Airforce Escape
I am thinking about getting one of the Escapes in .25 , has anyone heard much about them.I am new to the Airforce guns and was wanting to know if there is anything I should know about the rifle when I get it? I really don’t understand how they work as compared to a marauder?
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Macguyver,
Your statement that lead starts melting at 1100 to 1200 FPS may not be the misleading thing I have ever read, but it is right up there. But I have to say in my hotel room while vacationing in Manila, it did give me a laugh.
Cast bullet shooters have for decades been pushing velocities in the 1800 to 2000 FPS range, and quite successfully I might add. Yes the heat can melt the base of the bullet somewhat, which is why gas checks are popular on those high speed cast bullets in firearms, air guns however do not produce the heat your referring to.
Having said that, anything past the speed of sound in a lead bullet does have it’s limitations, but the problems are due to trans sonnic speeds and the stresses that produces upon the bullets stability, and not because the bullet is melting.
As far as the Escape goes, it is just another attempt by a air gun manufacturer without innovation or original ideas since its first few years of production, trying to sell hype.
They do far better simply stealing ideas off this forum.
IMO this gun is too powerful for .25 or .22 caliber,They are advertising 96fpe.. Which is over 1,300 feet per second! with a 25.4 grain pellet.. Lead starts melting at 1,000-1,200 fps in barrels right? that is why firearms have jacketed bullets above 1,500 feet per second.
Also we already know the sweet spot for our Diablo pellets is under 950 feet per second.. So basically you would probably be forced to only shoot HEAVY ammo out this gun or turn down the power to even shoot accurately.. just an educated guess
43grn EJs aren’t accurate for shit above around 870, and believe me, I’ve tried. I haven’t given up yet, but at this point, I don’t have a lot of confidence I’ll work it out. Running the big tank, I get less than ten shots before velocity falls off. Remember, regardless of tank size, it takes roughly the same number of pump strokes per shot fired at a given power level. Smaller tank means fewer shots as well as fewer pump strokes.
John
Did you know that the escape valve will only work in paintball tanks. That means you cannot in the future buy the larger condor tank and screw your valve into it.
If you want the extra 10 of so fps over a condor valve all you need to do is buy the stem seal for the talonP valve and put it in a condor valve. If I remember a seal from AF is under $5.
I decided to go with the 24 inch Escape after talking to a tech at AF who told me the Escape has a HO valve.Also she told me it would take 400 pumps to fill the Condor bottle up with a hand pump.I was only getting 1 mag of 8 out of the Mrod .25 I sold to get the new rifle.i am looking for power because I am going to use it yote and varmit hunting.In the article on the Escape in PA it shot a 43.2 Eunjin 1010fps.I figure it will take about the same number of pumps to fill it as the Mrod and am satisfied with that having all that power on hand.
True but the difference between a 95fpe stock gun and a 60fpe stock gun is significant. I don’t quite understand how it adds up either.
Get the Condor SS and you will be much happier.
The smaller tank of the escape means you need to fill sooner which means you either hike back to the car or carry a pump or extra tank with you.
For price, PA is as good as any, though I’d talk to Talon Tunes first, as a few upgrades are nice. I’m running a TT modified Condor .25, and I just shot 40 JSBs between 820-800fps. (Small restrictor, PW12)
John
I talked to a guy at PA and he said he would go with the Condor.Where is the cheapest place to get a Condor and how many power shots do you get out of the 490cc tank?
Get a condor ss or 24″ condor .25. Save yourself the urge in 3 months for a better setup. Unless size is why you want it
The main thing you should know is the bottle is small and air consumption is large. Kinda problematic.
John
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Hey MCC,
The Condor would probably be the better choice. I have a TSS with a high flow valve and I fill with a hand pump. It is not that bad, especially if I fill up at night while watching the boob tube. I get quite a few shots before I have to refill and if I am shooting a lot, it does not take that long to top off.
If you have already purchased the Escape, all is not lost. Here are a few ideas for you.
You are going to have to slow that bugger down. Try different thickness o rings behind the top hat to do the “rough” adjustments of your velocity.
You are going to find you need more air. A 22 CI paint ball tank screws right on to your valve. That should give you close to double your usable shot count. It means more pumping per fill, but fewer fill stops. This is the suggestion I made to John McCaslin at AirForce, but I guess he decided to play it safe and not invest in new tanks until he saw whether we wanted a rifle version of the Talon P. We will probably see this new model next year. Just remember, you heard it here on this forum first.
If you decide to get a regular tank and high flow valve, let me know. I covet your valve. Perhaps we could trade.