A BIT ABOUT KERVAN
You may not have heard the name before, but Kervan has been making PCP air rifles since 2017, and to date they have no less than 18 different models under the Air Boss banner. The one I’m looking at today is known as the Air Boss-K1. The company formed in Turkey in 1993 producing hunting equipment as well as barrels for other companies, then moved on to manufacturing shotguns in 2007.
AMBIDEXTROUS STOCK
Like so many rifles that come out of Turkey, this one features a rather stylish Turkish walnut stock. By the look and feel of it, this wood is untreated and just left finely sanded, so for all you wood lovers out there the world is your oyster – you can choose to leave it as it is or apply some walnut oil or even wax to give the stock the look you prefer. There’s something about bare wood that just feels nice on your skin, and I love how this rifle feels when you pick it up.
You’ll notice that is has an adjustable cheek piece, and this can be very finely adjusted via the two countersunk Allen screws. I really like how the stock is machined to make the trigger guard an integral part of the stock – it’s clearly all machined out of a single piece of walnut. There’s also a heavy-duty vented rubber butt pad, which is permanently fixed in position.
When you shoulder this rifle the gently curved forend of the stock rests naturally in the palm of your hand and it feels really comfortable. There is a small screw port on this section, but it is countersunk and finished with a brass ferrule which sits flush to the wood. I’m presuming this is so you can attach a bipod, or maybe screw a small Picatinny rail in its place. The pistol grip is just right, too, and there’s ample stippling there to aid a firm grip, even whilst wearing gloves.
SPLIT RAILS
You’ll notice that there’s a split 9/11mm dovetail rail up top for mounting your scope, and it’s worth mentioning that you’ll require two-piece mounts for this purpose. Depending on what scope you opt for, you can either have both mounts behind the magazine port as I have done here, or for a larger scope you can place one mount either side of it.
Depending on the tube diameter and position of the turret block in relation to where you require the scope to be fitted, you may be able to use medium-height mounts like I have, but the cheekpiece is high enough to give good eye alignment should you need to opt for high mounts.
SHROUDED BARREL
This is a full-size rifle with a 580mm-long barrel, the end of which is 1/2in UNF threaded for adding a moderator and it features a screw-off muzzle cap. After having used this rifle extensively in my back garden and at the range, it is actually rather quiet thanks to the shrouded barrel set up, and I don’t think I would bother adding a moderator.
Filling this rifle with air is really easy, and it’s a simple case of attaching the supplied Foster-type connector to the fill port situated directly below the pressure gauge. There’s no cover for this port, and I’m not sure if it actually comes with one or not, so that may be something to bear in mind if you’re planning on taking this rifle out in all weather conditions for hunting.
ADJUSTABLE TRIGGER
This rifle features a two-stage adjustable trigger unit. You can adjust the first and second stages to suit your requirements without having to take the stock off, which is always a bonus.
With the one sent to me from the factory, the first stage was quite short, coming to an abrupt halt and the second stage release is very crisp with no creep detectable. You can also adjust the height and angle of the trigger blade on the post, which is a really nice touch. Moving onto the trigger itself, it’s a gently curved, rather wide blade, which sits really well on the pad of your finger.
Immediately above the trigger guard is where you’ll find the manual safety lever, which is a push/pull lever type. Simply pull in back to engage the safety, then flick it forwards to take your shot.
LOADING THE MAG’S
You get two magazines with this package, as well as a nicely-lined hard carry case. The .177 mag’ holds 14 shots, whilst the .22 version holds 12. They’re really easy to load, too. With the clear plastic cover facing you and the straight edge of the magazine on the bottom, simply wind the clear cover all the way round clockwise, flip it over and drop you first pellet into the hole skirt first to lock it all in place. Then it’s just a case flipping the mag’ back over so that the clear cover is facing you again and rotating it anticlockwise whilst filling the rest of the slots with pellets.
The magazine can only be inserted into the rifle from the right-hand side, and it’s really easy to do. It’s held in place via strong magnets once inserted.
SMOOTH COCKING
Like so many new rifles these days, the Air Boss features a short-stroke sidelever. It’s spring-loaded, so as you begin to pull it back the spring inside assists and pushes it out for you. Once fully cocked you simply return it forwards, which again is a really smooth operation without any clunkiness or annoying sounds. pushing the probe forwards to insert the pellet into the breech is absolutely faultless. There’s virtually no wobble on the cocking lever once extended, which is testament to the tolerances used when machining the parts. In short, the cocking mechanism used by Kervan is as good as anything you’ll find on much higher-priced airguns.
ED’S VERDICT
I’ve had loads of fun shooting this very reasonably priced rifle. The high shot count and higher than usual mag’ capacity make for hours of continuous shooting. It’s so smooth to operate, and although it’s just a smidgen heavier than some other rifles I have tested recently, I found it very hard to put it down.
As far as accuracy is concerned, there’s absolutely nothing to worry about here, and I was putting .177 pellets on top of each other at 30 metres on the range, as well as smashing the spinners out past the 40-metre mark.
It’s a great rifle to take hunting, too, especially if you shoot off sticks or a bipod, and it’s also a great choice for anyone who shoots at their local club range regularly.
This really is a lovely piece of Turkish walnut.
TECH SPEC
Model: Air Boss
Manufacturer: Kervan
Distributor: The Shooting Party
Country of Origin: Turkey
Type: Multi-shot PCP
Calibre: .177 and .22
Weight: 3.75kg (8.2lbs) without scope
Cocking: Sidelever
Stock: Ambidextrous walnut
Trigger: Two-stage, adjustable
Safety: Manual
Overall Length: 1050mm (41in)
Barrel Length: 580mm (23in)
Bottle Capacity: 500cc
Fill Pressure: 250 bar
Magazine Capacity: 14/.177, 12/.22
Shot Count: .177/???? .22/????
Muzzle Energy: 11.4 ft.lbs. 9fps variation over 10 shots
Website: www.shootingparty.uk
PRICE: RRP £599