The Phoenix is designed to look and handle like a full-bore stalking rifle, without deliberately copying any particular air rifle. It is a high quality under lever cocking pre-charged air rifle with a 10 shot removable magazine and air reservoir. The ambidextrous nature of the under lever system has enabled the walnut stock with a Monte Carlo cheek piece on both sides to suit both right handed and left handed users. It has a chequered pistol grip with a hand-filling palm swell, and the fore-end has a neat Schnabel tip with two panels of chequering in the grip area. Compared to the usual ugly air bottle sticking out in front of the action or having a wobbly pipe-stem barrel super imposed above the action, the elegant Phoenix has its air reservoir hidden in the stock. This is aesthetically pleasing and has the advantage of allowing the centre of gravity to be towards the butt end, which rests on the shoulder giving greater support than when it is forward towards the fore-end. The small 190cc removable air reservoir was chosen so that a spare charged bottle can quickly be changed in the field; it is very robust and complies with BS 5045 part 6 and is individually pressure tested for safety. The under lever cocking system was adopted as this enables a fast slick cycling of the action without breaking aim. Unlike most under lever actions, the pivot point is behind the trigger, allowing the trigger guard to remain in place. The short throw of the lever allows it to be cycled speedily by simply opening and closing the trigger hand without moving it from the firing position, thereby helping to retain aim for fast follow-up shots. The forward stroke is light and doesn’t hurt the unpadded backs of the fingers, as it merely retracts the hammer and the pellet loading probe, engages the sear and indexes the magazine. The fully adjustable two-stage trigger is designed so that when the first stage is taken up the engagement is reduced until it hits the second stage, just before it “breaks” ensuring a crisp let-off. A large sear engagement reduces accidental discharge by knocks.
