Air Venturi G9 high-pressure hand pump.
Part 1
Part 2
Part 3
Part 4
Part 5
This report covers:
- History
- 2000 psi ideal!
- Smooth!
- Take your time
- Stay clean
- Problem
Today will probably be the last report in this series on high pressure hand pumps. I say “probably” because you never know what new wonderful thing is about to emerge so I will keep my options open. This one will be a quickie.
History
Before 1996 high pressure hand pumps were not a part of the airgun landscape. When the first one came out it was a phenomenon. I bought one as soon as I heard of it. It was the Axsor from Sweden — the thing that started FX — at least in my world.
At the time the only precharged pneumatic (PCP) I had was a Career 707 from Shin Sung, It filled to 3000 psi and I considered myself lucky to be able to fill it with a hand pump. Of course going to 3000 psi is much harder than going to 2000 psi, but the Axsor was the only game in town so there was nothing to compare to. I was delighted. Those were the days when you had to sign a release form for the dive shop to fill your scuba tank, and I hated having to go there.
Career 707.
I had my Career modified with a valve tune and a regulator and was able to get 70 good stable shots from one fill. Instead of the 75 foot-pounds and 10 good shots the Career came with mine was detuned to get about 23 foot pounds. That’s where most of the additional shots came from. The regulator did help, but not as much as the valve.
Then I saw the USFT for the first time at a field target match. It was only filled to 1600 psi and got 55 stable shots of Baracuda Match pellets at 900 f.p.s. How could they do that, and why didn’t all PCPs do the same?
USFT made by Tim McMurray fills to a very low pressure, yet gets ideal ballistics.
2000 psi ideal!
Four years later I pitched the idea of the rifle that became the Benjamin Discovery to Crosman and they ran with it. I pitched a fill of 1800 psi but they settled on 2000 psi. To test how easy it was to fill we had their female lawyer fill the rifle. I filled it while sitting in a chair. This was the way of the future! And, though I didn’t know it at the time, 2000 psi does not destroy common o-rings the way higher pressures do.
That experience was with an Axsor hand pump. After that I owned and used many other hand pumps including a “bargain” from China that lasted about three uses. The AirVenturi G9 was yet to come. And when it did pumping became even easier!
Smooth!
The G9 hand pump is smooth. Unlike any hand pumps that have gone before, the G9 has a deliberate upstroke and downstroke. If you do it right the shaft should never bounce (come back up on its own) at the end of the downstroke.
I just looked at the customer reviews of the G9 and saw there was one (at the time of this report) negative/1 star review. That customer didn’t like that he had to assemble the pump sections that were taken apart so the pump would fit inside the cardboard box it was shipped in. He returned it without using it for that reason. In my opinion that’s not a reason to give a one-star rating. If you buy a burger from MacDonalds you still have to unwrap it before eating.
The G9 is the smoothest hand pump I’ve ever used. Here is how I pump. Upstroke all the way and then pause two seconds. Downstroke ALL THE WAY and then pause two seconds. All the way is super important because most of the compression work is done in the last few inches of the pump stroke.
Take your time
If you take your time the pump will fill anything like a Crosman 3622 in just a few strokes. It also won’t overheat, which is one of the problems that first Axsor and several hand pumps that followed it had. But the secret is a max fill of 2000 psi. When you go higher is where the problems begin.
Stay clean
I leave my G9 in the garage which is where I take all the rifles to fill. If the day is warm the pump is too. If it’s cold outsidethe pump is cold. The pump doesn’t need any special temperature to operate. What it does need is to be clean. Keep dirt away from the pump at all times. Remember when you bleed the air hose that the air rushing out may kick up dirt that can get on your pump shaft.
Problem
The biggest problem is there aren’t that many PCPs that operate on 2000 psi. The Crosman 3622 is one and I can’t find another. And please don’t tell me about a gun that fills to 3000 but will work on 2000. That’s not what I’m talking about.
As a result I think I will begin testing the $100 PCP again. Crosman tried to mimic it several years ago, but the one I have that was built by Dennis Quackenbush still works and, at just 2000 psi or less, the o-rings won’t fail soon!
“The biggest problem is there aren’t that many PCPs that operate on 2000 psi.”
BB,
Yes; you are correct; if PCP manufacturers want to convince someone like me (someone who loves airguns, but does not own a PCP) to buy a PCP, then having an air rifle that operates at 2000 psi in their stable, one that can be filled by a simple hand pump, is the way to go.
Hopefully, some manufacturers will listen to you. 😉
Blessings to you,
dave
P.S. I think a .22-caliber rifle operating at 2000 psi that can produce 20 fpe for at least 50 shots on a single fill would be a big seller…just my 2 cents. 🙂
Tom,
I’d also advise that the pump be kept in the upright position especially if you are experiencing warm weather. Found my pump in non working condition and noted that some O-rings that needed to be replaced seemed flatter on one side.
Siraniko
“ I just looked at the customer reviews of the G9 and saw there was one (at the time of this report) negative/1 star review. That customer didn’t like that he had to assemble the pump sections that were taken apart so the pump would fit inside the cardboard box it was shipped in. He returned it without using it for that reason.”
This is also a serious point in Tom’s comments. It also highlights why we shouldn’t rely only upon stars but read the comments, preferably starting with the lower rating.
Sometimes people just want to show off their “unique” inner world, not their actual experience with the product they “review”.
He huffed and he puffed and he still could not fill his PCP with air….
Every serious PCP airgunner should get a CF tank!!!!!!
-Yogi
Thank goodness as a springer shooter, NOT MY PROBEM. lol…