A-5 20oz. co2- 350 shots?

I just recently purchased a used A-5 and took it out for some testing. Shoots good. I am able to get it to go full auto but only for about 10 to 15 rounds. I am using a Pure Energy 20 oz. Co2 tank completely filled. I have access to a refill station and know that it was full.   I am only able to get around 350 shots out of a full tank. Is this seriously normal expectations from this marker?

After 350 shots the Co2 is completely out.

well one thing, when you use full auto with co2, the gas dosnt have room to expand. the bottle gets cold as well as the gun. you will get less shots if you say, fire one shot every minute. plus with the rt and cyclone, it uses co2 to operate causing less shots out of the tank. but 350 shots vers 1100 does sound a little fishy. I would check all fittings for leaks. put some dish soap in a bowl and add water. dip your finger in the soap watter and then run your finger on all fittings, lines, etc. look for bubbles. that will indicate a leak. sometimes leaks are so small that you wont hear hissing. also check the tank valve when it is not attached to the gun. on of my tanks had a small leak in the valve and it leaked out over night. my wifes 98 had a leak in the middle of the gas line.i found it but removing the powertube/line combo and attaching it to a tank and then submerging it under water. but you cant do that when checking the rt and cyclone. so use soapy water.

Jollyroger wrote: plus with the rt and cyclone, it uses co2 to operate causing less shots out of the tank. .

This statement is inaccurate. Both the RT and Cylcone operate off of excess gas from the blowback from the valve. It should not use more CO2 to operate either of these.  However, I would agree on the high ROF using more CO2 as it doesnt have time to expand properly, thus less shots per tank. Also consider the weather. You will get a whole more shots out of a CO2 tank on a 90 degree day than you will non a 30 degree day. CO2 uses the external temp to go from a liquid to a gas,and expands at a slower rate in cold weather. Combined with the high ROF, you should expect to see less shots. Also, are you going by what you 'think" you are shooting or using a tangible? Are you actually using paint when you shoot or dry firing? It is very deceptive of how much paint you can use when you are using a high ROF. Think about it for a second. If you are claiming to get 15seconds of full auto at 10 bps, thats 150 balls.... If you do this 3 or 4 times you are looking at 450 - 600 shots. It adds up quick.

Edited by oldpbnoob - 01 March 2010 at 2:50pm

If you don't already, I would recommend weighing the tank before and after filling. 

I know HPA doesn't need an expansion chamber but as stated I will be running both. For times when I am playing out in the local woods rather than going to the Predator Zone.  I won't be able to run HPA all the time and don't want any issues when I am running CO2 and right now this gun for me is unacceptable. That's why I was needing some recommendations on an expansion chamber.