AirForce TalonSS
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.
Build quality and simplicity seem to be the absolute first step to success. Some will miss wood and perfect bluing but functionality is beauty to my eyes. The AF series reminds me why AKs are a benchmark in gun world.
BB do you think the open sights could be useful on this Talon despite the short distance between them?
Bill,
It is conceivable but it would look really strange with a low mounted Williams aperture sight in the rear and a tall folding front sight.
Siraniko
Siraniko
What I had in mind was the AF set of open sights, purpose built for the platform. The front one is like an M16 sight and the rear one is attached on the sight rail. The whole set up looks quite militarian but it could make good BUIS, if it can provide some accuracy.
Bill,
I have used the AirForce open sights and found them wanting. I like a scope for this one.
BB
Tom,
You did mention that this rifle is old and infrequently shot. Maybe the 744fps in the first test string represented a rough spot that got polished out after a few shots?
Siraniko
Siraniko,
I think it was something like that.
BB
I remember when I first saw it 20 years ago I wanted this gun! It was long time not available in Europe. It was just totally abstract different compared to “classic” airguns.
KISS is the key. Keep it stupid simple.
Tomek long time
KISS and quality kept this working flawlessly all these years. Your motto “denial to the trash” is so very true.
Haaaa! You still remember! 🙂 That’s nice!
A long time ago I bought a Talon SS that BB built for his friend Mac. Regretfully, I parted with it, but Gunfun1 sure is glad I did.
Since then, another Talon SS, a Texan and now a new/old Condor have come to live at RidgeRunner’s Home For Wayward Airguns. None of these will be moving out as long as I am alive. I also suspect my grandson will want to hang on to these. He helped me zero in the .457 Texan this past Friday and had three touching shots at fifty yards. I was impressed.
Tom and company are going to wind up enabling FM into this Air Force, the one he can choose and fly with; his eyes were never good enough to be chosen for the one you can fly IN.
FM,
What a way to fly.
One of my mentors said (in a galaxy far, far away, and a very long time ago) commenting on gun designs: “any designer can make something complex that works well, but it takes a bit of genius to make it simple”. This concept has been expressed in similar ways many times, but it is still valid. This Talon is an example of a good design following the KISS principle with excellent performance.
Additionally, I also believe in the ‘continuous improvement’ approach, so it will be very interesting to see after the current evaluation the following one with a new specimen of the breed. This is good stuff BB!
Henry
WARNING! The folks at Pyramyd AIR are LIARS! I was about to place an order that should have been with free shipping and Pyramyd AIR was going to charge me almost $17 shipping. If I am going to pay for shipping, I will just go ahead and shop elsewhere.
Call them up and talk to a human and find out what is going on regarding the shipping. Just a suggestion.
Elmer,
That is a good suggestion. They might even do something about it.
Sorry, I tried. The computer put me on hold. Pyramyd AIR needs to hire another person so they will have at least one person to take orders.
It is quite frustrating when speaking to a human takes too much time on hold. Especially for a sales person. But they are having a significant sale right now. And it is probably the busiest time of day for them. I would probably give them some slack and try to be patient for a short while. Or, if that doesn’t work out, perhaps call back when they are less likely to be so busy. But do whatever suits you. It is your prerogative.
I guess I am not used to this garbage. My previous orders have been small and not ship free. I have not attempted to talk with a person in several years. I remember calling and immediately talking to a person, who may or may not transfer me to another person if need be.
Now they have fired most of their staff and are allowing some f****** computer to run the show. Well, the f****** computer can figure out what I want and where to ship it.
Like you said, I do not have to put up with this f****** s***! I can take my money elsewhere.
Sometimes if my order is just above the $150 threshold for free shipping, then with discounts or the use of the accumulated rewards, the price goes below $150 and the shipping charges come back. You just have to buy me a .22 pellet pen and the shipping will disappear.
I think that if I do not buy anything more from Pyramyd AIR, I will not be paying them any shipping charges at all.
Hey folks,
I know this sounds amazing to some of you, but RidgeRunner may actually have it wrong. I know this is hard for some of you to believe, but Pyramyd AIR are not liars as I have made quite a point of saying. It may be a glitch in their AI computing software. It is true I have not heard back from them, but it is also very likely that they were given the impression that I did not really expect them to.
