The Slayer appears to be a simple platform until you take it apart and see not only the excellent machining but each piece is masterfully designed for its purpose.
The balanced valve is much different from the ones I’ve seen. Instead of the venting chamber being inside of the valve stem, it is a part of the valve body. A valve return spring is not used. So when the rifle is degassed the poppet is lifted off the valve seat and remains that way. When airing the rifle back up it leaked through the valve because the poppet was off the valve seat. Gave it a strong blast of air from the tank but it still wouldn’t seal. I took off the air tube to access the poppet and pushed it down to seal the valve.
The retractable probe is an innovative design. When the rifle is cocked the probe releases an extension that will push the projectile into the barrel. Upon closing the probe a spring loaded mechanism is triggered and retracts the probe. This creates an unobstructed path for air to flow. Also contributing to optimal airflow are the angled and radiused ports. These are mods that guys will do to their rifles but Tom had the foresight to incorporate them into the design.
The moderator is a modular design built specifically for the Slayer. It is well built and does a good job at taming the bark despite being smaller than what is normally used for a big bore. Not backyard friendly but ear friendly.
The trigger does not feel like a Bullpup trigger. There is no slop and it has crisp break.
So far I am very impressed by the quality of craftsmanship and design that went into the Slayer. Had fun resealing this one. Now I just have to find the time to get to the range and shoot it!
