4-ward move 0808:Take this down 0107

4-ward move 0808:Take this down 0107
3/7/08
10:21
Page 17
DAYSTATE MK4
4-Ward Move
The editor tries to take a purely practical view of
the new Daystate MK4…and fails
T
he first thing I needed to do with
this review was to find a category
for it. Should I go full-on into the
head-spinning technicality of the
subject, or should I simply shoot
the thing and write about a load of figures and
group sizes? More basic still, should I offload
the test altogether and let Nick Jenkinson do
it? Nick has a technical affinity with pretty
much everything he touches and I’m forced
to concede that he’s the ideal range
companion for a rifle as stuffed with
computerised bleepery as the Daystate MK4.
Yet, I kept it, tested it, and eventually
almost fully understood it. Almost. This test
has been an epic encounter, but I feel I’ve
emerged from it a wiser man and I didn’t
break anything. This rifle will indeed find its
way to Nick for a future examination, when
you may rest assured that our man will probe
its every techno-crevice and take its micropulse at hourly intervals, until the full facts are
laid bare. Until then, here’s what I made of it.
THE BASIC EXPLANATION
The pre-charged pneumatic Daystate MK 4 is
a logical development of the groundbreaking
MK3, which introduced us to the computercontrolled, battery-powered, electronicallyregulated sporting air rifle, courtesy of the
talents of David Snook and Steve Harper, in
collaboration with the Daystate technicians.
This bold surge was orchestrated by
Daystate’s sales and marketing manager, Tony
Belas, and it’s the Belas baton that has
conducted the orchestration of this
remarkable rifle’s
development. Believe it or not, it’s
been five years since the first MK3
motherboard was given life and
delivered to the airgunning public,
with A, B, C, and D variants upgrading
The ballistically brillia
nt
and enhancing the performance of
brain of the Daystate
MK4.
the MK3 in carefully crafted stages.
So why is this new rifle not an Etype Mk3? The answer is refreshingly
straightforward; the MK4 is so different it
THE MK4 MAP
deserves its own MK number. Before I explain
In essence, then, a MK4 is indeed a
those differences, I really must do a MK3 reprogression of the MK3, and it shares the 10cap for those who have yet to plug in to the
shot magazine, rechargeable battery (albeit an
whole electronic airgun deal.
improved version) and the security key which
What we have here is a shooting system
switches the system on and off. The essential
that uses microprocessors to control the
difference in the way the MK4 works is that
functions and performance of the rifle. Where
the rifle adjusts itself for every shot. On-board
once spring-powered strikers clouted firing
sensors monitor the pressure in the air
valves to release stored air for each shot, and
reservoir and re-jig the MK4’s firing system to
levers and sears tripped the trigger
suit. These sensors can detect a shift in
mechanism to release them, this particular
pressure as low as a two-hundredth of a bar,
Daystate system (the company also produces
and once a change is detected the computer
‘mechanical’ rifles) uses an on-board
calibrates the valve function to compensate.
computer to ping open and closed an
The result of this constant compensation is
electronic firing valve and to activate the
nothing short of spectacular.
trigger. While the electronics take care of
Get this; a MK3 with an air reservoir the
these core functions, they are also able to
same size as that of the
regulate and vary the rifle’s power, and alert
.177 calibre rifle
the user to such things as shout count, safetyunder test
catch activation and the likelihood of rain in
the Cairngorms. I may have gone a bit
kittenish at the end there, but you’ll get
my drift. Anyway, the MK4 does
things its own
way.
Don’t worry,
it’s all
explained for
you.
2008 AIRGUN WORLD 17
4-ward move 0808:Take this down 0107
3/7/08
10:22
Page 18
Forget the technology for a
moment – this is one good-looking
sporter.
would produce around 65 shots
from its recommended 232-bar charge. In
MK4 guise, the rifle produces a magnificent
160 shots from the same charge. Read it again;
what would be a 60-plus shot system, is now
a 160-shot one. In a .22 example, we upsize
from 80 shots – and I’m talking perfectlyregulated shots here – to 185, and very
probably counting. While we’re boggling at
the uprated shot count, we may as well swoon
over the fact that this incredible air-efficiency
brings with it other benefits, such as reduced
muzzle-blast, plus lower turbulence around
the pellet and the increased accuracy that
comes with a pellet having a smoother
launch.
Like the MK3, the Daystate MK4 comes
with a whole range of control and alert
options accessed via the interaction between
the rifle’s safety-catch and trigger, all of which
are explained in easy-to-follow detail in the
information Daystate provide with each rifle.
