Oil lubricated
- Fill hose
- The test compressor
- First time operation
- I am impressed!
Today I start a report that’s going to have a major impact on your airgunning world. Even if you are a dyed-in-the-wool spring-gun user, this report should have an influence on how you view the world of precharged airguns.
The problem
Precharged pneumatic guns work by storing a large supply of compressed air that they use in measured amounts with every shot. They are the oldest type of airgun — dating back to the middle 1500s, we think. And the challenge has always been how to get compressed air into them.
I’m not going to give a lot of history today, because I want to get right to the point. So let me bring you up to speed. The challenge has been to produce a high-pressure compressor that compresses air to 4,500 psi in a reasonable amount of time, and to make that compressor as easy to operate as possible, because the people who use it will have little to no prior knowledge of compressors. All of that must be done at a price people can afford.
The problem has been heat. When air is compressed, heat builds. At the pressure we are talking about, heat builds rapidly to the point that things like seals can’t take it and start failing. The military solved the problem many years ago by throwing money at it. The three-cylinder compressors found in bombers and some tanks (to power onboard pneumatic systems) are extremely effective at dissipating heat. Their cylinder heads are finned and made of material that acts as a heat sink, to draw the heat away. If you have $10,000 to throw at the problem, you can do it this way, too. Better yet, you can buy a surplus air compressor from the military for as little as $1,400, and you are almost done. Of course it will weigh 150 lbs. and will require a massive conversion to get it to run on AC current (they come set up for 24-28 volts), so better figure on a total of $3000 to be safe. When I got into PCPs, that was almost all that was available.
I could go on and on, but I really don’t want to. I will if you force me, and believe me — I do have the stories — but can we all just agree that compressing air to 4,500 psi is not easy, and let it go? Please don’t play dumb and wonder if a shop compressor can do the job, because it can’t. We are talking about air pressure that until the past 10 years was in the realm of the exotic to impossible for the average person.
Air Venturi compressor
Enter the Air Venturi air compressor. This is a 76 lb. home unit that will fill a carbon fiber air tank very rapidly. It’s the size of a small cooler. When I say it works very rapidly I mean that in comparison to anything else that is on the market at or very near to the same price. AirForce Airguns has a much larger shop compressor that is faster, so if you have $10,000 to $14,000 to spend, that’s the way to go. The Shoebox Compressor can fill your tank, as long as you have the time to do it. Plan on a few days, if you want to be around to watch it as it is filling.
Air Venturi’s compressor is a compact unit that works well for the home user.
Hand pump
I have owned and tested home air compressors since the first one, made by FX (a Swedish manufacturer of PCPs and hand pumps), hit the scene in the late 1990s That one used a hand pump mechanism that was automated with a motor, and many compressors still use that design approach today.
The FX compressor made many years ago was one of the first made for home use. It used a hand pump mechanism at its heart. It only pressurized to 3000 psi.
I was surprised to see that the Air Venturi unit does not have a hand pump at its heart. It has two real cylinders, just like compressors that start at $2400. It also has a full control panel that includes separate switches for the cooling system and compressor. The cooling system is turned on before starting the compressor and if it won’t turn on, the compressor will not start. And it has one more gauge that I’ve never seen on another compressor. It’s a gauge that I never want to be without, now that I’ve seen it in action.
Cooling system switch at the upper right is turned on first. It’s covered by a transparent vinyl cover. Once it’s going the compressor can be started.
Temperature gauge
This compressor has a temperature gauge! It isn’t even labeled on the test compressor I am using, but it didn’t take a genius to figure out what it is. I told you that heat is the enemy of the seals in compressors so a temp gauge is a wonderful way to monitor things.
The temperature gauge tells you the temperature of the cooling system, I think. When this picture was taken the compressor was not on and was sitting in my 60(ish)-degree F, garage. Gauge reads 16.4 degrees C which is 62.8 degrees F.
