by B.B. Pelletier
Many of you have remarked that you have wanted me to report about the new Air Arms S410 sidelever. Several owners say it’s the greatest air rifle they’ve ever owned. Accuracy is supposed to be quite good. Others are looking to buy one and want a bit more information before they make the purchase. So, today we’ll begin that look – and it will be a looonnng look! I will break it up with other stuff so I don’t bore anybody who isn’t interested.
And just so you know, I will not duplicate the excellent pictures Pyramyd AIR has for this rifle. If you haven’t seen them, take a look now.
Cock the S410 sidelever with your pinkie!
This is a 10-shot repeating precharged air rifle. The one Pyramyd AIR sent to me is in .22 caliber. The sidelever replaces the bolt, making cocking easier. Air Arms told Pyramyd AIR at the last SHOT Show that they will be doing more sidelevers in the future, so this one is the wave of what’s to come.
Power adjustment is a breeze
A small knurled silver knob on the right side of the receiver adjusts the power. When I first saw it, I thought it couldn’t work. I ‘m used to rifles like the Career III 707 and the AirForce Condor, whose power adjustment knobs require a lot of force. This one is more like tuning a radio – if radios tuned with knobs anymore, that is. A silver indicator on the other side of the receiver tells you the direction your adjustment went. There are no numbers to confuse – just a plus and a minus for owners to understand what they’re doing.
Fill adapter – prepare to be amazed!
This rifle has the most unusual fill adapter I have ever seen. It looks like an engineer went to a lot of trouble to design a complex part that no one could easily copy. And it also looks like it takes a CNC machining center to make it! I have asked Air Arms to explain the reason for this odd coupling, but I’m telling you right now, if you buy this rifle you better have a female 1/8″ BSPP connector on the end of whatever hose you use to fill PCPs, because that’s what this thing fits. It doesn’t matter whether you have a pump, scuba tank or air compressor – the hose has to end in a female 1/8″ BSPP connection to fit this adapter.
This is the fill adapter. Nothing else will work. The threads are 1/8″ BSPP, so get the right hose coupling!
Read the manual!
One look at that fill adapter and I immediately opened the owner’s manual and read the entire thing.
The rifle’s first fill
Well, right off I found some wording in the manual that should be revised. It says to “…hold the female part of the connector (the fill adapter) in the following fashion….” when what they are trying to say is to lock the fill adapter in place by rotating it 90 degrees to the keyed hole in the adapter. I didn’t do that the first time and the adapter blew off the rifle. A little surprising but no harm because it was tethered to the fill hose. What they don’t mention is you are to look at the photo in the manual, not read the text. So I am showing you what to do here. This same fill coupling is now used on all new Air Arms guns.
This is the gun fill port. Pay attention to the “propeller” on top. It is the adapter locking key.
See how the key fits through the hole on the adapter top and twists sideways. You must do this to lock the adapter to the rifle while filling.
Quiet operation!
Once it’s filled, you know I’m going to shoot it. Especially since there is a full barrel shroud, and the reports I’ve read says it works. Bottom line – it shoots with very little noise. How little? Well, on low power it sounds like a Red Ryder BB gun. On medium to high power it’s getting up to the level of an RWS Diana 48, which is to say noticeable if you are within 50 feet and you know there’s someone in the area with an airgun. That’s impressive!
10-shot magazine means lots of shooting
The magazine comes out of the left side of the receiver, and the owner’s manual has some very specific instructions for how to remove and install it. Loading is simply rotating the cylinder until a chamber aligns with the loading hole, then dropping in a pellet. Once the magazine is installed there is no warning that it’s empty, other than looking through the transparent plastic as you shoot the rifle. But you can tell a difference in the muzzle report when no pellet has fired.
10-shot magazine is easy to load.
In the next report, I’ll try to finish the physical examination and take you through mounting a scope.
BB
Thank you for this review. If/When I get a pcp, the S410 is a likely candidate. Which of the 3 models are you testing?
