AirForce Talon and Condor: What's the difference?

by Harley Ayre

All the pellet rifles from AirForce look pretty much the same, so today I'd like to discuss the differences with you. This information may help you make a decision for one rifle over another.

It all started with the Talon
When AirForce began making rifles with user-adjustable power, the Talon was the first model they produced. It's available in both .177 and .22. Because the barrels can be changed by the user in just minutes, you really aren't locked in by your choice. This is one big advantage all AirForce airguns have.


The power wheel on the left side of all AirForce guns allows quick adjustment to their rifles.

Three identifying characteristics
A Talon is different from other AirForce guns in three ways:

1. It has an 18-inch Lothar Walther barrel. Other barrel lengths can be purchased as options and installed by the owner, but the 18" barrel is standard to the model.
2. The Talon is the lowest-priced model in the line. You might think it would also have to be the least powerful, but that's not the case! The quiet Talon SS with its 12" enclosed barrel has less power than a Talon. In return, you get quieter operation. In .22 caliber, you still get 23 to 25 foot-pounds from an SS.
3. The Talon's lack of muffling. If you want quiet, buy the SS. If you want more power, get a Talon.

The Talon delivers about 30 to 32 foot-pounds in .22 caliber, depending on which pellet is used. Heavier pellets such as the Beeman Kodiak Match generate more power. In .177, the Talon delivers about 19 to 21 foot-pounds with a heavy pellet. That's significantly less than .22 caliber, which is why 99 percent of all AirForce rifles are sold in .22 caliber.

The Talon is one of the best values in airgunning!
The Talon is a very easygoing air rifle. Power adjusts smoothly from low to high, giving you much more control over velocity than the Talon SS, in fact. On lower power, the Talon is not very noisy. If you just want to shoot .22 pellets at 700 f.p.s., a Talon is a fairly calm, quiet gun. And being the least expensive, I feel a Talon is a super value in the AirForce lineup.

The Condor is a very versatile airgun
No doubt you already know the Condor is an enormously powerful air rifle. First offered in 2004, the Condor delivers more shots at greater power than any other .22-caliber air rifle made! It has a special Hi Flo air valve that only a Condor powerplant can operate. This valve not only delivers shots greater than 60 foot-pounds in .22 caliber, it gives as many as 20 of them on a single air charge! That cannot be matched by any other airgun currently available.

What many shooters have discovered, however, is that the Condor's power can also be adjusted down to the Talon SS range. You don't have to use the rifle as a magnum blaster if you don't want to. The 24" Lothar Walther barrel coupled with the Hi Flo valve makes this airgun a jack of all trades! While the other guns cannot use the Condor valve, a Condor can use a standard tank and valve and deliver about the same ballistics as a Talon or Talon SS with an optional 24" barrel installed! That's about 42 to 45 foot-pounds on the high end and under 12 foot-pounds on the low end. Plus, you get a lot more shots than when using the Hi Flo valve.

The Condor is more expensive, but it's also the most flexible gun AirForce makes. That's why it's Airhog's No. 1 seller! If you can afford it, this is the gun to buy. If not, the Talon is a super value, and the Talon SS is the quiet one. All three rifles accept barrels in both calibers and all three lengths (12", 18" and 24").

For the record, there is NO accuracy difference between a 12" and a 24" Lothar Walther barrel. Velocity is the sole difference.

My recommendations for scoping your rifle
AirForce rifles are capable of real long-range precision, and it takes a good scope to get everything they've got. I would choose the Mueller 4-16x50 scope with AO. It has a duplex reticle that you can see fast, yet the center portion of the crosshairs are thin for precision and the center dot is illuminated! This scope compliments the power and accuracy of all three AirForce models. I would pick B-Square adjustable mounts to mount the scope. That way, you can zero without using the scope's internal adjustments, saving them for precision adjustments in the field.