Technical
This compressor runs on 110-volt 60-cycle AC house current. There is no provision for any other current at this time. I’m running it on a 20-amp household outlet and there is a 6-foot extension chord between the compressor and the outlet.
The compressor is water-cooled and the user services the water level. It holds about 5 quarts of water.
There is a large dessecant air filter in line with the air intake. The compressor does not have a water vapor purge that operates while it ius running, but when the bleed valve is opened after filling, water vapor is blown out.
Pressure gauge
The user sets the desired fill pressure on the pressure gauge, not to exceed 4500 psi. Then the machine is started, and when the pressure rises to the set point, the compressor turns off.
Set the desired fill pressure by pushing in on the red button and turning the needle it moves to the desired pressure. When the larger fill needle contacts the set needle, the compressor switches off. The cooling system still runs, though. This gauge is labeled in both bar and pounds per square inch (psi).
Oil lubricated
This compressor is lubricated by oil. I mention this because all the compressors on the market lubricate differently. The ones that use a hand pump use grease. My Omega SuperCharger uses grease. But the compressors with conventional pistons all seem to use standard compressor oil that can be bought at any automotive store, and the Air Venturi uses either that or 5W40 motor oil. It holds 1/3 of a quart of oil, and a sight glass tells you instantly where things are.
Look through the sight glass with the compressor on a relatively flat surface. Oil should be just over the dot in the center of the glass.
Fill hose
The fill hose is permanently attached to the compressor and ends in a 4500 psi female Foster fitting. You can fill many airguns directly with just this hose, but if you have a carbon fiber tank, its hose probably ends with a female Foster fitting, as well, so you need a Foster male to male adaptor.
The test compressor
The test compressor has been around a long time. Pyramyd AIR tested it thoroughly, then they loaned to to an airgun writer to test. It came to me with a lot of use on it, but I read the manual and was able to put it into operation right away.
First time operation
The first time I used it, I filled a 98-cubic-foot carbon fiber tank (yes, the tank is larger than my normal 88 cubic-foot tank) from 3800 psi to 4500 psi in about 15 minutes. Folks — that’s flying for a home compressor! My Omega SuperCharger would take at least an hour to fill the same amount.
The temperature rose quickly (5 minutes) from under 20 degrees Celsius to about 60 degrees, then it leveled off. At the end of the fill the temp was 64.4 degrees C. After I switched off the compressor (and left the cooling system running) the temp dropped about 15 degrees in 15 seconds. Then it declined more slowly. After 15 minutes the temp was down to 23 degrees C and I switched off the cooling system.
When I bled the line before disconnecting, the compressor exhausted a large amount of water vapor from the air filter. The purge was long enough to give me confidence there is nothing left behind.
I am impressed!
I’ve never seen a home compressor that works as well or as fast as this one. Sure, the compressors that cost $3000 work that fast, but they aren’t much faster, and their maintenance is far greater. This one requires you to watch the oil and water levels and that’s it. Right now I am thinking about buying this one for my personal use.
My plan is to test the compressor very thoroughly for you. Yes, Chris U.S.A ., there will be more pictures. I will show you what’s behind the curtain.
BB—- am reading a new book (2016) about Teddy Roosevelt. It is called Rough Riders, by Mark Lee Gardiner. I have known about the compressed air dynamite guns ( Zalinsky) on the US Vesuvius , that used a steam powered compressor to power the gun. ( also , installed in a few costal defense batteries). But I did not know about the Dudley-Sims dynamite field gun used in the Spanish American war. It used a smokeless powder charge to compress the air in a cylinder attached to the gun barrel. You have described air compressors powered by muscle and electric power, but not by using a blank cartridge to compress the air. Imagine this–insert blank , pull trigger, blank fires, piston moves forward in a fraction of a second, you now have a tank of compressed air for your pcp. If you could attach this kind of pump to the gun, would it be a firearm? —-Ed
Ed,
That’s a tough one. I think ATF would argue yes and I’m sure someone else would say no.