I’ll cover those options now, before getting
stuck into the real-world shooting report.
Stage 1. This is a magazine counting
option that, unsurprisingly, lets you keep track
of how many magazines’ worth of shots
you’ve fired.
Stage 2. The rifle’s manual/resettable
safety-catch has a red light inside it. This
option lets you switch off the light. Possibly
the least-crucial development in the entire
venture.
Stage 3. This mode alerts you to the
number of pellets left in the magazine. The
safety-catch light will flash on the 9th shot
and you’ll get a ‘bleep’ on the 10th.
Stage 4. The rifle’s pressure sensors will
alert you to the fact that there’s not enough
air in the rifle’s reservoir to continue shooting.
If you ignore the alert, the rifle will refuse to
fire.
Stage 5. You have a 16-stage powervariation option. This can adjust the rifle’s
power from 11-plus downward, or from
30 ft.lbs. downward if the rifle is an
FAC model.
Stage 6. This switches the rifle to singleshot mode, and the safety must be activated
between shots or the rifle won’t fire.
Stage 7. This allows you to return the rifle
to its factory-programmed default state.
There’s more to the seven-storey options
than this, but basically this rifle owns you. I get
the impression that, while I’m still useful for
pointing and triggering, the MK4 would
rather I didn’t get in the way too much. Or
than could just be me.
ON THE RANGE
I have a ton of features yet to explore but I’m
in need of a break and I’ll do those as I go
through the MK4’s performance. First the
simple stuff and filling the rifle with air. This
has been made even easier thanks to a shallow
recess in the underside of the barrel shroud
which gives clearance to the charging adaptor.
A small touch but welcome, and proof that
Daystate tend to the basics as well as the
rocket science, which is reassuring.
I had the recommended 232 bar installed
in 30 seconds or so – I’m a ‘trickle-fill’ sort of
PCP shooter because I prefer a full charge and
I don’t like to rush compressed air – and that
gave me well over 150 shots to chrono’. I
managed 80 consecutive shots before tedium
took me away and I had to shoot some target
cards before I went chrono’ crazy. I truly don’t
know how Nick Jenkinson does it. He’ll blat
away for hours, logging shot after screamingly
dull shot, until he’s got his database well and
truly sorted. I suppose I should, too, but I’d
rather bite my own face than give more than
an hour of my life to a chrono’ test. It’s a
failing I know, but that’s the way it is and I’m
too old to change it now.
Meanwhile, the shots I
managed to log were impressively
monotonous in their output. They had 11.3
ft.lbs. as their standard, and they blipped on
that figure or very near offer throughout the
entire chrono’ run. The official variation was +
or – 4 f.p.s., and that was with Daystate pellets
straight from the tin, so some of even that tiny
deviation was down to the pellets rather than
the rifle. In practice, shooting a MK4 means
that shot-to-shot consistency isn’t a matter for
your consideration. This in turn means you
can concentrate on the matters that are, such
as windage, rangefinding and setting up the
trigger for human use.
Yes, that trigger. If I can have a tiny word
in the ear of Daystate’s trigger testing
specialist; please send out your MK4s with the
trigger set for normal human rather than
neurosurgeons, there’s a nice chap. I’m told
that each trigger is set at a factory pull-weight
of 8 ounces, and it can drop a couple of ounces
below that should its user have the dexterity
of a street magician. I’m saying 8 ounces is too
light as a starting point, and the phenomenon
I call ‘trigger fear’ is there for the taking.
Trigger fear comes when the let-off is so
light that the majority of the shooter’s
attention is diverted to the trigger in fear of
tripping it before the shot is fully composed.
This isn’t a good thing at all. Releasing the
shot should be accompanied by full
The
Daystate
MK4 ST.
Has it
re-defined
the term
‘ultimate
sporter’?
There’s bafflement
everywhere with
the MK4.
18 AIRGUN WORLD 2008
4-ward move 0808:Take this down 0107
3/7/08
10:24
Page 19
DAYSTATE MK4
Lock ‘n’ load.
You put
the same
in but
you get
far more
out with
a MK4.
confidence, not trepidation. Perfect trigger use
is an almost subconscious act, carried out
when the shooter is as relaxed as possible. You
can’t do that if you’re even slightly worried
about touching-off the shot too early.
