Benjamin air rifles

[Jim]

When I was a kid, a friend had a Benjamin air rifle (http://www.crosman.com/airguns/rifles/pump/392) like the one I linked. He'd bring it over and we'd sit out in the back yard and go through a whole hundred count tin before we knew it.

This might be a good time for me to look into gettin' one. I can see myself sittin' out on the deck in the cool of the afternoon with a cold one bouncin' a can around in the drive. It wouldn't take long for it to pay for itself in 22 ammo.

[marlin39a]

I've got an old sheridan 5mm with a beautiful walnut stock. I keep it by the door to the deck. Lots of sniping at tennis balls, and little lizards here in summer.

[10-x]

Thanks for bringing this up, sent mine off to be rebuilt a year ago!!! The guy says he ,his wife and other family members have had medical problems. Thought he was good to go but this is out of hand, not to mention any names but he's in N.C.....:sad:

[Blanket]

Thanks for bringing this up, sent mine off to be rebuilt a year ago!!! The guy says he ,his wife and other family members have had medical problems. Thought he was good to go but this is out of hand, not to mention any names but he's in N.C.....:sad: I think I know who you are talking about, had some issues with a Crossman 140 I bought from him. As I got into the other side of a century I figured out air rifles are not just for kids and have several with my favorites being the older sheridans. Have a young man that has worked for us since he was 13 shooting off my porch with an old silver streak just amased at the pump ups. Russ

[Marvin S]

Alough expensive have you looked at the Benjamin Marauder?

[Houndog]

Boy, that sure brings back memories, of the absolute WORST beatin I ever got! My Grandmother used to have a bunch of free range chickens on the farm and she had an old Rhode Island Red rooster that delighted in flogging me whenever he got a chance. What he didn't know is my parents had just bought me a new pellet rifle just like the one in your picture, so the very next time he tried to flog me I shot him, and for good measure I killed several more of Grandma'd laying hens! Needless to say Grandma WAS NOT pleased when she saw all the dead chickens. I got to scald, pluck and gut every one of those chickens with absolutely no help and then got the worst beatin with Grand dad's razor strop I'd ever had! (I was around 9 years old) Mom gave me another whipping when I went home, and I lost the use of my pellet gun for the rest of the Summer. That's one lesson I NEVER forgot!

[RoyEllis]

Jim, you'll have a blast with an air rifle. I'm on my 2nd spring piston air rifle (gave the 1st to grandsons) & JMHO but you'll get more length of reliable service from a spring piston gun than the multi-pump like the referenced Benjamin (pump seals wear moderately quick) also you're looking at the same or a bit less $$ outlay. Gamo builds some fine air rifles and many are in a "kit" including scope mount, scope & accessory pack. Accuracy will be far above the pump gun as is power, most good springers will give 1000fps or better in .177 & 850 to 970fps in .22 cal
My Gamo Whisper .177 is a squirrel murderin' machine out to 50yds with monotonous regularity, I've gotten permission to hunt some commercial pecan orchards with it when others have gotten turned down to gun hunt there. I even make shootin' cash from a few Tulsa hotels by sniping nuisance pigeon populations from time to time.:bigsmyl2:

[GaryN]

I have a RWS spring piston air rifle. It is a blast to shoot and very powerful. It is also very accurate. I have noticed lately when looking at want adds that they are pretty cheap. I might go buy another one.

[HARRYMPOPE]

I have replaced my below 50 yard shooting with airguns this last year.Glad i did as a tin of .22 pellets is from $8-$14 a tin and i can hoard my 22 LR till things calm down.

George

[LUBEDUDE]

As a kid I always lusted after the Benjamin. I could only afford the Daisy's and work my way up to the Crossman pump.

Buy the time I could afford a Benjamin, I would rather be buyin' my first REAL guns - my Ruger MK- (whatever) pistol and Remington Auto 22.:-P

Boy did I burn up some Bricks! :2gunsfiring_v1:

[bubba.50]

the gun you linked ain't near the gun you shot as a kid. it's a Benjamin in name only. actually more beeman or Sheridan. i had one of the old benjamins & loved it. bought one of the newer ones & like it not so much. for a couple buffalo burgers at the restaurant in riner i'll bring it to ya. needs seals & a little cleanin' up. luck & have a good'en friend, bubba..

