The Challenger Arms Corporation Plainsman (pneumatic) air pistol...

[JimmieDee]

Hot off the press... my latest article, well a rewrite, of a very rare American air pistol!


http://www.jimmiedeesairguns.com/pis...tic-1949-1951/

[RichardH]

Fascinating thanks

[Benelli B76]

Hot off the press... my latest article, well a rewrite, of a very rare American air pistol!


http://www.jimmiedeesairguns.com/pis...tic-1949-1951/

Jimmie, as you say the pump up Plainsman is quite rare but there I think there are a few in collections in UK. The CO2 version which I prefer is much more common and an excellent performing CO2 pistol out of the box, mine was on a par with my Schimels. Sold my Painsman to a local BBS member who now has 3.

Baz

[JimmieDee]

It’s good to hear there are a few more in the UK! They are very good pistols.

It’s current with Paul who is recrowning it and elongating the barrel grub screw indent so I can adjust the breech lock down correctly.

My next article will be a repost from my Facenbook page to the new website of the CO2 variant. I bought mine from guntrader auction in the US sight unseen and had it shipped over. It worked straight out of the box but someone had brush painted it! I have since restored it.

I concur with your comparison to the Schimel. It is quite a powerful beast. I have done a power profile graph for it. The Schimel is probably one of my favourite pistols. Along with the CO2 Plainsman and the Crosman 451.

I’ll probably get the post up in a few days or so depending on the content of the article or whether I need to make any corrections based on what I have learnt since I wrote it.

As ever, any information people might have about these that I may be missing is welcome as I can always update the articles so we have, perhaps, a single article of reference rather than currently bits and pieces distributed over various forums and websites.

All the best,
Jimmie

[Benelli B76]

Interesting info, liked your write up and look forward to more. I also think the most desirable CO2 pistols are the Challenger Arms Plainsman, the Schimel and of course the more commonly available Crosman 600. Probably would like the pump up Plainsman if I could try one.

Baz

[Garvin]

I've linked to your article here, Jimmie.

[Gareth W-B]

Hot off the press... my latest article, well a rewrite, of a very rare American air pistol!


http://www.jimmiedeesairguns.com/pis...tic-1949-1951/

What a superb read and accompaniment for my "bugger off kids, I'm just back from work, and am having some ME time with a brew and a read before I start dinner" moment. Many thanks.

[JimmieDee]

I've linked to your article here, Jimmie.

Many thanks Danny! I had already linked back to your gallery in this one. I need to revisit the others.

[JimmieDee]

What a superb read and accompaniment for my "bugger off kids, I'm just back from work, and am having some ME time with a brew and a read before I start dinner" moment. Many thanks.

You are very welcome! There will be plenty more to come and it's going to take me years to complete! Plus I keep adding to the collection. It's going to be a labour of love!

[micky2]

Hi Jimmie. another great writeup, i look forward to your next review on the Co2 pistols as l have 2 of them, one of which needs a front seal. funny but l bought both of them from arms fairs over here in the UK within weeks of each other.
ATB,
Mick.

[JimmieDee]

Hi Jimmie. another great writeup, i look forward to your next review on the Co2 pistols as l have 2 of them, one of which needs a front seal. funny but l bought both of them from arms fairs over here in the UK within weeks of each other.
ATB,
Mick.

Writing it as I speak/type! Front seal.... on the CO2 chamber cap? It's just an o-ring I believe. Would you like me to measure it up for you?

All the best,
Jimmie

[DT Fletcher]

"It appears that the rifle might also have been designed to be used with a CO2 bulk fill cylinder too although I am unable to physically verify this."

The bulk-fill versions of the Plainsman rifles do exist but are rare. I have one of the shotguns setup for bulk fill. These came late in the life of Plainsman, after the move to Pennsylvania, as mentioned.

Although there is no real way of verifying it, I believe that my Goodenow Plainsman bulk-fill CO2 shotgun, with only a single known example, to be one of the rarest of all vintage American airguns.

"The barrel is finely rifled steel and was available in .177 as well as .22 caliber's...."

