how long a shelf life do Ali/steelys have? is it 10 years.
And also, when they changed ali/steelys from 3yrs to 5yrs, did this apply to all bottles or all bottles from a certain date?
Thanks
Aluminium cylinders have an unlimited shelf life, provided they pass the hydro test.
The first part of a test is a visual inspection - so provided the cylinder is in decent condition it can last forever.
What this will mean though is you should pay attention to the burst disks as well.
Aluminium cylinders work out the best VFM when you think of them as about £40 for 5 years, fibres at about £150 for 5 years, then add on tests (assuming about £25 and no postage) with aluminiums £90 over 15 years with further potential life, fibres £200 over 15 years.
However if you want to sell on then fibres may give better resale value, and win on weight, capacity per fill etc.
I believe that any UK paintball cylinder that is currently in date has a 5 year test cycle.