Cartridge press buying guide
Updated: 23 October 2026
You are in a British bathroom with a 310 ml silicone tube and two guns that do not look as if they share a cartridge. A cartridge press buying guide is the decision before the basket: match the gun to the pack you already buy, then look at thrust, the frame and the price. The [cartridge press comparison](/hub/fillers-adhesives-and-sprays/cartridge-press) scores five amazon.co.uk listings from 21 October 2026. This page stays on the criteria. Products Compared read those listings and public UK notes. We did not run a thrust test. A qualifying Amazon purchase can earn a commission at no extra cost to you.
You are in a British bathroom with a 310 ml silicone tube and two guns that do not look as if they share a cartridge.
You are in a British bathroom with a 310 ml silicone tube and two guns that do not look as if they share a cartridge. A cartridge press buying guide is the decision before the basket: match the gun to the pack you already buy, then look at thrust, the frame and the price. The cartridge press comparison scores five amazon.co.uk listings from 21 October 2026. This page stays on the criteria. Products Compared read those listings and public UK notes. We did not run a thrust test. A qualifying Amazon purchase can earn a commission at no extra cost to you.
Our top picks
| Badge | Product | Capacity stated | Thrust ratio | Frame | Note | Price | Offer |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Best overall |  GOTOTOP GOTOTOP 600 ml cartridge press | 600 ml | n/a | Alloy and plastic, 660 g | 4.4 | about £23.06 | View offer |
 OTTbeschlagswelt OTT professional cartridge press 16:1 | 150–310 ml | 16:1 | Metal, 730 g | 6.2 | about £10.59 | View offer | |
 YATO YATO cartridge press 240 mm | Bore 51.2 mm, ml n/a | n/a | Aluminium, shut-off claimed | 5.0 | about £22.26 | View offer |
On this page
What a cartridge press does
A cartridge press, which UK shops also call a caulking gun or a sealant gun, drives a plunger into a pre-filled tube so sealant or adhesive leaves as a bead. A skeleton gun leaves the cartridge visible. A closed barrel hides it and sometimes adds a shut-off valve. That is what the YATO listing claims at £22.26, with a 51.2 mm inner diameter rather than a millilitre size. Treat that bore as the seller's figure, not as proof that every bathroom brand will seat. You still read the safety data sheet. If the joint is a structural anchor or a fire stop, the cartridge maker's trained-applicator line matters more than the frame.
Choose by cartridge format
Everyday UK silicone is 310 ml. The OTTbeschlagswelt listing at £10.59 names 150–310 ml. A 400 ml trade cartridge is longer, and a 310 ml skeleton often leaves the plunger short. A 600 ml label usually means a foil sausage or a dedicated barrel. GOTOTOP at £23.06 is that larger class. Reviews say the plunger is too large for ordinary cartridges, and those texts are not UK-verified. None of these five listings is a combi. The 310 ml versus 600 ml page is that split. Twin packs need two plungers. LEWFECBO at £26.99 is the only dual listing, with no mixers in the box. Use the two-component guide.
Thrust, frame and drip control
Thrust ratio is mechanical advantage. Makers quote 12:1, 16:1 or 18:1. You notice a higher ratio on stiff adhesive more than on soft silicone. Only the OTT gun prints a ratio, and it is 16:1, so a heavier frame is not a measured advantage over that £10.59 gun. The generic listing at £15.11 never states a capacity. YATO claims 360° rotation, an automatic shut-off and a ball-bearing piston, with no star line. A pressure-release catch stops the bead after you stop squeezing. Drip-free wording is not that catch. Everbuild Power Pro and wolfcraft MG 600 PRO sit outside this table.
What to pay on amazon.co.uk
Shelf prices are from 21 October 2026 and they move. As a rule of thumb, about £8–£15 covers a light 310 ml gun, £15–£30 a heavier model, and about £25–£120 or more a dual gun. The OTT gun at £10.59 leads the score and the value weight. That role is the top pick and the best value: listing fit and price, not UK reviews. There is no star line on that ASIN. LEWFECBO at £26.99 is cheap beside many industrial dual guns and not a reason to trust it for structural anchoring. Spend more only when the listing adds a ratio, a checked bore, a 600 ml statement, or a real twin-cartridge description.
Common questions
What capacity gun do I need for standard UK silicone?
Standard bathroom and window silicone in the UK is sold in 310 ml cartridges. Choose a gun whose listing names 310 ml, or a 150–310 ml range, and check that the cartridge sits on the plunger without rocking. A 600 ml sausage gun is a different pack system. The GOTOTOP row is that larger class, and the review notes suggest a poor fit on ordinary tubes. Those notes are not a UK-verified sample, so confirm the live listing before you treat them as the last word.
When do I need a 600 ml or sausage gun?
You need one when the sealant you buy is a 600 ml foil sausage or a long cartridge the maker pairs with that barrel. Decorators on long runs often move to sausages to cut plastic waste and cartridge changes. A combi gun covers 310 ml tubes and sausages only if the product page lists both. Do not buy a 600 ml press to also do bathroom tubes unless the maker says the plunger and the cradle will take them.
Can I use one gun for 2K epoxy cartridges?
No. Two-component packs need a dual gun that pushes both barrels together, plus a static mixer matched to the outlet. A single-barrel silicone gun will not hold the mix ratio, and forcing a twin pack into a skeleton frame wastes the cartridge. The LEWFECBO listing is the only 2K row we scored, at £26.99, and it does not list mixers in the box. Budget the nozzles, and read the cartridge ratio before you assume 1:1.
Are plastic skeleton guns good enough?
An open skeleton frame is the normal tool for occasional acrylic and silicone, provided the capacity is printed and the rod catch releases cleanly. Plastic cradles can flex on cold, stiff mastic, which is when a metal frame and a stated ratio earn their keep. Good enough depends on the cartridge in your hand, not on the word professional in the title. If the listing never states millilitres, the frame material does not answer the question.
What is a pressure-release catch?
It is the tab or lever that lets the plunger rod spring back a fraction when you stop squeezing. That drop in pressure is what stops sealant oozing out of the nozzle onto the bath or the worktop. A drip-free bullet without a described catch is a claim, not a demonstration. After each bead, release the rod, wipe the nozzle, and cap the tube if you will use it again later in the week.
Related pages
Sources
Public UK sources used for this comparison. amazon.co.uk prices, stars and review counts were taken from the listings on 21 October 2026.
- HSE — Solvents in construction (retrieved 21 October 2026)
- HSE SR22 — Solvent-based adhesives (small-scale work) (retrieved 21 October 2026)
- Geocel — Cox Powerflow combi gun (600 ml) (retrieved 21 October 2026)
- Totality Store — sealant cartridge vs sausage (retrieved 21 October 2026)
- Adhesive Dispensing Ltd — ADCMB-310CPX dual 310 ml gun (retrieved 21 October 2026)
- Everbuild Power Pro 310 ml gun (amazon.co.uk) (retrieved 21 October 2026)
- wolfcraft MG 600 PRO (amazon.co.uk) (retrieved 21 October 2026)