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Air Guns Reviewing the AirForce TalonSS precharged pneumatic air rifle – Part Three

Reviewing the AirForce TalonSS precharged pneumatic air rifle – Part Three

new TalonSS
TalonSS with Spin-Loc tank.

Testing the new AirForce TalonSS precharged pneumatic air rifle – Part 1
Part 2


Reviewing the AirForce TalonSS precharged pneumatic air rifle – Part 1
Part 2
Part 3
Part 4

This report covers:

  • Lubricate the seals
  • Lubing from the fill valve
  • Silicone oil
  • Scope the rifle
  • Adjust the power
  • Sight-in
  • Dead Center group
  • Second group—Baracuda 15s
  • Ooops!
  • Summary

Today we begin looking at the accuracy of the new AirForce TalonSS precharged pneumatic air rifle (PCP). This won’t be an accuracy test, per se, as there are many things to do before that can happen. Let’s now see what they are.

Lubricate the seals

First up is an answer to a question asked by reader jimaok. This is what he said.

B.B.I just picked one of these in 22 up from PA along with a rovair4500. My 1st pcp. Up to now it’s been mainly an R7 and R9. Only 2 fills so far but its been really nice. I have been filling to 2800 and its backyard friendly. It came from PA on level 10 and im just leaving it there for now. JSB 18gr pellets are just over 800 fps. Thats plenty for me. I have match barracudas 21gr? But havent tried them yet. You had mentioned somewhere in the previous parts about lubing from the fill valve. How do you do that? And what kind of oil should i use? I cant wait for the next part.Thanks,Jim”

Lubing from the fill valve

Okay, Jim, I had to fill the rifle for today’s adventure and I thought I’d show you how it’s done. I have said if there is a Foster quick-disconnect fill coupling, drop some high-flashpoint silicone oil in there before filling. Then I looked at the TalonSS Foster and realized it doesn’t look that simple.

The Foster on a TalonSS has a shiny round metal thingie in the middle of the fill port. How can you drop anything into that? Carefully, and not that much.

TalonSS Foster
You’re looking at the place where the air enters the male Foster fitting of a TalonSS. I don’t know what that silver thingie is in the middle of the fill port, but the air has to flow around it.

TalonSS Foster lubing
This is how you introduce high-flashpoint silicone oil into the  valve of the TalonSS.

Silicone oil

You use silicone oil that has a high flashpoint that won’t explode in the pressurized air. I’m using Super-Lube—a food-grade silicone lubricant that’s good for PCPs. Silicone Chamber oil also works. Don’t use the silicone spray you get at the hardware store for hinges.

After dropping the oil onto or into the Foster fitting, connect the air hose and fill the tank. The air will blow the oil into the tank, where it will get on all o-rings and seals. You can only get a drop of oil inside this way, so when the rifle is new I do it almost as often as I fill the airgun. After maybe ten fills you can back off to every other fill or every third fill. You can’t overfill the reservoir/tank. The excess gets blown out with firing.

I will say that of all the PCP airguns I have owned that fill to 3,000 psi and above, only the ones from AirForce have not developed leaks after a few months. Still, I am now oiling all PCPs.

Scope the rifle

Next I needed to scope the rifle. I had a Meopta 3-15X50 second focal plane scope on my old TalonSS. I figured if I transferred it to the new one, sight-in would go quickly. It didn’t, but that was the hope.

TalonSS scoped
The new TalonSS is scoped with a Meopta 3-15X50. It went to the same place for eye relief but the rifle still had to be sighted in.

Stock up on Air Gun Ammo

Adjust the power

I adjusted the power to just over 8 because this new rifle’s powerplant seems to do better on the lower numbers. Does that save air and increase the shot count? Maybe a couple shots but I doubt it’s more than that. I think it’s just the difference between the new and old airguns.

Where the new rifle does seem to do noticeably better is on the lower end. It just seems more stable.

Sight-in

I started at 12 feet with JTS Dead Center 18.1-grain domes. Shot one hit the target 2-3/4-inches below the aim point and was well centered. The rear scope ring is shimmed so I knew I could adjust the elevation up safely, but come on Leapers with those UTG drooper rings I saw at SHOT!

Sight-in took eight shots. After the third shot I backed up to 10 meters for the rest.

When I was finished sighting I continued on to the first target, knowing the bore was conditioned for this pellet.

TalonSS sight-in
Sight-in took eight shots.

Dead Center group

The first group is five shots with JTS Dead Center 18.1-grain pellets. The group measures 0.109-inches/ 2.77 mm between centers for the five shots.

TalonSS Dead Center group
Five JTS Dead Center pellets made a nice small and round group at 10 meters. This is a pellet I will use for accuracy testing. It measures 0.109-inches/2.77 mm between centers.

Second group—Baracuda 15s

For the second group I tried H&N Baracuda 15s. I wondered whether a lighter pellet might do well. To condition the bore I shot five shots at a different target before shooting the group.

This group of five measures 0.215 inches/5.26 mm between centers, and it’s a tough call but I don’t think this is a good pellet to continue with.

TalonSS  Baracuda 15 group
The group of five Baracuda 15s measures 0.215-inches/5.26 mm between centers. It is a small group but it’s only five shots and the distance was 10 meters.

Ooops!

One of the shots with the Baracuda 15s was a quiet one. Did I push the bolt forward for that one? I know not to, but did I? We’ll never know. I’m saying this to remind myself to not do that. And no, that shot did not make the group larger.