I don’t know.
B.B.
Hello, Ed, I will certainly take a look at the book. If you haven’t read the Edmund Morris books, especially The Rise of Theodore Roosevelt, they are exceptional. TR was quite a shooter. He amazed his guides in Montana by accurately firing a rifle mounted on a horse. They had never thought an Eastern dude could do such amazing things, dressed in his Abercrombie and Fitch gear. His knowledge and skill as a hunter was just one of the things that are hard to believe today.
Particularly surprising because he was very sickly as a boy and had “Daddy Issues”. We have our National Parks due to him!
-Y
hate to say it but I think TR was more like a comic book hero with many of his feats BS and that includes his military escapades. but he was the first neo-con
His “feats” were absolutely real. All contemporary reports, and many well researched biographers (Morrison the premier) affirm the reality of his many renowned adventures. He was a great American without question – he was the first “progressive”, not considered a conservative in the day. The Republicans of the era made him VP to get him out of New York, and were chagrined when Mckinley was assassinated.
I have read a lot where he was just a big bag of hot air and a manufactured “hero”. if you search it you can find it
He was a tough guy whatever else he was. I understand that he was shot in an assassination attempt while giving a speech and kept talking for another hour!? Also, he longed to get into WWI. Unbelievable.
yes until his son got killed in the war then he went into hiding lost his will to live
H L Mencken one of the greatest Americans saw thru TR and tore him to shreds. Woodrow Wilson called TR a monumental faker of history
Ahhh yes, the “great” H.L. Mencken…
Why don’t you read up on Mencken’s writings about black people and then get back to me about how “great” he was.
Also…you mean to tell me that the little man that Roosevelt ran against in a Presidential election had nasty things to say about him?!? Whaa?? I would link to a photo of my shocked face, but it almost looks as if I am rolling my eyes in a contemptuous and patronizing way.
Woody also seemed to share Mencken’s low opinion of black people, so….nice choices.
Thank you SL! Whew!
I will take H.L Mencken you can have BLM and move to Haiti
Wilson got elected cause TR pulled a ross perot on his opponent cause TR wanted to get in WWI and knew Wilson would do it
WHATEVER TR was like, I wish he was in office now.
I agree that The Rise Of Theodore Roosevelt and Theodore Rex were both excellent books. And I, as a voice actor and narrator had the privilege of playing all the parts in both audio books. TR was truly a great president. He took on the trusts, monopolies, and the Spanish, and also was responsible for our National Park System. In addition, he believed in speaking softly and carrying a BIG STICK.
(Are you listening “Kim Jong Un”?). (Can you hear me now, Comrade Putin.)
Imagine if big bore airguns were available to him on his safaris……man, would he be impressed with how hard they shoot and their outstanding accuracy.
That’s interesting, Eric! I had read Mornings on Horseback, but the Edmund Morris books were epics. I’m sure you know, Morris was lobbied for years to write a biography of Reagan, and he finally agreed to do so after a lengthy series of discussions and contracts. The result was a terribly dull semi-fiction book called “Dutch – a Memoir of Ronald Reagan”. It was universally panned, and made Reagan out as a dullard. I could not even finish it. However, I think it supports the concept Morris did not revere TR for political reasons. Morris researched his books on TR in great detail, showing every facet of Roosevelt’s life.
B.B.,
Very Nice. Very impressed. With the speed and the features. Good report. Just as a comparison for anyone, my Shoebox will that 3700 to 4500 in 24 minutes,… but that is on a Guppy tank that is smallest version of a tank that is not an on board gun tank. I am not sure what the cu. in. is,.. (88 I think),…. but that gives some idea.
Maybe some of our math wizzes can come up with a comparison there? ( The A.V. is X times faster than a Shoebox ) to do the same thing. Any idea how many hours are on it without re-build or service?
