PA is currently offering a limited edition of the Ataman Ultra Compact and they sent me one to replace the regular version which I sent back. I haven't had a chance to do much testing yet but so far I am having a much better experience.
So how does the limited edition differ from the regular version to make it worth an extra $100? I put it through a crony yesterday and it sent JSB 15's out at 906 fps instead of 845-850 fps for the two I returned. But... there is more:
First, the barrel is longer. the 8" pistol barrel has been replaced with one that is 12-13". I can't measure exactly because it is inside a shroud tube that is glued in place but I can see that it goes nearly all the way to the end. This is a good thing as I intended to add a longer barrel anyway. The longer barrel is the source of the extra power. It is not just a stronger spring so there should be no sacrifice in shot count.
This also means that the limited edition has no baffles at all. It is loud. Without an LDC, you need hearing protection. I thought this would make me angry but it didn't. You see the baffles in the regular version were largely ineffective and poorly made. You could not make a pellet leave the gun without hitting the end cap. But fear not. I was able to purchase a shroud extension from WildWest for $80.
I also added a homemade carbon fiber tube with a deliberate air gap and it is now it managable. It is not as quiet as my Mutant with just the factory shroud but it is not far off my Cricket 25. The Wild West shroud is very narrow. It could do with using a tube that is double the diameter but for $80 it's fine. I can now use it in my backyard.
The downside is that it is no longer a super short pistol carbon. With the stock open it is a little over 40" from recoil pad to the end of the shroud extension and 42" with the length of pull adjusted to my preferred position. It is a little less than 29" with the stock folded.
The regular version was around 5lb 12oz. Without weighing yet, the special edition feels a few ounces more but still light compared to most.
There is more. I don't know if this is by accident or design but the wood on this special edition is noticeably nicer than the last two I had. The color and grain are more attractive and the finish is better. The shroud tube seems to run parallel to the barrel while it visibly did not on the last two.
Check out the pic above. It looks good right?
There are no chunks of wood missing from the stock which is also a batter start and there is less visible wood filler. It's still not a great stock but it's a slight improvement. It is not nicely figured or anything like that and it is still poorly cut with one side wider than the other but at least I have to look for the issues now. I got two splinters just from picking up the last one...
Anyway... I am going to go ahead and review this one. I don't know this for sure yet but I think I might end up liking this gun. It's quieter, light and looks good, plus, with the longer barrel and no Ataman shroud, it has a good chance of being accurate. We'll see.
I haven't had a chance to do a full string yet because I need to get my tanks filled but 10 shots with JSB 15's starting at 205 bar looked like this:
906, 903, 891, 901, 906, 906, 903, 887, 903, 889.
Last time I checked, PA had 5 or 6 of these left but the synthetic versions were available in white and green stocks which is the other part of the limited edition differences. The walnut version I have I believe has slightly upgraded wood btw.
So how does the limited edition differ from the regular version to make it worth an extra $100? I put it through a crony yesterday and it sent JSB 15's out at 906 fps instead of 845-850 fps for the two I returned. But... there is more:
First, the barrel is longer. the 8" pistol barrel has been replaced with one that is 12-13". I can't measure exactly because it is inside a shroud tube that is glued in place but I can see that it goes nearly all the way to the end. This is a good thing as I intended to add a longer barrel anyway. The longer barrel is the source of the extra power. It is not just a stronger spring so there should be no sacrifice in shot count.
This also means that the limited edition has no baffles at all. It is loud. Without an LDC, you need hearing protection. I thought this would make me angry but it didn't. You see the baffles in the regular version were largely ineffective and poorly made. You could not make a pellet leave the gun without hitting the end cap. But fear not. I was able to purchase a shroud extension from WildWest for $80.
I also added a homemade carbon fiber tube with a deliberate air gap and it is now it managable. It is not as quiet as my Mutant with just the factory shroud but it is not far off my Cricket 25. The Wild West shroud is very narrow. It could do with using a tube that is double the diameter but for $80 it's fine. I can now use it in my backyard.
The downside is that it is no longer a super short pistol carbon. With the stock open it is a little over 40" from recoil pad to the end of the shroud extension and 42" with the length of pull adjusted to my preferred position. It is a little less than 29" with the stock folded.
The regular version was around 5lb 12oz. Without weighing yet, the special edition feels a few ounces more but still light compared to most.
There is more. I don't know if this is by accident or design but the wood on this special edition is noticeably nicer than the last two I had. The color and grain are more attractive and the finish is better. The shroud tube seems to run parallel to the barrel while it visibly did not on the last two.
Check out the pic above. It looks good right?
There are no chunks of wood missing from the stock which is also a batter start and there is less visible wood filler. It's still not a great stock but it's a slight improvement. It is not nicely figured or anything like that and it is still poorly cut with one side wider than the other but at least I have to look for the issues now. I got two splinters just from picking up the last one...
Anyway... I am going to go ahead and review this one. I don't know this for sure yet but I think I might end up liking this gun. It's quieter, light and looks good, plus, with the longer barrel and no Ataman shroud, it has a good chance of being accurate. We'll see.
I haven't had a chance to do a full string yet because I need to get my tanks filled but 10 shots with JSB 15's starting at 205 bar looked like this:
906, 903, 891, 901, 906, 906, 903, 887, 903, 889.
Last time I checked, PA had 5 or 6 of these left but the synthetic versions were available in white and green stocks which is the other part of the limited edition differences. The walnut version I have I believe has slightly upgraded wood btw.
