GTA
Airguns by Make and Model => Benjamin Airguns => Topic started by: SwampHunter on September 29, 2019, 01:16:00 AM
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Hello everyone, just looking for recommendations/opinions at this point. Since I was a kid and saw them in some magazine, I always wanted a Benji/Sheridan pumper. I'm a lil older now lol but still never had one, although I have always liked the looks of them, have never owned or shot one regretfully. I thought maybe some of you awesome guys/gals could give me a few pointers in what to look in a good one.
In my other airguns I generally prefer .22 or bigger because the .177 pellets are easily fat fingered and dropped or jammed by yours truly. Have no experience with a .20 and while I have no objections to one if they perform better than the .22 in this application, seems like they are limited on selection?
Seems like the newer models aren't made as well as the older ones? This is just what I gather from reading of the problems of others. I know I don't like want the newest model with the synthetic stocks anyway, the wood is part of these rifles appeal to me.
So what year models and calibers would y'all recommend? I'm not after the one that costs the most by any means, am on a limited budget, but want to experience what has so many people in love with these rifles. Thanks for your advice in advance!
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I’m sure you’ll get lots of different opinions on this.
Like you, I always wanted one as a kid, but never had one.
Got back into airguns a few years ago and bought a new Benji 22 cal. from PA.
Never had one of the older models, but happened to have a bad seal on the poppet stem on the new one.
I was glad I had one of the newer ones when I took it apart, as I replaced all the seals while I had it down.
The air valve was easy to remove and replace without the special tool it takes on the older models.
Nothing wrong with having to have that tool, but I sure like being able to completely remove the valve without all that.
The only thing I did’nt like was the front sight was soldered on leaning to the left very noticeably. I’ve read that’s pretty common on the model p and pa.
The older guns had better q c in that regard.
I was able to overcome that by putting a peep sight on and just centering the tip of the front site in the peep and eventually put a scope on.
I’ve since traded a longbow for a brand new in box 2005 pa 397 and love it.
Both rifles are nail drivers with their preferred pellets, but both were very pellet picky.
Not saying buy a new one, just telling you what I like about the new ones inspite of some of the horror stories I read about them before buying one.
Crosman needs to tighten up on soldering those front sights on straight though on the newer guns. No excuse for it... zero!
Oh, if you do get a pa model,be prepared to get the paint overspray out of the muzzle with acetone or fingernail polish remover and q- tips before shooting.
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I would look for a "low mileage" 60s or early 70s vintage Sheridan. They can be had for around 150 bucks or less if you are patient. I got both of mine for about half that much, one at an antique shop and one at a gun show. My '67 has original seals except for the pump cup which I replaced. I put all new seals in my '64, it's not hard to do. Both rifles are hard hitting and very accurate. I have a recent production 392, it doesn't hold a candle to an old Sheridan.
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I would look for a "low mileage" 60s or early 70s vintage Sheridan. They can be had for around 150 bucks or less if you are patient. I got both of mine for about half that much, one at an antique shop and one at a gun show. My '67 has original seals except for the pump cup which I replaced. I put all new seals in my '64, it's not hard to do. Both rifles are hard hitting and very accurate. I have a recent production 392, it doesn't hold a candle to an old Sheridan.
I picked up an early '80's Blue Streak for $40.00(deal of the century) 8) in Mint condition that was already tapped for the Williams Peep sight. Gun wouldn't pump up so I took it to Mac-1 and Tim did his 12 pump on it. At 12 pumps it pushes a 14.3 grain pellet at 739 fps. I have 4 Benjamin pumpers, and I love them all, but I must say I do believe the Sheridan is the "Cadillac" of the bunch! JMHO! dave
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The only thing I did’nt like was the front sight was soldered on leaning to the left very noticeably. I’ve read that’s pretty common on the model p and pa.
The older guns had better q c in that regard.
I was able to overcome that by putting a peep sight on and just centering the tip of the front site in the peep and eventually put a scope on.
I’ve since traded a longbow for a brand new in box 2005 pa 397 and love it.
