My Ataman Ultra Compact arrived!

zebra

Member
Sep 29, 2015
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New York
[color=rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.701961)]It arrived! A big thanks to AGN and PA. It really is an awesome prize. Definitely the best thing I ever won. [/color] Here is some quick pics. First is next to the Mutant Shorty for scale

:



And another next to a Cricket 25:



And one with the stock folded closed next to the Shorty:




As you can see, the length (when folded) is just a little longer than the Shorty so it's fair to say that they can be used for similar purposes. This thing is light. It's the first time I have found an airgun to actually be lighter than the manufacturers advertised specs. I put it on the digital scales and it weighs just 5lb 12.5oz... You can tell as soon as you pick it up. It's a feather compared to most. 
 
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I think I might have received a defective one... There are large indented scratches on the inside of the shroud cap indicating major clipping on both sides. JSB 18's don't fit in the mag properly, a slight tilt and they unseat so I doubt I'm going to be able to show any impressive accuracy... 

The stock looks defective on mine too. There seems to be more wood on one side than the other. Both sides are (far too) thin but the right side easily bends with my finger. I could snap it without much effort. I can't tell 100% but I think it's already starting to crack. 

Anyway... deep breath... here's what I can tell you so far: 

- It gets around 15 shots per fill. I fired ten shots from 200 bar which took it down to 110 bar. I then filled to 260 bar and fired two mags which took it back down to 115 bar.

- it is tuned more like a Korean gun. I haven't put it through a chrony yet but I can tell from the penetration in the backstop that it's putting out more energy than my other 22 cal guns. If it was tuned down a little, the shot count would be more in-line with expectations. It's never going to get the 60-70 shots per fill the guy from Air Venturi claims on the video on the PA site though. Maybe 30 with some down-tuning 

- The action is nice. Very smooth cocking. Among the best I have used. - The trigger feels nice for a hunting gun - it's loud with it's stock tuning. Sounds more like a 25. Slightly louder than my 25 Cricket 

- The mag is easy to use. It's actually very good. You could probably get by with just one 

- The instructions it comes with are for a different gun and not very good or comprehensive. It doesn't explain how to take it out of the stock and it's more than just removing screws. The safety locks it in place and there are no instructions for how to remove it so i can't get to any of the adjustments.

- The metalwork looks generally good. The wood is the worst I have seen on an air gun at any price range. It's too thin to be rigid and the pores are unfilled like on the Mutant stock.

The folding stock is ok but not great. There is some vertical and horizontal travel. It feels great to shoulder. The balance and weight is excellent. It's the lightest gun I own. If I got one that wasn't defective, down tuned it to make the shot count acceptable and replaced the stock, I could see it being one of my favorites but time will tell. 
 
"Dairyboy"Disappointed to hear all the negatives of it.

I wouldn't let the issues with mine put you off if you wanted one. Hopefully it's an isolated example. I can tell you that I am motivated to get it fixed over giving up on it. I wouldn't do that it if wasn't worth it. It has a lot of potential. It really does feel great to shoulder. It will probably mean more business for Ernest on the tuning though.

Here is info on issues with mine:

[color=rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.701961)]This is the Ataman clipping issue:[/color]
And the other side This is where the wood is too thin: Not sure if you can see in the pic but the right side is thinner than the left. If I press on the right side then the wood moves with a creaking sound as it doesn't sit touching the action like it does on the left. I think if you got one without that defect then you might not experience any movement there. It doesn't look like mine in the photo on their site so hopefully it's just this one. 
 
"zebra"
"Dairyboy"Disappointed to hear all the negatives of it.

I wouldn't let the issues with mine put you off if you wanted one. Hopefully it's an isolated example. I can tell you that I am motivated to get it fixed over giving up on it. I wouldn't do that it if wasn't worth it. It has a lot of potential. It really does feel great to shoulder. It will probably mean more business for Ernest on the tuning though.

Here is info on issues with mine:

[color=rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.701961)]This is the Ataman clipping issue:[/color]
And the other side This is where the wood is too thin: Not sure if you can see in the pic but the right side is thinner than the left. If I press on the right side then the wood moves with a creaking sound as it doesn't sit touching the action like it does on the left. I think if you got one without that defect then you might not experience any movement there. It doesn't look like mine in the photo on their site so hopefully it's just this one. 


Even a month ago i ask my dealer if he can procure this gun for me because i like the design and the Ataman have LW barrels.
He told me he has a lot of problems with this guns and therefore he no longer sells them.
The most problem is the barrel/shroud fixing, the pellets hits the end of the shroud cap.
I think the photo shows that, thx for the Foto!
 
"pbguns"Sure does look like a pellet strike on the cap.....(good eyes)!
The scratches go back as far as I can see down the barrel. I can't tell if it's catching the baffles too. 

I've seen that before but just on one side when it's an alignment issue. I am assuming that scratches on both sides means that it's a sizing issue (I.e. The hole wasn't drilled big enough) but I'm not sure. 

I'll call PA on Monday and see if they will replace it. I'll report back on what they say.

I really hope it isn't a widespread issue. As far as they go, it's not a massively hard problem to fix.
 
This is a YouTube clip on the Ataman Ultra Compact made by Ernest from over a year ago...




Not sure how he had one so long before they came out in America but I assume he has better contacts than the rest of us. The one he had was an older model that was bolt action instead of side-lever and the safety was not color-coded but other than that, it looks the same. 

It's very informative (like most ER clips). Far more comprehensive than you see in the average review. It showed me a bunch of nice features that aren't mentioned in the manual. It also explains how to remove the stock!
 
[color=rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.701961)]I managed to get it out of the stock:[/color]






I think it could be made to look good without the stock. Well... It's really more of a grip frame as the folding stock is already attached to the breach block. They could just add an AR grip adapter:




Or an AR trigger frame like this:



The actual woodwork is worse than I thought with it being uneven all the way down both sides. To my eye it looks like the pass where they cut the inletting was fed through at an angle instead of straight which is why there is more material on one side while the other is paper thin.
 
"sniperlabyo"Zebra, remove the thread protector and bore it out a little --- use a needle noise and turn CCW.

I am intending to return it and see if they will replace it with one that doesn't have so many issues. It's not just the stock that is cut at angle instead of the straight. It looks like the shroud has the same issue so it doesn't run parallel to the barrel. It's the whole shroud, not just the end cap.