by Tom Gaylord, a.k.a. B.B. Pelletier
The new AirForce Condor SS has an improved trigger and safety. But the biggest news is that it’s quiet!
Oh, boy, do I have a lot to tell you today! You’re reading this while Mac and his wife (Elissa), Edith and I are attending the 2013 SHOT Show. I did the testing for this blog back in November of last year. See? I can keep a secret!
There are many new things coming from AirForce, and today they’re showcasing them to the industry at the 2013 SHOT Show. Subscribers to Shotgun News got a sneak peak at them last week when the SHOT Show issue hit the newsstands with a full report.
There’s a new trigger and safety that will appear on all the sporting rifles. Then, there’s the new Condor SS and an updated Talon SS — both of which I will report for you today.
I was actually testing the new AirForce trigger and safety for them, to see if I could break it or make it malfunction. Then, at the end of my test, I visited AirForce for a day and got to see and hear the new Condor SS and Talon SS. And when I say hear, I do so only as in using a common phrase because you can’t actually hear the discharge of either rifle!
How much better is the new trigger?
I’ll never forget the day blog reader Kevin was visiting me and tried the trigger on my Wilson Combat 1911 CQB Light Rail pistol. He guessed it let off at one pound and simply refused to believe it was really three pounds. I got the trigger-pull gauge, and we tested it right there! Three pounds and an ounce or two, as I remember.
Well, that’s what the new AirForce trigger is going to feel like to veteran AirForce owners. The trigger on my vintage Condor breaks at about the same 26 oz. as the trigger on the new gun, but what a difference it is! First of all, the new gun is a brand-new gun. My old Condor has an untold number of shots out the muzzle, all of which helped to smooth up the trigger parts. And I never took it apart, because I used to build these guns and I know they do not tolerate lubricants, dirt or modifications to parts.
The other thing the new trigger does is stop right after it releases. It’s like a perfectly adjusted trigger stop, only there’s no stop. It comes that way from the factory.
The new trigger cannot be exchanged for the old. The pins are in different places, and the parts are completely different. This was not done to make you buy a new rifle. It’s just a fact that the new parts are all different and fit together differently.
The old trigger and safety. The safety comes on automatically and is pushed forward to release.
The new trigger doesn’t look much different until you notice that the pins are in different places. This safety is a prototype, and the production safety will not have teeth on the end.
This new trigger and safety will become the standard of the AirForce sporting rifle line, so you’ll find it on all three rifles — the Talon, Talon SS and Condor. And, of course, the new Condor SS will also have it when it comes to market.
All the new parts were designed on a CAD system that lets the designers play with different configurations without having to cut any metal. Only when they feel the design is right do they make the parts for testing.
All the new trigger and safety parts were designed on a workstation. This allows incredible control over the final parts the machines make!
The new safety operates differently than the old one. It does not allow the rifle to be uncocked. There’s an additional safety built in so the gun will not function until the bolt is almost closed — so no longer can you release the safety, pull the trigger and ride the bolt down slowly to uncock the gun. Once cocked, the trigger must be fired. To avoid exhausting any air, I found that if I unscrewed the air reservoir and held my hand behind the bolt cocking knob to catch it as the striker hit it I could avoid exhausting any air while uncocking the gun. This takes some practice, and you don’t want to do it indoors the first time — don’t ask!
The proof
Blah, blah, blah! Everyone knows I like AirForce guns, so what can I say about them that you haven’t already heard? Those who agree with me don’t need convincing, and everyone else believes I’ve sold out to the Dark Side. But — what if the new gun really shoots? What then?
So, I went to the range and shot it. And I did something that you haven’t seen me do before — at least not with an air rifle. You all know what I mean by a “group.” I mean 10 shots in succession, one after the other, and let the chips fall where they may. If 3-shot groups are like riding the bumper cars and 5-shot groups are like a drag race on city streets, then 10-shot groups are like Formula One racing.
I already knew the old Condor was an accurate air rifle, and I’ve shown that to you on several occasions. On this perfect, cold November day, I did something a little different. First, I shot 10 JSB 18.1-grain Jumbo Heavy pellets at 50 yards and got a group that measured 0.508 inches between centers. That’s pretty darned good. In fact, that’s a screamer in my book. And, in deference to people like my brother-in-law who thinks the shots must be centered in the bull to be good, I also centered them.
