Definitive Guide to AirForce Texan

The Basic Anatomy of the Texan

Lightweight at just over 8 lbs, but still solidly constructed and proudly made in the USA. Due to the higher caliber and amount of air it's pushing, there's more recoil than other PCPs, but nothing alarming. The Texan's 34" barrel produces higher velocities than other .45 caliber air rifles. The Texan is neither shrouded or baffled so there is an authoritative crack each time the gun is fired. The Texan features a side cocking lever for easy breech loading. The closing action is smooth, fast, and reliable. AirForce has really engineered a deceptively smooth lever that easily compresses a 22 lb spring. The trigger breaks around 32 ounces and is clean and crisp. The AirForce Texan features an auto-safety located at the front of the trigger guard that returns to the safe position when the side lever closes. The valve can be user tuned to either provide maximum power or maximum consistency. There are marks on the adjustment mechanism by the breech for reference so you can record your preferences for different bullets. A handy feature is the built-in pressure gauge which allows you to monitor the drop in air pressure as you shoot. This feature is useful during a day of hunting as it is easy to lose count of how many shots have been taken, and an onboard gauge gives advance notice to refill. (We recommend carrying a smaller carbon fiber buddy tank to refill within the field like the ones featured in our Texan combos) Also unlike other Big Bore airguns, overfilling the air tank will not result in higher air pressure, but rather will lock up the valve. Better to never fill above the recommended 3,000 psi. For a closer look at the Airforce Texan, download and view the owners manual.

Shot Performance & Ammo

Many Big Bore rifles have large variance per shot but the Air Force Texan delivers not only consistent power levels from shot to shot, but accuracy as well. With a little practice at the range, you should be able to obtain accuracy within 1.5" at 100 yards. This is the most powerful off-the-shelf big bore rifle on the market. For example .30 cal and .35 cal big bore rifles can obtain upwards of 175 ft-pounds of power... the .45 cal AirForce Texan can obtain up to 500 foot-pounds of power! Though airguns are known to be a lot more finicky about ammunition than firearms as a rule, the larger calibers are much more forgiving. That said the barrel on the AirForce Texan is slugged at almost exactly .458 inches, so .457 bullets will provide the best seal within the barrel. Since this rifle is the first of it's kind, many bullet manufacturers are racing to provide ammo to feed it. At its release, ammo options are limited but will be expanding in the months to come. If you have a reloading set-up and a .457 die, you can certainly play around with creating your own ammo! If there is one drawback to the power that the Texan puts out it is the noise that accompanies it. You need a lot of air for that much energy and that means noise, but if you need a big bore you can shoot without hearing protection or in a more urban area consider the Texan SS. It maxes out at around 430 foot-pounds of energy but it is a lot quieter than the Texan. On our meter the Texan registered 118db and the Texan SS registered 110db, but the difference is bigger than the numbers suggest. The SS is still not backyard friendly, but it is comfortable to shoot without putting on earplugs.

Accessories

Don't even think about using a hand pump to fill your Texan, the higher PSI and lower shots per fill (due to the larger caliber) really require a Carbon Fiber Tank to fill. Don't let the price tag scare you off though, You'll only ever need to own one and that cost will be saved over time with the cheaper cost of ammo vs traditional firearm ammo. You can start with a portable carbon fiber tank, or just bite the bullet and get a 88 cu ft Carbon Fiber Tank for the maximum amount of fills between visits to your local air provider to refill. Make sure you have a carbon fiber tank versus a traditional aluminum scuba tank as you need the higher psi to fill the Texan. Not all compressors can fully pressurize to 4500 psi, so make sure to call ahead to your local shop to confirm their capabilities. (Most local paintball stores can handle carbon fiber tanks and some scuba shops can as well if given notice) You can mount your favorite scope on the AirForce Texan (no need for Airgun rated scopes since this is a pre-charged pneumatic air gun without reverse recoil that destroys unrated scopes). If you would prefer a Picatinny or Weaver rail, you can add the adapter to accommodate. A folding bi-pod is a nice option for such a long gun, make sure you have a bi-pod that is locking due to the kick the Texan gives when fired. (You'll also need an adapter to accommodate though AirForce should be releasing a locking bi-pod soon)

Maintenance

Almost maintenance free. Unlike a firearm just wipe down the rifle if it gets wet or dirty. Occasionally you'll need to clean the barrel with a dry patch or bore snake to remove any lead dust from the rifling. You can also use lead remover solvents if you experience leading, and no need to worry about carbon build up or burned powder residue. Just keep a little air in the tank (as the pressure keeps the valve shut and closed to ambient air which can contain particles, water, etc), lubricate the large o-ring that seals the tank to the adapter about once a year, and keep the fill probe o-rings lubricated since they are exposed to the air.