I have been told by US Plainsman expert that no example of the .177 pneumatic pistol has ever been found.

"There are various rumours of what happened between the closure of Challenger Arms Corporation and the rebirth of the Plainsman by the Goodenow Manufacturing Corporation in 1954."

Yes. I entirely agree, there is no reliable information on the Goodenow operation. One interesting piece of information discovered by Larry Hannusch and confirmed from mine and other's experience is that the Goodenow guns invariably had walnut stocks.

To add an interesting side story, early on in my collecting of vintage airguns, I picked up a bulk-fill CO2 Plainsman rifle and called Larry H. about it. He was adamant that no such Plainsman model was known to exist. Larry did some remarkable investigative work on Plainsman/Apache so it was hard to doubt his word, but, he was indeed wrong. What had happened is that Larry's knowledge came exclusively from his sources in Los Angeles. The bulk-fill CO2 models didn't come about until Goodenow which Larry had and has nothing on.

Note: the Plainsman CO2 rifles tended to badly rust with use, so, almost certainly many of those made eventually found their way to the dump because of the rusted condition. The single shot described to Larry was covered in rust. The shotgun I have looks likes it has never fired a shot, so, it's remarkably clean.

[JimmieDee]

Many thanks for the information DT! If you don’t mind I will incorporate it into the article!

I was aware that Fogel had thought about using bulk fill CO2 and it appears he may have developed a prototype at least according to that article in Science & Mechanics with actual photograph of the airgun. According to Fogel, via Larry, they never actually produced one. So it was perhaps Goodenow that added the bulk fill option.

Are you convinced your air shotgun is Goodenow and not maybe a prototype Fogel manufactured?

Interesting no on the .177. I haven’t seen one either but then again, they’re all so rare to begin with!

[micky2]

Writing it as I speak/type! Front seal.... on the CO2 chamber cap? It's just an o-ring I believe. Would you like me to measure it up for you?

All the best,
Jimmie

Hi Jimmie yes please if you don't mind.
ATB,
Mick.

[45flint]

"It appears that the rifle might also have been designed to be used with a CO2 bulk fill cylinder too although I am unable to physically verify this."

The bulk-fill versions of the Plainsman rifles do exist but are rare. I have one of the shotguns setup for bulk fill. These came late in the life of Plainsman, after the move to Pennsylvania, as mentioned.

Although there is no real way of verifying it, I believe that my Goodenow Plainsman bulk-fill CO2 shotgun, with only a single known example, to be one of the rarest of all vintage American airguns.

"The barrel is finely rifled steel and was available in .177 as well as .22 caliber's...."

I have been told by US Plainsman expert that no example of the .177 pneumatic pistol has ever been found.

"There are various rumours of what happened between the closure of Challenger Arms Corporation and the rebirth of the Plainsman by the Goodenow Manufacturing Corporation in 1954."

Yes. I entirely agree, there is no reliable information on the Goodenow operation. One interesting piece of information discovered by Larry Hannusch and confirmed from mine and other's experience is that the Goodenow guns invariably had walnut stocks.

To add an interesting side story, early on in my collecting of vintage airguns, I picked up a bulk-fill CO2 Plainsman rifle and called Larry H. about it. He was adamant that no such Plainsman model was known to exist. Larry did some remarkable investigative work on Plainsman/Apache so it was hard to doubt his word, but, he was indeed wrong. What had happened is that Larry's knowledge came exclusively from his sources in Los Angeles. The bulk-fill CO2 models didn't come about until Goodenow which Larry had and has nothing on.

Note: the Plainsman CO2 rifles tended to badly rust with use, so, almost certainly many of those made eventually found their way to the dump because of the rusted condition. The single shot described to Larry was covered in rust. The shotgun I have looks likes it has never fired a shot, so, it's remarkably clean.

https://i.imgur.com/FqK286l.jpg

I was negotiating buying a Plainsman pneumatic 22 with a guy and he said he already sold the one he had in .177. Sent this pic, only one he sent. I assumed at the time it was the pneumatic? Don’t know if you can tell if it’s Pneumatic from this pic?