We are pretty sure that when the manufacturers heard the consumers, “Ah, it has a sidelever! I love it!” They took action, quite literally! The majority of the air rifles produced today are engineered with a side lever action, which as we mentioned, is what we all wanted!
An example of an air rifle with a side lever is the RAW HM1000x Mini Chassis. The HM1000x has the standard knurled handle on the side lever. When you scan through the different air rifles you’ll notice this handle and lever action is extremely common.
Bolt Requires More?
Why is it better you ask? The obvious reason is it’s easier to operate, requiring less effort from the shooter. A bolt generally requires more effort in strength as well as the multi-steps it takes to lock the bolt either open or closed. An example of a bolt action air rifle is the Barra 250Z.
When running a bolt you’ll lift, then pull back, and drop down to lock in the rear position if loading the breach. If simply recocking the air rifle for a follow-up shot instead of locking the bolt to the rear, push it forward and press it down to lock it closed.
Reasons People Enjoy the Sport
Why do people shoot airguns? Many different reasons, pleasure, competition, or hunting. If you’re a pleasure shooter, most likely the experience you’re looking for is smooth and easy to operate. A side lever fits that description more so than a bolt.
Not all bolts are (what some may call) difficult, and an advantage of a bolt is it has a larger handle making it easier to grip. If you ask most airgunners what they would prefer on their PCPs, we can almost guarantee it would be a side lever.
The Best For Competitions
What about a competition shooter? There are many different types of competitions, distance, speed, and field target. One advantage in competition is the ability to attain the same position from shot to shot and utilizing an SL (side-lever) gives that advantage in most cases.
The competition where SL has the largest impact is a speed competition. For competitions that allow the use of semi-auto pcp’s, many will go that route, but others prefer a SL over the bolt. The action is much faster and more reliable.
To run the SL is one swift, smooth pull to the rear to lock and insert the magazine. To cock the pcp, pull the side lever to the rear and push it forward. Two simple moves, easy peasy! Many manufacturers design the lever to be ambidextrous allowing the shooter to run the lever on either side.
Speed Shooter Tested & Proven
If you’re a speedshooter, you may already be aware of accessories like the RAW Pump Action Kit that turns your side lever air rifle into a pump action. Some claim this is faster, we believe it’s an individual preference and an airgunner won’t know what is more efficient until both the product and the shooter are tested and proven.
From Bolt Action To A Sidelever
For an example the Umarex Gauntlet originally was a bolt action. The platform was great but many abhorred the bolt. After hearing the consumers, Umarex replaced the bolt with a lever and now we have the Umarex Gauntlet 2 SL. It is a favorite of many now, especially in .30 caliber for medium varmint hunters.
We would like to take a moment to say thank you both to the consumer for the feedback and the manufacturers for taking action, pun intended! The truth is it’s a community and we all help each other to produce great products.
