LP10 pressure gauge

[Mike S-J]

Just started shooting my newly acquired LP10 (and loving it).

Quick Q. The Manual says you get 170 shots from 200psi.

I just shot 100 shots on a cylinder charged to just under 200psi - the needle is now down to the border between the green and the yellow on the manometer.

Can I really get another 70 shots out of the cylinder? I doubt it.

What does the yellow part of the gauge ACTUALLY mean (it says nothing in the manual about the yellow)?

Any advice gratfully received.

Mike

[Neil Foster]

Hi,
Actually you charged it to 200 bar which is 2900.755 psi (1 bar=14.503 psi).
If it is in the area below 70 bar, the cylinder needs to be recharged since you will not get a proper discharge. Some of the AP's will not fire if it is below 70 bar. The LP-10 is a wonderful piece of equipment. I love mine as well. If you are using a scuba tank to charge, some shops will give you they refer to as a "Florida Fill" (at least in the Atlanta area that is what the shop I go to calls it). They actually fill a bit over 3000psi on my new aluminum tank. But you need to carefully monitor the LP-10 cylinder to fill it just to 200 bar.
Neil

[David Levene]

Can I really get another 70 shots out of the cylinder? I doubt it.

I have to ask, does it really matter. The main questions are:-

1) Is the gun accurate at the set velocity?

2) Can you get a match out of a cylinder?

If the gauge is showing that you are getting low on air then refill it.

[Fred]

I have to ask, does it really matter.

David,

Yes it does, if you have just bought an expensive piece of equipment, are not sure how it operates, and find it doing something not in agreement with the manual (which you have read really carefully five times, so that you can be fully informed and not mistreat this lovely object, newly in your possession).

Mike, please don't take offense at my description - I've done exactly the same thing.

FredB

[Richard H]

It's just a gauge, like your fuel gauge in your car, when mine reads empty I can still drive a fair bit on it. You are not going to damage your pistol by shooting it in to the "yellow" . I actually suggest you do that so you know exactly what happens and when. What you will find that wil happen is the shots will be low. The LP-10 gauges are pretty accurate when tested against an actual gauge, some of the Morini ones are not so, but the Morini will lock-up when its too low so it really doesn't matter.

Like David said as long as the accuracy( the group is good) is good, it really doesn't matter. I suggest you always start a match off with a full cylinder. If accuracy is a problem and you are getting fewer shots than you think you should the velocity might be a little high. You'd have to check it out on a chrony though to know for sure.

[AJ]

I have chronyed my pistol as it passed from the green to the yellow and the guage was very accurate.
As soon as it hit the yellow the velocity dropped off by about 5 fps for every shot afterwards (15 fps after 3 shots).
I would check your velocity if you want more shots per fill, your probably running well over 500 fps.

[Fred Mannis]

Mike,
My LP1 goes from 200 bar to 100 bar after 100 shots, which is more than enough fro a match. Velocity is 525 f/s with the 0.53 gm pellets I use. I could turn down the velocity (and check group size), but would rather spend my time practicing.

Enjoy your new AP.

Fred

[cdf]

I get 100-120 per fill ruffly , sounds like you are good to go .

Chris

[RobStubbs]

I get about 150 on my LP10 but I suspect my velocity may be on the low side.

Rob.

[ruig]

Can I really get another 70 shots...

It's possible. I have 165-175 pro charge.
At yellow zone LP10 "makes" 10's further, but with lower velocity. You have to be attentive: it's easy to hit 8, 7... =)

[cdf]

I did a bit of a test of the yellow zone on mine , I get about 15 full power shots , then about 8 more with usable velocity . YMMV .

Chris

[streamdreams]

Charging a cylinder produces heat especialy from a pump but also from a tank. When i fill my cylinders from my tank I can feel the walmth generated. i leave them inplace fo 10-15 min to cool and the pressure has droped back to about 175 I them top them up and unscrew them.

Could this be your problem? if not it needs to be checked. was it new?

[Tycho]

"needs to be checked" ?! If you aren't loosing air while the gun's lying around, there's nothing to check except your velocity and (if you were crazy enough to play around with it) absorber adjustments. Higher speeds in the LP10 will use up a lot air because of the absorber - natural phenomenon.

[Mike S-J]

Yeah - I am aware that you can squeeze a bit more air into the cylinder if you refill after 10 minutes.
The original post arose because, as Fred observed, I had just got my excited little mits on a spangly new gun, and it didn't do what it said on the label. I get 100+ shots and a bit more red out of a single charge from a cylinder at 220bar (even though the Steyr guage says I have 190 bar).

Familiarity has bred understanding.

For the tech-heads out there - I have had the gun looked at by The UK's Steyr man and he (lovingly) confirmed it was ship-shape-and-Bristol-fashion. Chrony, O-rings, etc.

So I guess the confusion arose from the fact that the guages are not massively acurate on an absolute scale, but are consistent.

My maxim is now "change the cylinder after 100 shots". It never gets into the yellow. I am happy.