“This machine pumps out 325 litres of clean, dry air per minute, and as a result, just 20 minutes later, all 6 air cylinders were full!”

credit: Archant

It takes a lot of bottle to invest large sums of money in new products in these uncertain times, but that’s exactly what the guys at The Shooting Party have done recently. They’ve managed to source a new range of air-related products to bring to market, as well as spending tens of thousands of pounds on a new, all-singing, all-dancing, air compressor unit, which is something to behold, I can assure you!

I recently popped in for a social-distancing coffee and chat with the main man, Mike Hurney, who was keen to show me what his new ‘toy’ could do!

credit: Archant

IMPRESSIVE PERFORMANCE

Now then, this bit of kit that The Shooting Party has acquired is not just any old compressor, it’s a state-of-the-art machine designed for fast, efficient filling of dive bottles on an industrial scale. It’s not even the sort of thing that a regular gun shop would dream of purchasing, simply because of the expense. It is, in fact, an ALKIN W32 Canopy Model as supplied to NATO!

As you can imagine, Mike was really keen to show me just what it can do. He hooked up four empty 300 bar, 5-litre air cylinders to it and switched it on. This machine pumps out 325 litres of clean, dry air per minute, and as a result, just 20 minutes later, all six air cylinders were full. Now that’s what I call impressive!

If you live in or around the Shenstone area in Staffordshire, where The Shooting Party HQ is based, they are offering a ‘drop in’ filling service. Prices are £5 for 5-litres, £7 for 7-litres and £9.99 for 12/13-lires.

credit: Archant

HAVE YOU GOT THE BOTTLE?

The main reason for this huge financial outlay on an industrial air compressor is the new range of air cylinders that are currently going out of the door quicker than they are coming in. The Shooting Party is now selling both 5-litre and 7-litre air cylinders, both of which can be collected fully charged and are priced at £174.99 and £199.99 respectively. They can be posted, empty, for anyone wishing to buy one from further afield.

As far as wholesale customers go, these air cylinders can be purchased in bulk and sent empty by courier, or in many cases they can be delivered fully charged by The Shooting Party’s own delivery service.

What’s more, they come complete with gauges and hoses, which are fitted on site. The valves take 100 Newton Metres of torque to fit, and each one is rigorously checked before filling and sending out.

Another plus point of the new cylinders is the extra-long hose that comes supplied. It’s a good 10 inches longer than many of the hoses out there, and this makes life much easier when filling your rifle, especially from the boot of your car. The hose supplied with these cylinders measures 750mm long, whilst most other hoses on the market are 500mm or 600mm. Guys and girls, in these situations length really does matter!

credit: Archant

PORTABLE POWER

As if the new industrial compressor and range of air cylinders were not enough, there’s one more product that is being added to the inventory. This is perhaps the most exciting thing to hit the shelves at The Shooting Party for 2021. The new AirForceOne Air Rover 12V/240V 300 BAR Portable PCP Airgun Compressor, is a mobile air powerhouse packed with features in a compact unit.

Weighing in at a mere 7.3kg and measuring only 305 x 225 x 150mm (L x W x H) this portable compressor can be powered from any 240V UK mains outlet (UK spec. power cord included), but don’t feel the need to stay put – if you have a car you have a fill source! The Air Rover can also operate from a 12V car battery (‘jump leads’ included)—a real lifesaver for PCP airgunners filling up at the range or in the field. No matter where your airgunning takes you, the Air Rover will keep you fully charged and ready to shoot. Unlike some other PCP compressors, the Air Rover uses a unique DRI-PAK filtration system, housed in an oversized brass filter tube, which is filled with desiccated, moisture-absorbing media that removes 95%+ of the moisture from the air, thus protecting your valuable gun from corrosion. Whether filling a PCP airgun from empty or just topping off, the Air Rover fills quickly and efficiently. During testing the unit was able to fill the 216cc cylinder on an Air Arms S410 Classic from 90 Bar to 200 BAR in as little as 4.5 minutes – now that’s fast!

This unit has a great safety feature built-in - an adjustable, automatic shut-off, which allows you to set the compressor to the exact fill pressure of your rifle (up to 300 Bar) and the unit stops when that pressure is reached.

The Shooting Party has also taken the time to write a clear, comprehensive user manual in layman’s English, so you can use their new compressor safely and efficiently from the get-go with no cryptic instructions to decipher!

It retails for £599, which includes mainland courier delivery in England and Wales, however delivery charges will apply outside these areas. If you want to break free from being tied to your local dive shop or club in order to get your air, then the Air Rover is the perfect solution.

credit: Archant

credit: Archant

credit: Archant

credit: Archant

credit: Archant

credit: Archant