I have had both a PCP (Daystate) and an Air Arms springer. I have a collection of air bottles, all with some air in them but NONE currently in test. I therefore will be looking around £30 to test/refill each bottle. Although I can sell them out of test, they are not worth much and people want them in test before they purchase. The second option is a hand pump, but those that I know who have used them, have all returned to an air bottle. The hand pump, apart from being hard work, was not filtering the air sufficiently, causing the gun's seals to leak over time. I used the Air Arms under lever springer in .177 and shot an awful lot of vermin with it. It is a totally different method of shooting though, but not a problem after some practice. The secret being to allow the gun to 'recoil' rather than gripping it too hard in an effort to control that recoil. I could switch from gun to gun without a problem, as long as I remembered which gun I was using. A bit like switching between a 'Manual' or 'Auto' motor car. It did not take too much getting used to. After a house move to an area where half of the 10 Merseyside Police Force Firearms Officers would descend on me, should I fire the gun in my garden, I have sold the springer and kept my Daystate. I keep saying that I must take it out one of these days, but finding the time is difficult now that I have retired ? I would opt for the springer and get used to shooting it, maybe put some of the money saved, towards a 'tuning' of the gun, that should help to make it a smoother operator. The noise from a springer is not a great deal more than a PCP and certainly no louder than a shed door banging. See if you can try one of each, a lot of airgun shops have an indoor range for trying the gun.