I’ve been a bad boy. Again. 🙁
And I thought it was amazing to wake up the day after an election to know who the president elect is, without lawsuits and recounts (not holding my breath for the House of Representatives).
To err is human. To admit it takes guts.
RG,
He is being sued.
RidgeRunner,
A wise businessman once said: The Customer is always right! He may or may not have actually believed that to be Truth; but as a good businessman knew it to be true.
shootski
shootski,
Yes, but even though a good business “man” may know it to be true, still does not make it so..
Please pardon the all-inclusive quotations. I am having another weak moment.
RidgeRunner,
In olden days management could be equated with leadership…not so much anymore…it has been replaced by collaboration.
My take: lowest common denominator is the consistent outcome.
The USSR/CCCP couldn’t be removed…but the loathed (by the Liberal Left) Ronald W. Reagan managed to start the process. Many on the Left have tried to undo his administration’s greatest work of resetting the United States of America’s course on the proper heading as laid out in our Constitution and the Bill of Rights.
Rome didn’t fall in a day either.
The Liberal Left bears CLOSE watching in the next four years and beyond as is already evident in commentary, today, they will aim for the steering gear of the Ship of State.
All must listen attentively to the speeches rendered tonight…concession? Hardly.
COLLABORATION of course but to what end.
shootski
shootski,
Personally, I have had more of this than I can stand. What this country needs is a good war. Maybe after about half of these folks kill each other off, someone will come along and wonder just what is going on. There are people in this world who literally hate me because I disagree with how they think. Huh? The worst part about it is they do not realize where their thinking is headed.
Oh well. I will just stay up on my hill and play with my airguns.
RidgeRunner,
Take heart you are a lucky man. I would love to live in the mountains of an area like yours. Instead i live in the Middle of one of the Commonwealth’s most benighted* Counties. I have been called all maner of hings for explaining that we in the U.S.A. live in a republic an not in a democracy**
I feel your pain…It was the Economy and not preserving the democracy.
The following are provided for the edification of the Readership:
*1. in a state of pitiful or contemptible intellectual or moral ignorance, typically owing to a lack of opportunity.
**The U.S.A. is a republic – not a democracy – and needs to be called that all the time. A republic recognizes individual rights where a democracy is a majority rules entity which leads to the almost one party system that exists in California and in parts of the East.
Remember, we Americans swear allegiance to the Republic of the United States of America; it is NOT a simple mater of semantics.
shootski,
You live where you live because you have chosen to live there. I live where I live because I have chosen to live here. You would be welcome here.
BB,
If I had one of the AirForce rifles I would want to add a regulator. At one time I had a Condor with both an offset tank adapter which dropped the tank and also a regulator. The reach with both was very long but I got way over a hundred shots at very consistent velocities. That is one rifle I should have kept!
David Enoch
Yes, it is.
I am really interested in how the old unit and the new one will perform in a direct comparison. I think that there has been improvement in the baffling for sound suppression. Mine does not seem to be as loud as BB has said that his unit is (compared to a Sheridan MPP).
Bill
Bill,
I’m interested in that, too. Also I have another thought I’m pondering. I won’t share it until I know how best to approach the topic.
BB
BB,
Do you still have that Edge?
Yes.
Just checking. Do not forget. You may rest assured I will not.
Does anyone know if one orders 10 tins of the same type of pellets from P.A.I.R., will they assume you want a sleeve from the same lot? If 10 is not the right number, what is? Or do I have to call my order in so that I can specify? Thanks.
Roamin Greco,
I no longer ASS U ME that an on-line order of ten like projectiles results in a sleeve. I would call earlier in their business day (i am currently no longer able to find their normal business hours of operation!)
I believe Val needs to get out on the shop floor and do some Management by Walking Around! The access to human customer service is moving to deep into the IT/On-Line Marketing WALLS.
Just my opinion.
shootski
Roamin Greco, B.B. and Readership,
Correction i found it: Our team of Airgun and Crossbow Ambassadors are available Mon – Fri from 09:00 – 5:30 Eastern {Standard Time}. Just don’t talk to the Crossbow folks ;^)
+1 888 262-4867
shootski