Pinty Nightfall PCP Air Rifle First Look

As many of you will have noticed, Pinty is a new advertiser in Hard Air Magazine. So today we’re taking a first look at one of the company’s products – the Nightfall PCP air rifle.

In fact, what we have here is the brand-new “gen 2” version of the Nightfall. The improvements are internal – primarily an improved trigger with a lower pull weight.

Oh – for those who want to know – half a dozen quick tests using our trusty Lyman Digital Trigger Pull Gauge registered an average pull weight of 3 Lbs 4 Oz. Very acceptable!

But before going further, I’m going to address the “elephant in the room” question. “But isn’t the Nightfall a direct knock-off of the Air Force Talon?”

The honest answer is “I don’t think so.”

Yes, the Nightfall certainly bears a strong overall resemblance to the general configuration of Air Force PCPs: rear tank, “straight through” air path, single shot, bolt pushed forward to cock.

However I am genuinely unfamiliar with Air Force airguns. I have never even held one before – let alone shot one. So I’m not qualified to pass an expert comment. But here’s a few thoughts…

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Four Revolutionary PCP Airgun Design Concepts​

Looking around, there seems to me to be very few truly revolutionary, unique PCP air rifle design concepts. Actually I can think of just four, right now.

First is the Daystate Huntsman. Introduced way back in 1980 and still sold today, this was the hugely-successful design prototype for countless PCP airguns that have followed over the years.

There’s a barrel, with breech behind it. The hammer and trigger mechanisms are below the breech with the valve forward of them and the HPA supply forward of that, under the barrel.

Millions of PCP air rifles have been manufactured to that basic design architecture all over the world, by every manufacturer there is. After more than 50 years, the whole design concept is second nature to all PCP air rifle owners.

So are people saying that the new 2026 Gen 3 Benjamin Marauder is a knock-off of the 1980 Daystate Huntsman because they share the same basic design architecture? I don’t think so…

Daystate was also responsible for the second revolutionary concept. The company’s electronic firing system first appeared in the Daystate Mark III introduced in 2002. Although the company has continued to use electronics in its guns, this concept has not been adopted elsewhere.

(Maybe we should actually say “not yet”, given the progress that electronics is making in every aspect of our lives).

Third is the FX Impact of 2015. This popularized the bullpup, “black rifle”, AR-15 lookalike design concept that remains widely-imitated by almost every airgun manufacturer around the globe.

Everyone recognizes that the Impact started that trend, but I don’t hear many people complaining that the huge number of similar-looking alternatives are actually knock-offs. Visually similar? You bet! But knock-offs? Not so much…

Fourth is the Air Force Talon. Another very old design – it was introduced in 1998 – this concept has inspired remarkably few other manufacturers. Maybe that lack of imitation is why the Nightfall PCP air rifle causes the “knock-off” comment to appear.

I undertook a US Patent search for the Talon design architecture but couldn’t find anything. However, even if there was a Patent issued for that concept, it would most likely have expired several years ago.

My opinion here is similar to that for the Huntsman and Impact. Architecturally and visually similar for sure, but a knock-off? I’m not convinced…

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Pinty Nightfall PCP Air Rifle First Impressions​

Having got that off my chest, what do I think of the Nightfall?

Well, as a complete newcomer to the “rear HPA bottle, forward cocking” airgun concept, my opinions are still forming.

For certain, the straight through, inline path for the High Pressure Air from bottle to barrel must be hugely advantageous compared to all other PCP airgun design architectures!

Above. The Nightfall is available bundled with a bipod for just $20.00 more than the base gun. How can you go wrong with that?

The rear bottle design architecture of the Nightfall is conceptually ideal. From a purely fluid dynamics engineering perspective, having the air make two 90 degree turns between leaving the valve and hitting the rear of the pellet – as it does in almost every other PCP air rifle – is a really, really bad idea that lowers efficiency and power.

The Nightfall has surprised me with its light weight and compact size. Mounting the scope was easy. The gun balances well.

