Benjamin pump up rifles

[Geezer]

I bought a new 392 earlier this year and put a Williams peep sight on it. 7 pumps gives you just under 12 ft/lb

PS - how is it on 8 pumps?

My recollection of the early 90s Crosman "Sheridans" is that they were so restricted as to hardly break 10ft/lbs. Perhaps over-caution by the then importers?

[tinbum]

PS - how is it on 8 pumps?

My recollection of the early 90s Crosman "Sheridans" is that they were so restricted as to hardly break 10ft/lbs. Perhaps over-caution by the then importers?

It's not lacking in oomph. I think the blow-off valve may need some attention.

[TonyL]

I can't rightly now remember if they were banned over here, or if the then importers decided to pull the plug on them. And the reasoning for them being classed as "naughty" has been recounted on here a few times in the past.....some numpty shooting at construction equipment or something wasn't it?

Even if they weren't banned, demand for these rifles was dwindling by the early 80s. The rifle's main attraction for many was its high power output, at a time when many of the British rifles were not perceived as power monsters. Once we got rifles like the HW80, Webley Vulcan, Original 45 etc etc, which could all make legal limit power easily and with just one cocking action, demand was waning. And the rise of the modern PCP a few years later would have provided the final death blow.

I believe the earlier rifles were restricted just on the hammer spring length? And the later (were they called the C9A models) were restricted by a blow-off valve on the pump head?

I had a few tries with various earlier Sheridans, Benjamins and Setras many years ago. And I'd always fancied one since, mainly due to their slim lines, classical feel and sensible heft. When I joined the BBS I bought one of these later versions. I seem to remember that it made 7.5 on five pumps. And any extra pumps just caused the blow-off valve to dump pressure, meaning no amount of swinging on the pump handle would raise the power. I suppose I could have just blanked the relief valve off and then adjusted the hammer spring, but I really couldn't be bothered. So off it went. I still slightly regret getting rid to this day, but I'm also not convinced that I would have bothered using it, like the thought of owning was more appealing than the actual ownership and using it.

It was bloody accurate, mind, and a lovely, solid thing. Trigger not up to much. I seem to remember these later ones share the same trigger "cassette" as the Rabbit Stopper? And maybe, also, the later Discovery?

[TonyL]

Correction!

Just referring to my post above, although the high powered Sheridan was, reportedly, the gun involved, I seem to remember that this event was the major catalyst for the introduction of the 12ft.lbs power limit. The gun wasn't banned and we later "enjoyed" the castrated later versions. Maybe a reduction in hammer spring length initially, followed by the relief valve on the pump??

And I'm pretty convinced that the coming of springers capable of the required power, with just one easy cocking stroke, built to a higher level of quality and with better triggers than the American pumpsters, led to dwindling popularity and appeal.

And, as per above, those pesky PCPs.......