Single-stroke pneumatic pistols are pretty rare animals, but to find one with the ability to swap barrels is unique in my experience. Because of this, the new Desert Falcon from AirForce Duo is a very interesting choice for anybody who’s unsure whether they want .1,77 or .22. Il’s made from hard, high-impact polymer, which as the name suggests, is strong and well able to handle a few knocks and bumps. It’s also noticeably warmer to the touch than metal-framed pistols in the winter weather. The grip is described as semi-anatomical and I found it very comfortable indeed. At the front there are finger grooves whilst the back of the frame has a nice paim-fitting curve, and the combination of these features placed my index finger pad nicely on the trigger blade with no unnecessary stretching. It’s clearly an adult-size gun despite its light weight. To cock the Duo You pull the fake hammer back to unlock the fake slide, which then pivots forward quite some distance. This exposes the breech which is up inside the slide. There is a bit of a knack to getting the pellets in, but once you master the technique it soon becomes second nature. Getting .22 calibre pellets in is easier than .L77 but that’s always the way with any gun. There are two screws just back from the breech that you remove to swap barrels a job that takes just a few minutes.
Closing the action is when your energy transferred into compressing the air that will then propel the pellet. This takes a pretty strong arm to close, reinforcing that is an adult gun, not ideal for junior shooters, unless they can get Dad to load it for them. You need to ensure that the action is fully closed and that the hammer has re-engaged, locking everything closed. The automatic safety is positioned above the trigger blade on the right hand side of the frame requiring right handed shooters to use their Ieft hand to disengage it.
The trigger action is two stage and impressively light. The second stage is a little long, but I Prefer that to a short but too heavy setup. I hoped that the combination of a recoilless action and decent trigger would make for good accuracy and my testing proved this to be correct’ The open sig are clear and faulty adjustable and just few quick twists of a Phillips screwdriver has them set for my eyes at six yards, allowing my accuracy test to begin.
I choreographed the Duo with my favourite RWS Hobby which weighs just 11.9 grains, ensuring that I could maximise velocity. They cut neat hole in paper, are extremely accurate and are very reasonably priced for a high quality pellet. 325 fps at muzzle equal to 2.8 ft.lbs which is plenty of power for plinking and target shooting. I have to say that I was really impressed with this Pistol. It offers versatility, Power, and most importantly for me, a great trigger, something that’s Pretty rare in inexpensive pistols, and this alone makes this a gun worth buying.