Both rifles are nail drivers with their preferred pellets, but both were very pellet picky.
Not saying buy a new one, just telling you what I like about the new ones inspite of some of the horror stories I read about them before buying one.
Crosman needs to tighten up on soldering those front sights on straight though on the newer guns. No excuse for it... zero!
Oh, if you do get a pa model,be prepared to get the paint overspray out of the muzzle with acetone or fingernail polish remover and q- tips before shooting.
Is there any way to fix the front sight issue? It does sound nice that you can pull them apart with common tools but the sight leaning would drive me crazy....
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Swamp Hunter
Keep your eyes pealed in the GTA Classifieds ...sometime the show up in there.
I bought a 1979 Silver Streak a few years ago from Yng@hrt ( Marty).
He has a big collection and parted with one
It had been freshly rebuilt with Mac-1 Parts by Rob112o.
Best Wishes My Friend. - Tom
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I would look for a "low mileage" 60s or early 70s vintage Sheridan. They can be had for around 150 bucks or less if you are patient. I got both of mine for about half that much, one at an antique shop and one at a gun show. My '67 has original seals except for the pump cup which I replaced. I put all new seals in my '64, it's not hard to do. Both rifles are hard hitting and very accurate. I have a recent production 392, it doesn't hold a candle to an old Sheridan.
Side by side there is a noticable difference is quality? As I said , I have never saw one , or had my hands on it in person but looking at pics, looks like the older ones are in a different class. The newer ones are 392/397 correct? So I should look for one with the Sheridan name only?
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I would look for a "low mileage" 60s or early 70s vintage Sheridan. They can be had for around 150 bucks or less if you are patient. I got both of mine for about half that much, one at an antique shop and one at a gun show. My '67 has original seals except for the pump cup which I replaced. I put all new seals in my '64, it's not hard to do. Both rifles are hard hitting and very accurate. I have a recent production 392, it doesn't hold a candle to an old Sheridan.
I picked up an early '80's Blue Streak for $40.00(deal of the century) 8) in Mint condition that was already tapped for the Williams Peep sight. Gun wouldn't pump up so I took it to Mac-1 and Tim did his 12 pump on it. At 12 pumps it pushes a 14.3 grain pellet at 739 fps. I have 4 Benjamin pumpers, and I love them all, but I must say I do believe the Sheridan is the "Cadillac" of the bunch! JMHO! dave
Your Cadillac is a nice looking rifle!
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Swamp Hunter
Keep your eyes pealed in the GTA Classifieds ...sometime the show up in there.
I bought a 1979 Silver Streak a few years ago from Yng@hrt ( Marty).
He has a big collection and parted with one
It had been freshly rebuilt with Mac-1 Parts by Rob112o.
Best Wishes My Friend. - Tom
Nice find Tom!
I have been watching there, always nice things! The Sheridan's don't seem to last long for sale though! Thought talking with you guys would educate me a lil more on what I should be looking for when I come across a used one.
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Tom, I have you Silver Streak's twin. I picked up a very nice '79 SS for $90.00 several years ago.
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Tom, I have you Silver Streak's twin. I picked up a very nice '79 SS for $90.00 several years ago.
Dave
Very NICE ! Good Price Too !
Best Wishes My Friend - Tom
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Side by side there is a noticable difference is quality? As I said , I have never saw one , or had my hands on it in person but looking at pics, looks like the older ones are in a different class. The newer ones are 392/397 correct? So I should look for one with the Sheridan name only?
I'd say the early Benjamins (starting with 392P/397P and working backwards through the 342/347 models at least) are as high quality as the Sheridans. Even the early 392PA/397PA guns that still had the "P" style triggers and walnut stocks are very high quality. You wouldn't go wrong with any of them.
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I have had a variety, Sherdan C's and Benjimans old and new.
My prize is a '85 model C that I got from Avator here on GTA, it is latterly like new...
BUT in my youth, I was a Benjiman guy, I had a 342 and the neighbor kid had a Sheridan C.
They were SO close in power and accuracy. But my .22 pellets were easily available.