Ten JSB 18.1-grain Jumbo Heavies went into 0.506 inches at 50 yards. This group is a screamer!
Normally this is where I would load a different pellet and shoot another 50-yard group, but on this day I didn’t do that. Instead, I walked out to the 100-yard berm and put up another target. Then, I shot another series of shots at that target. I’d elevated the scope by what amounted to several inches of elevation above the 50-yard zero, but the shots still fell below the bull. But they fell in a group that measured 1.003 inches between centers. Instead of 10 shots, there were 11 because I was so wrapped up in the shooting that I lost count of my shots.
Eleven JSB 18.1-grain Jumbo Heavies went into 1.003 inches at 100 yards. I may never again shoot a group this good with an air rifle.
Did the new rifle shoot that well just because of the new trigger? Of course not. A Condor with the old trigger could shoot just as well. All the new trigger did was make it even easier to shoot that group.
Uniformity is king
What are your chances of getting a trigger just as good straight out of the box? They’re excellent because one of the things the design of this new trigger does is make it easier to control dimensions and tolerances during manufacture. Each and every trigger should feel the same straight from the box. Even more important than how good the new trigger feels is the news about the uniformity.
On to the new quiet guns
I went to AirForce for a day to witness the new Condor SS and Talon SS upgrade perform. When I got there, we grabbed a Condor and immediately went outside where a chronograph was waiting. Why a chronograph? Because the new Condor SS is so quiet that it sounds like you’re shooting a Diana 27 breakbarrel. No — it’s not even that loud. All you hear is the click of the striker hitting the valve — and they’re talking about how to make that even quieter!
We shot the prototype Condor SS and the new Talon SS upgrade.
The new Condor SS has an 18-inch barrel, compared to the 24-inch barrel of the standard unsilenced Condor. It’s a little slower, but not much. They get about 1,200 f.p.s. with .22-caliber 14.3-grain Crosman Premier pellets, where the unsilenced gun gets around 1,250.
Imagine a 55 foot-pound air rifle that’s so quiet you have to watch your breathing. As I said about the Benjamin Marauder and thousands of shooters now know: When the rifle fires, it’s the sound of a ballpoint pen falling onto a deep-pile carpet.
The technology
Like the current Talon SS, there’s space ahead of the Lothar Walther barrel in the Condor SS. However, unlike the current guns, there’s now something in that space. There are are 3 Delrin baffles designed to turn around the compressed air and direct it toward the rear of the gun. By the time it finally gets past the end cap, it has lost all its pressure and therefore makes no sound.
I’d love to show you those baffles, but they were still tweaking the design when I was there. All I can say is that the ones I saw looked a lot like large black diabolo pellets seen from the side. And they’re separate and individual. There’s also a spring that presses them tight so they don’t rattle.
Here’s some very good news for owners of the current Talon SS. These baffles will be sold separately so you can install them in your gun. Yes, I did get to hear a standard Talon SS with the new baffles, and it’s quiet. But since it’s impossible to be quieter than nothing, I can’t really give you a rating. It sounds just like the new Condor SS.
I asked them to put a standard air tank on the new Condor SS to see what I would do. We saw Crosman Premiers going 970 f.p.s through the traps, which is 100-120 f.p.s. faster than the standard SS. The benefit of that is that, instead of about 20 good shots on one tank, you get up to 40 shots — and the longer barrel gives you performance in the 30-40 foot-pound region. They have no plans to build that gun (standard tank with an 18-inch barrel and new extended Condor SS frame), but any owner can just put a standard tank on a Condor SS and get it for themselves.
This report is just Part 1 of what I hope will be a complete series on the new Condor SS. That’ll include the new trigger and safety, but I feel like I’ve already addressed that completely in this report. The gun will hit the market in 2013, hopefully sooner rather than later. As soon as it does, I’ll be on top of it for you.
This report is about a single family of new airguns at the 2013 SHOT Show, but it doesn’t really cover the show, so there will be several more SHOT reports coming.
