Some Improvements for My Old TalonSS .22 cal.

[AirgunBill]

I have been wanting to try a regulator on my TalonSS which I bought back in 2000 to even out the fps spread and maybe add a few more usable shots. I decide to get an Altaros regulator as it only adds about 1 7/8" to the over all length and is user adjustable from 100 to 150 bar. Then I was going to get an aftermarket CF tank that was about 1 1/2' shorter than the factory bottle which would keep the trigger pull to about 14 1/2". When I order the regulator I meant to get the one with metric threads on the valve side and bottle side in order to use the aftermarket CF bottle. I made a mistake however and got the regulator with 5/8"- 18UNF paintball threads on the bottle side. I then had to find a bottle that I could use with these threads. I went to 'JDS Air Man' and found a 48 cu inch 3000 psi bottle that would work. This bottle is only 8 1/4" long which brings my trigger pull length down to 12 1'2"'s and the diameter is 3 3/8" which raises my cheek weld about 7/16". My factory Talon the bottle is 490 cc and the new 48 cu in tank equals about 786 cc.. With the old TalonSS I got about 40 usable shots with a 3% to 4 % spread in fps. Now with the new tank and regulator I get about 90 shots per fill up with a little over a 1% to 1 1/2 % spread in fps. This makes for a great pesting and small game rig. Watch the video to see the results and the way the rifle looks now. Bill

 

[ajshoots]

Cool rig!!

 

[BigTinBoat]

I haven't ever fooled with any of the AF rifles but it sure seems to me like you should be getting close to 150 shots with that tank.

Using a fill of 3K and shooting to 2175 (16.34 g at 750fps) is an efficiency of just .67fpe/cuin with 90 shots. At a 20fpe level you should be over the 1.0 fpe/cuin.

When you went to regulated from unregulated supply what (if anything) did you do with the hammer spring? If you didn't change it then you are likely wasting a LOT of air.

If you are able to adjust the hammer spring tension try lessening it. I think you will see that you can take as bunch of pre-load off and still see the same FPE. Your gun should get much quieter also.

If the talon is not able to adjust HS tension then you would need to get some "softer" springs and try them. I think you will be glad you did.

 

[AirgunBill]

BigTinBoat the maker of the regulator said to start off with zero pre-load. I did that and recorded the fps of the first five shots. Then I turned up the hammer spring adjuster either one half turn or one turn as I remember, then 1 full turn and finally two full turns. I say I remember as I am out of town and can't look at my notes. When at zero pre-load the fps jumped up and down 3 to 10 fps but with a little more pre-load the fps became tighter. It could be the regulator was breaking in as I hear they do. The hammer spring is the factory hammer spring and is over 14 years old so it probably doesn't have the same amount of strength. It still might have too much. I will do another shot string at zero pre-load and see if velocity spread is as tight and if shot count increases. Bill

 

[BigTinBoat]

"AirgunBill"BigTinBoat the maker of the regulator said to start off with zero pre-load. I did that and recorded the fps of the first five shots. Then I turned up the hammer spring adjuster either one half turn or one turn as I remember, then 1 full turn and finally two full turns. I say I remember as I am out of town and can't look at my notes. When at zero pre-load the fps jumped up and down 3 to 10 fps but with a little more pre-load the fps became tighter. It could be the regulator was breaking in as I hear they do. The hammer spring is the factory hammer spring and is over 14 years old so it probably doesn't have the same amount of strength. It still might have too much. I will do another shot string at zero pre-load and see if velocity spread is as tight and if shot count increases. Bill

What was the velocity? To tune a regulator for it's best efficiency you want to be shooting right on the "knee" of the velocity curve.

Here is a "for instance"

Zero preload - 600fps
1 turn in - 650
2 turns in - 700
3 turns in 705
4 turns in 710
5 turns in 715

If these were the averages I got I would set my gun to 2 turns in.

Of course these are not realistic #'s (just made them even for simplicity) as you will likely be adjusting like 1/4 turn each adjustment.