Buy with confidence - you need to know this!
Airhog does business differently than other airgun dealers. They test each rifle before sending it out. That takes time, but it means you get a working gun instead of an apology with another two-week wait. If a barrel comes to them with rust in it (and a surprising number do), they clean the bore professionally so your first shot goes where it's supposed to. And, they're there for you when those questions arise.

Precharged airguns take a little learning, and Airhog believes the sale isn't final until you're using the gun. All of this attention separates them from the cut-rate dealers who just want your money...and, then, please go away!

As long as you are getting into the top grade of airguns, do it right the first time and have only pleasant experiences.

Pigmee carbon fiber tank - a great way to carry air!

by Harley Ayre

You got into precharged pneumatics for the accuracy and convenience. Lots of shots before you have to refill. AH! But WHEN you refill, what does it take? A support structure the size of an army? Not anymore!


Airhog's new Pigmee carbon fiber tank is the best way to carry air to the field.

Enter the Pigmee
The Pigmee is a miniature carbon fiber air tank available only from Airhog. The configuration was designed by an airgunner, so there's no extra equipment or wasted weight. It carries 1.1 liters - about 9+ cubic feet. What can you do with 9 cubic feet?

When the Pigmee is filled to its rated 4,500 psi, you can completely fill a standard PCP rifle MANY TIMES. If you own a big bore from Barnes or Quackenbush, the Pigmee is the perfect field companion.

Priced right, too!
Carbon fiber tanks are not cheap, but the Pigmee is affordable. At $275, plus shipping, for the tank with special Airhog valve, it's right on the money. There are other lower-priced CF tanks, but when you add the necessary connections they don't come with, they aren't the bargains they appear to be.


Carry your air on your hip!

Leave your hand pump at home when you go hunting, because traipsing around in the bush is hard enough. Stick a Pigmee (or two) in Airhog's convenient holster, and you're set for a full day's hunt. Big bores give two to four crushing shots per fill, and the Pigmee fills them several times. If their max is less than 3,000 psi, you'll get even more fills!


All Airhog carbon fiber tanks have the same valve/yoke fitting. There is nothing extra to take off and lose, plus this fitting is half the bulk of a separate yoke. And, the built-in gauge tells the pressure of YOUR GUN!

Pigmee comes standard with Airhog's integral yoke/valve
The Airhog valve is its own built-in yoke. Nothing more is needed! Even the pressure gauge is built-in, and it reads the pressure of your gun - not the tank! Finally, someone listened to what airgunners REALLY want!

The tank shown above has an optional microbore hose with a custom fitting on the end, but Airhog can set up a Pigmee any way you like to fit a gun or set of guns you have. This tank is just 13" long with the valve attached, a scant 4" in diameter and weighs just 4 lbs. when full. Yet, it holds as much air as a metal tank weighing many times as much!

With the holidays coming, you NEED this!
Now, here is the absolute beauty of the Pigmee. It fills car tires, too! Yep, it will fill a car tire when a quick-disconnect is attached at the end. Just hold the QD against the tire valve to seal it, and let your Pigmee do the work. Best of all, it doesn't lose pressure when the temperature drops and those CO2 tire fillers are useless! This isn't just for airguns - it's also a valuable piece of roadside emergency equipment, so you'll need one for your wife's car, too!

You're welcome!

Welcome!

by Harley Ayre

Welcome to the Airblog from Airhog! I'm your host, Harley Ayre, and I plan to spend time with you exploring the wonderful world of precharged pneumatic airguns. Now, I may know some things, but I'm not the world's expert. So, we'll just do this thing together. I'll share what I know and you can send your comments to let me know what you want.

I'm going to use the Airhog website to illustrate these discussions. If you click on the highlighted text, the link will open in a new window, so you'll never loose your place in the blog.

You can make comments to each posting by clicking the word "comments" at the bottom of the page. I'm interested in what you think and know about airguns, so please feel free to speak your mind.

That's it for now. Please enjoy the ride.