Vintage pumpers

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Have my .20 Blue streak I bought many years ago. And these Excellent Cll K .21 & .177 caliber round ball airgun bottom of picture. They were made in Sweden, and multi pump pneumatics. Both are from the 40s
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Awesome guns! I would love to find an old Sheridan! Can't believe those are from the 40's they look like they're in fine condition. You shoot them much?
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Aactually I did a video today on the Excellent Cll K .177 I will publish it soon.

Shot both these pumpers today.
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Nice groups! Off hand with irons is the best test of rifle and shooter. I have 2"x"3" metal plates hung up all around property, practice hitting them at different distances from 15 -45ft. Love to see that video when you get it posted. 
 
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My first "real" airgun was the Benjamin 347 Santa brought in 1968. I still have it and it still shoots great.

Yeah pumpers have fallen out of fashion these days - I'm mostly a vintage-springer guy myself - but there is a lot to love about them. My 347 is so slim and light that it's easier to carry than a lot of air pistols. Sure, it takes a little work to charge and load, but ya get used to it; and in return it does well north of 700 FPS, has a decent trigger and sights, and good accuracy.

Pumpers are not the right thing for every shooter or every situation...but, an airgunner who can't find a use for an easy-carrying, great-handling, self-contained, recoilless, variable power, fixed-barrel rifle just doesn't have much imagination, LOL!
 
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MDriskill-A airgunner who can't find a use for such a rifle doesn't have much imagination, LOL!

Totally agree! They are just fun period. My nephew came over yesterday so we had an impromptu, simulated, woods stalk hunt shootout! Let him use the Crosman since the sights are just a tad better, and I used the Benji. He did darn good, much better than I thought he would. We had a blast and he was impressed that those 'old rifles' could still shoot so good. (He doesn't shoot much, and just likes pictures of the latest, greatest, coolest, tactical, whatever) 🤪




 
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3 or 4 times over the years, I've had non-airgun-nut friends ask about a gun for pest control around the house, plinking, etc. For the guy who truly uses only one airgun, it's hard to beat an MSP rifle - so I point them that way every time, and have never heard a complaint!

(I could write another loooooong post on how "tactical" has become the most comically over-used nonsense word in English...but, another time, LOL.)
 
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Went out this afternoon with the Crosman 392 and hit a 2"x3" plate, off hand at 80ft, first shot. Rifle shoots as good as I can hold her. Hitting those plates from 10yds 100%, up to-20yds probably 90%. %of hits at 20-25yds improves dramatically with rest. Groups at 10yds are consistently around 1", 20yds around 1-¾" -2". Enough for pest control? I think that's perfect! I'm plenty comfortable now to use her for pesting. Won't be shooting at pests further than 10-15yds anyways. 
 
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I currently just have three pumpers in my collection. They are fun to shoot.

Top is a Sheridan model A Super Grade customized. .20 cal

Middle is a Crosman model 1400 customized. .22 cal

bottom is a Sharp Innova Deluxe II .22 cal refinished.
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Nice and light weight, quite accurate, and pretty good power. I just plink, so I normally just pump them 4-5 pumps. I never scope the pumpers I've owned. It just doesn't look right to my eye, and interferes with the hand hold position during pumping. JMO.

Nice to see this thread. Makes me want to get them out, lol.

Thanks, Scott
 
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Here's my "trash can" Sheridan-a buddy found it in trash can and gave it to another friend who gave it to me. My son and I rebuilt it, and I improvised a new front sight and found a stock in the classifieds. It's a shooter!

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Here's the way I got it-funny thing is I saw one just like it for sale a while back-there must have been some weird reason folks did that!

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When referring to any number of (innumerable) vintage airguns I've resealed/refinished/customized, I often use the term 'resurrected'. Especially lately, since purchasing a particularly challenging, but particularly tasty, .22 Falcon FN12 custom PISTOL that had endured not only no small amount of neglect, but also abuse. And to add insult to injury, shipping damage resulting from poor packaging (inside a brand-new, foam-lined hard rifle case!

