20-Jul-2026
Ask a room full of UK airgun shooters to name the finest sporting PCP made in Britain and the Air Arms S510 will come up within seconds. It has been the flagship of the Hailsham factory's sporter range for the best part of two decades, refined generation after generation rather than reinvented, and it remains the rifle against which most sub-12 ft-lb sporters are judged. This review looks at what the S510 actually delivers in the field, how the current variants differ, and whether it justifies its price in a market crowded with capable competition.
What the S510 is
The S510 is a multi-shot, sidelever-action pre-charged pneumatic air rifle, built in East Sussex by Air Arms and available in .177 and .22 at sub-12 ft-lb, with high-power FAC versions for certificate holders. It sits above the bolt-action S410 in the range, the sidelever being the principal mechanical difference, and below the fully adjustable Ultimate Sporter in specification, though the two share the same action.
The heart of the rifle is a proven, beautifully made valve system paired with a Lothar Walther barrel. Recent versions are available with a regulator, badged with an R, which tightens shot-to-shot consistency even further and stretches the usable shot count per fill.
The Sidelever: Why it matters
The S510's biggest single advantage over its S410 sibling is the sidelever action. A short, smooth stroke of the lever indexes the ten-shot magazine and cocks the action, and it can be done with the rifle still in your shoulder, your eye still on the quarry. For rabbit and pigeon work, where the second shot often matters, this is a genuine practical benefit rather than a luxury. The lever itself is silky in a way that cheaper sidelevers simply are not, there is no crunch, no slop, just a precise mechanical snick at each end of the stroke.
Accuracy
There is little drama to report here, which is exactly the point. With pellets the barrel likes, Air Arms' own Diabolo Field is the obvious starting place, and it is no coincidence that the factory tests with them, an S510 will group inside a five-pence piece at 30 yards all day. The Lothar Walther barrel, consistent valving and excellent two-stage adjustable trigger stack the odds in your favour. The trigger breaks cleanly at a weight you choose, and while it is not quite a match unit, it is as good as anything fitted to a sporting PCP at this level.
The regulated versions deliver velocity spreads that would have been match-rifle territory a generation ago. Over a chronograph, single-figure feet-per-second spreads are common, which translates directly to vertical consistency at longer ranges. If you shoot HFT or stretch your hunting ranges toward 40 yards, the regulator is worth having.
Shot count and filling
Fill pressure is 250 bar on current rifles. In sub-12 ft-lb trim expect roughly 100 to 120 consistent shots in .22 from the standard cylinder and somewhat fewer in .177, with regulated versions making more of the same air. The XS Xtra models with longer cylinders push the count higher again. Filling is via a supplied probe, and the gauges, one for cylinder pressure, are clear and sensibly placed.
Stock options and handling
The S510 is offered in several furniture styles: a classic walnut sporter, a soft-touch black synthetic, and laminate options depending on the variant and year. The walnut is properly figured wood, chequered where your hands fall, with a high, well-shaped cheekpiece that lines your eye up naturally with a scope in medium mounts. Balance is the word owners use most. At around 3.6 kg bare, it is not the lightest sporter available, but the weight sits between the hands and the rifle points like a good game gun.
A shrouded barrel keeps muzzle report civil, and with an Air Arms moderator fitted the rifle is genuinely quiet, quiet enough for garden pest control without announcing yourself to the whole street.
Variants at a glance
The current family includes the standard S510, the S510 XS with its uprated cylinder options, the regulated S510 R models, the fully adjustable laminate Ultimate Sporter built on the same action, and the S510 Tactical with its AR-style adjustable synthetic stock. FAC versions in .22 and .25 offer high-power performance for certificate holders. Whatever your taste, traditional walnut, modern tactical or competition laminate, there is an S510 configuration to match it.
Price and value
The S510 has never been a budget rifle, and current examples typically sit around the £1,000 mark depending on variant, with regulated and Ultimate Sporter versions above that. That is serious money, but three things soften it. First, the rifle needs nothing added except glass and a moderator. Second, Air Arms' build quality and UK-based service mean the rifle will outlast its owner with basic care. Third, and most tellingly, S510s hold their value on the used market better than almost any competitor; a clean example is one of the easiest air rifles in Britain to sell on.
S510 vs the competition
Against the Weihrauch HW100, the S510 gives away nothing in accuracy and counters the famous German build quality with better British parts availability and, to most hands, nicer balance. Against the BSA R10 it costs more but feels a class up in finish. Against the adjustable-everything Scandinavian and continental rifles from FX and Daystate, it plays a more traditional game: fewer dials, more walnut, and a shooting experience that feels engineered rather than programmed. Which philosophy you prefer is personal, but nobody buys an S510 and finds it wanting.
Who should buy one
The S510 suits the hunter who wants one rifle to do everything within sub-12 ft-lb limits, the HFT shooter who wants a sporter that will not embarrass them on the score card, and the buyer who simply wants the best British sporting airgun and intends to keep it for twenty years. If your budget stops short, the S410 delivers most of the same performance for less, with a bolt instead of the lever. But if you can stretch to the S510, very few owners ever regret it.
You can browse Air Arms S510 rifles for sale on Rightgun, alongside the rest of the Air Arms range from dealers and private sellers across the UK.
Read next:
