AirAmerica Apocolypse2K - Cautions?

[Jasper21]

nOOb here first post. I've played paintball on occasion, never had my own marker but I found a deal on an Automag RT. Anyway I have a question on the tank.

It is an Air America Apocolypse 2K (88/4500 - discontinued). The in-side pressure gage reads 700psi, the out-side gage reads zero. When I turn the "on" switch the pressure out side still reads zero.

I have tried to find info on the regulator design on line with no luck. Does anybody know a safe way to bleed off any tank side pressure? I have a feeling that the tank is empty and the gage is bad, but I don't want to do something stupid.

[Tao]

The best way to check is to get it filled. Put a squirt (for lack of a better term) of air into it and see if the guage goes up. if it doesn't after a second of filling the guage is screwed. Wether it works or not see if any air comes out the ouput line. Otherwise I would take it to a professional to look at, such as a rehydroing place. Just be CHRYSTAL CLEAR that you believe it is pressurized still.

The only way I can think of to depressurize it in the worst case scenario is to take the fill nipple off which can be extremely dangerous since it will shoot off like a bullet and either ricochet around or go through a window a block away.

[Spider-TW]

I think you're matching your gauges to the port on the same side as the gauge. That is not the case.

Your High pressure gauge (range of 5000 psi) is closer to your bottle, and the low pressure gauge (range of 1200 psi) is the one further out from the bottle. On your [reg], they happen to be on opposite sides of the port they are associated with, instead of next to it.

That said, your high pressure side is 0 psig, which says you need air. The reading on the low pressure side is probably an indication of previous over pressure on that side. The low side gauge is on the other side of the reg from the LP output. If air doesn't come out of the low pressure port when you open the shutoff valve, the low pressure gauge is bent. That may have happened because of a couple of things, but the reg may have hung up and overpressured the output.

If you replace the gauge before you get the reg checked out, consider putting a high pressure gauge (5000 psi) in temporarily so you can see what the reg is doing and don't fill the bottle all the way. Like Tao said, squirt it and check if the high side gauge goes up, then fill it to about 1200 psi. Check the fill station gauge when you do. Then back the reg adjustment out some so that you have low output. If you can adjust the output below the high side pressure, the reg is working and you can try for a higher fill pressure.

You may not want to mess with the reg at all and just take it to a shop, but your low pressure gauge may just be broken.

Be safe.

After looking at your pics, it looks like you have a quick disconnect on the output. That was how my low pressure gauge got destroyed. The guy at the fill station tried to fill my tank on the low side. I got rid of that QD. That blew my reg seals too, which meant no regulation, so add pressure carefully.

[flyingpootang]

I have the same exact tank. Your tank is empty because the high pressure gauge reads constant internal tank pressure regaurdless of the switch position. Although the tank/reg is heavy it's a good setup to get massive trigger bounce out of your RT. The higher the output pressure the more reactive your bounce. The reg comes apart by loosening the 4 hex screws in the front and has common automag seals in it. Air America was the best tank company in their day, so you have a quality tank in your possesion....

[Jasper21]

Thank you for the quick responses. Looking at the gages I should have recgonized the higher pressure gage would have been tank pressure.

Without pressure does the trigger have any rebound? I am completely new to automags and trying to learn as fast as I can.

[Spider-TW]

Air America was the best tank company in their day, so you have a quality tank in your possesion....

It is a pretty reg. I remember when the tank and reg setup was retailing for around $400. Let us know when you can't stand it anymore.

With some shims in the on/off, I think some guys here get bounce with their preset tanks (~850psi) as long as they have good flow. You should have good flow. However, it's generally said that you need around 900 to 1000 to get started at a moderate bounce and 1200 will usually get you run out of most games.

The rebound comes from the valve body refilling with air, so "no bounce for you" without air.