The Czech manufacturer AirMaks is entering the market with a hot new product for 2021, named after the Black Sea shark – Katran.
The smallest member of the Katran family stands out with its lightweight design and folding duralumin stock. There is simply nothing unnecessary on the rifle, which keeps the weight just above 2.3 kg. The lightweight stock is machined on CNC machines. By pressing a button, it can be folded to the left side. The stock is cleverly secured against accidental opening by a magnet that keeps it reliably in place. The butt pad and cheekpiece are made of durable ABS plastic.
Loading is fantastic. Hats off – the manufacturer really thought this through. You can cycle the action quickly, with one finger, without having to remove the reticle from the target. The biathlon-style lever has a short and almost incredibly smooth travel. Many bullpups can only dream of that. The charging handle can be placed on either side as the shooter prefers. The icing on the cake is the protection against loading two pellets into the barrel.
The barrel of Czech manufacture measures 280 mm. It ends in an effective cup-type sound moderator. Anyone who wants the rifle to be as quiet as a summer breeze can additionally add more cups, or any sound moderator with a 1/2 UNFx20 thread.
The air supply is provided by a cartridge with a capacity of 300 cm3 and a maximum operating pressure of 300 bar. The cartridge is enclosed by a tactical fore-end with nine KeyMod slots. Thanks to this, the balance point of the rifle is shifted slightly forward. A 22 mm rail is provided for mounting optics.
The magazine holds an impressive 16 shots in 5.5 mm calibre. A fully adjustable trigger is of course included.
The pistol grip made of soft-touch plastic follows the AR15 standard and guarantees a comfortable hold. The manual safety is located on the left side of the action and can be operated even with the stock folded.
The AirMaks Katran air rifle is supplied in a nice padded case.
Main advantages
- High-quality and lightweight construction
- Excellent loading system
- Folding stock
- Integrated sound moderator
- Protection against loading two pellets