[nhrifle]

I rediscovered airgunning about 3 years ago and for me it is as much fun as any rimfire or centerfire. I have several magnum springers, and believe me, you have to learn to shoot them. They require a very loose hold to allow for the recoil, and it is something I have to concentrate on for every shot. Probably my favorites are the precharged pneumatics. Accurate, easy to shoot, and powerful to boot. My Hammerli Pneuma is a tack driver, literally. Up to about 75 feet (about as far as can clearly see them), I can consistently hit acorns and similar sized objects. And she's a hunter too. Dropped a poor old tom turkey at 150 yards, one shot. The rifle just flat out amazes me.

[stubshaft]

My dad bought me a .177 Benjamin for my eighth birthday. I've rebuilt the plunger a couple of times, but other than that it is still functioning 48 years later. They truly don't build them like that anymore.

[FLINTNFIRE]

Have a couple of the 397 model , slight differences in the stocks bought them several years apart , they are accurate and deadly on small varmints , and a lot of fun to shoot , cheap to . Get it and enjoy at the price of .22 l.r. today it is a economical way to practice and have fun. airgundepot, pyramydair both are around 155-160 for the 392 and 397 models

[Gliden07]

I had a Crossmen 760 forever. It was an old one with a real wood stock! It finally quit about 5-6 years ago. I bought a Gamo that will shoot 1000FPS if you use there special ammo. Problem is I Zeroed the gun with plain ole lead 177 cal pellets and now when I shoot the 1000FPS pellets it shoots really high cause the "Special" pellets are lighter than the lead ones!! So I just shoot the lead! It will kill a Squirrel or Rabbit easily is cheap to shoot and I mess around in my cellar with it when I get bored. I miss my ole Crossmen though!!

[Swamp Man]

I'm a life long airgunner I prefer Beman air rifles. The power from these springer guns will shock most people that's never shoot them before. I use Beeman Sliver Arrow .22 pellets for small game they will take down anything you can take down with a 22lr. For day to day shooting I use Crossman 22 hunting pellets I have used them for small game hunting but prefer the heavier Beeman pellet for hunting.

[cajun shooter]

I still have the Benjamin that I purchaesd in 1968. It still shoots well. I have always put a few drops of 3-n-1 oil down the air tube to keep the parts working. It will take small game at close range. Later David

[popper]

Got an inexpensive Gamo ~ 10 yrs ago to reduce my rabbit population. Not very accurate at any range but it does have the power. It has the poly/lined bbl which isn't aligned with the cylinder and can't be adjusted. Worthless with a red dot or scope. I put a laser pointer under the bbl but it didn't help much. Son has a high dollar one that is accurate.

[RayinNH]

I just bought a scope for my springer on Sunday.

Jim you'll love an airgun. Cheap as all get out and a real hoot.

[Swamp Man]

Got an inexpensive Gamo ~ 10 yrs ago to reduce my rabbit population. Not very accurate at any range but it does have the power. It has the poly/lined bbl which isn't aligned with the cylinder and can't be adjusted. Worthless with a red dot or scope. I put a laser pointer under the bbl but it didn't help much. Son has a high dollar one that is accurate.
Switch to crossman or beeman pellets and it will help. Beeman air rifles are the most accurate air guns I've ever used but they can get pricey. I have two Beemans that cost more then a lot of nice high powered rifles but they are vary accurate and deadly on small game.

[a.squibload]

I got a Sheridan Blue Streak for free, it puffed air in my
face, upper tube separated from lower. Fixed that, shoots
pretty good. 20 cal. pellets are harder to find.

[Silvercreek Farmer]

Might have to with the state of 22 ammo. Haven't heard of anyone hoarding pellets...yet. Too bad they are not very cast friendly, but they are pretty cheap.

[Swamp Man]

I got a Sheridan Blue Streak for free, it puffed air in my
face, upper tube separated from lower. Fixed that, shoots
pretty good. 20 cal. pellets are harder to find.

check pyramydair.com or airgundepot.com they should both have them if you can't get them local.

[Hamish]

http://castboolits.gunloads.com/showthread.php?164775-Mihec-22-air-rifle-bullet-mold

(ahem)

[Goatwhiskers]

Used to work on any kind of old Benjamins, had people bringing them from all over. Got pretty darn good at it, then the family sold the company. Those yanks in NY that bought it wouldn't sell me parts unless I attended their "repair school" in New York state somewhere, so had to quit. By the way Cajun you're not supposed to ever put oil down the pump or in the air chamber as it destroys the seals. The old leather pump washers they used to use were supposed to be moistened with neatsfoot oil, however. GW

[dagger dog]

I had an old Sheridan Blue Streak (the Silver Streak was nickel plated) 5mm rifle, the one that had the blade safety on the top of the tang, you held the safety down with your thumb,only then would the trigger fire the gun. It was a hock shop find purchased by my father and given to me for my 13th birthday.

