Rest in peace...
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Crosman-Benjamin Air Gun Gate
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Rest in peace...
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Topic: Rest in peace... (Read 2710 times))
mentolio
Follow me, I'll show you where to crash.
Sharp Shooter
Posts: 715
Ummmmm.....sure
Real Name: Jeff
Rest in peace...
«
on:
February 07, 2016, 09:58:32 PM »
...you sonnuva gun
Here lies my Benjamin 397, purchased from Cabela's just over one year ago. It has spent nearly it's entire time with me vexing me with accuracy problems. Didn't group out of the box: ok, my vision ain't what it used to be, so I'll get the Williams Peep sight...that'll fix it. -WRONG-
Well it's probably just pellet picky, so I'll order more. So I let it sit for a couple months while I move on to other more pressing things. I get back to it, with a slew of different pellets because ONE of them has to work...-WRONG-
I decide that I'll do some trigger work, because the trigger is atrocious. That'll fix it...-WRONG-
When I next pick it up, I figure: lemme lube it, and I'll re crown it while I'm at it...that'll probably fix it. -WRONG-
I've cleaned the gunk out of the barrel, but come to find out that a lot of guys have accuracy problems due to paint overspray inside the bore. I whip out the paint stripper, and get a bunch of black paint out of it. Should fix it, right? -WRONG-
I take it all the way apart, clean everything, inspect everything, reassemble and re crown...again. Bupkis! Finally I decide to scope it, because I can group sorta OK at 6 yards, but not at anything past 10. 3 brand new scopes later, I have a scope that works right (tested on one of my NPs for about thirty shots with no zero shift). Does the 397 cooperate? Nope...3", inconsistent groups at 15 yards are the best the darned thing will produce.
Now I know what you're thinking: how's it chrony? Fine, velocity is good, and ES is low with several pellets, but NONE group with any consistency, at any range. It holds two pumps for as long as I leave it alone, and after the total disassembly, no longer holds onto air after shooting at 8 pumps. So the only thing I can blame it on is the barrel. Looks weird when you look down the muzzle, almost like there is two sets of rifling. None of my other barrels look like this one (of course, can't get a photo of it). I've hit it with JB paste three times to try and smooth it out, but it didn't work. The question is: what to do now? Crosman won't warranty it now, and a new barrel & tube is about 75 bucks! And if I spent the dough: what if the next one is no better? I already have two .22 Trail barrels (ordered from Crosman) that shoot just like this piece of junk, so I feel like the likelihood of getting another bad 'un is pretty good, or am I just being ridiculous? What would you do?
«
Last Edit: April 02, 2016, 06:11:26 AM by mentolio
»
Logged
Gloucester County, NJ
If I shot half as good as you, you'd still shoot twice as good as me!
Webley Valuemax .20: airgunning's best kept secret...shhhhh!
Greg Millhand
Shooter
Posts: 23
yes
Real Name: Greg
Re: Rest in peace...
«
Reply #1 on:
February 07, 2016, 10:51:59 PM »
Crosman/Benjamin barrels are a risk. If you get one that was made with new tooling, odds are it will be pretty good. I think they just keep pumping out barrels until the tooling is way beyond it's service life. I've bought several .22 cal 2260 barrels in the past few years and only one gives me exceptional accuracy with only JSB 15.9 grain pellets. All the other barrels are either mediocre to very poor with every type of pellet tried in them. The really bad barrels have obviously poorly cut rifling, very shallow lands and grooves with ripples on them. I've got an M4-177 barrel with an unexplainable straight groove on the lands going down the entire length of the bore. It seems that the lower budget airguns they produce get the higher percentage of bad barrels and their higher priced guns get better ones such as the Disco and Marauder. Sounds like you got a lemon, I would get rid of it and save up for a German springer. For a few extra bucks you get a guaranteed accurate air rifle that doesn't require strenuous and noisy pumping.
«
Last Edit: February 07, 2016, 11:43:29 PM by amb5500c
»
Logged
Essex Ontario
bantam5s
They might sound like a lot of work till you realize you only need 3-4 pumps for plinking.
GTA Senior Contributor
Posts: 9141
yes
Real Name: David
Re: Rest in peace...
«
Reply #2 on:
February 07, 2016, 11:07:49 PM »
Get rid of that and find yourself a real Sheridan blue streak ( not made by crosman ) and if you already own one, sell the 392 for parts and buy as many tins of .20's as you can afford.
«
Last Edit: April 02, 2016, 11:06:12 PM by bantam5s
»
Logged
USA CA Arbuckle
PCP? I never touched the stuff !
No, it's a type of airgun !
Oh!, no I don't have one of those.
stevemag
GTA Senior Contributor
Posts: 2394
Re: Rest in peace...
«
Reply #3 on:
February 07, 2016, 11:37:55 PM »
did you you mean " rest in pieces "
Logged
steve
HW95L .22
Diana 52 .22
BSA lightning xl se grt .22
xs28m .22
QB78D .22
Hammerli 850 .22
bbv13
GTA Senior Contributor
Posts: 2170
yes
Re: Rest in peace...
«
Reply #4 on:
February 07, 2016, 11:49:00 PM »
LOL
You should have sent it back and got another one!
But if it makes you feel better beat what's left of it flat with a hammer!
Bryan
Logged
NC
bantam5s
They might sound like a lot of work till you realize you only need 3-4 pumps for plinking.
GTA Senior Contributor
Posts: 9141
yes
Real Name: David
Re: Rest in peace...
«
Reply #5 on:
February 08, 2016, 01:19:50 AM »
How good are your wood finishing skills ? Because you could probably make more money ( if you parted it out ) by refinishing the stock blue, green,pink....ect and selling it as a custom stock ( I know I'd buy something like that if I had one and wanted the stock in my favorite color )
Logged
USA CA Arbuckle
PCP? I never touched the stuff !
No, it's a type of airgun !
Oh!, no I don't have one of those.
north country gal
GTA Senior Contributor
Posts: 2793
yes
Real Name: Joanie
Re: Rest in peace...
«
Reply #6 on:
February 08, 2016, 12:17:23 PM »
Sorry to hear about all the headaches on that one.
What would I do? I have no experience with the current versions, but we do have a couple of early to mid 90s vintage 397s that have been great guns for us. Our 1995 397, in particular, will print under an inch at 50 yards. We also have a number of Racine made Sheridans and all of them shoot well using JSB Exacts.
I especially like the Blue Streaks. They are very rugged and simple in design. I find them easier to pump than the Benjamins, too. Triggers can be lightened, easily, by lightening the trigger return spring. Shop around. For what a new 392 costs, you can still find a decent Racine Blue Streak.
Logged
Rhinelander, Wi
TennX
All Brag,No facts…..
GTA Senior Contributor
Posts: 5483
yes
Real Name: Phil (76)
Re: Rest in peace...
«
Reply #7 on:
February 08, 2016, 01:15:39 PM »
Sorry for your loss, my 22 year old Nickel 397P has never been gone into and still a tack driver, scoped or open...good luck
Logged
Memphis,USA
Im a shoot it right out of the box kinda guy
mpbby
Expert
Posts: 1201
Real Name: Marcos
Re: Rest in peace...
«
Reply #8 on:
February 08, 2016, 07:37:12 PM »
I would tell the whole story to Crosman; at least to try to understand what's happening.
If you have a lemon (barrel, rifling) maybe they still consider warranty?
If you don't try, you'll never know..
Best luck!
«
Last Edit: February 08, 2016, 07:55:25 PM by mpbby
»
Logged
São Paulo/Brazil
mentolio
Follow me, I'll show you where to crash.
Sharp Shooter
Posts: 715
Ummmmm.....sure
Real Name: Jeff
Re: Rest in peace...
«
Reply #9 on:
February 08, 2016, 08:29:13 PM »
Mpbby, while their customer service is pretty good, they would not take back the bad .22 barrels I bought. When I called regarding the rifle, I was told that they don't really accuracy test their guns. I can sorta accept them not taking it back. It is out of warranty, and is my fault for not only dragging my feet/not knowing when to quit, but modding the trigger and re crowning the barrel. Also, I imagine they get a lot of guns back claiming accuracy issues from people who don't recognize/accept that some airguns are more difficult to shoot accurately than the powder burners they're used to, and can't be bothered to put in the time (research and practice) to shoot something they see as a "toy" accurately. They don't know me, so they don't know I am not one of those folks.
«
Last Edit: February 08, 2016, 08:31:12 PM by mentolio
»
Logged
Gloucester County, NJ
If I shot half as good as you, you'd still shoot twice as good as me!
Webley Valuemax .20: airgunning's best kept secret...shhhhh!
mpbby
Expert
Posts: 1201
Real Name: Marcos
Re: Rest in peace...