It’s regulated. True, that’s expected nowadays. But it’s still good to have.

The fit and finish of the parts looks to be of a high standard, too.

But I’m not so sure yet about the forward push cocking action of the bolt handle. It’s a completely new experience to me, and reminds me of when I first moved to the USA from England and started driving on the “wrong side of the road”.

Can I do it? Yes, but only with thought and concentration. Does it feel natural or intuitive? Definitely not! At least not yet…

Of course, if the Nightfall were my first or only PCP air rifle, that would not be the case as I wouldn’t know any different!

Then there’s the fact that this is a single-shot only air rifle. The last occasion I fired a non-magazine PCP was when HAM tested the Benjamin Maximus, ten years ago in 2016.

So, as a convinced magazine user, shooting the Nightfall is like stepping 10 years back in time. But again, if the Nightfall were my first or only PCP air rifle, that would not be the case as I wouldn’t know any different!

Plus – of course – if that were a deal-breaker, Pinty offers magazine-feed air rifles as well.

Then there’s the “HPA bottle as buttstock” arrangement. Again, I’m not sure about this yet. Having a large, round buttstock – together with what can only be described as a primitive buttplate is another different experience for me.

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Pinty Nightfall PCP Air Rifle Summary​

For me, the Pinty Nightfall PCP air rifle is an unusual model that I’m sure will teach me a lot.

And the price is certainly attractive. It’s only $319.99 at the Pinty online store.

In summary, I’m interested. Stay tuned for a full, comprehensive HAM review!


The post Pinty Nightfall PCP Air Rifle First Look appeared first on Hard Air Magazine.

 

[Hvacguy]

I'm curious which parts are cross compatible with Airforce. I believe the regulator and bottle are since they're standard threads, but what about the chassis or barrel? Breach?

 

[FL22]

I'm curious which parts are cross compatible with Airforce. I believe the regulator and bottle are since they're standard threads, but what about the chassis or barrel? Breach?

If an AF-LW barrel is a direct fit, Pinty would unlikely be able to keep up with demand.

 

[Madhatter]

Thammer modded a AF barrel to fit a night fall. I don't think it was much to make it fit.

 

[cliky]

I've shot the AF Talon, and this Pinty Nightfall does look a lot like the Talon, it even has a hammer tuner, and the funny thing is the regulator says 'cricket' which is the one that's being offered as an upgrade for the Talon by Huben
also, the Talon has a 12" barrel, while the Nightfall is a 16.1" which would be an improvement over the Talon
I've tried some pinty products without any luck, all optics with poor QC, but I'm intrigued by this Nightfall, and I already have decent options for sights to use on it, so I'm following this one to see how it holds up. I can't justify buying more airguns at the moment, I have too many! I'm seeing the chinese airguns start to get better lately. I have the Barra 250z in .25 and it's been really impressive, though the trigger group is a bit weird, I see some design mistakes in there and I don't care for how the safety has to be removed for teardowns

 

[cliky]

Oh, I just remembered the Daystate Huntsman is not the only electronically valved airgun these days, Skout has been doing some very impressive things, way beyond both Daystate & FX

 

[Solo1]

Oh, I just remembered the Daystate Huntsman is not the only electronically valved airgun these days, Skout has been doing some very impressive things, way beyond both Daystate & FX

No electronics on the huntsman.

 

[cliky]

No electronics on the huntsman.

My mistake, I just went with the op's word should've looked it up, Alpha & Delta Wolf were the models with that

 

[FL22]

My mistake, I just went with the op's word should've looked it up, Alpha & Delta Wolf were the models with that

Sorry, not trying to bust your chops here but, he said “The company’s electronic firing system first appeared in the Daystate Mark III”.

 

[cliky]

If an AF-LW barrel is a direct fit, Pinty would unlikely be able to keep up with demand.

What about a .25 conversion?

 

[FL22]

What about a .25 conversion?

Conversion… or a Talon P analogue .

