Received this today in original box with hang tag and sealed paperwork. It is claimed to be an employee only offering of some sort. It was dry and stiff cocking and pumping but that has been taken care of with a liberal dose of secret sauce. While waiting for it to arrive I was able to learn from Tyler of CT Airguns whom this gun came to its last owner through, that he had acquired three of these from a collection. All three were exactly the same including a very odd number 1 serial number. I have noticed a few other interesting things. These three guns all have Sheridan tapered pump arms which no other Transition or earlier guns had. They had Williams sights like the Anniversary guns of 1987. Those that theorize that these were made made with leftover anniversary tubes after the Crosman purchase would be wrong, the tubes on the anniversary guns were Nickle plated and then brass plated to hide the solder joint. These guns are polished brass with a very clean and visible solder joint. This would certainly fix the peeling brass issue that plagued the anniversary guns. That’s all I have been able to figure out. If any of the experts here know anything else I would love to hear from you.
Benjamin NOS Benjamin Sheridan 397PA Employee Gun arrived today
- Thread starter rokonman
- Start date
Looks like there are at least five of these polished brass 397PA models with serial number 497000001. All five have the traits of a factory 1997 Benjamin 397PA, except for them having straight stocks and the longer stepped pump handle like found on the Sheridans of the time. Noted also is that at least a couple of these guns have many scratches on the metal and areas where it looks like a clear coat is flaking off. One even has cracked solder where the receiver attaches (see pic below). I believe the gun with receiver separation was also in a box with paperwork.
It makes me wonder if maybe these were test runs for the Sheridan Polished Brass models, which came out in July 98. Why they are in factory boxes and in the same collector's hands is the question. If truly employee presentation models, you would expect them to be scattered and not in one collection for so many years.
It makes me wonder if maybe these were test runs for the Sheridan Polished Brass models, which came out in July 98. Why they are in factory boxes and in the same collector's hands is the question. If truly employee presentation models, you would expect them to be scattered and not in one collection for so many years.
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Mine is not clear coated. More like a sealant that wiped right off with a Cape cod polishing cloth. If some are clear coated that would prove your prototype theory. I would also argue that is not receiver separation on that that one, that’s the solder going cold at the edge of the bead. One would hope they had figured out that solder joint by then. Prototype or not they were all soldered the same.
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That’s not how the sight is installed. It is tapped for a special Williams sight on the other side. Later models all came drilled and tapped. You can drill and tap earlier models to install the sight.
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I have a similar era 392G (co2). My serial number is D947XXXXXX. But has the same trigger/receiver/stock design. Interestingly mine has the old Racine, WI address on the receiver.
Someone told me the “D” is for December, but not sure if that is correct (what would they have used for June/July or May/March?)
There is a “lawyer” spring between the trigger sear and stock that literally falls out when the stock is taken off. This lightens the trigger a fair amount without this spring.
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Yes, the D is for December. There must've been a supply of unused tubes for the CO2 guns that were already stamped with the Racine address and used up post 1993.
The extra spring is annoying, I found one on my shop floor just the other day, didn't realize it had fallen out while working on a gun.
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Thanks for clarifying. Any idea why their other guns, like the one above, don’t have a letter for the month at the beginning of the serial number?
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Numbers 1-9 represent Jan. thru Sept.
Oct., Nov., Dec. are two digit months so letters O, N, D represent those last three months. Guess it was less confusing to do it that way.
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It’s still confusing.
So my serial number starts with D947….so December 94 would be the build date.
The gun above serial number starts with 497….so April 97 build date? That’s all well and good, but then what is the extra “7” in my D947 serial number?
So my serial number starts with D947….so December 94 would be the build date.
The gun above serial number starts with 497….so April 97 build date? That’s all well and good, but then what is the extra “7” in my D947 serial number?
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You've got one of the nicer ones that were available. Not sure what it had on it that you mentioned just wiped right off. Maybe old wax? As I'm sure you're aware of, without some sort of protective coating, brass will tarnish fairly quickly, so it's hard to understand how it's still as shiny as it is.
If you look closely at the attached pic of another one of those guns, you can see what looks to me like a clear coat that is flaking off in spots around the receiver and tube. Particularly at the breech, where the metal is discolored.
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Yes, 497 is April of '97
Here's an example of a full serial number on a gun like yours.
D94705266
The production date is Dec. '94, and 705266 is the rest of the serial number.
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Believe it or not that’s the stuff that wiped right off of mine. I checked the screw angles on the sight to see if that one was mine, it’s not. The dark spots are tarnished. The polishing cloth took the dark spots off and cleaned the gun up in 5 minutes tops. It could benefit from a little more detailing around the sight. It will be covered with MP5 oil for the rest of its life.
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In addition to removing the “lawyer spring”, I put a lighter trigger spring in mine. The trigger is now actually fairly decent.
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Going back through past posts on these guns I see that picture is what started the scratched up/rough condition false claims about this model. I assure you my gun had plenty of what we are looking at there, It all wiped right off with very little effort. That gun was very likely in perfect condition under what we are seeing there. It is funny to see how falsehoods get started on the forums. We make assumptions based on pictures and unfortunately the internet assumes them as fact. After a while they become fact that we all swear to. Like you said bare brass gets tarnished in short order. 30 years is a long time in the box.
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