I now have had 312, 342, 392P and a 392PA, Model C's and Model C9.
I really don't think you could go wrong with either one. ;D
If you are mechanically inclined, either can be resealed pretty easy.
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Nice collection, Scott! I see your a fan of the Williams Peep! That alone makes the gun well worth the extra bucks! dave
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Wow Scott, nice bunch of pumpers.
Guess you don't have to go to the gym.
Hope you switch arms though for pumping.
(Popeye effect)
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Are the Sheridan's only available in .20? Other than that what is the difference in the same years? I didn't realize they were made at the same time time. Thought that Sheridan's were the really old ones and then switched to bejimans?
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I have had a variety, Sherdan C's and Benjimans old and new.
My prize is a '85 model C that I got from Avator here on GTA, it is latterly like new...
BUT in my youth, I was a Benjiman guy, I had a 342 and the neighbor kid had a Sheridan C.
They were SO close in power and accuracy. But my .22 pellets were easily available.
I now have had 312, 342, 392P and a 392PA, Model C's and Model C9.
I really don't think you could go wrong with either one. ;D
If you are mechanically inclined, either can be resealed pretty easy.
Great collection!! Really like the look of the peeps on them vs. scopes.( Please don't kill me scope guys)
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Side by side there is a noticable difference is quality? As I said , I have never saw one , or had my hands on it in person but looking at pics, looks like the older ones are in a different class. The newer ones are 392/397 correct? So I should look for one with the Sheridan name only?
I'd say the early Benjamins (starting with 392P/397P and working backwards through the 342/347 models at least) are as high quality as the Sheridans. Even the early 392PA/397PA guns that still had the "P" style triggers and walnut stocks are very high quality. You wouldn't go wrong with any of them.
Not sure what the p style trigger looks like but, but I will research it asap. Thank you for your help
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A Sheridan with a Williams 5D-SH peep is a perfect set-up in my (and others) opinion.
Ya see, it gets confusing in that originally the was Sheridan, Benjiman, and Crosman... All 3 sepperate and competitors in the market.
Then Benjiman bought Sheridan, Later Crosman bought Benjiman and got the Sheridan brand name as well..
The later "Sheridan" (Crosman) C9A's could be had in calibers other than .20 but they were essentially Benjimans design.
Clear as mud... right?
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Research "soldered valve" (early) then "cartridge valve" (modern).
Then there is the trigger group.
Early ones were great, newer... not so much. ;)
In all honesty. PM Rob112o... he taught me a lot!
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A Sheridan with a Williams 5D-SH peep is a perfect set-up in my (and others) opinion.
Ya see, it gets confusing in that originally the was Sheridan, Benjiman, and Crosman... All 3 sepperate and competitors in the market.
Then Benjiman bought Sheridan, Later Crosman bought Benjiman and got the Sheridan brand name as well..
The later "Sheridan" (Crosman) C9A's could be had in calibers other than .20 but they were essentially Benjimans design.
Clear as mud... right?
Lol, thank you that cleared the mud up alot!
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Research "soldered valve" (early) then "cartridge valve" (modern).
Then there is the trigger group.
Early ones were great, newer... not so much. ;)
Will do, are the soldered ones serviceable? By a novice that is lol
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With a special tool that is available on Pyramyd Air, Baker Airguns and others.
Or post here on GTA, some have been known to "loan" theirs.
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The only thing I did’nt like was the front sight was soldered on leaning to the left very noticeably. I’ve read that’s pretty common on the model p and pa.
The older guns had better q c in that regard.
I was able to overcome that by putting a peep sight on and just centering the tip of the front site in the peep and eventually put a scope on.
I’ve since traded a longbow for a brand new in box 2005 pa 397 and love it.
Both rifles are nail drivers with their preferred pellets, but both were very pellet picky.
Not saying buy a new one, just telling you what I like about the new ones inspite of some of the horror stories I read about them before buying one.
Crosman needs to tighten up on soldering those front sights on straight though on the newer guns. No excuse for it... zero!
