https://www.airforceairguns.com/
Until recently, when I thought of an air rifle I usually pictured something akin to a BB gun with the little silver CO2 cylinders. I know there has been a history of big-bore, more powerful air rifles. Lewis and Clark had one with them back in 1803, for example. Modern air rifles are pushing the envelope (and the chronograph) on what can be accomplished with compressed air and AirForce is leading the way.
AirForce (clever name they have there) had a new air rifle at SHOT Show this year: The Texan. Be sure to watch our interview with a Texan as he talks about The Texan (which, if I’ve got my facts straight, is made in Texas, by Texans). We were in Nevada, but I bet this gun would have shot clear into Texas.
So what is so special about this Texan? As they say, everything is bigger in Texas and this rifle is no exception. We are talking about a .45 caliber bullet traveling around 1000 fps. Not too shabby for any rifle. Here are some specs:
- Max Fill Pressure: 3000 psi
- Action: Single shot
- Weight: 7.65 lbs
- Length: 48 inches
- Barrel: 34 inches
- Caliber: 0.45
- Trigger: 2 stage, adjustable for position
- Air Tank Volume: 490cc
- Sights: Open or optical may be installed
- Velocity: 1000 feet per second
- Energy: 500 foot pounds
The Texan should be available in the next few months. It has a projected MSRP of around $1,000. Oh, and you don’t have to do a transfer. And if any Texas fans are reading this, WPS.
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The “gas” gauge on an air rifle. This one is empty.
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The action. The air tank is on the back.
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The Texan looks more like The Martian.
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The Texan has a long barrel. Attention Star Wars prop producers.
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Some serious steel plate expansion. That is not a 100% lead bullet. They didn’t know the exact % at the booth.
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Protect Your Nuts! Says the squirrel wearing a helmet.
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Yes, Texas is in the USA.
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A Texan with a Texan. Squirrels everywhere are crossing their legs.
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Can these be used by someone with a felony conviction in the state of Texas? If so where can I find and verify the information?
Nice concept poor execution. Air Force airguns are very low quality and more marketing hype than gun. If you willing to swap lots of parts and spend $$ they can be decent shooters but still not great. For something quality look into Rapid Air Weapons or something along those lines.
This Texan does not even seem to hold its own power well with its frame warping during the shot. Want an affordable and Big Bore?; go Korean and you get a better quality multi shot with decent wooden stock for less $$
Obviously not a very informed statement. I own 2 AR15s chambered in .556 and one in .300 . my airforce condor, even stock, came with a loather walther barel and can hold tighter groups at 75 yards than any of my powder burners. Get the facts before you make a misinformed remark.
Agreed this guy has no clue what he is talking about I own one very powerful 3 Whitetails harvested last yr with my Texan 70/80 yrds
I’m ready to pre-order but can’t find .45 cal pellet/projectiles available anywhere. Does the Texan require hand molding all of your projectiles? If not, please expound on the pellets/bullets being fored from this gu and how to aquire them. Thanks in advance.
Very interesting that they finally came out with a big bore. The Airforce platform has a history of being being modified to various calibers, as its modular design lends itself to being easier to tinker with… I am not so impressed with the .45 as they are getting all their velocity through the length of the barrel and with such a big surface area to push the big bullet, along with a big volume of air ,,, its nothing to push a big bullet to this velocity. It is easily achievable to get those types of Ft/Lbs of force when you are throwing such a heavy slab of lead, but as with all airguns, we have to fight gravity and end up lobbing the projectile to achieve much distance. I am sure this gun must be accurate at 50 yrds but that is nothing like what is being achieved with certain “wildcat” airgun calibers being built around this gun by some top notch machinist. How about M.O.A. accuracy to 400yrds being achieved with 250+ Ft/Lbs? (Check out YouTube for the pepsi challenge, theres several guys taking out soft drink cans out past a 1/4 mile with air rifles!) Cast lead bullets with superior B.C. is an ever growing niche for shooters breaking away from powder burners.
In the case of the Airforce Platform the airtanks are proprietary nonstandard threads due to their unregulated valve and have a maximum charge pressure of 3000 psi. Very similar to a paintball tank but different thread and unregulated where as paintball tanks contain a built in regulator. However, some have modified carbon fiber paintball tanks for 4500psi fills, both regulated and unregulated.
These airguns are not safe for typical backyard use and do in fact have a very powerful and loud report. Many often do employ some form if noise reductions in the form of air strippers and fully shrouded barrels that utilize baffled bushings. A bit of a legal grey area has made its way through the courts and is now often cited as case law when pertaining to airguns and sound moderators. A silencer in and of its own intended use can be considered not only a firearm but a NFA device….. However the intention for use on a nonfirearm opens a loophole for use on an airgun but it must not be adaptable for firearm use. Interstingly also is that full auto air machine guns are yet another avenue that has recently seen growing activity, however not nearly the level of power, accuracy and sophistication as the wildcat cast bullet guns.