Is the condor SS frame longer than the talon ss?
It has to be. If you stick the 18″ barrel in a TSS the muzzle will be flush with the frame. This looks like a 24″ barrel would come flush with the frame.
twotalon
853,
Yes, it is. TT got it right.
B.B.
So they finally inserted baffles. It is a shame the trigger does not fit the old frames. Does the new trigger still flop around? I guess I am still on my own to upgrade it.
RR,
I don’t know about “flop around.” I don’t think the old trigger flops around, so perhaps I’m not the best judge.
B.B.
B.B.
Flop around is usually equated to a lot of sideways slop. Both of my Talons have it. It’s something you either ignore or complain about. You could always say that the safety has a lot of slop too.
twotalon
B.B.
Did you try this one uncorked to see what it sounded like ? I tried my TSS uncorked once. Let’s say that shooting the muzle blast through a piece of open ended pipe gives it a “distinctive” sound.
twotalon
TT,
Didn’t try that, biut I’ve shot both Condors and SS’s without the end caps. The new gun is just as loud.
B.B.
BB,
Looking at the first picture I thought about bipods and rifle rests. Have you ever tried to shoot a springer from a camera tripod? I wonder if one can maintain a proper “artillery hold” by setting up a cushion on top of a camera tripod and balance the rifle on it, either resting the stock directly on the cushion or on top of one’s open hand. Would this set up work for a heavy recoiling springer?
Fred,
A camera tripod would be as bad as a sandbag, because it introduces a vibration node. If the gun was rigidly mounted to it, though, the node would always be the same, and that would probably work.
B.B.
Would you think a vise, like those mounted on top of certain “sniper’s tripods” may do the trick? Anyway, this idea needs some tests. If I can find a reasonably priced tripod, I will do some tests and let you know the results.
It is a tremendous disappointment to me that AF chose to abandon existing owners with the new trigger/safety design. The existing safety and its numerous documented failures has been a sore spot with AF owners for quite some time, and that disappointment has been trumpeted for years to AF through many avenues, including the most popular online forums. AF had to replace my own TSS because of numerous failures of the cocking/safety mechanism even after repair by their factory techs.
They previously had my unwavering loyalty but that feeling is now waning. Shame on them for leaving us behind.
Eric,
There was no way of putting the new trigger inn an existing frame. If you look at the computer screen in the photo, you’ll see the parts are fewer and very different. Just to get it to work required different pivot points, so keeping things as they were just wasn’t possible.
B.B.
This is basically a repair disguised as an improvement. They ignored most people’s problems for years and continue to do so.
I’m sorry but I don’t see how bringing a new model equals to letting customers down…
If a car company brings a new model out are they leaving parts makers, customers and/or garages down because the new parts don’t fit the older models?
Just do the same thing you would do with an old car, sell the old one to someone who doesn’t have the money or doesn’t care for the new one and get a new one for yourself.
J-F
Your car analogy is perfect. If this industry was safety regulated, AF would have had to do a recall and forced repair long ago.
First this was not a safety issue but you complained about the new model parts not being interchangeable.
Second the american law system being what it is I think if there was such a safety issue they would flooded by lawsuits and wouldn’t be in business anymore.
J-F
Spend some time on the Talon airgun forum and read about AF guns and safety malfunctions. In fact, many owners have removed the safety due to it causing them to experience misfires. Kindly reread my original post because your comment about my “complaining” is misdirected.
Sorry mate, I misunderstood your comment but I’m still failling to see what your problem with airforce airgun is, you had a problem, they tried to fix it, it didn’t work they gave you a brand new one! Where’s the problem there?
I’m having a problem with the front right wheel bearing on my Suburban, I’m at the 5th right front bearing in 9 months would I complain if GM gave me a new truck? I don’t think I would.
I’m also missing the point where they are letting people down by bringing an improved product. There was a problem with the safety on some models, some they fixed, others they simply replaced now they come out with a new and improved product but you’re somehow still not happy about it? What more would you want them to do? They gave a brand new gun for pete’s sake!
They even offer a lifetime warranty on their guns, if the problem comes back you just send it back to them for repair.