The water is cool,… pun intended,…. 5 quarts is quite a bit. I am assuming that we have a bit of radiator and fan thing going on there? Is the water circulated around the heads/cylinders internally as in an engine? or is it some sort of external cooling? I wonder why water and not an anti-freeze type coolant?
Very cool. Nice report and looking forward to more. No need to answer the questions now,… just tossing some things out there for the moment.
Good Day all,….. Chris
Chris,
Very likely the cooling system actually uses an anti-freeze mixture as do the Omega systems.
If you look down in the description of the compressor they have listed approximate fill times for various size tanks.
/product/air-venturi-air-compressor-electric-4500-psi-310-bar-110v?a=7458
RR,
I downloaded the manual and it does not say anything about a coolant mixture. You must add water.
Jim M.
Jim,
That would certainly be a deal killer if it would not be able to use antifreeze. That will have to be checked out big time.
RR,
I checked again and the manual just says to add water. It does not have a prohibition against coolant, just does not mention it at all. Here’s a link to the manual:
/airgun-resources/manuals/av-comp4500-PY-A-7458-manual.pdf
Jim M.
Jim,
Thanks for the link.
I am really going to have to dig into that. It is probably a non issue, but since this will likely be in garages, shops and such with little or no heat in the winter…
Ahhh…I was wondering why you were so concerned about coolant / anti-freeze. Mine would be in by basement (heated/cooled), so danger of freezing hadn’t occurred to me. Now it makes sense to me.
Jim
Chris, the “Guppy” is a 17 SCF tank. SCBA tanks are often rated by the minutes of use at 40 liters/min (as by firemen for breathing). The typical SCBA (self contained breathing apparatus) tanks that airgunners use are either 45 minute (65 SCF) or 60 minute (88 SCF). So the Guppy is tank is much smaller, it would be 12 minutes.. Mr. Pelletier’s tank is about 8X the volume of yours. He’s increasing the pressure by 700 PSIG or 48 BAR. You are going up 800 or 55 BAR. So his tank has roughly 6X the volume of yours. His fill took 15 minutes, yours took 24. Now, you get complexity with Boyle’s law considering temperature (note, your pressure gauge will drop when the compressed air temperature does), but the pump is doing a lot more work in 40% less time. Most of the pumps capable of this pressure are multi stage, and have powerful motors requiring 220 VAC or even three phase circuits. So this pump is quite impressive, and far less expensive, as well. The price shown on the PA site puts it in the same range as the top line Shoebox compressor, and it does not need the shop compressor as the primary stage. A lot of us have considered a compressor, and the setup you have is workable. This Air Venturi would effectively fill a much higher capacity SCBA tank as quickly as your much smaller storage tank. We can all hope this technology is going to be workable and reliable. I’m also interested in the new Sunoptics product. Maybe 2017 is my year to avoid dive shops and long trips to get my “fill”.
Jerry C.,
Yes, the speed is amazing. Thank you for all the info.. This sounds like a good one for someone who uses a lot of air and has a big tank.
Chris USA,
Water is a better heat sink than alcohol which is what most antifreeze is composed of, I believe.
Siraniko
Siraniko,
Well,…. a car will overheat quicker in summer with water only. So I would say something other than water must be better. But water could work with less heat involved.
You are correct. Water is better than antifreeze at “removing” heat. In fact, the higher the concentration of antifreeze, the worse it will be at removing heat.
Doc,
Working on cars a lot in my life and some schooling on them,.. I do not recall ever hearing that. I stand corrected.
Siraniko,
I appear wrong per “Doc’s” comment just below. I stand corrected. I suppose for cars, changing coolant is not practical,… so they lean towards freeze protection. Anti-corrosive additives might be a consideration with water only though.
Chris, antifreeze does not “boil over” as easily thought. Antifreeze added to water makes a higher boiling point. So it’s still important. And yes, straight water would not bold well for a street car.
Doc
BB,
This compressor is indeed exciting. The fact that you have an Omega and wish to buy this one tells me pretty much what I need to know.