 

[cliky]

No worries, first I've heard of a mark 3, it must have been discontinued

 

[cliky]

Finally, got a Nightfall. after the 1st ebay seller changed their mind. Maybe I shouldn't have mentioned they hadn't even dialed it in yet at only ten rounds fired? Anyways came with a barra scope which I'm not using yet, I installed a Bushnell TR26 red dot sight and proceeded to punch holes in a beercan at 66' which later moved out to 77' and still hitting. The can already had some holes from a Daisy 822 That I tested first. Running 14.3gn Benjamin match pellets in both. The daisy needs a new piston foam ring. The nightfall had an issue with the cocking handle coming loose and the airtank was also really loose. I'll probably try some teflon tape on the handle first and if that doesn't work I'll use some low strength loctite. With the hammer dialed all the way down the Nightfall was really quiet. That moderator works pretty nice. There was still some air in the tank And I shot about 200 rounds before getting tired out. I think it's a pretty decent bargain even if it needs a little help. Grip is fairly decent but changing it out will require the replacement have a large slot in the front where the trigger guard rests. Trigger pull was very decent. The forward bolt motion is actually not an issue, it's like a quick slap open. I got used to that very quickly

 

[Elexious Musick]

Finally, got a Nightfall. after the 1st ebay seller changed their mind. Maybe I shouldn't have mentioned they hadn't even dialed it in yet at only ten rounds fired? Anyways came with a barra scope which I'm not using yet, I installed a Bushnell TR26 red dot sight and proceeded to punch holes in a beercan at 66' which later moved out to 77' and still hitting. The can already had some holes from a Daisy 822 That I tested first. Running 14.3gn Benjamin match pellets in both. The daisy needs a new piston foam ring. The nightfall had an issue with the cocking handle coming loose and the airtank was also really loose. I'll probably try some teflon tape on the handle first and if that doesn't work I'll use some low strength loctite. With the hammer dialed all the way down the Nightfall was really quiet. That moderator works pretty nice. There was still some air in the tank And I shot about 200 rounds before getting tired out. I think it's a pretty decent bargain even if it needs a little help. Grip is fairly decent but changing it out will require the replacement have a large slot in the front where the trigger guard rests. Trigger pull was very decent. The forward bolt motion is actually not an issue, it's like a quick slap open. I got used to that very quickly

Yes, pushing the bolt forward to cock the hammer reminds me of the Crosman 160 USAF training rifle and CMP rifle of years gone by. Not difficult to get used to.

My biggest complaint about the Nightfall MKII and why I returned it was the bolt coming loose after less than 100 shots to the point it would not longer engage smoothly with the valve at the end of the bottle on the down stroke. I made a video for the Pinty Rep, he never responded, that clearly showed major force was needed to engage the black portion of the bolt with the valve bottle. Shame, it worked perfectly out of the box.

I tried to exchange it under warranty, but the CS person I was working with seemed to lack any product knowledge and have an attitude too. I honestly just wanted a replacement, but was forced by her indifference and ignorance to settle with a refund which she also managed to mess up.

Lesson learned. Until Pinty hires CS representatives in the United States, waiting 24hrs to email with someone in China with limited English or communication skills is unacceptable, and they stop raising prices every month. I'll stick with companies represented here in the states with actual CS phone numbers and product knowledge.

My 2 cents,

Ed Musick

 

[PapaT]

Yes, pushing the bolt forward to cock the hammer reminds me of the Crosman 160 USAF training rifle and CMP rifle of years gone by. Not difficult to get used to.

My biggest complaint about the Nightfall MKII and why I returned it was the bolt coming loose after less than 100 shots to the point it would not longer engage smoothly with the valve at the end of the bottle on the down stroke. I made a video for the Pinty Rep, he never responded, that clearly showed major force was needed to engage the black portion of the bolt with the valve bottle. Shame, it worked perfectly out of the box.

I tried to exchange it under warranty, but the CS person I was working with seemed to lack any product knowledge and have an attitude too. I honestly just wanted a replacement, but was forced by her indifference and ignorance to settle with a refund which she also managed to mess up.

