Ever since I first laid eyes on the Kral Puncher Pro in a catalog, and that incredible Turkish Walnut stock configuration, I wanted it.
I held off for some time, saw the intro of the 500, and started considering that. But I read reviews that seemed to illicit concerns about Kral overall QC, and not very good trigger. I was a PCP virgin at the time, with my only other air rifle experience being low to mid quality break barrels. Just when I was finally ready to take the plunge, the new line of Benjamin models, Kratos, Cayden and Akela became available. Word on the .net was that these were made by Kral, but with Crossman/Benjamin design and supervision, these were going to have better QC, and the trigger and overall operation were superior.
So I am the proud owner of a Kratos, and it is in fact remarkable. I've used it for a year, and have no regrets. In fact I continue to impressed with it;s bang for the buck every time I use it...
....But every time I see a Pro 500, I am still drawn to that stock. Still thinking of picking up a used one. The Kratos stock is nice, but mine is not as attractive as the Puncher Pro, and the particular walnut blank was not the best.
My question is, really how similar are these two rifles in build quality and operation? I've even read in posts people mentioning that they have the "Benjamin version" of a Kral, as if like so many other imports you can buy the same model with different names, but I am not seeing any directly comparable models, only similarities. Are these roughly the same, or is the Kratos more like a Marauder in parts and function than a Puncher Pro? Is it silly to own both? Is the Kratos and it's warranty just a better option?
Thanks in advance.
I held off for some time, saw the intro of the 500, and started considering that. But I read reviews that seemed to illicit concerns about Kral overall QC, and not very good trigger. I was a PCP virgin at the time, with my only other air rifle experience being low to mid quality break barrels. Just when I was finally ready to take the plunge, the new line of Benjamin models, Kratos, Cayden and Akela became available. Word on the .net was that these were made by Kral, but with Crossman/Benjamin design and supervision, these were going to have better QC, and the trigger and overall operation were superior.
So I am the proud owner of a Kratos, and it is in fact remarkable. I've used it for a year, and have no regrets. In fact I continue to impressed with it;s bang for the buck every time I use it...
....But every time I see a Pro 500, I am still drawn to that stock. Still thinking of picking up a used one. The Kratos stock is nice, but mine is not as attractive as the Puncher Pro, and the particular walnut blank was not the best.
My question is, really how similar are these two rifles in build quality and operation? I've even read in posts people mentioning that they have the "Benjamin version" of a Kral, as if like so many other imports you can buy the same model with different names, but I am not seeing any directly comparable models, only similarities. Are these roughly the same, or is the Kratos more like a Marauder in parts and function than a Puncher Pro? Is it silly to own both? Is the Kratos and it's warranty just a better option?
Thanks in advance.