I’m really sorry you’re not happy with yours and feel let down by them but I just don’t see why would anyone complain about a getting a lifetime warranty that actually works to the point of getting a whole new gun for the life of the gun if it ever breaks.
I wish more things were like that!
J-F
You have no idea what problems I may have experienced with the replacement rifle. It is obvious to me that, on this issue, you are uninformed and argumentative. We’re done here.
Of course I have no idea of the problems you may or may not have encountered! How could I?
But it seems to me that no mather what it is it shouod be covered by the life warranty wouldn’t it (unless you modified the gun of course)?
I wasn’t trying to argue but to understand. Defects happen, everyone makes mistakes and it seems to me that it is the purpose of a warranty which AirForce seems to have in spades.
I understand getting repairs done for the same recuring problem is frustrating but if they fix it to the point of getting you a new rifle it seems that they’re doing their best.
If you would prefer to explain your AirForce problems to me but not share them here I can give my personnal adress if you want.
J-F
BB and Mac,
do you know if the new shroud is compatible with the older Talons and would it completely cover the longer, 24″ barrel for quieting that as well on the older Talons (like the one I bought from Mac)?
Fred DPRoNJ
You got your Talon from Mac? I got my Talon SS from Mac also. The “shroud” on the new Condor SS is where they lengthened the frame. It is not removable. They lengthened it and put in an 18 inch barrel to give them room to insert baffles. If you have a Talon frame, the new baffles will not do you any good.
Now if I were to put that 12 inch .22 Eunjin barrel in my Talon SS I could make good use of the new baffle system.
RR,
now I’m wondering if that sly rascal knew about the new gun coming out and wanted to divest himself of the older stock?
Fred DPRoNJ
Fred,
Mac did not know about the AirForce guns when we were at Roanoke. I was sworn to secrecy.
B.B.
In essence, they went from an 18″ frame tube with 24″ barrel to a 24″ frame with an 18″ barrel…
Fred,
The new gun and old gun are not compatible.
B.B.
Shrouds, frames, trigger flop, safeties and tripods?
I can’t stop looking at that 11 shot group at 100 yards that measures 1.003″. Very impressive for an airgun.
kevin
kev…
What lot number did those pellets come from ? That’s all I want to know. I want some.
Never tried those yet. Would not do me any good anyway. Can’t hold steady enough.
twotalon
twotalon,
Don’t think I know the lot number that those 18.1gr jsb’s came from. I do know that the 18.1gr jsb pellets are the best grouping pellet in the majority of my pcp’s.
kevin
kev..
I did not think you would know. I was just throwing out my thoughts as to what I was interested in.
That lot number has probably been long since used up anyway. Must have been some good ones. B.B. does not go through any careful sorting and matching procedures with his pellets.
twotalon
twotalon,
I sent B.B. a tin of older jsb 18.1gr pellets awhile back. Don’t know if these were the ones used in his test but that tin came out of a case lot of very accurate pellets. Old grey tins with 5.52 heads.
kevin
Kevin,
Indeed, the tin I used was gray. I had forgotten where they came from. Apparently they are the bomb!
Thanks! 😀
B.B.
Tom,
We spend so much time focusing on the bow and/or the arrow but it’s really the Indian in the end.
kevin
Kevin,
Well said!
B.B.
32,000 people were killed in auto accidents in the US according to recent statistics. Many of those were suicides, many involving children, many from carelessness, many intentional, many were family members, many from rage, many into crowds, many involving politicians. Where’s the outrage? Why haven’t they been banned? Why aren’t their gas tanks being restricted to one gallon?
-Chuck
Oops! This ended up in the wrong place. Somebody get me another Amstel.
-Chuckj
TT, remember that BB essentially is bench resting when he shoots these groups. You should be able to hold steady enough. The question for us old foggies is if our eyes are up to the task!
Fred DPRoNJ
Fred…
That’s what scopes are for.
twotalon
Oooohhhhh! A true 100 yd moa airgun AND power too!! Amazing group!! 😀
When is the new Condor SS available?
/Dave
/Dave,
AirForce is very close with this one right now. Maybe a month or so?