«
Reply #10 on:
February 09, 2016, 12:53:54 AM »
Jeff, as Crosman, I also don't know for sure who you are. Nevertheless, considering another post I've read and this one, you don't seem to me someone superficial with airguns. People may see you just crossing the line (warranty) or trying to solve by yourself, through a rational proceeding. I'm in the second team, also considering the possibility that it can be a barrel problem from the manufacturer. If so, you did nothing to modify that original condition.
Be 100% sincere, mainly very patient.., try them. If they don't think anymore about warranty, it's ok, you already count with that, but they still can help to understand the problem.
After all your efforts, what do you have to lose?
I'm sorry for insisting, but just from my own perspective it would be so hard to stay with the doubt - what was wrong? What to do from now on?
Logged
São Paulo/Brazil
mentolio
Follow me, I'll show you where to crash.
Sharp Shooter
Posts: 715
Ummmmm.....sure
Real Name: Jeff
Re: Rest in peace...
«
Reply #11 on:
April 01, 2016, 08:55:25 PM »
Fast forward a few months:
Crosman wants about 80 bucks for a new barrel, with no garauntee that it would be any better than the first one. Last week I saw a used 397PA barrel and air tube assembly for sale on eBay for 25 bucks plus shipping...so I "bought it now." I figured that if I bought another beat barrel, it may as well cost only 25 bucks as opposed to 80 bucks.
I received the new assembly today. According to the serial number it was manufactured in Sept. of 1998 (mine was a 2014). It was in decent shape, though well used. The rifling in this barrel still has the odd "texture" that my old barrel had, but the rifling is much more pronounced. It has no rear sight, a few dents and dings, and has obvious marks in the paint from a scope mount, otherwise it looked good. The barrel was filthy, and I needed to deburr a couple of spots in the tube, but it otherwise went together splendidly with my bucket-o-parts. All that and a little secret sauce had the junker slinging lead again...and so far it is WAY MORE accurate than it used to be. This gun (so far) shoots like I would have expected a new gun to shoot. I haven't chrony'd it yet, but things are looking up! Whoot!!!
«
Last Edit: April 01, 2016, 09:07:07 PM by mentolio
»
Logged
Gloucester County, NJ
If I shot half as good as you, you'd still shoot twice as good as me!
Webley Valuemax .20: airgunning's best kept secret...shhhhh!
Hare splittin
Plinker
Posts: 146
yes
Real Name: Bill
Re: Rest in peace...
«
Reply #12 on:
April 02, 2016, 03:01:15 AM »
Nice job! Way to make it work.
Logged
Nebraska
bbv13
GTA Senior Contributor
Posts: 2170
yes
Re: Rest in peace...
«
Reply #13 on:
April 02, 2016, 06:23:28 PM »
Well I'm glad you didn't take me up on beating it flat!
Nice to hear you got it shooting good.
Bryan
Logged
NC
mentolio
Follow me, I'll show you where to crash.
Sharp Shooter
Posts: 715
Ummmmm.....sure
Real Name: Jeff
Re: Rest in peace...
«
Reply #14 on:
April 02, 2016, 06:50:50 PM »
Bryan: Totally thought about it, but told myself I could just replace the stock barrel with a Daisy 880/901 straw barrel, with some work. De-soldered the whole mess in preparation for it. Glad I came across this gem instead. It's so nice being able to put every shot I take at a 20oz soda bottle, at twenty yards, not only on the bottle (which was impossible before), but mostly in the little Pepsi symbol on the side! This with sights, absolutely fabulous for me!
Logged
Gloucester County, NJ
If I shot half as good as you, you'd still shoot twice as good as me!
Webley Valuemax .20: airgunning's best kept secret...shhhhh!
bbv13
GTA Senior Contributor
Posts: 2170
yes
Re: Rest in peace...
«
Reply #15 on:
April 03, 2016, 01:03:38 AM »
You just got a really bad one. The older guns do seem to have fewer problems. My 392 is a 1999 model. I think it was the last year it was made with a walnut stock? Anyway it's a tack driver that I will never sell. You did right by getting the 1998 barrel and tube.
Glad it worked out for ya! Now all you have to do is enjoy it and seeing as you put it together it will always be special!
Bryan
Logged
NC
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GTA
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All Springer/NP/PCP Air Gun Discussion General
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Crosman-Benjamin Air Gun Gate
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Rest in peace...