Let's start with Benjamin and Sheridan serial numbers

[Flint]

For anyone willing to share:

1.  let me know if you have a sheridan C serial number greater than 460000 - especially if you happened to have bought it new or know when it was bought or if you have the original manual with the date stamp on the front page or any other reference point for it.

2.  Let me know if you have a benjamin 342 or 347 with a serial number greater than 178000 with no letter prefix, and same thing as above, any date reference you can provide.

3.  Also, with the Benjamins, let me know which version bolt your gun has.  At some point they changed the bolt from the traditional benjamin shaped bolt - which looks like the bolt was just bent 90 degrees, to the chrome sheridan shaped bolt, in which the turn down is more abrupt and looks machined. 

For example,  my benjamin 342 serial number 250193 has a sheridan shaped bolt - except that the end of the bolt is a more distinct "ball" shape, whereas the sheridan bolt terminated in a more gradual pear shape.  This distinction carried through at least with the Racine made 39x (ball shaped) vs. C9 guns (pear shaped) as well    However, one difference between the bolt on my 342 and that on my early racine 397 is the probe.  The bolt probe on my 342 is almost full .22 cal diameter and is hollow, so i looks like the air is supposed to go through the center of the bolt.  On my 397, the probe is skinny allowing the air to go around the probe instead of through it. 

So far I've only seen one other Benjamin, a 347 with an even more recent serial number (260xxx) and it has the same bolt as my gun except on that gun, the bolt is black and not chrome like mine.  The owners manual that came with my gun is stamped 6-90 on the front so it dates at least to mid 1990.  Apparently the 347 is even newer. 

ok, so this is an example of the type of information i'm putting together.  making a timeline for when and what all of the changes were that took place between 85 and 95.  a similar thing has been done already for the pre-85 sheridans.  so i'm putting my OCD efforts into the next time period.   

If you are reading this post well after it was posted, and want to contribute you can send me a pm
Thanks

[Habanero69er]

Both my 342s have a higher number than 178000, both are marked Racine, WI. One is 217264, the other 188545. No idea when they're made. The 216264 is marked weird.
The 1 looks like it's stamped over a "T". If you read it as T7264, then it would be a '69 model. But then it wouldn't be stamped Racine.   

[Flint]

Nice looking 342s!  that top one must be a extended billet steroid?
looks like who ever was stamping in those serial numbers accidentally grabbed either an I or T and then realizing his mistake stamped over it with the appropriate number one.  Its just a neat reminder that these guns were put together by actual people. 

[wjjones]

I don't know if this is helpful, but my Racine Blue Streak has a serial of 494877.  I don't really know when it was made, but I kind of "extrapolated" that it was made in the late '80's.

[Flint]

beautiful Sheridan! I would guess late 1987-early 1988. 

[wjjones]

I was expecting more responses.  There are certainly plenty of Sheridan owners on this forum.

[Flint]

yeah I'm not sure what I expected really, but I'm asking for a pretty narrow window of serial numbers.  Plus most people on an airgun forum are enthusiasts who have bought most of their older guns used.  The guns bought or received new and still with their original owners are probably all leaning in closets collecting dust. 

[johnnyfoos]

If this helps-
 My Sheridan "C", {C for Cannon}
I bought used a year ago from a pawn shop, NOT working $80
Has this # 44XX49                            (1985?)

A very long soaking with ND #30 oil
Fixed it
This doesn't shoot stuff,
It puts HOLES thru stuff

$0.02

[Wayne52]

My Bluestreak I bought new in 77.

[wjjones]

beautiful Sheridan! I would guess late 1987-early 1988.

If true, that's much closer than I could get.  How did you arrive at that time frame? 

