CO2 vs. pump trade-offs

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  • aray

    Ultimate Member
    Jun 6, 2010
    5,294
    MD -> KY
    Guys,

    How much power (if any) will I lose if I go with a CO2 bottle vs. just normal compressed air on my pending Benjamin Discovery purchase?

    As I'm sure you know the Disco can be purchased with or without a pump. I've decided the cost of the scuba tanks & fittings is beyond what I want to spend, however buying the Disco without a pump and then adding in a 20 oz. Spyder refillable CO2 tank and the Crosman Discovery Dual Fuel Adapter is pretty close to just ordering the Disco bundled with the pump, so cost is not really a factor there.

    Obviously the CO2 is easier and faster, and I'm thinking might help keep moisture and thus long-term corrosion out of the internal parts as a side benefit. There is some cost no doubt to CO2 refills but I'm guessing it's pretty cheap, right? At 2000 psi I'm not too worried about the effort to pump as long as I keep it above a 1000 lower limit, but all other things being equal why wouldn't I go with CO2? (I hear Dick's Sporting Goods will refill tanks.)

    My real concern is power. I know CO2 underperforms in cold air, but I don't plan much shooting in the winter, just the other 3 seasons. I don't, however, want to give up on power if I go with a CO2 solution in normal air temperatures. Unfortunately, all of the specs I've found on the web so far rate velocity for the Disco using normal air, the best I can tell, so I can't compare.

    So does anyone have any experience with this?

    Thanks.
     

    Vic

    Ultimate Member
    Jul 2, 2010
    1,453
    Whiteford, MD
    Look on Benjamin site, I think they spell it out there. CO2 must run lowers pressures because it expands more when heated. If you fill it to normal 3000 psi it can expand more when warm and blow the air chamber. I think they run them around 2000 psi. However, higher psi doesn't always correlate to higher velocities. Most PCPs will hold a certain velocity even though the pressure is dropping. As for the CO2 I would think you are going to lose about 100 fps.

    Vic
     

    lx1x

    Peanut Gallery
    Apr 19, 2009
    26,992
    Maryland
    co2 is liquid.. it need an expansion chamber to convert from liquid to gas. yes it can vary from temperature. hense most paintballer go for hp (high pressured) tanks. i just assume they work the same way with regular air guns.
     

    DC-W

    Ultimate Member
    Patriot Picket
    Jan 23, 2013
    25,290
    ️‍
    Former paintballer here.

    HPA (or N2, Compressed air, etc...) is hard to beat.
    -Kind to internals
    -Consistent
    -Not prone to normal temperature changes
     

    Jason21237

    Ultimate Member
    Apr 24, 2011
    2,825
    Delta,PA
    Also keep in mind that when its hot c02 can freeze when discharged. Its a real issue at work because we use c02 for the welders and on hot days the regulator will freeze up solid.
     

    smdub

    Ultimate Member
    MDS Supporter
    Nov 14, 2012
    4,642
    MoCo
    Also keep in mind that when its hot c02 can freeze when discharged. Its a real issue at work because we use c02 for the welders and on hot days the regulator will freeze up solid.

    It takes flow to freeze a regulator. The expansion generates a (negative) heat flux. Can happen on cold days too. High flow CO2 regulators have heatsinks to keep them from freezing up.

    And CO2 guns don't flow NEARLY enough gas to freeze. They don't even have regulators. The Drozd automatic BB guns can get REALLY cold in your hand but I've never iced up a valve.
     

    Jason21237

    Ultimate Member
    Apr 24, 2011
    2,825
    Delta,PA
    It takes flow to freeze a regulator. The expansion generates a (negative) heat flux. Can happen on cold days too. High flow CO2 regulators have heatsinks to keep them from freezing up.

    And CO2 guns don't flow NEARLY enough gas to freeze. They don't even have regulators. The Drozd automatic BB guns can get REALLY cold in your hand but I've never iced up a valve.

    I know its the speed of the flow. Just wasn't sure how quick or how much one of these guns would flow.
     

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