B.B.
Need an owners manual for your gun, scope, camera, laser sight, spotting scope, tripod, flashlight, chronograph, metal detector, etc.??
Try this link:
http://stevespages.com/page7b.htm
kevin
OK OK OK…so maybe I do want a Talon now. 🙂
BB, is that a picture of SolidWorks CAD the guy is using????
Chris S.,
I believe it is.
B.B.
Wow! What a nice 50 yard group!
WOW! What an amazing 100 yard group!
W O W !!!
This rifle is now on my very short list! Wow!
Victor
B.B.
You are THE Shooter! Incredible groups! Oh my, I’m envious!
The instrument of your art must be quite a piece of work too. I may have missed it – but what rides that beast? Model and magnification power that was used when shooting such a group?
Did you sort out pellets by weight? At such distance discrepancies in pellet weight may affect vertical grouping.
duskwight
duskwight,
What you see is me winning the lottery. I shoot a lot and every once in awhile I get lucky like that.
No pellet sorting nothing special other than a dead calm day.
B.B.
duskwight,
The scope was set at 16 power (AirForce 4-16X50).
B.B.
This is great. The one criticism of Air Force rifles that I’ve heard is their trigger, and now it’s fixed. All it needs now is a magazine. 🙂 Quiet is always good. Is it quieter than the Marauder? Great shooting. That’s the equal of just about any firearm. Can’t wait to hear about the SHOT Show.
Wulfraed, you’re right about the filler in The Hobbit, but I was more taken with how closely they followed the original book with many scenes that I had forgotten. That bit about the dwarves doing the dishes is in the original, and I had forgotten the interlude with the trolls who are turned to stone. Did Rivendell not appear until The Lord of the Rings? But the business with the stone giants, Gollum, and the battle with orcs and rescue by the eagles I think was in the original and more elaborate than what appears in the movie. Those books are dense. I never made it to the Silmarillion, the ultimate prequel, where I think Tolkien got carried away and got completely unreadable.
Matt61
Rivendell might have appeared (my copy is somewhere among 80 1CF boxes of books), but I’m fairly certain the meeting with Saruman — and subsequent pooh-poohing over Gandalf’s warnings — did not take place. I don’t recall anything in the Hobbit that foreshadowed LotR.
I really want that new condor ss. I’ll need to finf a FFL dealer to get it for me in Michigan though. That won’t be easy to find. Most gun dealers around here don’t do air rifles.
John,
Just went to Pyramyd Airs site and read the restrictions on receiving airguns in Michigan. What an ordeal! I thought New Jersey was bad. Feel sorry for you and your other residents.
kevin
That’s nothing compared to New York’s new gun laws. They basically are turning anybody with an “assault rifle” into a criminal there as well as anybody with a gun that can hold more than 7 rounds. You couldn’t pay me enough to set foot in that state. I’d be Public Enemy #1 just for daring to draw breath.
John, the Air Force website shows this to be the only Michigan dealer.
W. Johnson Service, Inc.
(Walk-In)
3654 N. Adrian Way
Adrian, MI 49221
517-265-2545
I have left the website URL off but you can find it under the retailers menu on the Air Force site. ~Ken
Is the new condor SS frame longer than the old condor frame?
SavageSam,
Your question will be answered in the first, second and third comments at the top of this page.
kevin
Sam,
Yes, it is longer.
B.B.
BB,
Tell John and Yevette congratulations on the new guns. I hope to see them and the new guns at LASSO in the spring. When will you be about to tell us about the other new products they are coming out with?
Eric, there is an aftermarket trigger made that will improve the older AirForce guns. I don’t know who makes it or sells it but if you look around you can find information on it.
David Enoch
David,
Tomorrow.
B.B.
I’m curious about the new safety. After I got used to my Condor’s safety I liked it, especially since I could decock it easily even with the spin-loc tank. How is this new safety to operate when getting ready to take the shot? It looks a bit harder to operate than my current one which I can work with my trigger finger very easy. That new safety is something I’m looking rather suspiciously at.
BB. What calibers will it be offered in? Same as the old model? Thanks! Toby
Toby,
Yes, the same calibers, which is all 4 smallbore calibers.
