Frank Mihalyi collection

[DT Fletcher]

Frank Mihalyi was an executive at Benjamin and held several Benjamin airgun patents. Up on the bay in the US are a number of mint condition pistols and rifles from the late 1930s. Perhaps one of the more interesting Benjamin collections to ever come up for auction.

Some guys from outside the US are having problems accessing these auctions, they should show up if you search on Frank Mihalyi after having clicked the worldwide search option. However, just in case, I have grabbed some of the auction pictures and posted them to a flickr album. https://flic.kr/s/aHskP8bCTQ

So you guys can see what gets many an American airgun collector's heart a pumping.

[45flint]

Frank Mihalyi was an executive at Benjamin and held several Benjamin airgun patents. Up on the bay in the US are a number of mint condition pistols and rifles from the late 1930s. Perhaps one of the more interesting Benjamin collections to ever come up for auction.

Some guys from outside the US are having problems accessing these auctions, they should show up if you search on Frank Mihalyi after having clicked the worldwide search option. However, just in case, I have grabbed some of the auction pictures and posted them to a flickr album. https://flic.kr/s/aHskP8bCTQ

So you guys can see what gets many an American airgun collector's heart a pumping.

And I thought I was the only guy who saw this! Your not helping my odds. Lol

[DT Fletcher]

And I thought I was the only guy who saw this! Your not helping my odds. Lol

I knew somebody would complain, but, that's how things work out. Sort of glad I'm not in the collecting business anymore, I would have pulled out all the stops to get these, otherwise.

They've put up the auctions for like-new examples of the Automatic, 600, and 700 models. Those are the models that Frank had patents on. Pretty rare chance to own an airgun that was the personal property of the patentee.

[45flint]

I'm going for one of the guns, wish me luck. Should be interesting where it all shakes out. I was wondering if this was the estate or a dealer who bought it from the estate and was trying to cash in

[Abasmajor]

Hello Dean,

Although I have only fairly recently and perhaps slightly begrudging recognised an attraction to CO2 and pump-up guns, I have to admit it would have been nice to have discovered them earlier as Iv'e found them to have a particular charm of their own. As with the spring powered guns with which we are more familiar here in the UK, a bit of age and evidence of previous sympathetic use only adds to the appeal.

Thanks for sharing the pictures.

Brian

[cinedux]

or else I'd be in for the 600!;-)Trev

[45flint]

or else I'd be in for the 600!;-)Trev

Can't believe it I finally have an advantage on a auction posted here! Only thing I'll need is lots of $ Actually this auction has frustration written all over it.

[DT Fletcher]

or else I'd be in for the 600!;-)Trev

IMO, the jewel in the collection is the Automatic model. I worked on one years ago (actually had the right parts) and it was simply one of the most fun guns ever. The oldest of the bunch, too.

Regarding the repair, the owner was a blind gentleman who repaired guns as his hobby. He tried working on the Automatic but when pulling the cover all sorts of tiny bits spring out, so, he was lost.

[DT Fletcher]

Hello Dean,

Although I have only fairly recently and perhaps slightly begrudging recognised an attraction to CO2 and pump-up guns, I have to admit it would have been nice to have discovered them earlier as Iv'e found them to have a particular charm of their own. As with the spring powered guns with which we are more familiar here in the UK, a bit of age and evidence of previous sympathetic use only adds to the appeal.

Thanks for sharing the pictures.

Brian

Many years ago, more than I wish to admit to, when starting out with airguns as an adult, purchased some of these new fancy spring guns that this Beeman guy was so hot about and they were okay but I kept thinking back to my youth and the Crosman 600 and Benjamin rifle used to tamp down the rabbit population and so went to see about the pneumatics and accidentally picked up a Crosman 107 Town and Country for $24.50. Thought that was too much for an old used airgun and tried to talk down the price but the shop wouldn't budge. Reluctantly, very reluctantly, paid for it and took it home. Had no idea what I had. Took me probably a month or more to get the darn thing working. Once I got it going, it outperformed the springers in every regard. Made me realize how problematic the spring bounce was. Then, went to find out exactly what it was that I had. Picked up an airgun magazine that had a collector showing his Crosman 107 with the heading "Rarest of the Rare" Ends up I had picked up one of the rarest and most valuable vintage Crosmans possible. Was able to sell it for $700 and have never looked back.

Airgun collecting was essentially unheard of in these parts at the time and I visited every gun shop in the area and picked up a dozen or so nice guns. Then started hitting the gun shows and it was rare that I didn't find at least one nice vintage airgun at each show. Before long I had over 150 vintage airguns that I probably paid maybe an average of $20 or so dollars for each. Yes, Crosman 600s for $10. Benjamin 132 for $20, etc, etc. Finally got frustrated because I had a complete basic type collection of Crosman (excluding the 1924, 1925 models) and wanted more. That's when I realized what was really rare was the paper associated with the airguns. I had 150 plus guns but in the process only had maybe 2 or 3 pieces of paper. That's when the paper collecting bug hit..... hard.

[cinedux]

IMO, the jewel in the collection is the Automatic model. I worked on one years ago (actually had the right parts) and it was simply one of the most fun guns ever. The oldest of the bunch, too.

Regarding the repair, the owner was a blind gentleman who repaired guns as his hobby. He tried working on the Automatic but when pulling the cover all sorts of tiny bits spring out, so, he was lost.

http://cinedux.com/benjamin-air-pistols-and-rifles.php

I doubt I'd have the courage to dismantle it!Trev

[micky2]

Hi is the 110 rareier than the 117, or are they about the same. as l have a 117.

Mick.

[45flint]

Interesting that the 600 is pictured with tins of Benjamin lead pellets which should not be used in the gun per the instructions? Why would the 600 be more desirable than the 700? Whole box is there?

[DT Fletcher]

http://cinedux.com/benjamin-air-pistols-and-rifles.php

I doubt I'd have the courage to dismantle it!Trev

It's bit easier to do when it's somebody else's gun and they're paying you to do it.

Never much cared for working on the later Benjamins but the early models like the Automatic are great fun and a challenge.

[DT Fletcher]

Hi is the 110 rareier than the 117, or are they about the same. as l have a 117.

Mick.

It's been my experience that the BB versions (eg 110) are more common than the pellet versions.

[DT Fletcher]

Interesting that the 600 is pictured with tins of Benjamin lead pellets which should not be used in the gun per the instructions? Why would the 600 be more desirable than the 700? Whole box is there?

The seller is not an airgun person, so, they simply have no idea what belongs with what.

The 600 is earlier and has semi-automatic action. The 700 is a repeater with no semi-auto action. In my experience both the Automatic and 600 models are much rarer than the 700. The Automatic and 600 seem to have had a reliability issue; otherwise Benjamin would not have dropped them so quickly from the lineup in favor of the much simpler and thus more reliable 700 repeater.

700s are not particularly rare. The other two are.