Oh, if you do get a pa model,be prepared to get the paint overspray out of the muzzle with acetone or fingernail polish remover and q- tips before shooting.
Is there any way to fix the front sight issue? It does sound nice that you can pull them apart with common tools but the sight leaning would drive me crazy....
Drove me nuts too with the original rear notch sight, but not so much with the peep in place.
The sight is actually in line with the bbl., but the bbl. is soldered on slightly left of center of the pump and air tube... makes it all lean slightly left.
Shoots straight, does’nt look right though.
I suppose the front sight post could be cut off and re-soldered straight? Or the whole bbl. cut from the tube and re-soldered on the center line of the tube... big time professional job there!
In all fairness though, it shoots phenomenal just as is!
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The only thing I did’nt like was the front sight was soldered on leaning to the left very noticeably. I’ve read that’s pretty common on the model p and pa.
The older guns had better q c in that regard.
I was able to overcome that by putting a peep sight on and just centering the tip of the front site in the peep and eventually put a scope on.
I’ve since traded a longbow for a brand new in box 2005 pa 397 and love it.
Both rifles are nail drivers with their preferred pellets, but both were very pellet picky.
Not saying buy a new one, just telling you what I like about the new ones inspite of some of the horror stories I read about them before buying one.
Crosman needs to tighten up on soldering those front sights on straight though on the newer guns. No excuse for it... zero!
Oh, if you do get a pa model,be prepared to get the paint overspray out of the muzzle with acetone or fingernail polish remover and q- tips before shooting.
Is there any way to fix the front sight issue? It does sound nice that you can pull them apart with common tools but the sight leaning would drive me crazy....
Drove me nuts too with the original rear notch sight, but not so much with the peep in place.
The sight is actually in line with the bbl., but the bbl. is soldered on slightly left of center of the pump and air tube... makes it all lean slightly left.
Shoots straight, does’nt look right though.
I suppose the front sight post could be cut off and re-soldered straight? Or the whole bbl. cut from the tube and re-soldered on the center line of the tube... big time professional job there!
In all fairness though, it shoots phenomenal just as is!
Glad that it works for you but I couldn't do it. I would either fix it, break it attempting to fix it ;D or get rid of it. Small things like that bother me, idk why
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Put a WTB in the members classified for a ‘Dan. I’m sure someone will respond.
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Years ago when I took my '84 Sheridan to Mac-1. I had a scope on my 347 which is a "Tack driver"! He told me with the extra pumping to be done on his modified Sheridan, It would be best to put the Williams Peep on it! Don't ever doubt the "Master" 8) dave
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Swamp Hunter, I sent you a pm with a Craig’s List ad I came across.
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I appreciate it but not looking to buy one at the moment, kids birthdays and holidays coming lol. Just looking to learn enough about them to make an educated buy , possibly after Christmas
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I prefer the Sheridans made from the 50's to early 70's the best. I always have one that I will sell, when you are interested. Most of mine are in very good to excellent condition.
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I prefer the Sheridans made from the 50's to early 70's the best. I always have one that I will sell, when you are interested. Most of mine are in very good to excellent condition.
Ok, thanks I will remember that when the time comes. I would rather buy for someone on here I can trust!
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The 392 woodie is available in the ACP (air conserving pumper) upgrade mod. google that. Not sure if they do it in the .177. They address the trigger and debounce the hammer as well as update the valve and porting. 2 shot at full power with no pumping on the second. Then only 3 pumps to get those two shots available again. It will be my next pumper. If I remember correctly they are available thru Baker Airguns. Someone will tell you if I'm mistaken.
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The 392 woodie is available in the ACP (air conserving pumper) upgrade mod. google that. Not sure if they do it in the .177. They address the trigger and debounce the hammer as well as update the valve and porting. 2 shot at full power with no pumping on the second. Then only 3 pumps to get those two shots available again. It will be my next pumper. If I remember correctly they are available thru Baker Airguns. Someone will tell you if I'm mistaken.