B.B.
I cannot wait for that Condor SS. I am buying one of those to keep my 12 year old Talon SS company. Great report. Looking forward to the rest. Any idea on when these guns may be released? Thanks
Joe,
I don’t know for sure but I would guess in about a month or two.
B.B.
Do you know what the approximate price range will be? Im wondering because I want to get my son into airguns but he is too old for a daisy and I was thinking of getting one for each of us.
Jonathan,
They haven’t announced a price that I have heard yet, but I expect it will be in line with the current pricing, with some small increase for the new year.
They are getting hammered by Lothar Walther on increases because of the dollar’s weakness against the Euro, so that will be the driver.
B.B.
I don’t have any high power airgun, I’ve never seen a use for them but seeing this 100 yards group… WOW!!
Is there a way to get a non-adjustable AirForce gun?
Getting a Condor SS would be great but I’ll have to settle for a non-SS version 🙁
J-F
J-F,
The Talon is a non SS model. It’s just what you want.
B.B.
No, no, I actually WANT the SS versions but I sadly can’t because of some of our crazy laws and the aversion our elected people have against quiet guns of all kinds.
Not that being said some people still put shorter barrels and the end cap on their rifles, as long as you’re shooting at home and aren’t bringing the rifle to a range or telling everyone about it…
J-F
BB,
Maybe you can photograph the old Condor and the new Condor SS alongside each other for comparison? Same for the Talons. Seems like many including me would like to know. I am getting more and more interested in one of these rifles.
Ton,
I’ll do that when I get the new Condor SS to test.
The Talon is a model that doesn’t have sound suppression. You mean the new Talon SS, and it will look just like the current model. It will simply be quieter.
B.B.
BB,
Do the new Air Force rifles come with a quick fill system?
Ton,
The new guns can come either way, I think. Right now the old style tank outsells the Spin-Loc. Since I own both an old SS and an old Condor a comparison will be easy to make.
B.B.
Ton,
You know, you got me thinking about my Talon SS standard air tank and how it is filled and how it is one of those mysteries in life.
Here is a threaded container that holds 3,000 lbs of air yet it threads and un-threads with a mere four or five twists (I haven’t been home for a month so I can’t verify the twist rate, but it isn’t very many) to a comletely airtight seal and never tries to cross thread.
I can’t count the number of other threaded things that had me really frustrated because I could not get the threads lined up or damaged the threads trying or leaked like a punctured tire.
-Chuckj
Chuck,
You and me, both! You are right, there are very few turns to the air tank and it never leaks. I don’t know how the Spin-Loc tank compares, but I like the older style a lot!
B.B.
I’m pretty far behind on blog reading so I apologize if this is a repeat but do the Condors have the automatic safety like my Talon does and is AF staying with the auto safety design on the Talons and Condors? Is there a place I can vote against it? 🙂
-Chuckj
Chuck,
Yes, the safeties are automatic and no, there is no vote. It’s a liability thing that affects the insurance rates.
B.B.
I own a Talon SS with a Mad Dog stock, 24″ .177 and .22 barrels, 12″ .22 barrel, PCP bottle, CO2 adapter, Bulls Eye Bills frame extender and PCP butt stock, etc.
Sorry if I missed this, will I be able to by the frame assembly and transfer the above, effectively upgrading my SS?
Or, if a “normal/complete” rifle is purchased, which of the above items will continue to work with it?
can the new safety be cycled on and the off?
Will we be able to buy a 24″barrel for the New SS? That is shrouded and quiet?
Shrouding only works if the barrel is a few inches shorter than the shroud.
The regular Condor would be shrouded with a 12″ barrel; an 18″ barrel would be essentially equal to the frame tube, and the 24″ sticks out about a foot. If the Condor SS extended the frame tube, it would be shrouded with 12 and 18″ barrels, but not with a 24″ (which would be even with the end of the frame tube).
oakey,
Wulfraed got it right. The new rifle cannot function with the 24-inch barrel.
I will soon test a Condor SS for you, and we will see what it can do as it is.
B.B.