Having now repaired that damage, added a grip-cap to the custom pistol stock to cover previous butchery, and refinished same, the gun is on it's way to Dave Slade (Aigunwerks) for re-sealing because I couldn't get the leaking tube-caps off. Pre shipping damage-

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After my grip-cap and stock refinish-

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I'd been thinking no-one else would have endured the time, trouble and expense(s) required to resurrect this awesome custom classic... until now. Glad to know there are others out there that not only will do so, but can recognize vintage-classic diamonds in the rough! 

RESPECT, Y'all!

Ron
 
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I currently just have three pumpers in my collection. They are fun to shoot.

Top is a Sheridan model A Super Grade customized. .20 cal

Middle is a Crosman model 1400 customized. .22 cal

bottom is a Sharp Innova Deluxe II .22 cal refinished.
Checkering.1631846527.jpg
Nice and light weight, quite accurate, and pretty good power. I just plink, so I normally just pump them 4-5 pumps. I never scope the pumpers I've owned. It just doesn't look right to my eye, and interferes with the hand hold position during pumping. JMO.

Nice to see this thread. Makes me want to get them out, lol.

Thanks, Scott
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Wow! Those are some VERY nice examples! By all means get out there and shoot em! I hope to have anything as nice as that Sheridan some day. 
 
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JohnL57 

What a find! Great job on getting that old girl back in working condition and looking good. My dad threw his Benji 342 away like that! That's why I tracked one down, have one like I grew up shooting, wish I could have had his to rebuild. 

Not sure about that pistol grip, I believe that may compromise my groups? Perhaps the stock was broken/ cracked and that was a quick, easy fix? 
 
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Ron

That is some beautiful wood! Nice job on that grip cap. Restoring (resurrecting) is something most of this younger generation just can't understand. Buy, break, throw away, buy a new one whatever. Although a lot of things nowadays were junk to begin with...

Very glad to see everyone's collections and hear stories about them! Happy shooting yall! 
 
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scottblair said:
I currently just have three pumpers in my collection. They are fun to shoot.

Top is a Sheridan model A Super Grade customized. .20 cal

Middle is a Crosman model 1400 customized. .22 cal

bottom is a Sharp Innova Deluxe II .22 cal refinished.View attachment 174293Nice and light weight, quite accurate, and pretty good power. I just plink, so I normally just pump them 4-5 pumps. I never scope the pumpers I've owned. It just doesn't look right to my eye, and interferes with the hand hold position during pumping. JMO.

Nice to see this thread. Makes me want to get them out, lol.

Thanks, Scott
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Those are beautiful guns, but you may want to think about getting an old Sheridan beater, and some of the new inter- mounts, from amazon, put a pistol scope, or a red dot on it, that will be out past your pump handle. I think that may nice addition to your plinking fun. Shooting wirenuts instead of cans etc.
 
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AirNGasman said:
When referring to any number of (innumerable) vintage airguns I've resealed/refinished/customized, I often use the term 'resurrected'. Especially lately, since purchasing a particularly challenging, but particularly tasty, .22 Falcon FN12 custom PISTOL that had endured not only no small amount of neglect, but also abuse. And to add insult to injury, shipping damage resulting from poor packaging (inside a brand-new, foam-lined hard rifle case!

Having now repaired that damage, added a grip-cap to the custom pistol stock to cover previous butchery, and refinished same, the gun is on it's way to Dave Slade (Aigunwerks) for re-sealing because I couldn't get the leaking tube-caps off. Pre shipping damage-

View attachment 174307

After my grip-cap and stock refinish-

View attachment 174312

View attachment 174316



I'd been thinking no-one else would have endured the time, trouble and expense(s) required to resurrect this awesome custom classic... until now. Glad to know there are others out there that not only will do so, but can recognize vintage-classic diamonds in the rough!

RESPECT, Y'all!

Ron
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I can relate to your post. Nice work!
I have a similar project that I'm involved with and have been enjoying. The challenge is going to be quality soldering in the end. Pardon the pun.
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Got three pumpers (Sheridan Blue Streak, Crossman 140 and Crossman 761XL) all in for a reseal job. I tried to reseal the 761XL, $80 later for new seals and valve assembly and 4 hours work, it still leaked. As a kid, I did have trouble with blocks, tinker toys and erector sets so not a surprise. Want a vintage Benj 392 or 397 real bad, not a new one. Love the all wood and metal pumpers. Those are some nice guns in the prior post.
 
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