Brocock Compatto PCP

When I first saw the Brocock Compatto PCP at last year’s Midland Game Fair, I was very impressed by how it handled and its overall styling and features; I was even more impressed when I found out it was going to be under £600! Okay, so it’s still £600, but I thought that if the production versions were as good as the prototype, then purchasers would get a lot of gun for their money and now, after actually spending time with one, I think my initial impressions were correct!

I guess I must start by saying that the Compatto isn’t actually a bullpup; it’s a semi-bullpup. That may seem like splitting hairs but true bullpups like the Daystate Pulsar for instance, (that I reviewed in last month’s Gun Mart) have the action further back in the stock than the Compatto, however, the new Brocock is still very compact and the position of the cocking bolt may possibly be preferred by a lot of shooters.

Daystate and Brocock are actually sister companies, both owned by the Diana Group, and there’s obviously been some cross-pollination going on behind the scenes. At the heart of the Compatto’s action is the patented Slingshot hammer system, it increases shot count and consistency by reducing ‘valve bounce’ and it’s nice to see this technology being used on a more affordable PCP. It’s only the hammer system that’s been used before though, as every other part of the Compatto is new. The alloy breechblock features a right handed, stainless steel cocking bolt, which is grooved for added grip, it both indexes the magazine and cocks the hammer. The bolt travels in an L-shaped slot and to cock and load the rifle, the bolt is first pulled up, then back, then forward and down, just like a fullbore rifle.

Clever Mag

The magazine itself may look like those used in Daystate’s rifles, but it’s actually a completely new design. The black anodised alloy housing has a bronze coloured, 10-shot rotary wheel enclosed and pellets are held in place by an O-ring. The indexing mechanism is a complete departure from the norm; as the bolt is cycled, a ridge on the back of the pellet probe activates a small catch in the rear of the mag body and this allows the rotor to turn when the bolt is withdrawn. I guess I’m a bit sad but I sat there with a big grin on my face when I realised how clever this mag is! Once filled with pellets, the magazine is inserted from the left and is held securely in position by a sprung loaded ball on the front of the outer housing. The breechblock is nicely designed and machined and I wouldn’t be surprised if Brocock end up using it on all of their PCPs in the future; it’s also good enough for a Daystate! A reach forward scope-mounting rail is bolted to the top of the action; this allows for the scope to be mounted sufficiently far forward to obtain the correct scope/eye position. If Brocock do use the block on conventionally styled PCPs, this rail won’t be needed.

An 18 inch-long Lothar Walther barrel is fitted to the front of the action and it has a fully baffled shroud around it to provide sound suppression.

There’s a ½ inch UNF male thread on the end of the shroud, protected by a screw on collar and this can be used to mount an auxiliary moderator if required. Fitting a moderator will alter the point of impact though, (due to the extra weight) so it’s best to use the Compatto as it comes or with a silencer fitted and not chop and change. The air reservoir is aluminium alloy, which helps to keep the overall weight down; if you’re more used to steel air reservoirs on PCPs, don’t worry about the choice of material, the cylinders are tested way above the normal working pressure of the gun! A filling port is at the front of the reservoir and charging is by an O-ring sealed probe, a rotating collar keeps dust and foreign bodies out of the internals. An air pressure gauge is on the front of the cylinder; I’m not a massive fan of this position, preferring them to be fitted to the underside of the action. You don’t have to look at it end-on, which always feels a little odd if you do, even when you know the rifle is in a safe condition, but a sideways glance is all that is needed to see the pressure that is still in the rifle.

Power up – And Down!

The Compatto’s designers obviously realise that most people who buy one will be hunters, so they’ve incorporated a very handy power adjuster on the right side of the action.

Maximum power is safely under 12ft/lbs, the middle setting is about 10ft/lbs and the lowest position will provide 6ft/ lbs. The lower power setting is ideal for shooting rats and feral pigeons in farm buildings; there’s plenty of power to humanely take down vermin but the reduced power should ensure that roof panels etc. aren’t damaged by pellets that pass through (or miss, it does happen!) the intended target.

A two-stage, alloy trigger is fitted and there’s normally a safety catch in front of the alloy blade. I say normally, as the factory got this test rifle to me prior to the catches becoming available (I was rather keen to review this rifle, you see) production models will have a switch-style catch. The trigger is adjustable and can be fettled via holes in the guard.

There’s no point having an action without a stock of course and the designers have come up with a very stylish, synthetic, thumbhole unit, which is completely ambidextrous. The grip is quite slim with molded in ‘stippling’ and there are also similar panels on the bottom of elegantly curved forend. A Picatinny rail, with five slots, is at the front of the forend and these can be used for mounting a torch, laser or bipod. It’s crying out for a dedicated extension though, housing a laser, which would really come into its own when ratting and would also extend the forend a little.

The butt section has a large cut-out to shed excess weight and looks good too. The cheekpiece aligns the head properly behind the scope and the rubber buttpad is adjustable via a single Allen bolt; there’s about an inch of movement, up and down, so it should keep everyone happy. The overall look of the Compatto’s furniture is rather elegant, especially how the contour around the trigger guard blends back into the lower portion of the butt. The Brocock name/logo is molded into the rear of the stock, which is a nice touch. All in all, the stock is rather pleasing; it won’t please those shooters who don’t like bullpups of course, as some people seem determined not like these compact little rifles but each to their own I guess…

Charging

The comprehensive instruction booklet details the charging procedure but it’s pretty much a plug-in, turn on and withdraw kind of affair! A slow fill to 200 bar doesn’t take long but it’s a good idea to remember to turn the dust cover collar back again, as it’s easy to forget, unlike a screw-on cover that you end up holding while you re-fill a PCP. Being at the bottom of the reservoir would make it quite easy for something to enter whilst on the range or in the woods, it’s just worth bearing in mind if you buy one.

The mag is very easy to load and the more I used it, the more impressed I was by its simplicity and efficiency. I used a selection of quality pellets and I didn’t encounter any problems with any ammo types. I settled on Daystate’s own Kaiser pellets but their Sovereign were just as good, and I’d definitely recommend them both. Accuracy on the range was as to be expected, i.e. very good indeed and if there hadn’t been a complete absence of quarry at my farm shoot I’m sure it would have accounted for any vermin that came within range. The weather had either been constant rain, or when it actually stopped, it was absolutely freezing! I can only shoot when there aren’t any farm workers about but at the end of January, the window of opportunity was very narrow, hopefully I’ll be able to hang on to this cracking little rifle for a while longer and be able to use it when there’s more light and quarry.

Conclusion

I couldn’t really find any faults with the Compatto; Okay, I’m not a fan of the pressure gauge position, but that’s not unique to this rifle, and it’s just personal preference at the end of the day. The cocking bolt does feel a bit rough on the fingers after an extended range session, the grooves and ridges could be a little smoother – maybe I’ve just got overly soft hands?! A couple of small O-rings in the grooves would probably make it a little more comfortable and would look good too and contrast nicely with the stainless steel. Over the chrono the Compatto proved to be very consistent and I achieved over 90 shots per fill, so a very usable hunting or range tool.

I found the ergonomics to be very good, the magazine system faultless and overall it’s a very nice little air rifle. Brocock are clearly on the up and it’s good to see that this company is still producing great little air rifles.

PRICE: £589
CONTACT: Brocock. www.brocock.co.uk