Best Multi-pump

Jump to latest Follow Reply
bubbapearson said:
Sounds fantastic! Have any photos you wouldn't mind sharing with us? In my opinion, those original .177 and .22 caliber Sheridan and Benjamin air rifles were pretty much the very first higher quality and higher powered multi stroke pneumatics designed and priced for us regular folks (although there were a few others that might deserve a spot on that list). :) l'd love to have at least one of my later-model Benjamin variable pumpers, probably my 392s, rather than the .177 version, really jazzed up. Both rifles shoot very accurately and right hard as delivered, so anything more would be incredible. Since I'm more mechanically declined than inclined even when healthy though, I'm afraid it's destined to remain nothing more than a pipe dream without some kind of miraculous intervention. At least it is a nice dream. ;-)

And speaking of sound reduction... I was totally surprised my 'new' Artemis Dragonfly Mk1 (grin) turned out to be the only air rifle I've ever purchased that's delivered with an optional moderator, which went totally unmentioned in the advertising on Amazon.com, where I made the buy. Also included without mention was a small baggie of seals and such, a nice touch, as well as both an advertised single shot tray and an eight or nine round magazine, although I found the multi-pellet magazine to be more of a novelty than something I'll use regularly. Interestingly, both of the 'Butterfly' improved pumping Seneca Dragonfly Mk2 air rifles included single shot and multi-pellet magazines and seals with the purchase, but NOT a moderator. Too bad, as it actually would be right useful for the louder and more powerful Mk2 air rifles. Without the moderator installed, shooting my new LR700W rifle actually was fairly quiet from the git-go, at least compared to most of the rest of the comparably powered airguns in my collection, but once I screwed on the moderator, it made shooting the rifle so quiet that at first, I genuinely started worrying if it was holding the air being pumped into it! :) Luckily, several test shots with different pump numbers proved that wasn't the case, thank goodness, so besides it shooting super quietly, my LR700W/Dragonfly Mk 1 also turned out to be one of, maybe even closing in on, being the very best (and my favorite) MSP in my entire collection. It's very accurate with nice open sights, easy to charge, it's put together quite well, the weight is perfect for me and it's even better lookin' than the Dragonfly MK2 rifles it closely resembles, at least in my opinion, so I'm really enjoying it.

At first, when I discovered it for sale at Amazon.com, I couldn't find any additional information about, much less a review, of the airgun anywhere online or off, going with how it was advertised on Amazon, and nobody there had even provided a rating yet, but eventually, I pulled the trigger on a purchase anyway and I'm so glad I did! It's definitely a keeper. :)
Click to expand...
I'll share a few later on today. Looks wise there's nothing special about it. It's just a 392PA that's in good shape with the altered forearm. There is apparently a downside to moving the forearm back a few inches for better leverage in that it weakens the rear stock. When I got it the rear stock was cracked and had been glued back together, but very poorly. You could feel a flex in it when you pumped it and within a short while the glue repair came apart. I reglued it and while the repair doesn't look terrible, it doesn't look fantastic either. I think I will try my hand at making a replacement stock for it. I've made a couple stocks in the past and had good luck at it. I'm definitely no Steve Corcoran though.
 
  • Like
Reactions: airgunner53
Upvote 0
bubbapearson said:
Sounds fantastic! Have any photos you wouldn't mind sharing with us? In my opinion, those original .177 and .22 caliber Sheridan and Benjamin air rifles were pretty much the very first higher quality and higher powered multi stroke pneumatics designed and priced for us regular folks (although there were a few others that might deserve a spot on that list). :) l'd love to have at least one of my later-model Benjamin variable pumpers, probably my 392s, rather than the .177 version, really jazzed up. Both rifles shoot very accurately and right hard as delivered, so anything more would be incredible. Since I'm more mechanically declined than inclined even when healthy though, I'm afraid it's destined to remain nothing more than a pipe dream without some kind of miraculous intervention. At least it is a nice dream. ;-)

And speaking of sound reduction... I was totally surprised my 'new' Artemis Dragonfly Mk1 (grin) turned out to be the only air rifle I've ever purchased that's delivered with an optional moderator, which went totally unmentioned in the advertising on Amazon.com, where I made the buy. Also included without mention was a small baggie of seals and such, a nice touch, as well as both an advertised single shot tray and an eight or nine round magazine, although I found the multi-pellet magazine to be more of a novelty than something I'll use regularly. Interestingly, both of the 'Butterfly' improved pumping Seneca Dragonfly Mk2 air rifles included single shot and multi-pellet magazines and seals with the purchase, but NOT a moderator. Too bad, as it actually would be right useful for the louder and more powerful Mk2 air rifles. Without the moderator installed, shooting my new LR700W rifle actually was fairly quiet from the git-go, at least compared to most of the rest of the comparably powered airguns in my collection, but once I screwed on the moderator, it made shooting the rifle so quiet that at first, I genuinely started worrying if it was holding the air being pumped into it! :) Luckily, several test shots with different pump numbers proved that wasn't the case, thank goodness, so besides it shooting super quietly, my LR700W/Dragonfly Mk 1 also turned out to be one of, maybe even closing in on, being the very best (and my favorite) MSP in my entire collection. It's very accurate with nice open sights, easy to charge, it's put together quite well, the weight is perfect for me and it's even better lookin' than the Dragonfly MK2 rifles it closely resembles, at least in my opinion, so I'm really enjoying it.