The 5mm-20 caliber round nose banded hollow base pellet was very accurate out of that rifle, 10 pumps would penetrate a 1" pine board at 20 yds, it put many rabbits in the pot. I had to send to Racine ,Wisconsin for pellets they were not available then (1960) at many sporting good stores.

I now own a spring air rifle, a .177 caliber Beeman R9, don't have to do all that pumping, has a dedicated spring air scope 3X9 it's way more accurate than the Bluestreak was , at 33 feet off bags it will put 5 of the match grade wadcutter pellets through one hole, has an adjustable trigger that is down right spookie, and I've shot some 6PPC
2 OZ benchrest guns that it would rival.

Only draw back with the 177 is energy, if you want to take game or pests in the rabbit size you better be able to hold steady enough to put it in the eye, and be close enough to hear it breathe. The velocity on mine with a 16gr heavyweight hunting pellet (Kodiak Match) over the chrony is 800 fps so energy drops off like a lead balloon, have shot aluminum soft drink cans @75 measured yards, would not penetrate the can, but will knock it over.

Beeman has a 20 or 22 cal available in the CroMagnum and would be the perfect one stroke spring air for hunting small game,but you better save your nickles and dimes 'cause they ain't cheap !

[10-x]

Well, called the guy in N.C. about my rifle(about the 10th time) just happens he was shipping it out the next day, so I'll have to wait to see how well it works. IIRC bought it in the mid 70's, got many critters with it till it quit years ago. Pellets have gone up just like everything else! Sticker shock!

[Jim]

After much research and consideration, I settled on a break barrel .177 made by Ruger. Believe it or not, it's called the 'Blackhawk'.

I decided it would be best if I not choose a pump style because of arthritis in my elbows. I can break the barrel one time and I'm ready to shoot again. I chose the .177 caliber because of availability of pellets. Out here in Smalltown, USA, I have to remember what I can find at the hardware store.

Janet will be able to enjoy this also without having to pump it. I foresee some afternoons on the front porch rattling a can hanging by a string from a potted plant bracket.

I do thank you all for your posts and comments. I have enjoyed the stories and appreciate the suggestions. I look forward to posting some photos of Janet with it and some targets.

64143

[LtFrankDrebbin]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nzAs7Vx-j4A&feature=share&list=PL0BD22BD1C9B93F4C
All this talk of air guns got me twichen for another. I miss all that fun I had as a kid.
Like most of us got rid if it for MORE POWER......you don't realise what you got till it's gone.

If you get a chance check out Ted's Holdover on youtube, puts on a whole new prospective on air gunning.

[Cane_man]

my dad got me a Benjamin .22 when i was a kid and i still have it... got it reconditioned a few years ago and it still shoots like new... great times as a kid with than pellet gun... thinned out the blue jay, magpie, and mockingbird population of the neighborhood

[Bullshop]

Where did you get it reconditioned?

[popper]

Jim nice looking air rifle. Does it have a steel bbl or poly w/steel liner? My 177 gamo will down rabbits @ 50', no problem at all even with a body shot, crossman plain target pellets. Got some of the fancy copper plated ones but it makes no difference. These are texas jack rabbits, not easter bunnies.

[Gunor]

For parts, I tried this company:

http://www.airgunbna.com/

I think they can get seal kits for most air guns.

Used them once, but seemed reasonable?

I rebuilt a Benjamin 397 (1994) version.

There is almost another world, like cast boolits, out there for air guns

Geoff in Oregon

[FLINTNFIRE]

Had one of the chinese air rifles back in the early 90's it was accurate and powerful, side cocker , it would kill rabbit sized pests without eye shots , head or chest done the job .It was .177 , have also used the crosman pump up bolt .177 pellet pistol to kill crows , just always liked the pumps better as it reminded me of what my older brother had when we were kids , there are just so many choices in the air gun market and it is a good quiet and cheap way to shoot , congratulations on your choice and enjoy it .

[Swamp Man]

Jim I don't know anything about the Ruger airguns but I'm sure it will give you many hours of fun and not cost much at all to feed it. Just keep in mind that when shooting it you grip it with a loose hold to allow for the kick of the spring. Also hold your aim a second after firing once you get use to doing these two things you will get so use to it you won't even notice doing it. The other thing I would tell you is don't think something is wrong with the gun if it places shots all over the place to began with it will take a while to settle down and after that it will get more and more accurate. I would say don't ever try to sight the gun until after at least 100 shots.