Parker Hale Phoenix Mk.2 - .177 Carbine

[Bowyer]

First impressions:

This is an air rifle that looks like a real rifle. It's clean, uncluttered and purposeful, without the aggressive overtones of military lookalikes. Clearly a sporting gun, my shooting buddy doesn't like it's looks - I love it, and that's the way it'll go - you'll like it or you won't.

First thing that comes to mind when you see it? Winchester. Perhaps originally a side effect of the action design, Phoenix have capitalised on this and gone fully with the classic Winchester look.

Handling:

A couple of shotgun shooters that've handled it say it appeals due to its balance - not being a shotgun user I couldn't comment. It's short, being a carbine, and with the air cylinder in the stock the balance is quite rearward compared to most airguns I've used and this takes a bit of getting used to in the field - all of ten minutes indeed, in my case.

It's very pointable. Silly thing to say but there you go. Because so much of the wieght's in the stock, it feels that it can be manouvered incredibly easily and the fact that it's at least a pound heavier than the Air Arms S410 seems to vanish when you've got it at the shoulder.

There're quite a lot of two rail picket fences on my shoot, and whereas before I would put the gun down to climb through, the balance of the Phoenix is such that holding it by the hand grip by the trigger (with the finger off the trigger and the safety on, of course!) I can climb through with the gun under total control in one hand.

The fast reloading cycle with the underlever Winchester style action gives the confidence that you can have a second shot available instantly - not that you need that all that often, mind, but the fact the you can have the gun reloaded so very quickly without raising your trigger hand also means you don't spook ultra nervous bunnies so readily, as all the movement is out of sight underneath. The number of times I could've had a shot at a second rabbit only to have it spot me when recocking the Air Arms is one of the things that attracted me to this gun.

Accuracy:

Phoenix have had a problem with the BSA barrels supplied to them, but are now aware of it. Very aware of it in fact since mine had a faulty barrel and I'm not one to quietly accept sub-standard performance in a premium price airgun!

Now that the problem's been identified and it's had a new barrel (thoroughly tested for accuracy), it's a lovely gun. With Daystate 4.52's and Logun Penetrators it groups 7 out of 10 through a hole the size of a pea (8mm) at 35 yards, with the other 3 still within an 18mm circle. I reckon with a bit more experimenting with pellet size and different makes I should be able to get all 10 through the pea, or near enough. It hates Air Arms pellets though!

All this balony I've read in the airgun mags about needing two hands to remove and replace the magazine is just that - balony. A bit of digital dexterity is required, true, but it's not a problem. I understand Phoenix are modifying the slide catch that secures the magazine, so this should get even easier soon.

You do need to seat the pellets properly in the magazine though, and a pen, nail tip or another pellet does this fine. On the other hand, the pellets don't drop out of my spare magazine when it's in my pellet pouch!

The Phantom silencer's quite a good piece of kit, quieting the rifle to a soft "boing" that doesn't seem to spook the bunnies as much as the Air Arms - which is a nice quiet gun itself - or perhaps the different sound's confused them! One thing to watch out for - when screwing up or unscrewing the silencer, hold the alloy bit at the base, not the carbon fibre shroud, as the plastic threaded spiggot on the silencer's core inside's quite weak at the shoulder and can snap off with repeated screwing and unscrewing.

The air cylinder removal/replacement's a bit too fiddly and uncertain, and requires following a fixed procedure without forgetting anything. This can be coped with okay, but really Phoenix do need to do something about this.

Reliability:

Too early to tell really, I'll report if anything happens. One thing I'm uncertain about is the schrader valve in the air cylinder - time will tell.


With best regards to Bob Russell of Lea Valley for all his help.

Chris.

[Geordie]

Interesting review there - thanks for taking the time out to share

Dan - Phoenix mk1 and Dragon mk2 owner

[urx]

got to agree with the above with the exception of the AA fields.
my mk2 carbine is great with AAfields and groups really well. I havent tried all the other pellet types in the cupboard yet but its already so good I cant complain. Only point to watch is the magazine indexing. There is a small spring that holds the indexing arm in against the magazine as it rotates. if this gets dirty (which with some use and lead particles) then this doesnt fully follow the magazine round as you cycle the action and gives the impression of a jam. All it needs is to be kept clean and its fine.
Otherwise cycling the action is quick smooth and you can stay on target focussed through the scope while you reload (always useful )

Its my bunny basher of choice despite having offerings from Ripley, daystate, AA, falcon theoben, BSA, ISP, skan and others to choose from.
Its not a cheap gun but then it doesnt perfrom like a cheap gun and no mine isnt for sale.

[Rustam Bana]

Nice review, Chris.

Thanks.

[stumpy lubnut]

How did you chaps find the trigger? The one on my dads seems a bit gritty and lets down what is otherwise an excellent (if pricey) rifle.

[urx]

I dont recall it being sooooper best ever, but it certainly was good enough to allow 10/10 standing at 35yds against a nockover. over all I like it
If you have a 'gritty' trigger it maybe rough spots on the sears or much more likely.....grit. which could either be from manufacture or use..

[Bowyer]

Yeah, mine's OK too. No gritty feel - if in doubt I'd get it checked.

Chris.

[Bowyer]

In response to an enquiry in the General Airgun section, I think it's time for an update.

Here we are 10 months or so on, and the Phoenix has seen an awful lot of service in that time. My doubts about the schrader valve haven't been realised, with the valve needing to be replaced only once in the 10 months I've had the gun. I've got another couple of valves in the gun case if they're needed, and I'd recommend other owners do the same, but it looks good now.

Reliability's been excellent, the shot count stays high at 90 odd shots per charge, and there's been no loss of performance. The stock's benefited from a thorough oiling with stock oil and looks great, the blueing's stood up to the rough and tumble of intensive hunting, and the accuracy's still spot on.

A bit more experimentation with pellet sizes and different makes has shown that my barrel prefers Daystate 4.51 or 4.53 - both better than 4.52 for some odd reason. 10mm groups at 38 yards in windless conditions prone rested are fairly standard.

It still hates Air Arms pellets - I think it's something to do with the shape of the pellet probe and the thinness of the Air Arms skirt.

It's produced the same HFT scores as my Ben Taylor regulated S400, the trigger's just a little more positive in feel - i.e. the S400's just a little bit too light (I suppose I could adjust it if I could be bothered), whereas the Phoenix has just a bit more positive feel at the second stage break point, without being in any way heavy. Much preferable in my opinion.

Magazine cycling remains reliable and positive with no glitches showing up.

All good - nothing bad to report.

Recommended.

[Raptor1000]

Good review mate, been looking at one of these for a while now


David

[clubshot]

Check out their Web Site

www.phoenixairguns.co.uk

I still have my one with me on Saturday's
carbine .177

If anyone wouldlike to try it out

@ Lea Valley Air Gun Club - Hertford
www..lvagc.com

BOB/R