Lesson learned. Until Pinty hires CS representatives in the United States, waiting 24hrs to email with someone in China with limited English or communication skills is unacceptable, and they stop raising prices every month. I'll stick with companies represented here in the states with actual CS phone numbers and product knowledge.

My 2 cents,

Ed Musick

At least you got responses. She has ignored all of my emails. I love my Pintys, but some of the things I would brag on are dieing away.

 

[Elexious Musick]

At least you got responses. She has ignored all of my emails. I love my Pintys, but some of the things I would brag on are dieing away.

Pinty Airguns started out great, excellent products, prices and Customer Service but seems to have dropped the ball as of late.

Granted there's a few bad guns in every production run, but those problems should be addressed quickly to stop any manufacturing or design faults from damaging the end-user experience.

The issues with ignorant and uncaring CS Representatives is a bit more complex and just as important in keeping a new company competitive.

I cannot recommend Pinty to any member here, on my IG or Facebook accounts until they stabilize their company with sound business practices.

 

[JimT66]

At least you got responses. She has ignored all of my emails. I love my Pintys, but some of the things I would brag on are dieing away.

I would just message Kevin @ Pinty and be done with it He will get bunch a issues solved most Riki-tik. Especially any bad customer service.

 

[cliky]

Yes, pushing the bolt forward to cock the hammer reminds me of the Crosman 160 USAF training rifle and CMP rifle of years gone by. Not difficult to get used to.

My biggest complaint about the Nightfall MKII and why I returned it was the bolt coming loose after less than 100 shots to the point it would not longer engage smoothly with the valve at the end of the bottle on the down stroke. I made a video for the Pinty Rep, he never responded, that clearly showed major force was needed to engage the black portion of the bolt with the valve bottle. Shame, it worked perfectly out of the box.

I tried to exchange it under warranty, but the CS person I was working with seemed to lack any product knowledge and have an attitude too. I honestly just wanted a replacement, but was forced by her indifference and ignorance to settle with a refund which she also managed to mess up.

Lesson learned. Until Pinty hires CS representatives in the United States, waiting 24hrs to email with someone in China with limited English or communication skills is unacceptable, and they stop raising prices every month. I'll stick with companies represented here in the states with actual CS phone numbers and product knowledge.

My 2 cents,

Ed Musick

Yes, pushing the bolt forward to cock the hammer reminds me of the Crosman 160 USAF training rifle and CMP rifle of years gone by. Not difficult to get used to.

My biggest complaint about the Nightfall MKII and why I returned it was the bolt coming loose after less than 100 shots to the point it would not longer engage smoothly with the valve at the end of the bottle on the down stroke. I made a video for the Pinty Rep, he never responded, that clearly showed major force was needed to engage the black portion of the bolt with the valve bottle. Shame, it worked perfectly out of the box.

I tried to exchange it under warranty, but the CS person I was working with seemed to lack any product knowledge and have an attitude too. I honestly just wanted a replacement, but was forced by her indifference and ignorance to settle with a refund which she also managed to mess up.

Lesson learned. Until Pinty hires CS representatives in the United States, waiting 24hrs to email with someone in China with limited English or communication skills is unacceptable, and they stop raising prices every month. I'll stick with companies represented here in the states with actual CS phone numbers and product knowledge.

My 2 cents,

Ed Musick

Just remembered another airgun like that i had back around 1985, the Daisy 1200 bb pistol. you push the barrel forwards to arm it using a paddle under the foregrip. the barrel is driven rearwards by a spring to knock open the valve. it was designed to load bb's but I played around with the bb feed empty & muzzle loaded pellets, which kinda worked but its a smoothbore. I always thought they should've designed it to run pellets. so in a way I finally have that idea irl. I'm so used to fixing or modding my airguns, never even considered the loose handle on the Nightfall a serious issue. its mildly annoying. I have to spend a moment fooling with it. if it acts up too much, i might set it permanently with bearing retaining compound! But I'll try milder fixes first