Interesting stuff!!
Was thinking that heat is energy…
Instead of transferring the heat to a cooling system to be dissipated to the environment (wasted) could it not be used to power a Stirling engine that could to assist with the air compression?
Was also wondering if any of these HPA compressor use ceramic pistons or cylinders. Ceramic is good in high-heat applications, don’t know if it would be practical for compressors.
Hank
Hank,
Ceramics are indeed great in high heat applications (not to mention cutlery). The primary issue would be the cost of the cylinders and pistons. In this case since AV is attempting to market a good product at a lower cost premium technology just wouldn’t be cost effective. I just asked a buddy who is a dive shop operator and he said he wasn’t aware of any commercially available unit that uses them. Hardly the last word on whether there are, or aren’t, simply my two pennies!
George
GWE
Thanks for the feed-back George.
Think that cost and reliability are going to be the deciding factors as to how well the home HPA compressors will do for the more casual shooters in the market.
Hank
Will using really heavy pellets damage a spring air rifle? Specifically a Diana 350 Mag and some JSB Beast 34 grain or JSB Monster 25 grain pellets? It seems like people have different opinions on this. Some say it helps the gun and quiets it down and others seem to think it will greatly shorten the life of the rifle. I think I have heard you say that .22 caliber air rifles were designed for 14 grain pellets and that is what should be used. Maybe I am wrong. If you could expand upon this it would be greatly appreciated. I know it is dangerous to use very light pellets in a powerful springer but I am not sure about the opposite.
Docteur Ralph,
I don’t know. I’ve heard the same things about too heavy pellets shortening the mainspring life, but I don’t have enough experience with them to comment.
One thing, though. I do shoot my Diana 27 with Baracuda Match pellets sometimes and it doesn’t see to have had any affect.
B.B.
A heavy pellet should only slow down the piston. It might create more pressure and heat…But I usually find the pellet that works the best and forget about it.
B.B.
Do you know if the motor is wired for 50/60 cycles or just 60 cycles?
Do you know how quickly the desiccant filter would fill up on a 80% humidity day?
Similarly, is the cooling system sufficient for use on a 100 degree day?
Is it made in the USA?
Darkside is looking less dark…..
-Y
Yogi,
I don’t know how the motor is wired. I’ll ask.
I live in Texas, where 100 degree days are the norm all summer long. Our humidity hovers around 40-60 percent, but I don’t think this filter will have any problems with higher humidity. If you think it will, stop the compressor several times and bleed the line to purge the filter of water.
It is made in China.
B.B.
Thanks!
Also wondering what the “wattage to fill is” of electrical consumption is. Could it be made to work “off grid”? Will they make a 220 volt version for other parts of the world?
Could be a real game changer!
Yogi.
This unit strongly resembles what I assume are its predecessors, have there been any design changes?
The older units did not get favorable reviews when they first reached our shores.
Steven,
I have no idea of what you are referring to.
B.B.
B.B.,
This is exciting, to put it mildly. Would the smart move be to use one of these to fill a carbon fiber tank, even if just a small one, so that the air rifle can be filled slowly by the tank to avoid heat problems there?
I remember the report on the FX compressor. It inspired a lot of homebrew compressors like the Lowbuck compressor that Steelplinkers prototyped. But doesn’t it look quaint and primitive contrasted with the Air Venturi?
Michael
Michael,
A carbon fiber tank is how most people do it.
And, yes, the FX compressor does look antiquated.
B.B.
B.B.,
Steven might be thinking of the similarly sized Airmax Extreme sold by MROD air. I know only that they claim to have addressed some problems of the first batch and that the new model is called the Airmax Extreme MK II.
Michael
Michael,
Okay, I wasn’t familiar with that one.
B.B.
