We receive many questions about suitable types of High Pressure Air, HPA tank for PCP air rifles.
So here’s some information about a HPA tank configuration that HAM has been testing. We’ve been using this HPA tank for some time and are very please with its performance.
This HPA tank is the Great White tank that’s sold by Joe Brancato. His website is www.airtanksforsale.com.
The Great White holds a large supply of air – 97 cubic feet – at a suitably high pressure – 4,500psi. It’s American-made and is ideal for filling almost any type and pressure of PCP air rifle. It’s manufactured from carbon fiber for strength and safety combined with light weight.
The Great White HPA tank is available with a number of options. HAM specified the most popular tank bundle, including full external armor, the second air pressure gauge and long – 40-inch – microbore hose with female quick disconnects on both ends. You can see this full rig in the heading photograph for this review.
The Great White HPA tank is fitted with a large diameter, liquid-filled gauge that measures the output pressure going from the tank to the gun. It’s easy to read and accurately monitors the charging pressure to the PCP air rifle’s own built-in tank.
That’s the large gauge in the photograph above. As photographed, it reads 0 psi as the tank is not connected to a gun. To the right, you can see the black operating knob – turn clockwise to open and fill the PCP air rifle. Below it is the stainless knurled knob that’s used to bleed pressure from the line after filling the gun and before disconnecting the hose.
Note that the operating knob allows for a nice, slow, controlled fill of your PCP air rifle. It’s not a good idea to have a simple on/off valve that gives “all or nothing” pressure delivery. Your PCP air rifle will benefit from being filled gradually with air in a controlled manner – not being “hit” with tank pressure in a hurry.
Also, you will undoubtedly need to limit the pressure coming from the tank so that you do not exceed the designed maximum fill pressure for your PCP air rifle. This combination of the slow fill valve and large gauge allows a PCP air rifle to be filled correctly and safely to the required pressure – so long as you do your part.
Note that this is NOT an automated fill system. The Great White tank and gauge does not have a regulator – as some systems do – that limits the maximum fill pressure to a certain preset value (usually 2,900 psi). So, it requires care from the user to avoid a potentially unsafe overfill. On the plus side, it allows filling for any PCP air rifle’s operating pressure, irrespective if it’s 2,000 psi, 3,000 psi or higher.
But how much pressure is actually in the Great White HPA tank at any time? Great question. That’s why there’s a second gauge that measure precisely that information. The photo below shows the smaller gauge reading 4,000+. This is the pressure of the air actually in the HPA tank.
This optional second gauge is a – patent pending – idea of Joe Brancato’s and it allows a constant read on tank pressure without having to “dead head” the output line to find tank pressure using the main gauge. It’s quicker, simpler and easier. Joe calls this “Option 1″ in his website.
The basic Great White HPA tank is supplied with a male quick disconnect. But most people want to connect the tank to a male quick disconnect on their air rifle. The microbore, female/female quick disconnect option provides that capability. It also is the connection most likely to be compatible with the capabilities of most paintball stores or other locations that can charge your HPA tank with high pressure air at 4,500 psi. The quick disconnects are manufactured from stainless steel to withstand the very high pressures used in HPA systems. This is “Option 2A” in Joe’s store.
The “Full Armor” option protects the tank in storage and use. Obviously that helps to keep the HPA tank in good external cosmetic condition.
Expect to pay around $700 – $800 for the Great White tank, depending on the options you select. Joe’s website has full details.
Joe Brancato prefers to do business by phone. So take a look at www.airtanksforsale.com then phone him at 714-907-0067 8AM-8PM Pacific Time if you have questions, or to place an order. Please say that you saw this review in Hard Air Magazine!
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