This looks like a really nice pistol/carbine, thanks for the review Steve! There are a lot of positives with this one, and it has just enough power, range, accuracy, platform usability, and fun factor to be a great all-around compact in my opinion. Plus, it can be run off a hand pump!
To me, the down-side is it seems about $500 over where the market is at for the stock features. After adding in the options it's almost as much as a the also excellent EdGun Leshiy 2 (which adds in even more styling). If going nuts on a specialized gun, the Leshiy 2 Limited Edition might be more the way to go...these things get a bit more spendy when accessorizing them.
Comparing the two, I'll guess the Atomic durability and parts availability has the edge over EdGuns, which is reassuring when making such a large investment (as the price is deep into high-end powderburner money). Also reassuring is Brocock has the backing of more than a sole-proprietorship which in theory could close its doors "just because" one day.
I think both are incredible airguns and highly desirable for many airgunners, myself included. Shaving $500 off the Atomic XR price would make this a strong consideration for a large number of airheads, Shaving $800 off the price (bringing the entry price to $700) would make this a "have-to-have" airgun that dominated much of the market segment and resulted in a lot of higher-end package sales and additional equipment & accessory purchases. This platform has such broad appeal it could break out into a large-volume seller category if priced super-competitively.
As-is, I like it and will keep it in mind, maybe grabbing one off the used market. It looks to be a lot of fun.
EDIT: After getting a mailer packed full of airguns from Pyramid Air I can see why AOA set the price where they did. There's definitely demand for airguns as powder-burners and Constitutionally Guranteed Rights are being squashed, and we know supply vs. demand usually determines price. While I think the value vs. performance causes the airgun to be overpriced, I can't argue with why they set the price where they did. In the end it means fewer people will be able to afford this airgun and the hobby won't be as interesting, but it is what it is.