Yeah, I Googled it! I already have a 392 Chrysler Hemi in a '61 Studebaker Lark! Sooo! ;) dave
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The 392 woodie is available in the ACP (air conserving pumper) upgrade mod. google that. Not sure if they do it in the .177. They address the trigger and debounce the hammer as well as update the valve and porting. 2 shot at full power with no pumping on the second. Then only 3 pumps to get those two shots available again. It will be my next pumper. If I remember correctly they are available thru Baker Airguns. Someone will tell you if I'm mistaken.
I checked it out and while it looks pretty cool on the surface, Mac1 says no go and his opinion seems to be respected by all. I really would like to have an older one myself I think.
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The 392 woodie is available in the ACP (air conserving pumper) upgrade mod. google that. Not sure if they do it in the .177. They address the trigger and debounce the hammer as well as update the valve and porting. 2 shot at full power with no pumping on the second. Then only 3 pumps to get those two shots available again. It will be my next pumper. If I remember correctly they are available thru Baker Airguns. Someone will tell you if I'm mistaken.
I checked it out and while it looks pretty cool on the surface, Mac1 says no go and his opinion seems to be respected by all. I really would like to have an older one myself I think.
If Tim says it.........it's "Gospel" in my book ;) dave
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The 392 woodie is available in the ACP (air conserving pumper) upgrade mod. google that. Not sure if they do it in the .177. They address the trigger and debounce the hammer as well as update the valve and porting. 2 shot at full power with no pumping on the second. Then only 3 pumps to get those two shots available again. It will be my next pumper. If I remember correctly they are available thru Baker Airguns. Someone will tell you if I'm mistaken.
I checked it out and while it looks pretty cool on the surface, Mac1 says no go and his opinion seems to be respected by all. I really would like to have an older one myself I think.
Never knew Mr T,Mac said nope. thx. gotta check that out. He's most def. Mr. Benji god. my Roid 392 is not to be denied it's props.
Too bad. but if it sounds to good to be true.........
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What is y'all's opinion in the .20 vs .22? All my other guns are .22 or .25, don't really care for .177so it would be between those two. Thinking that if I go with .22 pellet selection is better, plus I already have lots of them. On the other hand maybe that's a reason to try a .20, and the fact that a .20 almost seems like part of the Sheridan pumper experience lol. How are they on trajectory and power for hunting squrrils/rabbits? Does one stand out above the other in this platform?
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What is y'all's opinion in the .20 vs .22? All my other guns are .22 or .25, don't really care for .177so it would be between those two. Thinking that if I go with .22 pellet selection is better, plus I already have lots of them. On the other hand maybe that's a reason to try a .20, and the fact that a .20 almost seems like part of the Sheridan pumper experience lol. How are they on trajectory and power for hunting squrrils/rabbits? Does one stand out above the other in this platform?
The average ,20 is the same weight 14.3 grains as most .22's 14.3 gr. I believe the Sheridan, due to its increased chamber volume and longer stroke provides increase air pressure.
I can't get a 12 stroke .22 Benjamin to push as hard as the 12 stroke .20 Sheridan. It's not the pellet....it's the gun! dave
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What is y'all's opinion in the .20 vs .22? All my other guns are .22 or .25, don't really care for .177so it would be between those two. Thinking that if I go with .22 pellet selection is better, plus I already have lots of them. On the other hand maybe that's a reason to try a .20, and the fact that a .20 almost seems like part of the Sheridan pumper experience lol. How are they on trajectory and power for hunting squrrils/rabbits? Does one stand out above the other in this platform?
I have owned Sheridans since the 1950's & all the small game I took with them, would fill a pick-up truck ! Pellet selection is limited with a .20, but all Sheridans are accurate rifles. Remember, True Sheridans are .20, only . You don't need to buy many different brands of pellets to find one your rifle likes , like you do with a TWANGER ! No, Wally World won't have .20's in stock, but most don't have decent quality pellets of any caliber in stock. LOVE the adjustable power of a pumper ! Three pumps for target practice /plinking, 5 for small game , 8, the maximum , for larger game or longer distances. As a teen, I killed a medium size rabid dog that was in our area, with one head shot.
