Reviewing the AirForce TalonSS precharged pneumatic air rifle: Part Two

AirForce TalonSS

Part 1

This report covers:

• Shot count
• 744 f.p.s.?
• Refill
• JSB RS
• JSB Jumbo Heavy
• Trigger pull
• Discharge sound
• Discussion
• Summary

Today we look at the velocity of my 23-year-old AirForce TalonSS precharged pneumatic (PCP) air rifle. I filled the rifle on October 17, so it has held that air for 18 days. Today I will do the test differently, with the shot count coming first. In the past, the power setting the rifle is set to is the one I trusted for about 35 shots per fill. I’m doing this from memory because I have had the 24-inch Lothar Walther barrel on for many years. The rifle currently has the stock 12-inch .22-caliber Lothar Walther barrel.

I showed you my rifle’s adjustment window in Part One, but here it is again.

This setting equates to about power level 10 on a rifle that has a marked power gauge.

Shot count

I selected the 15.89-grain JSB Hades pellet for this test. In the past I shot a lot of 14.3-grain Crosman Premiers and to the best of my recollection I averaged around 850? f.p.s. with them.

Shot………Vel.
|1…………..819
2…………..840
3…………..837
4…………..744  We’ll talk about this one
5…………..836
6…………..838
7…………..837
8…………..829
9…………..828
10…………818
11…………827
12…………815
13…………834
14…………829
15…………831
16…………829
17…………823
18…………821
19…………812
20…………823
21…………813
22…………826
23…………800
24…………784
25…………818
26…………810
27…………809
28…………814
29…………816
30…………812
31…………808
32…………807
33…………812
34…………814
35…………803
36…………804
37…………793
38…………802
39…………806
40…………803
41…………795
42…………801
43…………795
44…………802
45…………797
46…………799
47…………794
48…………790
49…………797
50…………792

I stopped shooting after 50 recorded shots. As far as I see it, there are still about 35 good shots on one fill of this rifle. If I was keeping it in the barn to shoot pigeons in the grain bins or rats in the chicken coop, 50 shots would be fine.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture buys the TalonSS for their field workers to eliminate pest birds nesting under bridges. Commercial exterminators use them inside big box stores and shopping malls at night to eliminate birds when the store or mall is empty. The power adjuster allows them to shoot without damaging the walls or roof. The lower mark on my power window equates to about 6 power and that will give me 50 good indoor shots with Premiers at the 770-780 f.p.s. mark every time.

744 f.p.s.?

I have no clue where that one low velocity shot came from. But it was recorded so I’m showing it to you.

If I take the first 10 shots, including the 744 f.p.s. one, I get an average of 823 f.p.s. for the Hades pellet. If I eliminate that one low velocity shot and use the next one in line (shot number 11 was 828 f.p.s.) the average climbs to 830 f.p.s. Taking the lower figure, that is an average energy of 23.9 foot pounds at the muzzle for this pellet.

Refill

At this point I refilled the reservoir. That was to test two other pellets.

JSB RS

Next up were 13.43-grain JSB Exact Jumbo RS pellets. Ten averaged 864 f.p.s. The low was 854 and the high was 878 f.p.s., for a velocity spread of 24 f.p.s. At the average velocity this pellet generated 22.27 foot pounds at the muzzle.

JSB Jumbo Heavy

For heavy pellets I tested 18.13-grain JSB Exact Jumbo Heavy domes. Ten averaged 783 f.p.s. The low was 773 and the high was 790 f.p.s. for a 17 f.p.s. spread. At the average velocity this pellet generated 24.69 foot pounds of energy at the muzzle.

Trigger pull

The two-stage trigger has a 10.5-ounce first stage which is extremely short. Stage two breaks at 1 pound 4 ounces on my well-broken-in rifle. I don’t expect a new rifle’s trigger to be this light. According to the description on the Pyramyd AIR website the trigger pull on a new rifle is 3 pounds.

Before anyone asks I did not lube the trigger parts with moly because that was done at the factory. And no, I did not build this air rifle. It was produced a couple years before I joined AirForce.

Discharge sound

My TalonSS discharges with 100 decibels at the current power setting. That one slower shot that went out at 744 f.p.s. was recorded at 96.4 decibels. I flubbed saving the audiometer readings so you’ll have to take my word for it.

Discussion

This TalonSS I’m testing is at least 23 years old and has been in my possession since new. It has never been serviced. This rifle is so old and I shoot it so infrequently that it has never seen most of the more modern premium pellets my other .22 PCPs have seen.

The only modification I’ve made to this rifle was to install a felt pad behind the end cap to dampen the sound just a little more than the end cap already does. As I mentioned in Part One I’m going to do a typical three-part test of this rifle for you and then I’ll test a brand new TalonSS in the same .22 caliber. AirForce has elected not to go the “Gen 2/Gen3” route, choosing instead to make steady improvements to the model over time. Any TalonSS can be upgraded to the latest design, so owners’ rifles can always remain current. I’m happy with mine the way it is, but some folks want the very latest.

Summary

As many PCPs as I have tested for the blog, the TalonSS has been neglected until now. It just sat and waited for me to choose it. What brought it to my mind was all the other leaking PCPs I’ve encountered, because I never knew an AirForce rifle to leak. I guess that’s why I neglected oiling my other PCPs until now.

Tom Gaylord (B.B. Pelletier)

Tom Gaylord, also known as B.B. Pelletier, provides expert insights to airgunners all over the world on behalf of Pyramyd AIR. He has earned the title The Godfather of Airguns™ for his contributions to the industry, spending many years with AirForce Airguns and starting magazines dedicated to the sport such as Airgun Illustrated.

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