B.B.,
It is priced slightly lower than the Air Venturi, but the first batch at least had a lot of buyers angry about the quality, or lack thereof, of the machine, or at least that seems to be the prevailing opinion on boards like the Talon Tunes one, etc. MK II models have just started being sold, as I understand it, so who knows? I assume all of these inexpensive models come from China, but “Made in China” does not always mean “Made Poorly.”
How does this A.V. seem compared to your Omega when it comes to build quality?
Michael
Michael,
The build quality seems about equal. And I have high regard for the Omega.
B.B.
B.B.,
Sorry to become a pest on this, but is your Omega the “Air Charger,” “Super Charger,” or the “Turbo Charger”?
Thanks much as always,
Michael
Michael,
Super Charger.
B.B.
JerryC—When I lived on Long Island, I made frequent trips to Sagamore Hill (home of T.R.). I thought I knew a lot about T.R., but there are things in this book ( Rough Riders ) that are new to me. For example–7 trains took the Rough Riders from Texas to Tampa , Florida, where they embarked for Cuba. One of these trains was side tracked and stranded, 18 miles outside of Tampa. After 18 hours, Captain Curry ( troop H ) , hijacked the train. When they arrived in Tampa, the 5th corps adjutant general, was shocked by Currys ” arbitrary action” and gave him a letter for Colonel Wood ( commander of the Rough Riders ) , telling him to reprimand Curry. When He arrived at the Rough Riders camp, Wood was away and T.R. ( 2nd in command ) was in charge. He read the letter, Curry expected a tongue-lashing. Instead, T. R. said ” why the hell did you wait 18 hours ? ” —Ed
I very much want to visit Sagamore Hill. So many TR stories, there are a great number of epic books.
BB
Did you say it uses oil for lubricant. I thought for HPA you want to stay away from petroleum based oil. And that’s why for the Shoebox compressor’s the first stage shop compressor needs to be a oiless compressor.
GF1,
As far as I know, all bigger high-pressure air compressors use oil.
B.B.,
Great review Tom. Thank you!
@BB
Does not seem very practicle. The idea of a home compressor is to get rid of the need for any kind of refill tank, and I can not see hauling around a 110v AC generator and this compressor when out on a hunting trip. And using a desiccant to dry air, does not seem very efficient.
From my view it is with out worth. Now get something that is ran from 48v or 24v and is light weight and portable, costing less than $400 you would have a usable compressor. Not likely to happen.
I still say the need is for a lower cost reliable light weight hand pump.
B.B.
I know you haven’t had the compressor very long, but have you noticed any oil drips from the motor? It might be worth noting how long and how much usage until the motor starts dripping oil so that people can plan ahead to have a pan of oil dry sand ready.
Charles,
When I got the compressor there was an oil drip at the drain hole. I plugged it with the new Allen capscrew and it’s tighter than Dick’s hatband now. I think the use of a Phillips screw for the plug was a mistake.
B.B.
JerryC—Sagamore Hill is now a big disappointment .( for me). When I made my first visits in the 1960-70,s there were many firearms displayed in T.R.,s gunroom. In the 1990,s, the rifles, shotguns ( and the colt revolver T.R. carried up San Juan heights) were removed . Even the gun racks and cabinets were removed! You would never know that T.R. ever owned a firearm. There is a lot of history remaining in the house and the adjoining museum, but when I made my last visit (1999), I felt that a lot of T.R.s heart and soul were gone. —–Ed
I think this needs an edit: “the temp dropped 5 degrees about 15 degrees in 15 seconds”. From the context, I’m guessing the temperature dropped 15 degrees in 15 seconds. I gather that this would remove the need for finding a dive shop or contacting my local fire department, but the heat is disturbing. It’s not something I want around my reloading gear.
On the subject of high cost, I’ll mention the Precision Sniper Rifle that I read about. The U.S. Special Forces contracted for a rifle in .300 Winchester Magnum or .338 Lapua. It has a Schmitt and Bender scope, AR-type adjustable stock, a newly designed triangular action made from titanium with an extra feature for smooth operation, and it can hold .7 MOA out to a mile. Total price: $15,000…
Matt61
Matt,
Fixed.
