Shoebox Odyssey 2

“My Momma told me, ‘Son, you’d better shop around’”.

This is called the 15 inch  Tank by Crosman

My 3K dive tank failed visual inspection, so I was up a creek. I wanted to go to a 4.5 K tank but they are expensive and there is nowhere local I can get a 4.5 K fill. I shopped around and found a rental on a large steel 4.5 K tank, bun rent, refills  and other charges would cost me over $1400 for two years. Other folks would sell me a Freedom 8 compressor and a carbon fiber tank from $1600 to $1800.All the Freedom 8 and Shoebox compressors require you have a shop compressor.

Other options like larger tanks, driving to Salt Lake City (155 miles) for fills, larger compressors are all significantly more money. 3K tanks are not an option since some guns require 3 K fills, and that means one fill with those tanks.  

Best deal I found was a Shoebox from the manufacture @ $650 (700 delivered). A Crosman 90 cubic inch carbon fiber tank @ $400 from Airgun Depot (free shipping). A shop compressor from Harbor Freight @130 (local store). For $1180 plus the odd house and connectors, I would be in business.

I guess that fate has caught up with me for all the free fills I got on my $75 tank from H&H Dive.

I laid this out to George in Idaho and George wrote back.

“Looking forward to seeing your system in action.  Do not understand 90 cubic inch tank   (Is it) from Crosman ?   Was this tank made by Crosman or purchased on the forum? Can you fill the little bottle to 4500 psi ?”

The 90 cubic inch bottle is a Crosman product which I bought from Airgun Depot. It looks like Crosman outsources the tank and filling system. An unexpected benefit is that the fill system is from AirTanksForSale (Joe B) and that’s a good thing. This bottle can be filled to 4500 psi.

George continues, “By comparison, I purchased the 80 cubic ft (3000) bottle for $225.00   To fill my 48 cubic inch bottle (that has a 2200 reg.  I then need only to carry the little bottle to the range on shoot day.  The little bottle will fill all my guns because  I dropped the operating pressure of my  AS gun to 1250”.

George with his AS (Air Source) gun

You have to understand that George works with PCP guns he builds from Crosman CO2 guns. He has worked to get the most shots he can from them, and that he is working with pressured lower than a Marauder. Operating pressure aside his comments are to the point, “If you were to go away from your compressor to the range, how many shots would you get?”

More on that to come.

Ron