Pax to stop making the phoenix rifle.

[WILBA]

A guy on another site mentioned that pax are going to stop making the phoenix. He lives not far from them and has his phoenix&ff10 serviced with them. He said he had a conversation with the owner who he said told him. Anyone else on here heared anything about this or is the guy full of shite?

[the growler]

I thought they stopped making them ages ago. Nowt in the magazines for years.

[KeithW]

They fell out with the magazines (or vice versa) about the pellets they made, and the potential for them putting rifles over-power. That was a main reason why they stopped advertising. Although I guess if they thought it would bring them a profitable return they'd still advertise. I guess as a small business they can't compete with the big guns.

[Andy001]

Still listed on their site


http://www.phoenixairguns.co.uk

[gwyn]

Lovely looking rifle compared to some of the "lumps" that keep appearing!
Wish i could afford one!
Don.

[the growler]

Ive never fired nor shouldered a pax rifle,,, how accurate are they and reliable are they?

[DCL_dave]

Ive never fired nor shouldered a pax rifle,,, how accurate are they and reliable are they?

I have owned a MK2 Phoenix carbine in .22 (sold it now...) and currently own an FF10 in .22.

Accuracy - On par with most other guns in its price range and considerably better than most shooters are capable of utilising (I include myself in that statement!)...I would shoot my MK2 side-by-side with a .22 Skan R32 that I also owned at the time and the Skan would usually print a slightly tighter group on paper but there was also usually only a few mm in it either way. With a rested and deliberate aim, these guns will stack pellets at normal airgun ranges.

Reliability - I would very conservatively estimate to having put atleast 25,000 pellets through my MK2 Phoenix! I used to purchase pellets through the local club in batches of 10 and 20 tins...In that time I had the occasional leak that was always sorted with the liberal application of a PH Express oil being shot downward through system with a loaded mag and firing into the ground - I never had to replace any seals!. I remember having some jamming issues when I first got it but this was purely down to user error - my own fault through a general lack of understanding the gun when it was new to me (you absolutely must seat the pellets in the mags!!!).

Fun factor - I won't bore you with a list but I have been shooting airguns for close to 40 years now and have owned and shot a lot of airguns in that time. Have always been a dedicated plinker, pure and simple - The Mk2 Phoenix stands out for me as the best airgun I have ever owned by a country mile!...I had 4 air bottles and 7 magazines for it and would think nothing of shooting off 500 AAs in very short order at the club, easy to load and shoot all 7 mags in few minutes...I could rattle the stand-up/knock down targets at 30 yards = 10 hits in about 5 or 6 seconds and the guys at the club would take the piss calling me an exhibitionist!...yep, damn straight I was! ...Damn I loved that MK2 simple as that. I stupidly sold to fund the purchase of a 3 phase rotary converter for my shed and almost instantly regretted it and have done so bitterly ever since...

Shooting just isn't the same for me now since I sold that gun, too many things have changed...My club mate and regular on the plinking range, Al, passed on...my local club, SDFTC, has moved to new and seemingly better grounds albeit quite a bit further away from me. They are a great bunch of guys too, the best you could want to meet and I wish them the best of luck on the new grounds but I think I am just going to give it up.

Re. the FF10 - I have one in .22, with 4 magazines. It is defintely more accurate than my old Phoenix, don't know why but it is?...however, it just doesn't float my boat like the old Phoenix did...Pah, that is all.


It would be hell of a shame if it is true that Pax are to stop/have stopped making the MK2 Phoenix...all you guys who like shooting but have never shot one or owned one will have to rely on the anecdotes of those of us who did own the best British designed and British made airgun ever...(IMHO of course!)

[WILBA]

I have owned a MK2 Phoenix carbine in .22 (sold it now...) and currently own an FF10 in .22.

Accuracy - On par with most other guns in its price range and considerably better than most shooters are capable of utilising (I include myself in that statement!)...I would shoot my MK2 side-by-side with a .22 Skan R32 that I also owned at the time and the Skan would usually print a slightly tighter group on paper but there was also usually only a few mm in it either way. With a rested and deliberate aim, these guns will stack pellets at normal airgun ranges.

Reliability - I would very conservatively estimate to having put atleast 25,000 pellets through my MK2 Phoenix! I used to purchase pellets through the local club in batches of 10 and 20 tins...In that time I had the occasional leak that was always sorted with the liberal application of a PH Express oil being shot downward through system with a loaded mag and firing into the ground - I never had to replace any seals!. I remember having some jamming issues when I first got it but this was purely down to user error - my own fault through a general lack of understanding the gun when it was new to me (you absolutely must seat the pellets in the mags!!!).

Fun factor - I won't bore you with a list but I have been shooting airguns for close to 40 years now and have owned and shot a lot of airguns in that time. Have always been a dedicated plinker, pure and simple - The Mk2 Phoenix stands out for me as the best airgun I have ever owned by a country mile!...I had 4 air bottles and 7 magazines for it and would think nothing of shooting off 500 AAs in very short order at the club, easy to load and shoot all 7 mags in few minutes...I could rattle the stand-up/knock down targets at 30 yards = 10 hits in about 5 or 6 seconds and the guys at the club would take the piss calling me an exhibitionist!...yep, damn straight I was! ...Damn I loved that MK2 simple as that. I stupidly sold to fund the purchase of a 3 phase rotary converter for my shed and almost instantly regretted it and have done so bitterly ever since...

