Air Arms S400 Carbine.22cal Review

Overall Rating

Accurate
Quiet with silencer
Light weight
Fill guage

Barrel band

I bought my Air Arms S400k in .22 from CH Weston in Brighton,very good deal. The gun is very accurate and easy to tune 4 turns out on the transfer port gives 15 flbs between 90-140 bar=40 shots. This is using Air Arms hunter pellets weighing 16 grains, please don't do this unless you possess a fire arms certificate. I only have one gripe with the gun the barrel band could be a little snugger on the barrel, easy fix I put a little black wipping like what you do on fishing rod eyes, can't even notice it and it holds the barrel much more secure.

Members' Comments oninnzer's Review

• sussexgunner on 26th Apr 2006

  I believe the barrel is meant to be free floating and that the band isn't to secure the barrel, but restrain it should you drop the rifle. You may see some drop off in accuracy if you bridge the gap between the barrel and band.

• innzer on 28th Apr 2006

  i think you\'ll find its not meant to be free floating as an upgrade is a barrel band with grub screws to secure it much better, free floating barrels require no barrel band, ie super 10s and rapids.

• sussexgunner on 28th Apr 2006

  Yes, but many guns with free floating barrels have a band, not quite touching the barrel, solely to help prevent bending the barrel during rough handling.

• innzer on 29th Apr 2006

  its not a free floating barell, even free floating barrels don't move when you give them a little tweak from side to side they are sunk into the block very deep,this barrel requires securing, check with air arms.

• innzer on 29th Apr 2006

  also have you tried taking the barell clamp off completely, to make it really free floating, well i have and the accuracy suffers badly, like i said this gun is meant to be supported at the muzzle.

• sussexgunner on 2nd May 2006

  I don\'t disbelieve you, just making the point for other readers that there are other guns with seeming barrel clamps, which are only restraints and fixing them to the barrel will affect the accuracy of the gun. Different designs have different solutions.

• innzer on 3rd May 2006

  sorry sussexgunner if i was abrupt i apologise, but my accuracy has improved with the gun since i made the barrel more secure, have you looked at ben taylor and son website they do an aftermarket barrel band for 25 pounds, it has 3 set screws to secure it to the air chamber instead of 2 and it has 3 to secure the barrel its worth every penny in my book i will be getting one soon.....also have you checked the parts plans for the s400 extra it has a rubber o ring inside the barel band which keeps the barrel tight inside the clamp, i am awaiting a reply from air arms regarding this.

• innzer on 6th May 2006

  I got my reply from air arms regarding the "o" ring inside the barrel band, they told me the barrel of the extra hi power model has a different size barrel and the band is different, but that the standard model should also have an o ring, mine hasn't, air arms told me to send a self addressed envelope to them and they will send one out free of charge....now that's customer service.

• Potshot on 17th May 2006

  I recently bought an Air Arms S400 carbine & also noticed the gap between the barrel & bracket clamp. After reading your comments I also requested 'O' rings from Air Arms, which came today. Upon dismantling the bracket I found there is an 'O' ring already in place, & it is the same size as the ones they sent me, so there is still a gap! When I zero'd the gun previously I found that it was extremely accurate providing you take care not to rest the silencer (or barrel) on a support, because that sends pellets all over the place. So I rest the pressure chamber on a rest instead. I'm a bit dismayed that Air Arms didn't offer any kind of guidance on this matter.

• Potshot on 18th May 2006

  I have now spoken to Air Arms, & they confirm that the gun has a 'Floating Barrel' & the bracket is not designed to hold the barrel tightly, as Sussexgunner stated previously.

• innzer on 27th May 2006

  your right potshot i've found out it is supposed to be a free floating barrel, i was wrong, but i can't get my head round the fact that at 35 yards my gun shoots bang on free hand but rested in any way i get a movement of 1 inch high and 1 inch to the right, any suggestions, as this is even when rested on the stock. I'm aware I get a slight recoil as its tuned to 15 ft lbs mayby this is something to do with it. I'm going to try a slightly thicker o ring, i'll get back if anything changes with this.