Is it ok to leave co2 carts in the gun

Just wondering if its ok to leave the co2 carts in the gun for any length of time when not in use

[ribbonstone]

The manuals usually say not to...but that's more about safety than anything to do with the seals.  Idea being that an CO2 gun isn't totally unloaded until the Co2 is gone, and they preach only storing an unloaded gun....which in there terms is one empty of CO2.

Haven't owned all the CO2 guns out there, but there is an old Crosman Mk I that's running on original seals, but probably hasn't spent more than a week without CO2 pressure inside it....a Crosman 150 that's been resealed once, but has been under CO2 pressure for about two years now.  They do get a tiny drop of Crosman Pellgunoil on the tip of a Co2 cartridge often, which may account for the long seal life.

Normally, will store them with the last CO2 cartridge in place, one that's has "let off" so the pressure isn't all that great.  IF I want to store them near at hand for a quick shot at  backyard target, will be a full power cartridge in place.

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It's one of those safety issues...many of us ignore the instruction...at least one maker wants you to put the gun on safe BEFORE you load a pellet or pump it up...then aim...and as you are aming, flick the safety off before shooting.  I've not seen anyone do their shooting drill this way. so I'd guess most of us ignore at least part of the instructions in the manual.

thanks ,your advice makes sense,just a bit unsure about it as ive always owned spring guns.

[DanoInTx]

Mine almost always get stored with at least a partial CO2 cart inside it.  My hometuned QB78 has been sitting with a set of carts in it for a couple months and I can guarantee that when I take it out of the case and load a pellet it will shoot.  Usuaully I will shoot until I hear the cartridges losing steam, then store it that way, with maybe two or three shots left in it.  I haven't been an airgunner for long, but I've been a mechanic for the better part of my lifetime, and my experience tells me that machines usually don't break when they're running, they break when they sit for long periods of time without use.  I remember being a young airman on an aircraft carrier watching those F-14's leak hydraulic fluid all over the place and wondering,"Why don't they run out of fluid in flight?".  Answer is easy, when the machine is running and under pressure it doesn't leak, it's when it sits and everything cools off and loses pressure that it starts leaking.  Now again, I haven't been an airgunner for very long, but I tend to relate my experience to machines as a whole.  Ever park a car for a month and find a big puddle of oil under it?  Bet it didn't have that sort of leak when it was parked:)  So my suggestion is treat your airguns like you wished Grandma treated her 74' Grand Torino and you'll be fine.  Of course for safeties sake, if you have small children in the house, like I do, keep those air filled guns locked up somewhere that they can't find them, I think this is the reason most companies insist storing them without air.

just my $0.02

Dan