Recently American Rifleman reviewed the Airforce Condor. I have this pellet gun and absolutely love it. Here's some highlights:

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AirForce airguns have become popular for pest control use by government agencies, commercial users and individuals. Airports, contract agents for U.S. Fish & Wildlife, and various local law enforcement and animal control agencies employ them to dispatch unwanted animals without the noise, liability and potential property damage concerns associated with firearms. Also, U.S. forces are reportedly using AirForce airguns to eliminate rodents in and around bases in Afghanistan.

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Because the airgun is not a “firearm” according to the Federal Government, no paperwork is required to own this sound-suppressed model. Red and blue models are designed to look less like firearms and prevent scaring the neighbors when dispatching pests in the suburbs.

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Thanks to the consistency of compressed air and high-quality Lothar Walther barrels from Germany, the Condor is very accurate at its intended range. At 25 yards, dime-sized groups were simple to achieve with the more-accurate Beeman Kodiak round-nose pellets, and golf balls were fair game out to 50 yards.

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Fun stuff, and if you are getting serious about airguns, and controlling pests especially in an urban environment, I encourage you to look into this high-end airgun, which by the way is made in Ft. Worth, TX.

http://www.americanrifleman.org/articles/airforce-condor-review/

Well in the Peoples Republic such action could get you a $275 fine!!
http://www.cstx.gov/Modules/ShowDocument.aspx?documentid=10310

MyBCS still down???

So how do you fill the CO2 tank?

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So how do you fill the CO2 tank?

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I use a scuba tank with an adapter fitted for the reservoir.

CO2 tanks can be filled from your large reservoir tank if you have one, or you can take it to your local Academy Sports and have them fill it. The Airforce tank fills just like a paintball tank does.

Techno's rifle must be a compressed air version instead of CO2, since a SCUBA tank would not use or hold CO2. AF rifles that use compressed air can be refilled from a SCUBA tank or airpack tank like the ones used by firemen, or by the use of a high-pressure footpump that looks just like a bicycle tire pump, but goes up to 3k psi.

I have a .22 Condor w/Lothar Walther barrel, and it is the most powerful air rifle in my collection. It is the one I use to shoot non-game animals in need of elimination, and jacks out in west TX.....

Yeah to clarify, I don't use CO2.

Any estimates on shots per tank fill? Is it like 10 or hundreds. These things have always intrigued me, but I would like to have a DIY tank refill solution.

It has adjustable power. I tend to shoot mine on lower power. I've gotten 60 shots before having to start aiming a little higher. It's addictive and you can spend a lot of money on the hobby. Ammo is a lot cheaper though.

For the air versions, the amount of shots is determined by the power level you set. The number can range between 75 and probably about 250 per fill, again depending on where you set the power wheel.

CO2 tanks come in different sizes, so that is what determines the number of shots. A mid-sized tank can provide between 200 and 300 shots per fill, and IIRC, the larger tanks can go over 400 shots per fill.

The only truely "self-contained" way to refill an air tank is to use the foot-pump. Otherwise, you will need a place to get CO2 refills, or a place that can refill your SCUBA or SCBA tank. This means a dive shop for a 3k psi SCUBA, or a paintball shop that can fill the carbon-wrapped 4.5k psi tanks. Unless of course you happen to have your own air compressor that will do at least 3000 pounds of pressure....

Thanks for the info. This might have to be my next gun purchase.

BunkerHill,

If you need any information about Airforce airguns in particular, or about high-powered airguns in general, you can email me at your convenience. My email is my username with the numbers 0520 added, at hotmail.com.

Caladan, with fps of 1100-1300 doesn't this pretty much parallel a standard .22lr. what is you effective range with your airforce, 50yrds, 75yrds???

Nealan,

Those velocities you mention are commonly seen in the advertising by airgun makers, and in order to get the highest (most impressive to the unknowing) numbers, they use ultra-light pellets that are not suitable for hunting. Most people who use airguns keep velocities below the sonic level. Once you go above super-sonic, you loose the low sound advantage that airguns give because of the crack the pellet makes. I shoot mid-weight pellets at about 950 fps, which is powerful enough for small game/pest elimination.

One can get even higher levels of power by using the very heavy pellets specifically designed for hunting, and driving them at 900-1000 fps. These are adequate for game or targets out to 100 yards. I have often used my AF Condor to shoot rimfire silhouette targets at 100 yards, and it takes them out quite well. Personally though, I've not shot any living targets beyond about 75 yards or so, but this is mostly because I use a fairly low magnification on my scope when hunting, and it's hard to target a rabbit's head at 100 yards with 3 or 4x.

hth,
Caladan

A Crossman or Benjamin will still do the job for much less,

Half a dozen boiled eggs will do the same job as a medium rare ribeye!

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A Crossman or Benjamin will still do the job for much less,

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True. But it depends on the job. I've got a Benji Nitro 22 which is good for quick and close-range work. But for distance and accuracy, the AirForce ranks up there with much more expensive European models.

Like I said, it's a hobby. You can spend what you want on it.

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A Crossman or Benjamin will still do the job for much less,

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Yeah, if you are talking about punching paper or shooting sparrows or cottontails at 25 yards. But if you are trying to take jackrabbits at 100 yards with a lower-priced Crosman or Benji, then you are an idiot...