Marty, with your guns being so close to "mint" condition you might be able clear up a thought I have had on the finishes used on the brass.On your 312s, is it glossy like a black nickle?Mine is so worn that there was none left to tell, that is why I polished the brass, there was silver nickle left on portions.But my 342 is a dark brown with a texture similar to Parkerizing. That is just as I remember my first one having when I bought it brand new in the mid seventies.I think Benjiman changed their process at some point...Your photo above seems to confirm this, the 312 on top has a gloss by the flash while the 342 is dull.
hook... line... and sinker. Seriously, I thought you may be able to clarify when the difference took place.
Marty,As a big Benjamin pumper fan I have been really enjoying this thread and especially like seeing those "minty fresh" specimens you have.This latest post is very timely for me as I have a 397PA arriving tomorrow or the next day, and it's the early variety with the "P" group trigger. I don't know if it will have the soldered or the removable valve but either way, I'm more than good with it. What was most important to me was that it had the "P" style trigger.This stock spring that you mention (which I'm now thinking I might have on this new gun) - it seems like the only thing this would do for the gun is make the trigger harder to pull, am I right? If that's the case, it will be coming out, unless you tell me it has to be there for some other reason. Thanks.
Thank you very much Marty for your most interesting answers to my questions. Really nice paperwork there too. Do you collect Benjamin paperwork as well as the guns? 99% sure the answer is yes. At least for me, airgun collecting also means collecting associated things; paperwork and boxes to start with. You probably know this website, but it contains nice Benjamin info/photos/paperwork: http://cinedux.com/benjamin-air-pistols-and-rifles.phpThe mirror-like finish of the black nickel on that 312 is stunning. Too bad that this finish is sensitive to wear. It might be something that can be redone, in order to restore to original finish. Although I do find that some wear to blued steel adds character, I must admit that I'm not a big fan of the all-brass look. It might grow on me. And if I'm going to find an old Benjamin, it probably won't have mirror-finish black nickel.Aha, that's interesting. "Dan"/"She" vs. Benjamin. .22 caliber - yes, it delivers the message rather well. I read that Sheridan only did .20 because that meant that people could only buy their pellets? Not sure if this is true. But there's obviously a lot of marketing behind airguns. Can't blame them, as I guess it was already a competitive business. Don't think that anyone ever got rich of selling airguns. Would the Sheridan/Benjamin/Crosman bosses back in the days have been driven around in a Chrysler? Who knows! They did make fantastic guns that sold worldwide and still have a huge following, as far as I can see. That's a huge reward in itself. Ok, I'm straying off topic. But nice to learn more about Benjamins. I must admit that I have had a look on Ebay...
Louis,Your last question is probably the most difficult for me to answer. I love all my Benjamin’s although there’s no denying a nice Sheridan Model C. I might get into a lot of trouble for saying this but…I will say without hesitation that a Dan is second to none when it comes to design features & performance with respect to American made AG’s. IMHO a Dan’s feel & trigger are far superior to any other. There is a reason most folks refer to their Dan's as "She". ALTHOUGH where a Vintage Benjamin out shines a Dan is in its line of .22 cals. Just that small increase in size makes a tremendous difference in energy delivered. I have witnessed it several times hunting small game. So having said all that, it would have been incredible if Sheridan had come out with a .22 cal. during its heyday. One can only imagine what that model would have been like. I think nearly every collector of vintage pumpers will agree, the Sheridans are the best ever made. It's worth noting however, the Sheridan C model relied heavily on the design of Benjamin guns already in production at the time. After the financial failure of the renowned A and B models, Sheridan basically made a copy of the Benjamin 3xx, with a few of their own design details and attention to fit and finish. Crosman made the first underlever pumpers starting in the 20s. Benjamin didn't make any till a dozen or more years later, likely because of patent law.
I think nearly every collector of vintage pumpers will agree, the Sheridans are the best ever made. It's worth noting however, the Sheridan C model relied heavily on the design of Benjamin guns already in production at the time. After the financial failure of the renowned A and B models, Sheridan basically made a copy of the Benjamin 3xx, with a few of their own design details and attention to fit and finish. Crosman made the first underlever pumpers starting in the 20s. Benjamin didn't make any till a dozen or more years later, likely because of patent law.
Quote from: RBQChicken on February 25, 2019, 10:35:15 PMMarty,As a big Benjamin pumper fan I have been really enjoying this thread and especially like seeing those "minty fresh" specimens you have.This latest post is very timely for me as I have a 397PA arriving tomorrow or the next day, and it's the early variety with the "P" group trigger. I don't know if it will have the soldered or the removable valve but either way, I'm more than good with it. What was most important to me was that it had the "P" style trigger.This stock spring that you mention (which I'm now thinking I might have on this new gun) - it seems like the only thing this would do for the gun is make the trigger harder to pull, am I right? If that's the case, it will be coming out, unless you tell me it has to be there for some other reason. Thanks.Randy- just curious if you received your gun & what your impression is of the "stock spring". Did you find that your trigger pull improved w/o it?