Brocock Compatto by Pete Wadeson

As many know, Brocock are now a sister company to Daystate Ltd, both being owned by the Dianna Group. I mention this from the outset, as its relevance to the rifle on test is valid, due to both company’s involvement in its development.

This being no secret, but rather than the prestigious UK PCP gun manufacturing stalwart dominating their sibling, they’ve wisely shared certain developments they’ve made in the internal workings of precharged design. This will be detailed in due course but this clever ‘collaboration’ brings us to the rifle on test – the Brocock Compatto. A ‘hybrid’ design of multi-shot PCP that many term as a semi-bullpup and one that has certainly garnered a good deal of column inches in many shooting publications – all I must add singing its praises. So, at last I get my chance to take the Compatto (the word Italian scholars will know means compact) for a test drive and what better place to start the tour than with something I personally find rather familiar – that being the stock design.

Dare I say: ‘Skeletonised’

Before becoming the company we know today, Brocock had already begun to introduce a family of multi-shot PCP air rifles known as six shooters – commonalities they shared being they were lightweight, carbine sized and utilised six-shot magazine systems. I mention this because in terms of stock design, the company were already starting to launch these rifles in what are termed ‘skeletonised’ or as they’re also classed ‘profiled’ stocks. Now, the Compatto may be synthetic and ambidextrous but it’s certainly profiled – the reason for this style of stock is it makes an already light rifle even lighter.

Not only is the butt section profiled, plus having a height adjustable full black rubber butt-pad, but also behind the slim steep drop down pistol grip is an overly large thumbhole – a configuration which suits my taste perfectly and is the type of design which gives you a very good platform from which to operate the trigger.

The stock has a semi-integral trigger guard, from which the slim short forend begins in a quite deep-set design, curving quickly upwards to merge with a forward flat, straight section that is home to an underslung weaver/picatinny style accessory rail. Initially you’d think this might feel odd but the rifle is perfectly proportioned, as I found my leading hand naturally came back to hold the deep-set section; however, if you feel the need to grip the end – if the rail is free of accessories such as a bipod or laser – it’s so well designed that it doesn’t feel uncomfortable in the hold.

Small panels of stippling are seen at the key areas but the stock material has a nonslip feel and due to its short dimensions and set back action it’s certainly one of the fastest handling and well-balanced PCPs currently available. I’ll mention here that I’m shying away from calling this a semi-bullpup, as in my opinion the term ‘ultracarbine’ is much more suitable.

The slim air reservoir has a forward facing air gauge and directly behind this is a quite lengthy rotating collar, which has a knurled finish making it very easy to grip. This hides and protects access to the fill point. Using the Q/F probe supplied, a recommended 200-bar fill gives approximately 80 full power shots in .177 (as per rifle on test) and 90 in .22 cal.

 

Neat action

Internally, the Compatto uses the nifty Harper Slingshot Hammer system (first seen on certain models of Daystate PCPs) which ensures a very high level of shot to shot consistency and is very frugal on your air reserves. Basically, the slingshot system is designed so that there’s no hammer bounce on the release valve after the trigger is pulled, meaning no air wastage after each and every shot. A very simplistic explanation of the system but as it’s been described in detail many times before, suffice to say this anti-rebound mechanism works a treat in enabling any PCP that incorporates it to perform as efficiently as possible in this department.

A side-mounted, generously sized ‘straight pull’ stainless steel cocking bolt runs a totally new design 10-shot magazine; the former being positioned so as to be easily operated on the right of the action. As the magazine is removable, it obviously needs to be out of the action for filling and like many similar set-ups is a straightforward affair. Firstly, the cocking bolt needs to be turned up from the ‘keeper’ position then pulled fully rearward allowing the magazine to be drawn out from the left of the alloy action block. The allmetal magazine uses a spring actuated rotor, which is filled by turning anti-clockwise until all 10-chambers are filled. The ‘loading bay’ for the chambers is in the 6 o’clock position – here there’s a large cut away section in the rear of the face plate, so thumbing a pellet in is made all the easier. Once the magazine is full and slid back into the action, the bolt can then be pushed fully forward to probe the first pellet directly into the 18-inch Lothar Walther tube. After taking a shot, then cycling the action, on exiting the chamber the bolts‘ pellet probe’ trips a metal pawl, which in turn allows the magazine’s rotor to index around to offer up the next pellet in line for loading. This is a superb system, with the magazine clicking around very positively and precisely and due to the position of the cocking bolt makes for an effortless and very user-friendly procedure.