Yes, the trigger can be set perfectly by a
single adjustment of a single hex-wrench,
and that took me but a few seconds to do,
but I’d still like to see a more realistic factory
setting. I shall be having words about this and
I expect the hair-trigger freaks out there are
scowling at me even now, but come a frosty
morning and with it the sausage-finger
syndrome, and they’ll be shaking their heads
in sorrow, don’t worry about that. Being set
too light apart, this trigger is a wonderful
thing, and short of a go-anywhere trigger
blade, which I’m now told is an optional
extra, it has to be considered perfect.
Also a candidate for the ‘perfection’ tag,
is the MK4’s bolt-handle and the 10-shot
magazine it helps to feed. There’s virtually no
effort required to cycle the MK4’s boltaction – due to there being no internal
hammer spring to compress – and if you’ve
never used an electronic rifle you’ll find
yourself pulling back on the bolt far
more vigorously than you need to.
This tendency soon passes and the whole
system glides along at the flick of an
unstressed finger.
The magazine is the latest specification,
low-profile version, which permits the fitting
of lower scope mounts. It also feels more
precise than previous versions, although I’m
struggling to pinpoint why, and to be entirely
fair I’ve never had problems with a Daystate
magazine. I especially like the twin magnets
that locate and fix the mag’ position, and
that of the single-shot pellet tray, which is
provided with the rifle.
The shrouded barrel contains newlyspecified baffles to reduce muzzle-crack, and
while this isn’t the deathly-quiet moderating
service offered by some add-on units, each
pellet emerges to a technical ‘hiss’ rather
than anything approaching a ‘bang’.
Seriously, FAC models excepted (but
grudgingly so) if you add another silencer to
this rifle you’ve got to have a word with
yourself, and that word is ‘don’t’. Read Tim
Finley’s excellent piece on silencers in this
issue and you’ll see the sense in preserving
the handling of a rifle, and even its looks, over
a mania for ultimate hush.
THE STOCK
Gary Cane designed the MK4’s woodwork
and, as ever, he’s made a fine job of it. It’s
produced in hand-oiled walnut by Minelli in
Italy and there’s a sporter option, too. Note
ACCURACY
This report, though essentially
the most important section of
all, is almost as dull to read as
chronographing. Being behind
the MK4 as it slots pellet after
pellet into tiny groups downrange
is still as satisfying as ever, though.
This is a truly match-accurate rifle
with a brand-new specification
barrel, and nothing on the sporting
market will outshoot it. I clocked
six groups of sub-15mm at 50 yards
on an indoor range (warehouse
actually, but it served its
purpose) and every halfcapable shooter within
range of a benchrest, a himag scope and a Daystate
MK4 could do the same.
How
It’s that sort of rifle. No,
wonderful to
find a dirty
it’s better than that,
great bolt
it’s a mind-bogglingly
anchoring
magnificent rifle and
technology
marks yet another
to timber.
incredible
goalpost move
from Daystate.
Not just a
safety-catch
– it’s a
command
switch.
The latest
spec’
magazine
is lower,
and more
precise
TECHNICAL SPECIFICATION
Laser-cut
chequering
and a little selfpromotion.
the rosewood grip cap and laser-cut
chequering and note also that
Daystate plan to offer a true lefthand version of this stock for an
equally honest southpaw edition of
the MK4, which includes a
relocated bolt-handle and a
magazine that slides in from the
right. As it stands, the stock is
pleasing to eye and hand, and I was
particularly pleased to see that it’s
attached to the action by a dirty
great single bolt. Some Daystate
traditions are still going strong, and
the rifles are all the better for them.
Model:
MK4 ST
Manufacturer:
Daystate.
Country of Origin:U.K.
Contact:
01782 791 755.
Price:
£970 Includes single-shot pellet tray, 10-shot
magazine, instruction CD, battery charger
and snap-fit air-charging connector.
Type:
Fully electronic, pre-charged, multiand single-shot sporter.
Calibre:
.177, and .22. .20 to special order.
Cocking:
Bolt-action.
Loading:
Removable, rotary magazine, or
manually via single-shot breech plate.
Trigger:
Two-stage, adjustable, curved blade.
Safety:
Semi-rotary, manual, resettable.
Sights:
Scope rail only.
Stock Type:
Oiled walnut thumbhole sporter,
Gary Cane design.
Weight:
3.7 k. (8.1lbs. scoped)
Length:
1020 mm (40 inches)
Barrel:
430 mm (16.8 inches)
Shots per 232-bar charge: .177 – 160, .22 – 185.
Shots per charge of on-board battery: 5000-plus.
Options:
High-power (up to 30 ft.lbs.) models
for FAC holders.