Benjamin-Sheridan C9 (ca 1995)

[Jack D]

I purchased a Benjamin-Sheridan C9, .20 cal. in July 1995. Researching this airgun, I'm having trouble finding details about the gun's specifications. It is Marked "Benjamin-Sheridan, C9, 5mm" and has a 9 digit serial number with no letters. The Crosman records do not show any 9 digit serial numbers.

I'd like to lighten and smooth the trigger. It has no slack, but does have too much creep and is very heavy. I find two springs, one at the rear of the trigger and another pushing up on the sear section from the stock. I don't see any reason for the one under the sear. It looks like I can lower the sear some by grinding it down to remove the creep then smooth the mating surfaces to lighten the trigger pull. Removing the spring under the sear is also an option.

It looks pretty straight forward, but I'm wondering if there are any pitfalls that I haven't seen.

The below exploded parts drawing looks like my rifle, but I'm not sure it is correct. The trigger assembly looks the same. The spring I think I can remove is circled in red.

[Jack D]

I removed the sear spring and all seems OK. Trigger is noticeably lighter. Creep is still there. Modifications to limit sear engagement is in the thinking stage. Grind down top of sear? That seems like the best way to go, but perhaps there is a way to make sear engagement adjustable???

Any thoughts from those that have been down this path?

[OleTomCat]

Jack,

I would recommend you contact Timmy at Mac1, he is the guru on these guns...

[Jack D]

Jack,

I would recommend you contact Timmy at Mac1, he is the guru on these guns...

Thanks, OTC

I'm reluctant to contact someone in the business. Kinda like asking my mechanic what's wrong with my car so I can fix it myself. Just my hang-up.

It looks like a pretty straight forward operation....grind off the top of the sear to limit engagement, polish the engagement area. Questions that come to mind is the hardness of the trigger/sear part. Surely it is tempered/hardened, but how? Is it case hardened, or hardened clear through? Is it brittle (my trigger is not centered and favors one side)? Can it be straightened without breaking? I don't know if a replacement can be had, so I'm reluctant to start hacking until I know more about it. Trigger creep is ~1/8" (at the bottom of the trigger) and that make it hard to be very accurate.

[OleTomCat]

Tim is a supporter of this forum and offers his words of wisdom pretty freely, not speaking for him, but I have seen him answer other people's questions on their guns for stuff that he charges to do.

He just did the steroid treatment on my gun and it came out great....

[Jack D]

Tim is a supporter of this forum and offers his words of wisdom pretty freely, not speaking for him, but I have seen him answer other people's questions on their guns for stuff that he charges to do.

He just did the steroid treatment on my gun and it came out great....

Being new to this forum, I've just become aware of the "steroid" treatment of the C9 series. Still trying to figure out just what it is and what advantages it may have. Is the extra oomph worth the added cost (to me). $$$ are not easy to come by these days. I usually only pump my C9 6 times and haven't found much that it can't handle in the way of varmints. I suspect it will handle most anything up to rabbit size with the full 8 pumps.

What are the pro's and con's of the steroid modifications? From what I've been able to discern, it gains about 100 fps velocity.....not a bad thing. More pumps to get more pressure? Harder to pump? Accuracy (it would be difficult to improve on accuracy)? Does more pressure mean less life?

So many unknowns, including the price to modify a C9 like mine.

[Sheridan 74]

I'd becareful about grinding on those parts. I just polished the mating surfaces on mine, the sear and hammer, and now my trigger is a tad sensitive.

Jeff

[Jack D]

I'd becareful about grinding on those parts. I just polished the mating surfaces on mine, the sear and hammer, and now my trigger is a tad sensitive.

Jeff

Careful, I am, Jeff. I just sent an email to Crosman to see if the triggers are still available and at what cost. With spares, I can set aside my fears.

I also ordered a pair of 30mm rings. I have a Bushnell Trophy Red/Green dot sight (four reticle) just sitting around doing nothing useful. Not sure I'll like it on the C9, but will try it. The 2X pistol scope on it now is too far from my eye for quick acqisition of moving targets. It's OK for paper targets, but I'm thinking the red/green dot sight will be faster. Mounted rearward of the rear open sight, it will be even with the loading port and much closer to my eye.

