Blue Streak - She's 41 and almost a virgin!

[kudzu]

One Christmas, in the late eighties, an overly optimistic Santa Claus brought my son a Blue Streak he was too small to handle safely and enjoy shooting. It might have been shot 5 or 10 times on Christmas day. I quickly bought him a smaller lighter gun, a Crosman 760, I think, and put the Sheridan back in the box and stuck it on the top shelf of my closet. I had not thought about it again until I recently started reading "Vintage Air Gun Gate." When I took it down and looked at it, I knew somebody should be shooting and enjoying this good-looking old gal! It turned out my son, now in his thirties, did not even remember it, had no interest in it, and told me I was welcome to it.

Though I bought it in the late eighties, the serial number indicates it was manufactured in 1975. That surprised me but, maybe, that's a good thing.

Though he insists not, I want to give my son whatever the gun is worth. Whether he was aware of it, or has any interest in it now, it is his gun. What would be a fair price?

Just behind the loading port, on the left, is a small plate screwed to the receiver. On the right side, slightly further to the rear, are two holes that are tapped. What are these? Are either or both for mounting the Weaver peep sight?

Considering its age, and how long it has been sitting, how would you go about putting it back in service?

[Habanero69er]

Ernie, nice looking rifle. A fair price for something that pristine...$150-200, especially since you already paid for it once. The two holes on the right side of the receiver are for a Williams peep sight.

[ped]

nice rifle but I think your dates are out as that's a cb9sv and they weren't made till 95

[kudzu]

nice rifle but I think your dates are out as that's a cb9sv and they weren't made till 95

Help me figure out what is going on, then. I could be mistaken about exactly when I bought it but, based on my son's age, it seems to me it was 1989. Whenever it was bought, the serial number on it is 116327. What do you think?

[kudzu]

ped has me going, now! If I am way off on when the gun was purchased, this quote from a post by TimmyMac1 in 2013 could explain the age/serial number discrepancy:

I see early transtionals that violate the serial number scheme and create confusion as to when it was made. Early Transitionals had a 6 digit number but they started the sequences over or maybe used old tubes they had and a lot of people come up with a 70's dating for a 90's vintage guns they did during the early and possibly some of the late transitionals. I believe this was due to using the tubes in stock that were from the early production Rockers when they produced the trasitionals. They often added a Letter to the begginning or the end to designate this variant but the Transitionals can be deceiving because of the 6 digit serial numbers taken at face value. Now you know way too much.

[Habanero69er]

That makes sense. I have a 342 that has a serial number that says it's manufactured many years prior to Benjamin moving to Racine, yet it's stamped Racine, WI.   

[kudzu]

That makes sense. I have a 342 that has a serial number that says it's manufactured many years prior to Benjamin moving to Racine, yet it's stamped Racine, WI.   

This gun is stamped Racine. The address printed on the box is Racine. Does any of that tell me anything?

The first thing that convinced me I was wrong about the date purchased, after "ped" called my attention to it and I started looking further, was the fact that it is drilled and tapped for the Weaver peep sight. It also has the Do Not Oil stamped on the tube. The serial number appears to be aberrant for whatever reason. 

 

[anuthabubba]

With that bolt housing, rear plug, safety and trigger guard, it's gotta be an early to mid '90s model.

[kudzu]

With that bolt housing, rear plug, safety and trigger guard, it's gotta be an early to mid '90s model.

Thanks, Yrok! Though, I obviously fell hard for what I wanted to believe when I looked up the serial number, it is what it is. And, whatever year it is, it is in as-new condition and a new toy for me.

After the error of my memory and the facts of life came to light, I had a thought that chilled me to the bone. I am in the mode of getting rid of guns, not getting new ones. Thank God, literally, I did not sell it to someone representing it to be a '75, based on the screwy serial number. That would have been truly embarrassing!

[Rob112o]

Is she holding air and shooting? Was she left with a pump of air in her before you put her away? Head to the local sports store or Walmart and get yourself some Pellgunoil. If they don't have any go to an auto shop and get non-detergent 30w oil. Couple drops on the pump cup/piston head, drop on the piston where the link from pump arm goes in, then a drop on the rivet on the forearm. Close the pump arm and a drop on the roll pin where the forearm connects to pump tube, the roll pin closer to the breech. Do some short pumps up and down to disperse the oil in the tube. Then pump up and fire a couple times. If all seals hold you should be ready to start shootings to your hearts delight!

[bantam5s]

That looks like a 1990 transitional gun to me.

[kudzu]

Is she holding air and shooting? Was she left with a pump of air in her before you put her away? Head to the local sports store or Walmart and get yourself some Pellgunoil. If they don't have any go to an auto shop and get non-detergent 30w oil. Couple drops on the pump cup/piston head, drop on the piston where the link from pump arm goes in, then a drop on the rivet on the forearm. Close the pump arm and a drop on the roll pin where the forearm connects to pump tube, the roll pin closer to the breech. Do some short pumps up and down to disperse the oil in the tube. Then pump up and fire a couple times. If all seals hold you should be ready to start shootings to your hearts delight!

Lots of good info there, Rob!

I would not have known to pump it once before putting it away; so, if I did, it was an accident. Since re-discovering it, I have only pumped it once. There was a lot of resistance and a good puff when I dry fired it. I have some Pellgun Oil, non-detergent 20 weight, non-detergent 30 weight, and Secret Sauce on hand. I was thinking of using the Secret Sauce, would one of the others be better? Whatever I use, I will hit all the points you mention.

I am anxious to get the old gun up and running, and see what it will do.

[kudzu]

That looks like a 1990 transitional gun to me.

Much to my surprise, that turns out to be a possibility. "ped" puts it even later than that. I was clearly mistaken about when I bought it for my son. I am interested to learn more.

[Rob112o]

If you got SS use that. Didn't think you had that so I just suggested something you could pick up today.

[Wayne52]

Very cool here's a pic of my 77

[kudzu]

If you got SS use that. Didn't think you had that so I just suggested something you could pick up today.

Will do. Thanks!

[kudzu]

Very cool here's a pic of my 77

That one IS a beauty!

[Wayne52]

Thanks Ernie! I bought it brand new, scope and all, it's been my go to airgun since until I got the airgun bug again last fall, I mean I'm hooked again worse than ever.  I've got to try to stop buying, this morning I ordered a Crosman 2300T which is highly modifiable, I thought I'll just buy one that I can keep adding too every now and then.

[kudzu]

...I'm hooked again worse than ever.  I've got to try to stop buying...

Not to worry, you only ever need just one more. If push really comes to shove, there is always the mid-life crisis fall-back - I am an old guy and have had many.

[Frank in Fairfield]

This one is mine (one of them).

Looks like yours (except for the scope).
As stated above the holes on the right side of the receiver are for the Williams Peep.
The plate on the left is removed when you want to remove the bolt for proper cleaning of the barrel.
Under the plate is a allen screw that serves to cock the hammer when you operate the bolt.
Remove that screw and you can remove the bolt.
Simple.