You’ll notice that the Compatto has an extended forward facing removable raised scope rail, which is useful for scopes with a long eye-relief but personally I found removing it and using the correct mounts allowed me to use the rails machined along the top of the action block to fit a scope of choice. If you can mount a scope in such a way that suits your particular preference, then all the better, as the balance and handling of the gun remain unaffected, as the optic sits further back, so that weight is felt at the shoulder – a plus point for those who prefer to fit a larger optic.

I decided on a Nikko Stirling 4.5-14 x 50AO Panamax and soon set a 30-yard zero for the .177 calibre test rifle. Accurate is a word the rifle soon earned, as I was able to achieve ragged 3/8-inch hole groups out to 40-yards using quality ammo.

The superb 2-stage adjustable trigger unit is an intriguingly configured mechanism, as the in-guard manual safety lever is found well forward of the main alloy trigger blade and functions by being ‘moved’ from side to side, which it does very positively. Also, a major plus of the trigger unit, is that although it’s set in front of the magazine it was designed to be in this position, so it’s performance isn’t compromised by needing to be mechanically linked to a ‘true’ trigger unit behind it, which is usually the case on air rifles with an action configured in this way.

 

Shrouded and power selector

The barrel is fully shrouded and internally holds what the company term as an ‘integral reflex sound suppression system.’ In plain speak, the alloy shroud has a baffled deflector chamber which deflects air back down the void between barrel and shroud, helping dissipate the air that would normally freely exit the muzzle after the fired pellet. Although it’ll be quite enough for some, the barrel’s screw cut to hold a secondary can of choice and for test a Milbro Huggett Silencer did a fine job of making the rifle virtually silent on discharge. I purposely used this can as Brocock offer a choice of ‘Huggett mods’ amongst other accessories obviously due to Daystate’s long standing support of this brand of super-efficient silencer.

Backtracking slightly, you’ll notice a small dial on the right of the action block just forward of the magazine housing – this is a power adjuster. On 12ft/ lb rifles it takes you from pistol power to the legal limit in threestages – the middle setting having a power of approximately 10ft/lbs. Adjusters such as this aren’t a new concept, as once they were quite commonplace on certain brands of PCP and in practical usage they’re handy for jobs such as close range ratting in very enclosed spaces. However, I feel it’ll see more use on the FAC model of this rifle. I say this as I’m reliably informed you can have it set to give approximately12ft/ lb on the lowest setting with two levels of FAC power rating when you require extra power. In that respect it’ll make the rifle a far more versatile and appealing proposition for the ticket waving airgun hunter.

 

Conclusion

There’s no disputing the fact that in the case of the Compatto, Brocock (with more than a little help from their close allies) have created a superb multi-shot PCP, which ticks all the right boxes for those who require a fast handling ultracompact carbine. Another major plus is it gives you a ‘true’ rifle feel in the hold as it manages to blend the benefits ‘particular’ to bullpups, such as compactness and handling with sporter design – the latter is because the action isn’t set all the way back, so the stock offers a full comb, which most ‘true’ bullpups sacrifice, often the shooter having no option but to rest the cheek on the side of the action.

I’m possibly the last in a long line of reviewers to have my say on this much talked about and praised PCP but my views pretty much mirror those who’ve already had one pass their way. Those being it handles superbly, gives impressive performance in terms of ease of operation, mechanical design, quality of manufacture and not forgetting having the accuracy capabilities of rifles costing over twice as much.

Thanks to T & J. J McAvoy Ltd for supplying rifle on test.