So, you don’t drink coffee while you reload? Hot coffee is warmer than this compressor ever gets (148 degrees, F).
B.B.
B.B.,
Thank you for your initial review of the AV air compressor; it is quite impressive thus far! I had very recently purchased an Omega Super Charger after deciding that it best meets my overall requirements (quality, performance, cost, etc.). I’ve only used it one time so far (filling a 75 cu. ft. carbon fiber tank from zero to 4500psi in approx. 3 1/2 hrs.). I have some questions concerning HPA compressors that I’m hoping you can answer to add to my own and all your readers’ knowledge:
1) Is the high pressure air exiting the compressor (considering there is a purge valve and/or desiccant water filter) dry enough to directly use in a PCP air gun without being further filtered or would you recommend additional filtering?
2) Is there a relationship between the rate of output of HPA and the rate of moisture content in that air? In other words, is the moisture removal from the air more efficient if the output rate is lower?
3) Does a desiccant filter absorb water vapor until it is saturated and no longer works, allowing unfiltered air to pass through and exit the compressor via the output or is there a secondary additional way the compressed air
gets purged of its moisture content before exiting the compressor?
The new AV compressor has a very high delivery rate compared to the Omega and that is quite impressive. I
assume that this higher delivery rate is the result of greater air volume in the compression chamber(s) and/or higher speed of the compressor cycle. If this AV compressor proves reliable over time, I think it’s going to be a very big success in the PCP market! B.B., thank you very much for any input you may offer. Best regards!
Frederick (older retired science teacher – newer airgun enthusiast)
Frederick,
I don’t think there is a relationship between the rate of compression and the amount of moisture remved from the air.
Yes, I think the air from the Omega or this one is dry enough for as PCP. That is all I have used since I got it.
Once a desiccant filter is saturated it stops working. The Omega purges itself according to a schedule the user sets. The AV compressor doesn’t do that, but it can be shut off (while the cooling is still running) and the bleed valve opened to do the same thing.
B.B.
Mr. Gaylord:
Interesting article. But while $1,300 dollars may be inexpensive in comparison to other similar home compressors, it’s still a lot of money. For a youth group, the cost of this compressor represents an an investment of only $20 less than two new Edge’s including rear sights at full (not youth club discount) prices.
This product might have a market, but I’m not sure it’s with junior’s shooting programs. Give the availability of hand pumps and all the scuba shops here in Michigan, the $$$ involved might be a hard sell to the parents funding venture crews, 4H, gun clubs etc.
As you continue with your review of the Air Venturi Compressor could you please address issues like what is the break even point and what might some of the other advantages be for youth groups presently using hand pumps and scuba shop filled thanks to buy this piece of equipment..
Respectfully submitted,
William Schooley
Rifle & Pistol Coach
Venture Crew 357
Chelsea, MI
William, here’s my $0.02 worth assuming that it turns out the the compressor is as good as it sounds and is of robust design and low maintenance. Having two more guns but no good way to keep the kids shooting doesn’t help much. I’m curious what the recovery time is for a kid to transition from pumping up a 150 or 200 bar gun to being able to shoot precision air rifle. I would think that as they move up to intermediate or higher levels a pumping session might ruin them for the night. On the other hand it might do the coach a lot of good! I know it does me!
If you are running a program with 10-20 youth and 6-12 rifles/pistols I would think the compressor would make a lot of sense relative to your total investment and amount of use. Between your chartering organization, the families, generous donors, and/or a fund raiser you should be able to cover the cost. Compared to SCUBA tanks it should be much less hassle and safer. If you run through a SCUBA tank every session or two then having reliable air on demand would be worth it to me. Also, the compressor eliminates the danger that someone might drop a tank transporting it to and from the range for fills.
If you have already invested in one or more SCUBA tanks and aren’t worried about any safety issues then it comes down to convenience. If you only have a single tank, the compressor would give you a second filling station for range nights and when the tank is empty you can fill it on the spot without having to move it at all.
