Benjamin bolt differences

[confederatemule]

I have two Benjamin BB caliber rifles. One is a 310 and the other one is a 340. Their bolts are just alike, a hole in the very end that the BB fits into and a hole in the side that the air passes through to push the BB out.
I have two Benjamin .177 caliber rifles. They are both 317. Their bolts have an end that is solid and shaped to fit into the skirt of the pellet. All other Benjamins .177's that I have owned had a bolt like this. They were 317 rifles, back when they were not considered vintage.

I have one Benjamin .22 caliber rifle. It is a 342. (I just got it firing yesterdy) The bolt on it looks just like the BB bolts. Is this the way it should be? I've never looked at any other .22 before.

Mule

[longhunter]

The older guns had the flow through bolts. Later models had the probes. I' m inclined to believe that it was a cost saving measure.

[Hoosier Daddy]

I just checked my early 312 and it's bolt is solid.
I thought the BB Benji's bolt was hollow to press the BB into when loading?

[Back_Roads]

 Did any of them have magnets in to hold a bb in place ?

[Hoosier Daddy]

I don't know? Did they have steel BB's? A magnet wouldn't hold a lead or copper BB.
The bolts with a magnet I am familiar with, the magnet was at the rear to hold the bolt open while loading.

[longhunter]

I just checked my early 312 and it's bolt is solid.
I thought the BB Benji's bolt was hollow to press the BB into when loading?

I've repaired 2 different Benji's that had hollow probes, both in .22, one was a pistol. The 310 were designed to shoot round lead balls, not steel bbs.

[Flint]

I have a last year (1990) 342 and it has a hollow bolt probe.  I'm pretty sure all the 342's I've seen had hollow bolt probes. 

I don't think the .22 cal benjamin bolts became solid until they switched to the 392.  My 1991 392 has a solid bolt probe. 

[confederatemule]

I shore preciate the responses. I've learned a lot.

Thanks
Mule