As for the sound, I haven’t shot the RWS. How does it compare to your TX200?
Thanks again.
MCA
MCA,.
I’m testing a beech-stocked .22.
On low power it’s as quiet or quieter than the TX200.
B.B.
Hi B.B.,
I think the previous question was asking whether you are reviewing the long barrel, classic or carbine version. Perhaps you can touch on their differences or anything unique that’s worth mentioning. Thx
Enjoy reading your blog every day,
DKY
I’m testing the standard rifle, not the TDR Classic and not the thumbhole.
Like I said in today’s report, I plan on taking my time repoorting this rifle because so many people are interested. So some of the basic details I haven’t gotten to yet.
B.B.
Hi BB,
On my RWS 36 purchased spring this year of the last one available new in 0.22 I am very unhappy to be polite. I believe I have to give up as I believe I’ve tried everything I can think of. The best I can average it to group at 50 ft is:
1. 0.760″ ctc with Meisterkugeln
2. 0.812″ ctc with Beeman Ram Jets
3. 0.850″ ctc with CP’s
4. 0.853″ ctc with Superdomes
5. 0.863″ ctc with JSB’s (14.3grs)
6. 1.306″ ctc Field Target Trophy
7. 1.568″ ctc Crow Mags
8. 1.579″ ctc Super-H-Point’s
9. 1.975″ ctc JSB’s (15.8grs)
This is based on a lot of shooting! I have worked on iron sights, Anschutz Diopter, Beeman Peep, Scope and Great mount. Technique all day long.
I am distressed as I want this gun to work so bad.
BTW I can take my stock out of box HW 80 in 0.22 in the same range and using your artillary hold group almost any pellet menioned well. With FTT’s or JSB’s I usually get 0.310″ to 0.450″ when I shoot witch is as good as my Tx200 does almost..Since I stopped using CP’s (they shoot even better)in fear of fouling the barrel and not being able to clean it and all with the barrel shrouds.
KTK
Great work bb
I have the bolt-action version of this gun and love the smooth precise action of this gun and its beautiful walnut stock.
As far as the clip goes I have 2 things to say
First, you will notice a little red dot on the edge of the cylinder. In the Manuel it states that you should line that dot up with the notch on the left side of the clip after loaded. That way when you have cycled 10 shots the red dot is lined up with the spring guide and you have a visual reference of an empty clip.
Also for a far superior alternative to the already great factory mags look at http://www.airgunclips.com/ they make the case from alloy in 22 and 177 and they are o so nice, also they make a singe shot tray from alloy for shooting long or heavy pellets.
Accuracy wise, my gun loves crossman premiere 22 dome pellets, I promise you that you will not be disappointed with the accuracy, just don’t try to get groups from the premieres on high power, I had the best results dialing it back to about 815fps IE so the notch on the adjustment dial is about straight up and down.
The only thing strange I noticed was that when the gun gets down to 150bar my groups start to drop in an erratic fashion i.e., up down up down by about 2″-4” at 50yards. I am not positive but I believe the barrel band is to blame, on that note, I am aware of this behavior so I refill at just over 150bar on the gauge rather then the factory recommended 100bar and no more problem.
Thank you
Your loyal reader
Chase
KTK,
Did you clean the barrel with JB paste? That will often do it.
Is your pivot bolt loose? Test by cocking the rifle, then put the barrel in any position and it should remain there, and not drop.
Get back to me.
B.B.
Chase,
Thanks for all the good pointers. You can bet I will employ them. I missed the one about the mark to know when the mag is out.
B.B.
Yes JB Paste with a Dewey rod and the no harm brass brush.
Pivot bolt is good. as are stock screws, breach o-ring and shims.
I think it is a too loose barrel. When you push a pellet down with the dewey rod you can feel it tight in teh breach and then real loose in 2 long areas down the barrel then tight again at the choke (last 3/4″) there is engraving of rifleing due to the contact of breach and crown contact areas though.