[Jack D]

Having nothing else to do, I decided "nothing ventured, nothing gained" so I removed the trigger and tested for hardness with a fine mill file. Hard, but the file did cut it. I filed the top of the sear, but did not touch the mating surfaces. Re-assembled and tested. It did remove some creep, but not enough. It would be easy to go too far, so I'll wait now until I hear from Crosman about the trigger replacement availability and price. If it's still available, I'll order a replacement to have on hand. While I had the trigger out, I noticed that the brass guide was spread open. I adjusted so the slot was parallel and that took a lot of side slop out of the trigger. Much better than it was.

[Jack D]

I just sent an email to Crosman to see if the triggers are still available and at what cost.

I also ordered a pair of 30mm rings. I have a Bushnell Trophy Red/Green dot sight (four reticle) just sitting around doing nothing useful. Not sure I'll like it on the C9, but will try it. The 2X pistol scope on it now is too far from my eye for quick acqisition of moving targets. It's OK for paper targets, but I'm thinking the red/green dot sight will be faster. Mounted rearward of the rear open sight, it will be even with the loading port and much closer to my eye.

Crosman never bothered to reply to my request for information about a replacement trigger.

In the meantime, I've been experimenting with scope/red dot placement using parts on hand. My scope base is the one piece split unit which really is two pieces. My scope is a 2x20 pistol scope which I originally mounted forward of the rear open sight. This worked, but was so far from my eye that it was difficult to get a good sight picture in a hurry. Then I mounted my Bushnell Trophy red/green dot sight rear of the rear open sight. That was faster to aquire the target, but the glare from the lighted reticule would blot out the target in dim light and no amount of adjusting either the color, intensity or polarized lens would help. I then went back to the scope, but mounted it rear of the rear open site then pushed it as far forward as possible. Again this works, but my eye must be in exactly the right place to aquire the target. The bottom view is what I've ended up with (photo below).

Really, it seems to me that the stock is the problem. The fit is horrible for any kind of scope use. The comb is resting on my jaw...not just under my cheek bone like it should be. A new stock is in the planning stages and I guess I'll have to make my own since no one seems to make a decent replacement for the C9 and even if they did, it would be over my budget anyway.

[cwlongshot]

I can sympathize with the issues of scope mounting a gun that's comb is too low for good cheek weld!!  I have used a number of things to try and improve it... One that may work for you uses a neoprene sleeve to cover the stock and hold foam cushions shaped to lift the cheek for proper alignment.

Another would be to cut the top of the stock flat, then glue on wood of appropriate height and then cut and shape it to a smooth finish. I have done this one too, its allot of work.

As for the trigger work, your on to it, just keep going slow. As for the part call or email MAC1 for the part!! Keep after the Sheridan, its a good one and worth the effort to make it better!!

I am rebuilding one myself!! With luck I will have a second with in a week... who knows what condition it will be in.. I'm betting the seals will be gone.

Good luck,
CW

[Jack D]

I can sympathize with the issues of scope mounting a gun that's comb is too low for good cheek weld!!  I have used a number of things to try and improve it... One that may work for you uses a neoprene sleeve to cover the stock and hold foam cushions shaped to lift the cheek for proper alignment.

Another would be to cut the top of the stock flat, then glue on wood of appropriate height and then cut and shape it to a smooth finish. I have done this one too, its allot of work.

As for the trigger work, your on to it, just keep going slow. As for the part call or email MAC1 for the part!! Keep after the Sheridan, its a good one and worth the effort to make it better!!

I am rebuilding one myself!! With luck I will have a second with in a week... who knows what condition it will be in.. I'm betting the seals will be gone.

Good luck,
CW

Thanks for the suggestions. I've consider many of them (to raise the comb), but there are so many things about the stock that I don't like.....shape of the forearm/pump lever, pistol grip shape as well as the comb.  I've made stocks before from raw wood (maple and teak, see attached composite photos) and it is rewarding. I'm really looking forward to making one for the Benjamin Sheridan. I favor the "traditional" sporter type similar to the one pictured below. Although I believe the Monte Carlo comb will need to be higher and the forearm/pump lever shaped differently. I have it pictured in my mind. I just need to locate the right piece of wood.