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The Lite
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M
y fascination has always really
been with outdoor competition
and to this end; the pursuit of
ultimate accuracy has been the governing
factor. Many rifles don’t make the grade in
this demanding arena; falling short where
it matters, but there’s little doubt that Air
Arms regularly feature when the silverware
is being handed out. Their flagship model
for this task is the EV2. However, since its
inception, the upstart that is their s400
just keeps punching well above its weight.
hunter?
The 400 series in general has been hugely
successful for Air Arms, and despite being
designed primarily as a hunting rifle, it has
become a firm favourite with shooters
across the board. With three times World
Field Target Champion, Nick Jenkinson, on
the original design team, it was always
likely to be an impressive piece of kit, but
as the blueprint has slowly evolved with
some clever tweaks here and there, this
compact little PCP continues to charm.
The S400 spec then is fairly
conventional, being a barrel-over-cylinder
PCP. Where it scores is with the use of high
grade components. A subtle satin finish
bolt has stood the test of time, along with
an integral pressure gauge to keep the
shooter informed of all-important residual
pressure. The Lothar Walther barrel is held
within a soft O-ring and a fig-8 clamp at the
muzzle. Personally I would favour a thicker,
more rigid and totally free-floating barrel,
but the system undeniably works.
My test model is the very latest
incarnation- the S400F Classic Superlite,
where ‘Classic’ denotes the standard
length action. As usual, a carbine version
is available, but shot count will
correspondingly fall with the shorter air
cylinder. The ‘F’ spec includes all the latest
largely cosmetic upgrades, but trigger
tweaks are here too; all helping to improve
an already great design.
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SHOOTING SPORTS MAGAZINE
nter
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The S400 Suattractive rifle
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curb appeal
What really grabs the eye with these new
variations is the new woodwork fashioned
(unusually) from poplar. Whilst I was initially
confused by the listed rifle weights (it
doesn’t take much to confuse me!) it
transpires that the SuperLite spec manages
to trim 25% off the woodwork but not
the whole rifle. The end result
means the new SuperLite
timber variants tip the scales
at 6lbs against the beech
model, weighing 6.6lbs.
The rifle came dressed
in the rather smart Hunter
Green livery, although two
other options are available
- Traditional (lacquered over
grain), and Deluxe High
Gloss, which is much
darker. By scalloping all
unnecessary wood away
from the butt, these fully
ambidextrous stocks
become lean, yet still
offer a good degree of
support and function
where it matters. Of course
0/410
Air Arms S40
harged
series of pre-c
ever
pneumatics is
now Mark
evolving, and
sts the
Camoccio te
ssibly
latest and po
version
most versatile
an ambidextrous grip is unlikely to match a
dedicated wrap around spec, yet this
SuperLite still feels reassuring in the aim.
Aesthetics do matter, and these stocks
certainly look the part, where the laser-cut
chequering contrasts nicely with the rest of
the finish. This furniture, in keeping with the
bulk of Air Arms stocks, is made by Minelli
in Italy. The standard of finish is extremely
good and the final touch comes with the
inclusion of the Air Arms logo on the grip
and a rosewood pistol grip cap.
fluting
Moving to the action, this new S400F
sports several cosmetic improvements and
the looks of this all time favourite are
genuinely enhanced with the addition of
fluting in several areas. Firstly the screw fit
valve cover is now the same as that used
on the EV2 and with matching flutes on the
new muzzle finisher, the overall impression
is sleek and purposeful. That muzzle fitting
now sports a slightly enclosed tip; yet it
could hardly be considered a silencer by
virtue of its size. It does seem to slightly
mute the muzzle report however, which can
only be a good thing. Further changes are
definition applied to the front Fig-8 clamp
and the addition of a small fluted barrel link
from the breech end.
w e r e c ko n
Y Making a good thing better, Air
Arms does it again
Y Excellent all round choice for
hunting or competition
Y Single shot only, might put
some off, but multi-shot s410
availabe
given the bleatings of certain parties and Air
Arms’ willingness to please their ever
expanding fan base, the remedy has arrived.