Summary

At this point in this test I’m surprised how similar my old SS seems to this new one. Yes my old rifle needs an overhaul but before that became apparent the power was on a par with the new one.

Next time we’ll look at accuracy from a distance.

author avatar
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.

11 thoughts on “Reviewing the AirForce TalonSS precharged pneumatic air rifle – Part Three”

  1. B.B.,

    “The Foster on a TalonSS has a shiny round metal thingie in the middle of the fill port.”

    That thingie is the check on the fill fitting. This particular design looks more like a solid piston.

    “How can you drop anything into that?”

    You can do it the way you explain but there is a better way to get it done. Two or three drops into the female foster fitting on your fill micro bore hose will be blown past the on gun foster fill fitting into the reservoir.

    That technique also works for fill probes.

    Early Dark Sider shootski to the rescue again ;^)

    PS: nice shooting at 10 can’t wait to see you move back some more.

  2. What Shootski said.
    It’s called a Quick Disconnect spring-loaded one-way check valve. It seats closed and keeps pressurized air in when you disconnect the female half of the Foster “QD” coupling service fitting. Incoming air pressure must exceed the pressure already inside the reservoir to unseat it and let air flow past it.
    Oil won’t pass through it, lapped sealing surface, but a drop sitting on top of it will most likely get blown into it, if it does not run down the side when hooked up. If there is no air pressure inside you can probably push it open. Don’t scratch the sealing face.
    It might even be a secondary dust cap / plug? Not likely. In which case you should be able to easily push it open. Never noticed one before, they usually have a protective cap as pictured.

    There is another check valve in the female half that is unseated, open, when the male half is inserted and locked in place.
    A lot of Hydraulic Quick Disconnect fittings will open both check valves when connected for fluid flow and close when disconnected to prevent leakage and air from entering the system, or in this case, escaping.

    If you get an immediate pressure reading when hooked up to the pump it may be this type, both sides open when connected.

  3. Thanks B.B. I ordered some Clenzoil airsoft oil that was rated for higher temps to 450. Being left handed. I love the ambi bolt and how I can swing it left or right when loading. And the single shot loading is great for someone new to pcp’s. Really looking forward to the rest of the tests. Thanks again.
    Jim

    • jimaok,

      I have been filling these AirForce airguns for a loooong time now, almost as long as BB. If you do as shootski suggests with putting the oil in the Female Foster Fitting (I like the 3 Fs) of your fill device, the silicone oil will be forced into your airgun when you fill it. It will end up migrating to the seals and coating them. It has also been known to seal some small leaks you may have. As BB has said, the excess will be blown out of the muzzle, so do not be afraid of how much you may use.

      As a biproduct, your Female Foster Fitting will also be lubricated by this.

      P.S. I am a Southpaw also, though I have always been taught to shoot right-handed. (what a misnomer)

  4. FM oils his PCPs now every time they’re filled up, based on the advice of the experts. This seems to have helped with some of the slow leaks that have popped up.

  5. BB,
    I’m being very careful to keep the petroleum-based RWS Spring Lube and the RWS Silicone Chamber Lube in separate places as I have also begun oiling the reservoirs with each fillup!
    That is a nice photo of the oil drop just before it touches the Foster fitting. It brings to mind Carly Simon’s song, “Anticipation.”

  6. I have been wondering about the other end of the airstream, not the rv, for a while. I have a Rovair and Mark IV manual pump. I fill my 2 pcp’s about once a quarter for pesting. How can I get oil into the pumps to protect those seals?

    I can see that the Air Force rifles function well, but they look like they would be awkward to use. I have felt the same way about ARs, but now have one waiting for me at ffl shop. They both seeem like getting aligned with sights/scope… will be hard. High rings are coming. Will try irons a bit first.

    • Gene43,

      Check your Owners Manual before you do anything other than what it indicates.

      Overheating is what kills seals in compressors just like manual pumps.
      Dump condensate often it gets rid of some heat and allows the compressor to run more freely.

      The manual pump has plenty of lubricant at time of build.
      Do NOT wipe any lubricant off the pump anywhere!
      Okay if lubricant gets on the pump handle or foot plate that is different.

      The key to the manual pump is to not overheat the pump by pumping too fast or for too long. As soon as the outside of the pump sleeve gets warm to the touch the inside pump parts are HOT.
      Allow to cool for longer than you can stand it!

      shootski

  7. I’m surprised the listing information on Pyramyd claims 1″ groups @ 50 yards for this gun when clearly it can achieve the highly desired 1 MOA that seems to be noteworthy of mentioning for many gun manufacturers (at least for powder burners.) I’ve only just begun to test the waters on conventional powder guns and am impressed at where they are in terms of precision and at the ranges that are considered “typical” which makes for challenging circumstances for pneumatic guns. I always thought pellet guns would inherently be more precise (at their corresponding ranges) although I think this was subliminally acquired from the literature I’ve consumed on them over the years that seemed to depict admiration of it.

    In a way, I’m glad I began with pellet vs. powder guns although I think if it was the other way around I’d be a little disappointed in pellet guns. I’m only seeing the cost of ammo being the main driver for a pellet gun at this point and, depending on which pellet and cartridge one chooses, there may not be much of a difference. Inherent noise would be a close second if one didn’t want to pursue silencers which seem to be becoming more commonplace than it was a couple of decades ago, at least in my experiences.

    In either case, shooting as a hobby is definitely a fun one. Thanks for continuing to churn out good content to everyone contributing and helping maintain the interest and sharing information!

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