MICRO MACHINE

KEY SPECS

GUN SUPPLIED BY: Sure Shot Airguns (www.sureshot-airguns.co.uk)

MANUFACTURER: Ataman

MODEL: BP17 Micro Bullpup

PRICE: £1,049 for .177 calibre and £1,099 for .22 calibre

TYPE: PCP

CALIBRE: .177 (on test) and .22

ACTION: Sidelever (right or left)

MAGAZINE: Rotary

CAPACITY: Seven rounds in .177

WEIGHT: 2.5kg (5.1lb)

LENGTH: 605mm (23.85”)

BARREL LENGTH: 370mm (14.57”)

STOCK: Ambidextrous beechwood, with soft-touch overlay in black or olive green

SIGHTS: Picatinny rail

LENGTH OF PULL: 33.5cm (13.2”)

TRIGGER: Two-stage, adjustable

TRIGGER-PULL: Adjustable from 1.76lb to 3.3lb

SAFETY: Manual, resettable

MUZZLE ENERGY: 10.8 foot pounds

It seems only a few years ago that bullpups arrived on the airgun scene, being quickly dismissed in some circles as a fad that wouldn’t last. Well last they did, and by the number and variety on sale today, bullpups seem to be breeding like crazy. No wonder then, that most gunmakers have at least one model in their line-up, but Russian firm Ataman has taken the bullpup concept one step further in the BP17, which must be one of the shortest regulated PCPs ever made.

This pup has an overall length of 605mm, or 23.85”, while the Lothar Walther barrel measures 370mm (14.57”). But before we go any further into the nitty gritty of this specific rifle, let’s pause and recap what a bullpup actually is. This style of rifle sees the action located behind the trigger, creating a gun with a shorter overall length compared with a regular rifle with the same length of barrel. In terms of a PCP, this configuration delivers the advantages of a longer barrel, such