found a benjamin franklin

[mr1000fps]

looking on local classifides last night and there is an add for an old ben franklin. the add said .22 cal pump. has a pic, the gun looks to be in good condition. add says that he bought it thinking it was a 22 and he was disapointed it was a air gun. also states that gun needs restoration...he only wants $40 for it....hmmmm.....any thoughts or ideas?

[lizzie]

That's what I paid for mine, and it's in pretty decent condition. If it isn't ragged out, and it shoots, it's probably worth it (imo).

[aack73]

where was it located? there was a guy listed one some where near fayetteville NC for about that. it had some issues but was probably still worth more than $40. but too far for me to drive to look at it and i wasn't willing to take a chance on him shipping it to me.

[amb5500c]

Buy it. If you dont like it, theres a better than good ghance that I or lizzie or one of the other collectors will buy it from you. But if you can, check it out first. It may treasure or it may be trash.
Richard

[mr1000fps]

well...this is what i know so far...he lives 2 hrs from me. it is a benj. he said model 742 or 342. i know they made a 342 and the older ones had the tootsie roll looking pump on it. this one does not. he also said it needs rebuild cause it doesnt hold air..i know by chance some of them just need a little squirt of oil and some pumping to bring them back to life..it is also not the nickle one either....one more thing he said where the pump hooks on there is a nail holding it, not a pin....well from the pic of the gun,it looks to be in decent condition not great condition...it will probably cost me $35 bucks in gas to go look at this gun.. but im sure he will let it go for between 30-35 bucks maybe less...he also has , in box an old crosman powerline bb co2 pistol, says its a model 1200. this gun looks to be in great condition from the pic i seen. but doesnt daisy make the powerline? correct me if im wrong.....

[lizzie]

See if he will give you the serial number and try to date the gun. There's always the chance that he doesn't really have any idea what he's talking about. A person who would buy an airgun, thinking it's a .22 pb, would leave some question marks in my mind.

[althawk]

$40? I'd probably buy it... unless the barrel wasn't properly attached to the pump tube.
That is less then it should costs to fix it most of the time.
Might help to share the ad photo!

What to look for:
how is the barrel? Is it completely attached to the pump tube? Any soldering work done btw barrel & pump tube?
Hows the bolt? does it cock?
Is the trigger & are the visible trigger parts rusty/damaged?

Take a good long look at that "nail" that is being used as a pin... That's probably the first thing to replace.
Trick will be finding the right pin (roll pin, usually, depends on which pin is missing).
http://www.gatewaytoairguns.org/GTA/index.php/topic,16264.msg141237.html#msg141237


http://anotherairgunblog.blogspot.com/2008/07/benjamin-317-rifle-disassembly-part-1.html

missing a pivot pin : http://anotherairgunblog.blogspot.com/2008/09/fixing-benjamin-312-part-1.html


What to ignore:
any brass showing. its brass not steel, its cosmetic, but do see if he'll knock off a few bucks.
minor/medium scratches in the stock.

As long as the mechanical parts are all in decent condition... chances are its just a new seal... if it pumps up... at $40.. you just robbed HIM...

Once you get it...
clean it inside and out; rubbing alcohol, cotton swabs, paper towel, give it a few drops of pellgun oil ...etc.

[mr1000fps]

well said, i do love the old benj/sheridan  i used to own 1 back in the 80s and it never let me down. if i do decide to spend the 35 bucks in gas to look at this gun i will keep in mind what you told me.....thanks again.

im trying to save for the benj.trail np xl 1100 , but last week i bought a old daisy.and now this !!  HELLO MY NAME IS DENNIS AN IM ADDICTED TO AIR GUNS !!!!!!!!LOL

[aack73]

well said, i do love the old benj/sheridan  i used to own 1 back in the 80s and it never let me down. if i do decide to spend the 35 bucks in gas to look at this gun i will keep in mind what you told me.....thanks again.

im trying to save for the benj.trail np xl 1100 , but last week i bought a old daisy.and now this !!  HELLO MY NAME IS DENNIS AN IM ADDICTED TO AIR GUNS !!!!!!!!LOL

you've taken the 1st step Dennis. you have admitted the problem. most are in denial.

[Jaymo]

I'm an air junkie. I deny nothing. I was looking at an old Ben Franklin 314(?) at the pawn shop a while back that was priced at $145.00.
They wouldn't go less than $145.00 out the door. The nickel was mostly worn down to the brass, it wouldn't take air, and something else was wrong with it.
I passed on on it. But, they found their sucker. Don't know who, but someone bought it.
Just like the FWB300 they were trying to sell a few years ago for $700.00, because their employees had repeatedly dry fired it and damaged the seal/piston/spring.
They had a regular gunsmith repair it and passed the cost on to the poor schmuck who bought it. They said it was professionally repaired.
I asked them who was the airgunsmith who did the work, that perhaps I knew of him.
They told me it was "just some old gunsmith that they take everything to".
I passed on it too. They found a sucker on Gunbroker.