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Sounds like the .20 is the way to go!
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You could fill an entire gate here on that discussion alone.
Kind of like on the Car / Truck / Motorcycle forums asking which oil is better. ;)
I am now buying guns other than Sheridans in .20 but have some .22 I like as well.
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Older is better,
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You could fill an entire gate here on that discussion alone.
Kind of like on the Car / Truck / Motorcycle forums asking which oil is better. ;)
I am now buying guns other than Sheridans in .20 but have some .22 I like as well.
Royal purple or amsoil of course! Hahaha!
Didn't realize it was that big of a discussion lol, seems like a lot of opinions vary then? Better try the .20 then, simply because I haven't had one!
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Are the Sheridan's only available in .20? Other than that what is the difference in the same years? I didn't realize they were made at the same time time. Thought that Sheridan's were the really old ones and then switched to bejimans?
The Benjamin Franklin air rifle company started long before ww2.
But Bob Krause and Ed Wackerhagen ( probably spelled 'em wrong ) created Sheridan products Inc in the late 40's and we're later purchased by Benjamin in '77 and nothing really changed till crosman got both around I believe '91.
I've heard Sheridan's often had a reputation for better accuracy due to their slightly better quality of pellet, the caliber itself doesn't really seem to actually end up offering too much over .22 In a C series Sheridan blue streak vs say a Benjamin 312 or 342 when the most common pellet options in either caliber are 14.3gr. it really is the gun not the caliber.
Power and pumping efficiency is a bit better on a Sheridan streak, but accuracy and build quality is pretty much on par.
It's the more refined Sheridan design and form that really sets it apart.
I like my '67 312 with the " Tootsie roll " shaped pump handle handle because it's just a nice sleek little rifle with good pop, but while it's perfectly adequate for pumping it's just a pump handle and not a forearm which I feel is better
The Sheridan's had more thought put into the hold while pumping but also how you'll hold the rifle when shooting.
You've got a longer fatter forearm to pump with that is nice to hold onto while shooting and at some point not too far down the line they started to include a ribbed rubber hand grip that pops onto the barrel just in front of the receiver so you've got a comfortable place to hold the gun while pumping.
Probably feedback from streak owners since they are a bit harder to pump than a Benjamin 312 / 317.
The earlier benjamin guns are nice little rifles but the round little pump handle is not as nice for extended shooting than an actual forearm that really gives you something to hold onto.
I don't know why the little pump handle would seem less than ideal for anything compared to an actual forearm but it does.
I say the c sereis Sheridans at are the best of the two, but while my '82 342 is kind of rough I can say they're a great gun and would be a fine choice over a streak if you wanted .22.
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Looks like I'm late to this party, but wanted to add my 0.02. First, .20 vs .22. I have both and prefer .22. There is a far, far greater variety of pellets available for .22 than .20. For just plinking, decent (non-premium) .22 pellets can be had much cheaper than .20. For hunting, yes the standard weight is the same for .20 and .22 but you can get .22 pellets that are double the weight of the heaviest .20 pellet, and the Benjis generally shoot those heavy pellets well.
Old vs. new: My recommendation is to get a new one and an old one. First, on the new one. I have two, 392PAs (which is the new model) and neither has the leaning sight. Both are accurate, too. In my opinion the folks who buy a new one that's not perfect out of the box do the rest of us a huge disservice by making far too much of it. It has a warranty. It is still made in USA. Like any mass produced item, yes some have a flaw. If you get one of those, return it! That's what the warranty is for. If they were hand made with loving care, they would cost $1000+.
Everyone has heard the sour-grapes reports from a few folks who received a 392 that didn't measure up. If their intention is to cause the last decent quality American pumper to be discontinued due to lack of sales, they're doing a great job.
Trigger: Yes, the trigger is imperfect (but generally usable) out of the box. That's the reality of the lawyered-up society we live in. However, there is a lot you can do to that trigger to improve it. It is a better-designed and more robust trigger mechanism than the older ones. And if you mess up while working on it, Crosman will sell you a complete new trigger assembly for a few bucks. Btw, the trigger assembly and trigger guard are metal. I've read on some forums that it is plastic. That is totally untrue.
