VIVA THE 'LEVER!

Here’s a bit of a huge statement to open this test; I’m being forced to think that the days of bolt-action rifles might be coming to an end. Yes, I know various forms of bolt-action sustained us since Johann Nikolaus van Dreyse produced the first one in 1824, but muzzle loaders had held sway for many years before Johan’s genius showed us a better way to cock an action and poke projectiles into a barrel. Maybe it’s just the end of an era, but whatever it is, swapping the Brocock Sniper to sidelever is a major plus. Here’s the thing, though; the difference between sidelever and bolt-action isn’t even noticeable until they are tested side by side on models with similar handling characteristics. I own and happily use several excellent bolt-action rifles, and I have never thought a single one of them would benefit significantly from being swapped to sidelever … until I tested a Brocock Bantam MKII Sniper alongside this month’s test subject. The difference was noticeable then, for sure, and it prompted me to explore other options. My Air Arms S410 was tested cheek to cheek with its S510 stablemate, and there it was again.
All four rifles are tackdrivers, but those sidelevers drove their tacks via an almost effortless, back-forth flick to cycle their actions. Does such a tiny, barely discernable advantage even matter in the real world of hunting7 A very short while ago, I’d have argued that it doesn’t. I’ve now changed my mind, and I’ll explain that more as this review unfolds. First, though, let’s go back in time.