KTK
The barrel does not drop as you describe after cocking. It will stay put wherever you leave it. I’ve even tried the JM spring and guide kit. Over the crony the sd is 3-12 fps depending on pellet, so I think the power plant is fine.
KTK
For instance the Meisterkuglen Extreme spread is 18.55 and Std Dev is 5.19 and au fps is 729.9 based on 10 shot strings. The other pellets are slower due to added weight but no big problems. Crosman Premier are doing 675.7 fps, and I usually record speed at 2.5 feet from gun.
KTK
KTK,
Then a bad barrel it may be. By the way, they don’t choke spring gun barrels as a rule. You may be feeling some constriction at the muzzle caused by external upsetting, like sight dovetails.
B.B.
KTK,
One last thought. If the barrel is overbore, it should become more accurate with fatter pellets. If you can find the fattest pellets you can, they might help.
I’d say try Eley Wasps, but you can’t get them in the U.S. anymore.
You might also flare some pellet skirts to see what that does. Use a pell seat or a ball bearing to flare tham.
B.B.
By using H&N pellets I can use up to 5.53 in FTT pellets but it didn’t help. Crow Mags are pretty fat as well but they don’t group either. I will try to flare some tonight and see what happens. I have been trying with this think since Arpil and am at the end of my? Well I can just use my 3 HW’s or Tx200 or RWS 350M and feel better though.
KTK
KTK,
As much as you’ve done, ever think of calling Umarex USA and see what they can do for you?
B.B.
I inquired a while back about Leaper Bug Buster scopes and there was a discussion about eye relief. Notice Pyramyd has a Leapers offset mount, wouldn’t that move the scope back so you could see properly?
The offset mount will help if it will fit, but since only one ring is offset, it probably won’t, because the two rings will most likely impact, with the saddle area being so short on that scope.
B.B.
Interesting, thanks. Further question, have a .177 R1 and a .22 B26. Interested in squirrel hunting out to 40 yards. Best guess candidates are Premiers, Kodiaks, Exacts and FTS near as I can figure. Question is, there are CP light and heavy and hollowpoint, and Exact light and heavy. Would think accuracy would be a premium but energy is good too. Will the light and heavy group differently and I should just try them all or???
Try them all eventually, but my experience has always been that lighter pellets group better in spring guns. They also have more muzzle energy, though they may not carry it downrange as well as heavier pellets.
B.B.
Have recently purchased a Mendoza RM-200 in .22. What simple method(s) can you recommend to make it shoot more smoothly – its a pretty twangy shooting thing, at least compared to my other rifles.
I know it is a low-cost springer that offers a lot for the money. If anyone can tell me where a $90 .22 600ish springer that weighs in about 6 pounds is, please point me to it.
I am trying to get a .22 calibered C1 carbine substitute (already have the .177 version).
And thanks for all of your commentary above – I’m learning tons.
The RM-200 is a great little air rifle, but it will need a full tune to get rid of the twang. Try Russ Best or Jim Maccari.
Short of the tune, it should smooth out with many shots, just like the C1.
B.B.
B.B. Pelletier
Do i have to but a seperate hand pump or scuba thingy with this ?
Thanks Tom
Tom,
You have to have some way to put 3,000 psi air into the gun. How are you going to do that?
Yes, you will either need a hand pump or a scuba tank to fill the S410 Sidelever.
B.B.
B.B. Pelletier
I knew i was a fool to ask that question, how much does a scuba tank or a hand pump cost.
Thanks Tom
Tom,
Look here:
/product/axsor-pcp-hand-pump?a=405
/product/scuba-tank-80-cu-ft-aluminum-3000-psi?a=1033
Now, there may be some more things you need to connect your rifle to either a scuba tank or a hand pump, so you need to talk to the Pyramyd AIR representatives about that.
Just a question, Tom. Have you considered the Benjamin Discovery? It comes WITH a hand pump for under $400 total (rifle and pump) and only has to be filled to 2,000 psi instead of 3,000 psi. Just a question.
B.B.