Valve: The new ones have a drop-in brass cartridge valve. Much easier to work on than the old ones. You can buy a complete replacement from Crosman for a few bucks. They are easy to work on, and you can mod one to your heart's content, for more power. If something happens and you mess it up, or just want to return it to stock for any reason, just drop a new valve (or the original one you set back) in.
While we're still on the subject of the new ones, let's touch on the ACP (Air Conserving Pumper) that someone else mentioned. It wasn't Baker Airguns that (allegedly) sold those; it was Airguns Of Arizona. I tried to buy one. AoA couldn't even be bothered to return any of my communication, either to sell me an airgun or answer any questions. Baker Airguns is a top notch company in my experience, and I don't hesitate to recommend them to anyone. But they don't sell the ACP. Apparently, neither does anyone else. So I built my own. Later, I "un-ACP'd" it.
I think the guy who came up with that idea has a bad rep anyway. But it's not difficult to mod a standard 392PA into an ACP, or a Steroid using a few parts from MAC1.
Ok, on to the old ones. Yes, I love those too. However, I recommend only buying one from one of the established members of this forum, or from Baker Airguns. Here's why: First, these were mass produced too, and some of them had flaws. Fortunately, most of the ones that have survived are pretty good. I think that is for a couple of reasons. First, they're airguns. Like most airguns, some were abused and neglected and did not survive. A lot of the better ones have survived because their owners liked them well enough to want to take care of them. Second, the triggers and other working parts have worn-in and become smoother from years of use.
The triggers on the older ones are one thing I want to address. Some of them do indeed have wonderful triggers. But these are not high quality trigger mechanisms. Some of them are very smooth from years of use, but they are very simple and cheap to produce. They are made of stamped steel and have no adjustments. If you compare them to firearms from the same era, they in no way compare to a high quality firearm. They are more similar to a bottom-end, utilitarian gun like a cheap single-shot .22 rifle.
I have several of the old ones. A couple of those are good examples of what I'm talking about. One of them had an absolutely atrocious trigger when I first got it. Now that I have shot it quite a bit, it is getting better. But the typical new 392 still has a better trigger than this one. The other one has a very, very light trigger. It is smooth. But it is really lighter than is safe for such a simple trigger mechanism. With very much more wear, it will become even more unsafe until it won't remain cocked at all.
If you have one of these older ones and the trigger has a problem, about all you can do is find another used trigger (from one of the guns that didn't survive as a shootable example) and hope that fixes it. These triggers are not adjustable, and you can't make them adjustable unless you have the skills to build a whole new, different mechanism.
Valves: the old ones have soldered-in valves. They are kind of tedious to get back together, and a lot of people have cross-threaded them while attempting to do so. That pretty much renders it a parts gun. It's possible in some cases to desolder the valve, recut the threads and resolder it. It might even be possible to recut threads without desoldering. But in either case it would cost more to have that done than to just buy another gun.
One more thing: a lot of these old guns cannot develop full power because they start retaining air after 5, 4 or even fewer pumps. That can be fixed, but it requires disassembly and spring replacement.
One last thing about the old ones: it took the factories a few tries to get the safety right. The earliest Sheridan Streak had a safety you had to hold down to shoot, and most people just disabled it by jamming a toothpick or something in there to hold it down. The early Benjamins had a safety that was unreliable and unsafe, by their own admission. I personally like the rocker safety of the later Sheridan Streaks, as do most people. But the fact is that the new 392 has a more reliable and robust safety than any of the old ones.
All the above is why I recommend only buying the old ones from well-established GTA members or Baker Airguns. If you buy one off Gunbroker or whatever, there is a huge chance of getting ripped off or just getting one that is sub-par or has a major internal problem (cross-threaded for example) and the seller won't let you return it, or insists that you pay for return shipping. Been there, done that.
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Thank you both for all the info, great stuff!