Sauer 404

Before being ousted by Blaser’s R93 and R8 straight-pulls, Sauer’s 202 was the most popular hunting rifle in Europe! Personally, I have never liked it, there’s not a lot wrong with the design, it’s just that it does not float my boat. I say this with conviction, as I have hunted with one and also used it for some simulated hunting/competition-style shooting. However, Sauer must be recognised as one of the major rifle producers, and as well as their flagship 202, they also offer the cheaper 101 and now the even cheaper 100; both good designs!

The S404 looks similar to the 202 and is heavily based upon it, but shows a number of changes from the original and caused quite a stir. I was interested, given my feelings on the 202. A German colleague of mine, who is not known to mince his words simply said: ‘Sauer has finally unf***ed the 202’! Interesting, as I did not think that any German would consider the 202 was not 100% right!

I have been waiting to get my hands on a 404, and as fate would have it, I got sent two; much like two buses coming along at the same time! First ‘a proper hunting rifle’; the Classic XT with a tough, synthetic stock with rubber inserts and midweight, 20-inch barrel with iron sights and a Leica Magnus 1-6x24 scope on top. To me, this is a near perfect driven game set up, but with a bigger optic an all-round hunter too. Second, and more exotic, the Synchro XTC! Based on their synthetic thumbhole XT, the XTC shows a carbon fibre build instead, with a slim/fluted 22-inch barrel, threaded 15x1mm. It came with a Minox 3-15x50 scope. Both were chambered in 308 Win, using a 1-11-inch twist.

Gone and forgotten

Near identical externally to the 202, the 404 is also a switch barrel and uses the same split receiver system to retain the barrel by three transverse bolts. However, Sauer have re-thought and changed most other areas. Gone is the push down/up, tang/trigger guard safety, to be replaced with a de-cocker. Equally, the top of the receiver is no longer drilled and tapped for bases, or features integral Picatinny sections. Instead, a dedicated scope mount; the SAUER Universal Mount (SUM) is the only way of fitting optics and that is extra! The magazine release button features a lock (MagLock) and there’s the 4-weight, Quattro trigger with a position-adjustable blade. A clever feature is the SUK (SAUER Universal Key) integrated into the front sling swivel, which is used for forend, butt and barrel removal and replacement and trigger adjustment.

As Sauer is part of the same group as Mauser and Blaser, a deal of cherry picking is evident in the 404. The de-cocker is much like that on the Blaser R93/R8, with a sliding catch at the rear of the bolt that pushes up to FIRE and by pressing an inset button slides down to de-cock. And like the Blaser, not that easy to manipulate from the firing position. Being a switch barrel, and given the calibre you might have to change the bolt, here they followed the Mauser M03, with a quick-change bolt head.

A catch in the bolt body is retracted and the head pulls out. They also use the twin ejector plunger system of the Sauer 101/100 and Mauser M12.

One nice feature is that the butt is easily removed by a single, integral bolt. Either through the recoil pad in the case of the Classic XT and inside the thumbhole with the XTC. This then offers a compact package, as the receiver and barrel can stay together and Sauer offers the sweetest lockable, compartmentalised travel case. The SUM draws from the Blaser, with twin swing out/over levers. It’s a bit involved to set up and requires a number of tools, which are not supplied, Sauer includes an instruction book, which is essential, as you might assume this job is easier than it is!

Taking stock

The Classic shows a conventional, green, polymer stock with soft touch coating and elastomeric gripping panels and feels good, much like my R8! The Synchro XTC is a thumbhole with an adjustable height comb (SUK to adjust) and smooth to the touch being carbon fibre. Both styles use QD sling swivels with the front one being the aforementioned SUK. Though I appreciate the lighter weight of the carbon build, I did not like it’s look or feel and would choose the Synchro XT, that shows the same stock material as the Classic XTA.

The closed-topped receiver is aluminium and the ejection port is large enough for single loading! There are four calibre groups; Medium – 243 Win, 6,5x55, 270 Win, 7x64, 308 Win, 30-06, 8x57 IS and 9,3x62. Magnum – 7mm Rem Mag, .300 Win Mag, 8x68 S, 338 Win Mag and 375 H&H Mag. Plus two singles; 404 Jeffrey and the new Swiss 10.3x60 R. Barrel lengths and diameters differ too! Medium – 17/19mm and 51 or 56cms, Magnum – 17/19mm and 62cms, Jeffery 19mm and 62cms and Swiss 19mm and 70cms. Weight-wise the XTC and XT tip the scales at 2.79 and 3.22kgs accordingly.

SUK it and see

So, what can be done! Remove the SUK and fold out the Allen key and insert it into the hole under the forend and give it a 1/4-turn and it pulls off, which gives access for both barrel removal and trigger adjustment. The bolt needs to be opened, as it locks directly into the barrel, then undo the three screws on the lower right of the receiver clamp. None need to be removed, just slackened. The front one controls a fold-down lever that physically locks the barrel in place, the rear two are just clamps. The barrel then pulls out easily. To replace, reverse the process; I found that closing the bolt before locking helps to align it. Saying that, I discovered that the barrel needs to be inserted then held to the right as it’s tightened up; if not, you can get zero shift!

The trigger adjuster is a simple rotary switch, rear/left of the receiver marked in Roman numerals: I – 550g/1.2lbs, II – 750g/1.7lbs, III – 1000g/2.2lbs and IV – 1250g/2.7lbs. I could tell little difference between I and II and found III the most agreeable, with IV near similar.

To me; the Quatro seemed like the answer to a problem that does not exist, however the break in all weights was acceptable! The ability to reposition the blade was useful, as it gives an LOP adjustment of 8mm and a left/right angle of 5°. The MagLock is a good idea, as it allows you to secure the magazine JIC, by sliding the release button rearwards.

For the test, I was using Hornady 308, 178-grain Precision Hunter. Average groups gave ¾-inch @ 100-metres, not bad but maybe a bit heavy for the 1-11-inch twist. Recoil was pleasing for a 308, even in the lighter XTC and feed and function were 100% and single rounds could just be dropped into the ejection port and chambered easily. I changed both barrels and scopes for the all-important check and found the optics returned to zero every time. However, on barrel changes, the XT did shift its group with a 4-inch rise in POI, whereas the XTC was bang on the money. I then was told about the ‘twist the barrel trick’ and the XT settled down too.

The angled-back, ball-ended bolt handle is easy to operate and gives plenty of leverage and is preferable to the 202’s butter knife style! Sauer also offer their ProFlex bipod, which is the same as the Spartan 300, in that it can stay on the rifle and fold forward or back. It mounts by a spigot that replaces the SUK, however, I could not get one to test!

Conclusion

As someone who was not a fan of the 202, I found the 404 better for me and a rifle I would be happy to own! I don’t feel that the QUATRO trigger is necessary and Sauer are just cashing in with their QD scope mount. By all means offer it, but along with a more cost-effective option too, as they did with the 202, which given the 404’s receiver build, looks possible!