Thank you. Would there be a power difference between a condor ss with a 18″ barrel and a standard condor using an 18″ barrel?
Thanks
Oakey
oakey,
Those two rifles should perform exactly the same except for the individual differences that any two air rifle will have.
B.B.
Tom, off topic. I have two tanks for my Condor (Hi-flow & regular) when I install the Talon tank my velocities barely change at all. I’m guessing it’s because of the extra Condor weight in front of the spring. Short of removing the weight, could I just adjust the top hat lower or do you think it might start smacking the bottom of the top hat? Advice???? I don’t want to remove the Condor weight if I can avoid it. UNLESS, I can go the other direction and remove the weight and OPEN/raise the Condor top hat.
SavageSam,
One trick we used to use on the older GunPower Stealth guns that came out before the AirForce guns was to put a fat o-ring under the top hat. When the striker hit the valve, the o-ring cushioned it and didn’t allow it to travel as far (open as much or as long) as without it, with the result that the power dropped considerably and was very uniform. Didn’t have to adjust anything, either. The hole of the o-ring needs to be about as large as the small part of the top hat (the upper stovepipe part) or just a little smaller. And the fatter the better!
It’s an old trick that worked very well and I’ll bet it will work for you.
B.B.
Guys! I just want to share with people who want to have a silent gun. To be honest The new talon SS isn’t that silent as AF stated, but don’t you worry I found out a way to make it even quieter than its original, and improve accuracy. Just drill pin holes on the frame at front of the rear bushing! When the gun fired the air pressure is pushed back by baffles and send it through front vented bushing and to rear bushing, once the pressure build up it reverses direction and exit the muzzle result quiet, but not stealth. The pin holes on frame help release 90% of back pressure, less air pressure rushes out at muzzle result completely silent gun! In addition no air turbulence interrupted pellet flight improves accuracy. I know this method is permanently put holes in your frame, but if you want a silent gun you must sacrificed the frame.
The irony is not lost on me that this blog post was made shortly after the old-style Talon SS I’d ordered in early Dec. finally shipped, an order I’d only placed after having waited years & giving up on Air Force ever waking up & smelling the coffee wrt producing a Condor SS! [Sigh…] Anyone want an unused Talon SS w/ the old style trigger? No? Yeah, I thought not! ;->
Well, that’ll teach me to keep up w/ the blog, at least! [If I’d read this back in January I’m sure I could have returned the Talon I’d only rec’d. a week or so earlier.] Now, I have a new toy to save up for, altho’ it will likely be some time b4 I splurge on another high-end air rifle… too many other expenses, you know how it is! :-\
Scooby,
I have no idea of what you are trying to say. The Talon SS is still extremely desirable. You need to read all 6 parts of this report before giving up. In my opinion, the old SS is the most versitile AirForce rifle ever built.
B.B.
Mostly I’m trying to say that I need to keep up w/ your blog more consistently! ;-D
I did read all 6 parts of the report [which was very good reading, thanks!] & I certainly haven’t given up [“Never give up! Never surrender!” – W.C.], but my timing sure ran true to form [ie, sux] on buying the Talon SS right b4 the release of a Condor SS which was the parts combination I really wanted [& which Air Force rightly chose to wait to release until they had the new trigger good to go: think how upset folks would have gotten if AF released the spiffy new product & then announced a new, improved, non-retrofittable trigger soon after?]
It’s all good, all the time: having purchased the Talon just means I’ll have that much more reason to experiment w/ making barrels, “frames” (barrel shrouds), & etc [altho’, I’ll stay away from making any K-baffles, delrin or not: the BATFE-men get a little hinky about silencer parts: I don’t know *how* AF got a ruling to let them proceed, esp. in calibers larger than the .177 pellet…] Yes, I know, I can buy those upgrade/interchange parts off the shelf, but they’re kinda $$$ considering 22lr barrel liners are <$30 from Numrich and extruded aluminum tube is pretty cheap on the ground. The trigger obviously is an issue all its own [I'm not about to trying making new parts for *that*!] but it's not a game-changer for me [I'm not good enough a marksman to notice a diff! 😉 ]
In case nobody has told you so recently, thanks for the great blog!