Slingbacker mags in space

evilrobotshane

I had a dire warning the other day that when put in the unpressurised hold of an aerioplane, propane slingbacker magazines can bust their seals and be wrecked when you arrive. Disassembling them was recommended, but since I recieved my first propane-powered slingbacker about an hour ago I'm not familiar with this procedure.

For a start, is it actually necessary? If the mags are fully vented before packing they'll be at one atmosphere of pressure inside, which presumably they can hack even if the external pressure is very low, no?

If I do need to take them apart, what's the easy way to do that? Unscrewing the button that releases gas seems to me like it'd do the trick of opening up the internal chamber to the environment so it can equalise. Is there more required?

Thanks folks.

Leftyflip

Don't know if it's totally necessary, but removing the outlet valve would be enough.

Masada

Its a it of a myth, i wouldnt worry about it. that said most airliners wont allow you on with a "pressurized container" like this. the easiest option is to atick a little spacer ontop of the valve that the hammer strikes and then tape it up so its sitting fully open all the time. you could also just unscrew the valve from the mag altogether. that'll probalby be the most trouble free option, as the airport staff are very likely to ask you about the mags anyway,

NakedDex

No cabin is unpressurised really, unless you're flying low altitudes. The cargo bay and passenger cabin are equalised at a pressure equivalent to 8000ft altitude, unless you're flying below that (or there's a hole in the airframe, in which case you may have bigger worries).
If you vent the mag on the ground, you're equalising it's pressure to the equivalent of your ground altitude above sea level (for arguments sake, let's lie and say that's 0ft). This will leave one atmosphere of pressure in the mag, or 14.696psi.
Here's the bit that scares airlines into warnings about pressurised containers; for every 1000ft of altitude you gain, you lose about 4% air pressure. This means, when you're flying at or above the magic 8000ft, your cabin pressure drops by 32%, to just shy of 10psi.
This is your pressure differential which could potentially cause damage to seals.

Realistically, it's the airline covering it's ass. The chances of damage are negligible to zero, depending on whether it already had a defect. Remember, if you shop for a GBB online and pay for express air mail, they don't dismantle it or jam the valve open. Your can of deodorant has more chance of popping it's clogs mid-flight than your magazine.
The airline will likely still ask you to remove the valve, but if they don't or you miss one, I wouldn't worry about it.