There has been a Korean air rifle in 9mm out for a long time for those of you wanting a repeater. It generally gets good comments but, I haven\’t shot one.
Re: European high quality air rifles
The PCP .20/.25 air rifles will put a hurt on most rodents and birds if that is your desire. My .20 Beeman R9 is pretty darn good at a moderate price-point. Tree rats don\’t stand a chance with it. My other PCP air rifles generally run in the 22lr power range with good pellets. Even a .177 PCP rifle is pretty powerful for rodent elimination. You don\’t need a sledge hammer to mount a picture on a sheetrock wall. 😉
.45 caliber @ 500 ft-lbs is way too much power for most urban uses unless you have an adequate backstop and are looking to go after feral dogs and similar pests. Keep in mind that we are not talking about the \”Red Ryder\” BB gun of your yourth. These things have, and will, kill adults. They may not be deer rifles but, they aren\’t toys either.
It will kill anything up to and including a buffalo, but not by knockdown power. It will go right through most animals chest cavity, rib cage and all. And the beast will bleed out in a matter of time.
go shoot a buffalo with it and let me know how it works after you get out of the hospital for it stomping all over your dumb ass
Where can I buy one. Or someone feel sorry for this old man and buy me one!
WPS!
A .45 caliber ‘pellet’ is a waste of lead on a squirrel. Our Founding Fathers might have considered a .36 caliber rifle a ‘squirrel gun’, but then they were using .45 – .50 caliber long rifles or British .68 caliber muskets, for larger game.
From what I’ve read, Lewis and Clark only had one air gun; a repeater.
Could one utilize an air compressor, of the sort that you would use to air up your car’s tires, to refill this ‘pellet’ rifle’s air tank ?
I believe I’ll wait until they come up with a repeater.
Womder what the grain weight of the .45 cal projectile is?
A 230 grain out of a 5″ colt acp is 860 fps and produces 326 of energy (ft lbs) at the muzzle.
Wow. This produces 500 ft lbs. stunning! Want this
About 350 is what it likes best
Awesome! I think they make a suppressed version of their small caliber rifles. Will this one come in a suppressed version?
What is the foot pound per inch .Looks like it might be close to a 45 Long Colt round. I like the comment about Lewis and Clark,but I think they had more than one air rifle. Lots of history with air rifles..
Not very quiet at all, wasn’t meant for backyard plinking, so not neighbor friendly.
Never even considered an air gun, until I saw this!
This is no toy and the Goons won’t know that one of its citizens even has it.
Wonder how noisy or quiet it really is…
“steal plate?”
Did you edit “steal” to “steel” or is the other comment unfounded?
Did you edit \”steal\” to \”steel\” or is the other comment unfounded?
Where do I fill it? My local scuba shop?
I know my local scuba shop fills air rifle tanks. A welding supply place might be able to as well.
They make a hand pump, similar to a bicycle pump, that can be used in the field. I haven’t used one so I can’t comment on how well or how easy they are to use, I just know they make them.
The hand pumps work, just have a lot of extra time on your hands. 🙂
The main reason most people use a dive shop to refill the tanks.
You might also try your local fire department, Most have the capacity to refill air tanks.
Wonder if you could just get it filled at a paintball shop (or use one of the bigger paintball gun tanks to get more shots out of it before refilling). I know that technically it’s an “air” gun and not CO2 powered, but it seems like it would work.
On an unrelated note, do they have any info on how loud it is when fired?
Its a standard paintball tank. Filled at any welfing dive or paintball shop for a couple bucks. Also a leader line could be used to put the tank on ur belt like i do with my paintball gun to reduce weight.
Going remote is not necessarily desirable in this application. Additionally, replacing a regulated, 3000psi compressed air tank with an unregulated CO2 tank in something that delivers such high velocities might not be worth the $ savings or fill convenience. CO2 is a liquid and “blowing snow” out of your $1000 air gun will probably ruin internal seals. The output of CO2 tanks are not regulated and the standard regulated output pressures of HPA (high-pressure air) tanks is around 850psi; consistency/reliabilty could be lost. Lastly, the HPA tank on the Texan looks like it could be the one made by RAP4 (http://www.rap4.com/store/paintball/p/015194/hpa-17ci-3000psi-compressed-air-tank-empty) and uses a bespoke “stock” adapter; remote line = no stock. Unless, of course, you pony up for some type of gas-through stock.
A suppressed version would be amazing since the “pop” at the end of the barrel must be pretty loud.
im waiting at day 30 tobuy one!!!! i want to shoot it!!!!! thanks