[Flint]

   ok, so what I've done is taken what is known and then extrapolated to estimate what is not known.  and the more data points we can put in the known category, the closer our extrapolations will represent reality.  The known recorded serial numbers for benjamin and sheridan rifles end with the end of 1985.  So we add one number to those to start 1986.  I also know that production for the 39x and C9 series guns started Feb. 7th 1991. So assuming that it took some time for them to retool etc, I assumed that no 34X or C-series guns were produced in 1991.  Then did one million google searches and read descriptions and looked at tons of posted photos and recorded as many serial numbers as I could.  Also, I lucked into purchasing a very late as new in box 342 with manual.  The manual is dated June 1990 and the serial number 250193.  Then I found an auction with an even newer 247 with serial number 260xxx.  So if my gun dates to at least mid year 1990, then a serial number 10,000 higher must be very late year production for 1990 and must represent one of the last serial numbers.   So, then I took the last known recorded date and subtracted it from the highest serial number I could find (with some added to it assuming that it wasn't the actual last to roll off the assembly line), and came up with the total number produced over the 5 years without records, and then divided that number by 5 to get the average number produced per year.  Now, of course this could never be perfectly accurate because different numbers were produced each year, but the more data points I can get from people who know when their gun was bought new, I can tweak it closer and closer.  I did the same thing with the sheridan C.  Know that serial number 550xxx was bought in 1990, and the highest number I've seen referenced is 558xxx, and then extrapolated the in between parts. 

below is what I've come up with as estimates for serial number ranges for the years 1996-1990 - please do know that these are total estimates and shouldn't be assumed to be correct, but they should be at least kind of close. 


                    Benjamin               Sheridan   
                 Start          End         Start          End
1982   100001   109340   381451   401050
1983   109341   131130   401051   417410
1984   131131   159640   417411   437800
1985   159641   178080   437801   460940
1986   178081   195080   460941   480940
1987   195081   212080   480941   500940
1988   212081   229080   500941   520940
1989   229081   246080   520941   540940
1990   246081   263080   540941   560940

[Flint]

My Bluestreak I bought new in 77.

and see even this is helpful because even though it dates to a period that we have recorded dates for, it verifies that knowing when you bought a rifle can actual places its production to that year, and that it isn't all just random.  Also your rifle is extra cool because it shares its birth year with me!!!! 

[wjjones]

Wow, thanks!  Benjamin/Sheridan geeks will appreciate your efforts.  Knowing the year my BS was made brings a lot of satisfaction. 

 

[Flint]

If this helps-
 My Sheridan "C", {C for Cannon}
I bought used a year ago from a pawn shop, NOT working $80
Has this # 44XX49                            (1985?)

A very long soaking with ND #30 oil
Fixed it
This doesn't shoot stuff,
It puts HOLES thru stuff

$0.02

Yes, that serial number is solidly within 1985.  I have 448596 that my cousin got in 1985.  When I recovered it, it also did not hold air, but after a visit to MAC1, it now also puts holes through stuff - and with authority.   

[Hoosier Daddy]

Hey Billy,
 Doing some digging on serial numbers, I found this older thread so I hope it will dust out some cobwebs.
I am the proud new owner of a Sheridan Model F and am finding very little info. Not even mentioned on the Crosman data base.
 It is a Racine, rocker safety, round top breech gun with serial number 558345.
Is it safe to assume the F followed the serial number sequence along with the C of the same vintage?
That would make mine a 1990?

[Flint]

Hey Scott, sorry for the delay.  Been crazy busy lately. 

wow, that is the second highest sheridan serial number I've heard of.  With the highest number being just a couple hundred higher. 

and yes, all sheridan guns used the same serial number sequence.  The C, E, F, and H  (well except for the 1990 model E, they got their own number sequence because of the nickel plating). 

so, yes, I would say 1990. 

can you tell me.  on the stock screw - is that flush with the wood, or is it recessed?  some of the very last model Cs had a recessed stock screw. 
 
very cool, congrats. 

[Hoosier Daddy]

Thanks. It is in beautiful condition... so being one of the last makes sense.
Stock screw is definitely counter-sunk, I suppose you might even call it recessed. (see pic)
ps... you can click on the thumbnails twice on these and really see detail.

[A.K.A. Tommy Boy]

Nice Rifle Scott !!!!      Real Nice !       Wow Nice !      UFF DA Nice !     You better get that one " Insured" Nice !      Best Wishes - Tom

[Yng@hrt]

Billy, a little off topic here but; my '79 SS has a rough metal finish. Scott's BS '90 has the same finish. Do you know when this transition took place?

[Flint]

Scott,
WOW! That is a BEAUTIFUL rifle.  Very very nice. 

Marty,

The finish change on the Sheridan rifles changed after 1977.  Until then, both blue and silver streaks had kind of polished finish.  After that they got the matt finish.  My '77 silver is smooth and pretty shiny.