Shooting just isn't the same for me now since I sold that gun, too many things have changed...My club mate and regular on the plinking range, Al, passed on...my local club, SDFTC, has moved to new and seemingly better grounds albeit quite a bit further away from me. They are a great bunch of guys too, the best you could want to meet and I wish them the best of luck on the new grounds but I think I am just going to give it up.

Re. the FF10 - I have one in .22, with 4 magazines. It is defintely more accurate than my old Phoenix, don't know why but it is?...however, it just doesn't float my boat like the old Phoenix did...Pah, that is all.


It would be hell of a shame if it is true that Pax are to stop/have stopped making the MK2 Phoenix...all you guys who like shooting but have never shot one or owned one will have to rely on the anecdotes of those of us who did own the best British designed and British made airgun ever...(IMHO of course!)

I have both the mk2 phoenix and ff10. Both are more capable than i can ever be. I will say though the full length barrel phoenix is a tad more accurate than my ff10. I am on the look out for a .22cal carbine next to complete the pax collection. Agree with you dave they are fabulous guns.

[Dragonboy]

I have a FF10 in .177 for a number of years now and it’s on par with my HW100 on the accuracy front but a lot more fun to shoot. It’s definitely a keeper. I am very surprised they are not more popular as they are a fantastic piece of engineering.

[DCL_dave]

I have both the mk2 phoenix and ff10. Both are more capable than i can ever be. I will say though the full length barrel phoenix is a tad more accurate than my ff10. I am on the look out for a .22cal carbine next to complete the pax collection. Agree with you dave they are fabulous guns.

The action on my old Phoenix carbine was very slick and quick, honed through a lot of use I guess, it almost became an extension of me that inspired the fun of shooting for me, and filled me with the confidence to shoot that particular gun quite well...I would never claim to be a very good shot but then I didn't have to be...that gun made it easy for me be good enough for my own enjoyment and I knew where the shot was going with a split seconds thought...and that coke can was going to get a good bashing no matter what! ...The short throw lever on the Phoenix lends itself to very rapid fire by simply opening and closing the hand, with no movement from the wrist backward to affect aim...and this is where the swinging pistol grip cocking design on the FF10 falls a little short for me as it requires movement extending back to the shoulder the cock and fire it, feels a bit flappy too and not as positive as the Phoenix. Not as pretty but I do much prefer the stubby front end on the FF10 though, with a vertical grip mounted on the rail it makes for a very short and stable shooting position.

I have a FF10 in .177 for a number of years now and it’s on par with my HW100 on the accuracy front but a lot more fun to shoot. It’s definitely a keeper. I am very surprised they are not more popular as they are a fantastic piece of engineering.

Handling and looks I guess?...The gun may feel odd to some - air bottle is in the stock so the weight is shifted backwards, the pistol grip area is slightly fatter than most other guns due the neck of the bottle passing through it but I found it perfect for my big hands so it suited me just fine.

Couple other observations whilst the memory is being jogged

There is a short, raised section of wood inside fore-end stock piece on the MK2 Phoenix that braces quite firmly against barrel...when the forend was removed from my Phoenix the POI dropped by 3" or more IIRC!...Don't know why but I had the idea to remove the raised section and made the barrel fully free floating from the breech/action...this seemed to make a very marginal increase in accuracy but If I had another I'm not sure that I'de bother doing it.

You can use a MK1 PH bottle on a MK2 Pax Phoenix but this only works one way....you can not use MK2 Pax Phoenix bottle on a MK1 Parker Hale.

[eyebull]

What are the Mk2 Phoenix' like in .177?

I've wanted one of these for years, it might be time to finally pull the trigger.

[DCL_dave]

What are the Mk2 Phoenix' like in .177?

I've wanted one of these for years, it might be time to finally pull the trigger.

Shouldn't comment as I never owned one in .177...But my guess is even more fun at potentially half the ammo costs...or not as the case may be depending if you really want to pepper the target

[gingernut]

What are the Mk2 Phoenix' like in .177?

I've wanted one of these for years, it might be time to finally pull the trigger.

Brilliant.

I had the .177 carbine with the quick fill bottle for a couple of years.
Reliable accurate and good power.

3/9/40 scope was all I ever used.

I bought it as it was only 18 months old and a bargain.
I thought I might not like the balance but you soon get used to it.

Silly to sell it on but profit appealed.

Unique and a credit to Mr Earl and his team.

[gwyn]

Perhaps SMK could buy this one?a UK manufactured rifle?
It could become a Milbro Phoenix?
Don.

[Westy_Boy]

I was emailing Hugh at Pax today regarding ordering some parts for one of my Phoenix rifles. He confirmed that they are/have ceased production. They have two .22 rifles left in stock then that's it by the sounds of it.

I have just ordered a quick fill kit for mine before they run out of them.

The reason given was that they are just too expensive to make.