A return spring now sits just behind the
blade, keeping tension on the mechanism,
even when not in use. The spring is visible
mind you, and I have to say, looks a little
like an afterthought, which is exactly what it
is! Does it detract from an otherwise
excellent rifle, or matter a jot? I should say
not. Safety goes for a cross-bolt integral to
the blade and inside the guard. Not ideal
but it works and is my only real criticism...
range report
trigger
The s400 series trigger has always been a
genuine 2-stage design, whereby the sears
actually begin to move slightly apart as the
first stage is taken up. An improvement was
implemented a while back, with the addition
of a third sear; yet criticism was levelled
from certain quarters with regards to the
fact that the blade would remain floppy until
the unit was cocked. I’ve shot 400’s for the
last eight years and never expended an
ounce of energy mulling that one over! Yet
(Top) Note the cross-bolt safety and new
spring to the rear of the trigger blade, which
looks a bit jury rigged
(Bottom) The new fluted ‘step down’ from
the barrel to the breech block
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Many of us are familiar with these rifles, yet
let’s just confirm what the average punter
can look forward to with S400 mechanics.
That means firstly getting some air onboard,
which given the superbly safe T-bar valve is
a relatively stress free operation. All guns
are supplied with the female adaptor which
just needs to be fitted to the air supply, be
that a diver’s bottle or dedicated hand
pump.
With companies such as Best Fittings
now producing neat little kits to simplify the
process of charging different makes of rifle,
PCP ownership has never been so hassle
free either. The principle of the Air Arms
design is simple - the small slot cut in the
adaptor, pushes over the T-bar on the rifle
and once turned is locked in position. Given
the concerns when using high pressure air,
[ airguns ]
s
The safest and easiest filler valve on the market - bar none!
having safe procedures such as this to
follow just smoothes the path.
unregulated
The mechanism is unregulated, which
means the velocity can vary dependent
upon the initial fill pressure. The factory
recommended a 190bar charge, I began
the arduous task of checking the cycle
over a chronograph. This stage may
seem a terrible waste of good pellets,
however, for peace of mind, a full picture
as to performance properly evaluating
the output with a chronograph, has to
make sense, highlighting the power
curve and optimum fill pressure, just for
starters.
The test rifle with a 190bar fill,
returned 125-shots with an extreme
spread (ES) of 49 fps, which is quite a
wide fluctuation admittedly. Fill to a
more sensible 170bar, and this drops to
33 fps over 105-shots. However, unless
a huge shot count has become an
The trademark satin bolt is still there
obsession, a fill of a mere 150bar gives 70
full power shots with an ES of 25 fps,
which is perfectly acceptable!
For close range work and informal use,
fill pressure isn’t so important; yet once
finely balanced performance is required,
that’s where knowing the optimum
pressure begins to pay dividends.
accuracy
I’ve shot enough s400’s to know just what
they are capable of, but for the record, this
Superlite posted ¼” groups (CTC) at 35yds
with Air Arms Diabolo Field, and 3/8”
clusters with Falcon Accuracy Plus. Groups
were shot from a rest, but the raw potential
is undeniable.
conclusion
The s400 in all its guises continues to be
a top class, ultra compact PCP, offering
devastating accuracy, and adequate
consistency - straight from the box. I take
competition seriously, and still use two
Technical Specifications
n Name Air Arms S400F Classic Superlite
n Calibre
.177 on test (.22 available)
n Weight6lbs
n Length39.75”
n Barrel19.5”
n Stock
Hunter Green ‘Lite’ Sporter design
(poplar)
n Power Source
External bottle or pump
n Trigger
2-stage adjustable
n Fill Pressure
190bar max recommended
n Shot Count
Factory claim 80 shots .177 or 100 in
.22 (test figures below)
n Shot statistics: Using .177 Falcon Accuracy
Plus pellets at the following fill
pressure
n Fill pressure
190bar 170bar150bar
n Average velocity 820fps 826fps830fps
n Average spread 49fps 33fps 25fps
n Shot count 125 10570
n Average energy 11.2ft/lbs on test (using Falcon
Accuracy Plus)
n RRP
£440 guide price
n Options Stock: Traditional, Hunter Green, or
Deluxe High Gloss
n Contact Air Arms, 01323 845853
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SHOOTING SPORTS MAGAZINE
Scalloping to the rear of the
stock strips out unnecessary
weight to the tune of nearly ½ lb
s400’s in national competitions, when I
could use any rifle I choose. The British
Bench Rest airgun team use 400
actions, and the list of general Hunter
Field Target (HFT) titles that have been
won with these guns continues to grow.
The ‘Lite’ treatment just gives Air
Arms yet another tool in their ever
expanding armoury. The company never
rushes to introduce brand new models;
preferring to upgrade, and subtly
improve upon their existing, proven
hardware. In the case of the 400
series, who can blame them?
All things considered then, this
S400F Classic SuperLite has to be a
top contender for an ultra compact
sporting gun, where serious
performance matters, whether hunting
or competing in target sports.
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