If you can’t store the compressor at the range, that might be a factor since you would have to transport the compressor which is probably more awkward than a tank.
Neuport,
Welcome to the blog.
B.B.
William,
I can’t tell you the break-even point because I don’t know what we are breaking even on! What are the parameters?
If you have a lot of strong youngsters willing to pump, then a hand pump is the way to go — especially when the fill is only 2000 psi. When it’s 3000, the choice is harder.
Time is money for me and if this pump can do the job reliably, it’s the one I want.
B.B.
Mr. Gaylord:
Thank you for the response.
Reading the question again, I now realize that what I called “break even point” is really a simple math problem. When does the cost of the compressor exceed the cost of filling the crew’s HPA tank? $1300/(cost per fill x number of fills per month)= break even point. I should have realized this is not a question you could answer. No way for you to know the denominator. Sorry
As to “lots of strong youngsters”, that’s why the Daisy-Avanti’s tend to stay in the locker. And the juniors tend to more often shoot the Edges and Crosman Challenger. Yes, 2000 psi filled from a combination of scuba tank and hand pump.
If you can identify any other reasons why buying this compressor makessense for a junior’s club, could you please include them in later sections of your review.
Thank you.
William Schooley
William,
I think you just answered your own question.
B.B.
Mildot52—–Since there has been no response to your message, it is up to me to answer you—H. L. Mencken ,s diary reveal that he was a racist ,anti religion and anti democracy. He was influenced by the works of Nietzche (selectively published by Nietzche,s sister ). These books became associated with Nazism and fascism. The Nazis, called him the ” official philosopher of Nazism”. After 1960, it was revealed that his sister only published part of his philosophy, and the full body of his works seems to contradict the earlier opinion. BUT, H.L. only read the earlier parts of his philosophy. It saddens me to see how many intelligent people accept the denigration of so many of the people who helped create the United States of America.—–Ed
Ed
Mencken was lower than the feces trapped in the treads of Theodore’s well-travelled boots as he hunted the big game of Africa.
All Americans (and foreign tourists) have Roosevelt to thank for our National Park system. He was also the father of the American convervationist movement.
It is amazing to me how people will try to re-write history by referencing the most sniveling, ridiculous opinion pieces written by despicable bigots who have no credibility, and then try to pass off this merde as ‘fact’.
Just saw this, Ed, and SL, and hope you can hear my applause. TR was exceptional, a great man and a great politician.
BB
Your blog is costing me serious money. This one might be the costliest yet. Show a little mercy, man. Otherwise I am going to have to take up a paper route in the morning. Jeeze.
SL,shoot me an email,…..and I can set you up with the pneumatic newspaper launcher and newspaper trajectory software you are gonna need.LOL
Thanks Frank, looks like I’ll at least have a compressor to power the danged thing!
It’s great to see you on the blog, brother.
Thanks, I really missed my airgun friends. 🙂 I’m finally able to immerse in my favorite hobby again.
Ironically I find myself needing a compressor to feed my toys.The only local dive shop closed 2 years ago! Life has been so hectic that believe it or not I still have 1800 psi in 2 of my tanks.That isn’t enough for my big bores but still enough for the USFT and Talon & Condor w/ micrometer tanks.I have relied heavily on my sproinger collection.LOL I even make time to shoot BB guns……all the while saving for a HPA source.
Frank,
It is WONDERFUL to see you posting again. Please send me an email. I still have the same one.
Mr B.
SL,
Oil your chain, because there is another one coming Friday! 😉
B.B.
Slinging Lead—Thanks for your opinion of Mencken. I am glad that you agree with my opinion of H. L.Mencken.—–Ed
Slinging Lead– Teddy,s boots were treadless. Just well worn leather soles. I saw them at Sagamore Hill. But that makes Mencken even lower than your comment !——Ed