CO2 accessories

CO2 accessories

CO2 cartridges relate to long air guns that derive their energy for firing from compressed carbon dioxide, usually contained in a cartridge. The most common are cartridges containing 12 g of carbon dioxide and cartridges containing 88 g of carbon dioxide. The shot capacity of a single cartridge is mainly influenced by the power of the particular gun, the temperature of the environment in which the shooting takes place (the lower the temperature, the lower the capacity) and the cadence of the shots, i. e. how fast you pull the trigger (pulling the trigger very quickly in succession can cause excessive CO2 leakage and thus reduce the shot capacity).

Disposable cartridges

Standard 12g or 88g cartridges are disposable. By installing them in the air gun, they are pierced and the gun is ready to fire. Thus, by firing, the carbon dioxide is consumed and these cartridges cannot be refilled. An important rule of thumb is to install and fire the disposable cartridge, not to store the weapon under pressure for long periods of time. Keeping a CO2 cartridge gun under pressure for long periods of time can lead to faster wear or damage to the seals in the gun, resulting in CO2 leaks. Some of the most well-known manufacturers of cartridges include brands such as ASG (Denmark), Diablo (China), Diana (Germany), Umarex and Walther (Germany).

Service disposable cartridges

Also commonly referred to as grease, oil or maintenance cartridges. In addition to carbon dioxide, these cartridges contain an admixture of silicone oil to protect the seals in the gun and lubricate the internal mechanisms. There is no harm in replacing about every tenth cartridge with an oil cartridge. Manufacturers of such service cartridges are e. g. ASG and Walther brands.

Refillable cartridges and adapters for cartridges

There is also a refillable replacement for the disposable 12 g CO2 cartridge. The cartridge is filled with air, as with PCP airguns, and a scuba bottle or manual pump can be used for filling. The refillable cartridge is dimensionally identical to the classic disposable 12 g CO2 cartridge. A filling adapter is required to fill the cartridge. The results of the refillable cartridge (projectile energy and shot capacity) also depend on the design of the weapon, so it can be comparable to the disposable cartridge, slightly worse or, on the contrary, better.

Adapters for small 12 g CO2 cartridges generally serve as a replacement for a large 88 g CO2 cartridge. While shooting through such an adapter is significantly cheaper, it can take away from the gun's performance and shot capacity.