Anschuetz - recall of air cylinder

[ASA]

Over here in Germany, Anschuetz informed about the recall of aluminium air cylinders.

Probably the defective ones were only sold in Germany, anyhow, here is the website (English version) announcing the recall:

http://www.sauer-daaden.de/rueckruf-ans ... dex-en.php

kind regards

Axel

[David Levene]

This is extremely worrying.

This is the same recall that was first announced in August/September 2006.

If they are announcing it again, with all of the negative publicity, it means they have not had all of the suspect cylinders back.

To quote their own words, "Serious injuries cannot be excluded".

Can I suggest that we all keep a copy of the suspect numbers in our shooting kit and show it to any Anschutz air rifle shooters we know. I don't want to be around if a 200 bar cylinder fails.

[jipe]

This is old information, no new cylinder concerned:

For safety reasons a check and - if necessary - exchange by the manufacturer is essential. The below listed air cylinder series - only until year of manufacture December 2005 - may be concerned:

[ASA]

This is old information, no new cylinder concerned:
..

True, however it was posted again this morning in a newsletter from our national shooting organization (Deutscher Schuetzenbund) with the added information: Anschuetz received 60% of the cylinders in question. This means that some 2000 of these cylinders have not been returned. Meanwhile 4 cases of personal injuries have been reported. Here is a photo of a blown-up cylinder:

[jholtman]

Our rifle program had 3 or 4 cyl. on the list. One of them had 4 cracks at the gauge end that had gapped open . This cyl. was ready to let go. the other 3 were ok. If you have any of the cyl. on the list, Get them exchanged before something tragic happens. Also, a dive shop told me that it is important to fill any pressure vessel slowly as the heat that is generated can weaken the cyl. from the inside out.He stated that heat and moisture are the biggest enemies of pressure vessels. I have seen many people crank the valve wide open on a scuba tank to fill their cyl. and have the cyl. very hot to the touch. I know that the recall is from weak materials, but a heated cyl. may shorten the life of a good cyl.
Jim Holtman

[jipe]

Our rifle program had 3 or 4 cyl. on the list. One of them had 4 cracks at the gauge end that had gapped open . This cyl. was ready to let go. the other 3 were ok. If you have any of the cyl. on the list, Get them exchanged before something tragic happens. Also, a dive shop told me that it is important to fill any pressure vessel slowly as the heat that is generated can weaken the cyl. from the inside out.He stated that heat and moisture are the biggest enemies of pressure vessels. I have seen many people crank the valve wide open on a scuba tank to fill their cyl. and have the cyl. very hot to the touch. I know that the recall is from weak materials, but a heated cyl. may shorten the life of a good cyl.
Jim Holtman

It will also reduce the number of shots you can do with the cylinder because a hot cylinder contain less air.

The ideal procedure is to open slowily the valve to limit as much as possible the heating of the cylinder. Then close the valve and let the cylinder cool down. After a while, when the cylinder is again at room temperature, open again the valve and complete the load.

[Bill177]

Yet another reason to use Co2.

I never did "upgrade" to CA and am glad I didn't. Life is very simple using Co2.

So far as the old "temperature change" stories - well, how much change do you really experience in an indoor range during a match?

Of course, many will argue the point.

[Richard H]

Not the best reason.

One of the only fatalities that I know about actually involved a CO2 tank that came off and hit a woman in the head during refilling (about 3-4 years ago, paintball gun).

Whether its compressed air or carbon dioxide, they both contain enough energy to cause injury or death. They are both pressure vessels and need to be treated with respect, to think that one is less dangerous than the other and there doesn't need to be treated as such is fool hardy.

[Guest1]

I would have to agree with the previous posting. CO2 cylinders are not exempt from the other problem of corrosion. CO2 is as susceptible to corrosion as compressed air even more so if the refilling isn't done right.