HELP! HPA or AEG!?

[Tommikka]

Examples of fully aluminum 3000psi cylinders



All of these 3 are aluminium 3000psi cylinders

The one with the red markings is a compact 13ci, and is exempt from hydro testing

The standard 48ci is not exempt from hydro testing, and could be used legally for 10 years, but will probably have a 5 year cycle marked on it

The last tippman there is in between, and if I recall correctly isn’t test exempt (it depends on its exact capacity)

 

[Tommikka]

Examples of 4500psi fibres

The grey is obviously fibre wrapped as you can see the fibres

The Fuel one was an ultralite which provably will have had the bladder. This is irrelevant to general usage, but they can come with instructions recommending care on the first fill / when empty so that it evenly expands

 

[Tommikka]

For Airsoft gameplay I doubt that there would be any need for 4500psi. But if buying per fill at a dive shop etc that can mean less trips back to the shop (you get an extra 50% per fill)

£ per capacity the cost of aluminum is cheaper than fibre wrapped


Expect to pay £150 plus for a 4500psi fibre wrap, and with that as an investment you should commit to the lifetime of hydro tests - 2 tests over a 15 year lifecycle - so you’re looking at a minimum of £200 per 15 years, provided you can get an economical test dropped off without postage

A standard 3000psi would be about £40, and last 5 or 10 years
At that price you could buy 5 for the lifetime cost of a 4500

A 13ci would also be about £40
5 x 13ci = 65ci
To take into account the extra 50% of air …. 48 x 1.5 = 72. (Finger in the air calculation)
So one 4500psi over its lifetime gives a bit more air than a stack of 13ci but they have convenience and can be used as a stock depending on your configuration

Swapping cylinders in game can be a problem, and will always be at the wrong moment
But I do like 13ci