20-Jul-2026
Air Arms makes the two most highly regarded underlever spring rifles in production, and they are close enough relatives that choosing between them causes genuine head-scratching in gun shops across the country. The TX200 is the competition legend; the Pro-Sport is the connoisseur's rifle. They share a mechanical heart but differ in character, and this comparison sets out exactly where the differences lie so you can pick the right one first time.
Shared foundations
Both rifles are full-size, fixed-barrel, underlever spring-piston airguns producing just under the UK's 12 ft-lb licence-free limit, in .177 or .22. Both load directly into the breech through a sliding compression cylinder protected by an anti-beartrap system. Both wear Air Arms' superb two-stage CD trigger, and both are built and finished in Hailsham to a standard that makes most other production springers look ordinary. Crucially, both are accurate to the practical limit of the spring-piston format; no buyer chooses between them on group size.
The cocking lever: The real difference
The TX200 carries a conventional exposed underlever beneath the barrel, with a generous stroke and well-judged effort. It is quick, familiar and easy, including for repeated shots across a long field target course, which is one reason the TX200 has dominated spring-gun competition classes for three decades.
The Pro-Sport conceals its lever inside the forend of the stock, flush with the woodwork, giving the rifle its famously clean lines. The trade-offs are a shorter effective stroke, making the Pro-Sport noticeably firmer to cock, and a technique that takes a session or two to make instinctive. Owners stop noticing; occasional shooters notice every time. If you shoot high volumes, or a younger or slighter shooter will use the rifle, the TX200's lever is the practical choice.
Handling and balance
Concealing the lever does something interesting to the Pro-Sport's balance: the mass sits centrally, between the hands, and the rifle carries a smooth, pendulum steadiness on aim that its fans consider the best of any production springer. The TX200 is slightly more conventional in feel, a touch more weight-forward, and many hunters prefer exactly that for offhand snap shooting. Both are substantial rifles at around 4 kg plus glass; neither is a lightweight carbine, and both reward being shot from field positions rather than lugged over miles of hill.
Looks and finish
Here the Pro-Sport simply wins, and it is meant to. The uninterrupted forend, the deeply figured walnut option, the polished blueing and the sculpted grip make it one of the most beautiful production airguns ever offered. The TX200 is far from plain, its woodwork and metal finish embarrass most rivals, but it is a handsome tool, where the Pro-Sport is a piece of gunmaking vanity in the best sense. Expect to pay a modest premium for the Pro-Sport, more again in walnut.
Competition pedigree vs ownership pleasure
The TX200's record is unmatched: it remains the default spring rifle for field target and HFT spring classes, with decades of titles behind it and a huge knowledge base of tuning and set-up experience in the community. If you have any competitive ambitions with a springer, the TX200 is the obvious rifle; you will be shooting what the winners shoot.
The Pro-Sport's appeal is different: it is the rifle spring-gun devotees buy because they love the format and want its finest expression. It gives away nothing meaningful in accuracy, and gains an ownership experience, in looks, balance and sheer engineering charm, that keeps examples in cabinets for decades.
Which one should you buy?
Buy the TX200 if you want the easier, quicker cocking stroke, competition pedigree, or the best all-round practical springer for hunting and club shooting. Buy the Pro-Sport if the rifle is as much about pleasure of ownership as pellets on target, you shoot deliberate rather than high-volume sessions, and the concealed-lever elegance speaks to you. Many committed spring-gun shooters solve the problem the obvious way — eventually owning both, which tells you everything about how little there is to lose either way.
Browse Air Arms rifles for sale on Rightgun to compare TX200 and Pro-Sport listings from sellers across the UK.
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