New Product Highlight: AirForce Airguns TalonBolt Carbine

If you haven’t followed the air rifle market recently, things have come a long way from the tin-can-hunting BB guns we grew up with. Manufacturers are adding tanks of compressed air, massive amounts of pressure, and projectiles capable of taking down big game.

The AirForce Airguns TalonBolt Carbine is the latest addition to this exciting (and maybe a little bit confusing) trend. It has a sub-32-inch overall length like a carbine, uses compressed air like an air rifle, and fires a bolt like a crossbow.

"The TalonBolt Carbine is great for backyard target practice or small to medium game hunting,” John McCaslin, the founder and president of AirForce, said. “Its small size, lightweight, and compound bow equivalent speeds make it a great complement to standard archery equipment.”

AirForce TalonBolt Carbine Specs & Features

Specs

• Action: Single shot
• Bolt Length: 13"
• Power Adjustment: User-adjustable
• Maximum Pressure: 2,000 psi
• Weight: 4 lbs
• Barrel Length: 27-31.5"
• Overall Length: 17.5"
• Air Tank Volume: 213 cc

Features

• Fires a 350-grain bolt at 240 fps
• Bolts come with glow-in-the-dark vanes
• Pressure and velocity are adjustable

The heart of the TalonBolt line (the existing rifle as well as this new carbine) is a compressed air tank that provides the energy necessary to propel a 350-grain bolt to velocities of more than 240 feet per second. The tank acts as part of the buttstock, which keeps the TalonBolt’s profile slim and compact.

Power comes from a maximum fill pressure of 2,000 pounds per square inch. AirForce sells a specialized hand pump that the company claims can achieve 3,600 psi, but you’re better off taking your tanks to a scuba shop for refills or having a scuba tank handy for at-home refills.

The Talon line includes air rifles ranging from .177 caliber to .50 caliber, but the TalonBolt fires bolts (like a crossbow) instead of bullet-like projectiles. These use carbon fiber shafts, shatter-resistant collars, and 100-grain field tips.

AirForce Airguns TalonBolt Carbine

$599at AirForce Airguns

Prices accurate at time of writing

$599at AirForce Airguns

Since the TalonBolt is meant for hunters and target shooters, bolts come with glow-in-the-dark vanes to increase their visibility in low-light shooting conditions.

Shooters have a variety of open sights and magnified optics to choose from.

According to AirForce Airguns, most of their products can ship directly to consumers, though some states may require them to ship to an FFL. Certain cities – New York City, Philadelphia, and Chicago, for example – ban this type of air gun outright.

Bottom line: check your state and local laws before ordering one.

AirForce lists this as a carbine, but it’s definitely not like any carbine I’ve ever seen. Whether that’s a good thing or not is up to you – but don’t pretend you’re not curious.

AirForce Airguns lists an MSRP of $599 for the TalonBolt Carbine.

What do you think of the new AirForce Airguns TalonBolt Carbine? Let us know below. Check out our guide to The Coolest Guns That Never Were for more radical designs.