Benjamin 397P Phase 1

[jirushi]

Wow what a great find ratbuster!

I love that stock. Not too light, not too dark. Very often with Benji and Sheridan stocks, I am impressed with their quality. Much more often than with other brands. Crosman used elm, which has nice grain as well, but you can't beat walnut. Nowadays, American black walnut is usually super boring. They must have cut some really nice trees back in the days LOL. Probably Ped knows more about this, working in the wood industry iirc.

Back to the CO2 Benjamin. They can shoot ridiculously hard, so be careful

Your Kempton find (JEALOUS lol!) brings me back in zen territory. Yesterday I had quite an un-zen day:
I decided to service my Sheridan Model F, in the box with manual that I bought from the late Dean Fletcher (the manual; incredibly rare).
The previous tiinkerer had of course cross threaded the brass valve retaining nut. This was the worst case I've ever seen.
The threads inside the gun are gone. The Model F has died. It is truly total loss.
Whilst it was shooting before, but had a bit of a leak at the start. I can't live with suboptimal performance, so I can justify that I opened the old girl up, but that has lead to her funeral.
Cry cry cry. Sad. The design of these guns is quite good, except for those bloody brass threads!!! And they should have screwed the barrel and receiver on the cylinder instead of soldering! Aaaaaaah!

If someone on here knows a fix... Oh well, I have actually sort of given the gun to a friend. Good karma. That's what life is about no?

Cheers, Louis



Oh and just a photo of this "badass" Innova. I actually like that cheap stock extender, it suits the gun's character imo. And it's practical too; this Innova has a very short buttstock. Interesting, none of my Innova's has the same stock length. They are all unaltered. I've heard rumours that the British asked Kensuke San to produce longer stocks for the bigger British people (compared to the average Japanese).

[--ped--]

sad news about the f types demise i have an apache that has similar issues to sort (i think the retainer is hanging on with a single thread)
if you haven't given it away yet i may know of a way i'll message you later on cheesebook

[ratbuster2240]

Louis, I'm sorry to hear your Sheridan is terminal, of all the things to render it scrap. Can you post the cylinder to someone to re thread it and machine a new valve nut? I agree they are lovely rifles but let down by soldered breech and valve.

Interesting about the types of wood they used, some of the Crosman 140's and 180' from the 1950s I've seen had lovely patterned stocks. Some are blonde coloured and others with a grain like oak. I would like to learn more about tree species.

Thanks for letting me know about the power, I didn't know they were power houses I thought they struggled to exceed 9fpe. This one has quite a weak hammer spring fitted but I will chronograph it. I've just seen a parcel arrive that looks like it could be my birthday present, an LMBR R2 chronograph. The crombro mk4 has served me well but I do need a shoot though for the older guns.

The different length Innova stocks make sense now for the western market, I couldn't work that out. I thought maybe the mk2 had a longer stock but it seems to vary.
It must feel better to shoot with the correct length of pull.

[AllanM]

Very sad to hear of your Sheridan F problems Louis -- hopefully Ped the Magician can do something to save it!

[jirushi]

Thank you gents. I am sure that Ped the magician (haha, that is spot on!) could fix it.
My skills are so limited, that I am ashamed of myself.
If I was still living in Norfolk, I would have sent the gun to Leeds, no doubt.
Unfortunately that is not a good idea now.
I have sold the gun for a low price to a collector friend. It will be interesting nevertheless to hear from Ped what could be done to safe it.
Re-threading and fitting a different type nut probably.

[ratbuster2240]

On with the next project, life is just too short for suboptimal equipment.

I quite like the limb saver slip on recoil pads, but they only add an inch.

[--ped--]

to repair it i would make a new steel nut the same tpi but over size
to re cut the valve thread i'd make an over size tap in silver steel incorporating an alignment bush
i have a thread chaser for the std thread

[ratbuster2240]

Very good Ped, it's great to know they can be saved.

[--ped--]

i've not tried to do one but i feel pretty sure it would work

[ratbuster2240]

With all the rain yesterday it was a good day to spend in the shed putting the 392G back together.



There were only 6 seals in total:
1.Poly powerlet seal
2.Piercer housing oring
3.Exhaust valve housing oring
4.Flat lead replacement seal
5.Crosman valve stem/peircer
6.90 durometer bolt oring



The triggers are a simple design with a few rough areas especially the backs, a polish really helps. I still prefer them over the later Crosman 'lawyer triggers'.






Before experimenting with different hammer springs, I've tried to get the hammer travelling efficiently. Heavy springs only make cocking harder and a bad trigger even worse. Polishing up the inside of the tube, hammer, spring and guides really does make a difference.



It's held air over night and the sights were spot on with a quick test on Dandelion heads.

[--ped--]

nicely done

[ratbuster2240]

Thanks Ped, the poly powerlet seals are much better than the original.

nicely done

[--ped--]

they are i use them for all sorts just adjusting the hole to suit what i'm fitting them to

[jirushi]

Wow ratbuster the way you tidy up those parts always amazes me. So neat, clean and nicely polished. I am a bit rough in comparison. I usually do a thorough cleaning and re-greasing. But this is the next level. Also a pretty gun. Have you measured power yet?

[ratbuster2240]

Thanks Louis, I probably wouldn't bother polishing the internals up if I wasn't keeping it. I do enjoy it and getting the most from them, but a degrease and reseal would be sufficient.

I'm looking forward to trying it out later this month on my new chronograph, in the meantime I've fired it into a block of wood and I guestimate 9-10fpe with a 14.3gr pellet. I don't think these are as powerful as the earlier Sheridan F's.

Wow ratbuster the way you tidy up those parts always amazes me. So neat, clean and nicely polished. I am a bit rough in comparison. I usually do a thorough cleaning and re-greasing. But this is the next level. Also a pretty gun. Have you measured power yet?