At first, when I discovered it for sale at Amazon.com, I couldn't find any additional information about, much less a review, of the airgun anywhere online or off, going with how it was advertised on Amazon, and nobody there had even provided a rating yet, but eventually, I pulled the trigger on a purchase anyway and I'm so glad I did! It's definitely a keeper. :)
Click to expand...
Here’s a few photos.
IMG_3911.jpeg
IMG_3912.jpeg
IMG_3914.jpeg
IMG_3913.jpeg
 
  • Like
Reactions: Bear-of-Grayling and fishing43
Upvote 0
Upvote 0
airgunner53 said:
Yeah, I saw that one up in the auctions not long ago. Other than the stock issue, looks like you scored. I'm afraid to ask but, what's the accuracy like. I figured it would be amazing if someone invested steroid mod on it.
Click to expand...
I haven’t shot any groups with it yet, but the sights are dead on and I was hitting small targets consistently with it. I’ll shoot a few groups today.

The finish is in excellent condition. I figured there aren’t a whole lot of Steroid tuned guns out there and I may as well just plan on replacing the stock.
 
Upvote 0
Upvote 0
Wadcutter said:
Because the stocks forend has been cut off to make way for the extended pump lever, leaving little meat on it to grasp, it feels more natural then to grasp the wrist while pumping. In this case, though, it appears to have permitted the stock screw to be subjected to excessive tension, which may have caused the blowout.
Click to expand...
I think that’s it. Myself, I’ve always pumped with my right hand on the pistol grip, but you can see that with this modification that there is much less wood in that key location. Also this generation of Benjamins has a large trigger assembly that the stock is milled out to accommodate leaving even less wood in that key area. The stock cracked on both sides just in front of that milled out area.
 
Upvote 0
bubbapearson said:
@Trunion: I'm 68 and disabled and multi pumpers are my favorite airgun type. Like probably many of us, I have a few gnarly health issues, including some of the arthritic problems that can sneak up on us with age, but being able to do my usual 10 yard target shooting using less power -- rarely more than four pumps -- makes pretty much every one of my MSPs perfect for the job, even those that can be very tough on hands, elbows and/or shoulders when getting in their full power 8, 10 or more pumps. Plus, when I'm feeling up to shooting, all I really have to do is grab up one of my variable pumpers and a tin of pellets and I'm in business! Still, it's being able to choose the power level that makes the type my favorite, full on for the incredibly rare occasion I have to take out a rat or similar pest, or choosing less when more just isn't necessary. No other type gives me that kind of freedom or utility.

All that aside, the newer Crosman C2023 anniversary edition and C362 MSPs (in .22 caliber) are very easy pumping and better quality air rifles, all the way up to 8-pump full power, for me anyhow, making them two of my favorites for any situation. For just the three pumps necessary to guarantee accuracy at 30 feet, the effort required is almost insignificant. The Seneca Dragonfly mk2 (.22 & .177) rifles aren't too bad either, I have both and choose 'em often, although they do need a bit more effort than the aforementioned Crosman's (but if you can do one pump without pain, the effort for more 'should' be no worse than the first). Also, I recently bought a "Defender" LR700W .22 air rifle, made by Artemis, which turned out to be a carbon copy of the original Artemis and/or Seneca Dragonfly mk1 air rifle from a few years back (not at all a bad thing)! It too turned out to be a very sweet little MSP in every way (I love it), needing only three super easy pumps for short range accuracy and the eight for full power also easily being within my abilities. Your own experience with one or more of them might be different of course, but I thought I'd throw out a few of the easier to charge models that turned out great for me that you might want to consider. There also are many other ridiculously easy pumping MSPs available, especially in .177 caliber, and I probably have just about all of them too, but I chose to give you examples of only the better quality, not so 'toylike' air rifles that pump the easiest and worked out best for me. I decided not to include the others, unless you express an interest in them. If so, I'd be happy to share my experiences with those as well (my .177 Crosman custom shop 1300KT carbine with all the bells and whistles isn't all that tough to charge and is absolutely AWESOME <grin>). Just ask!

Ultimately, whatever you decide to do, good luck with your choices and I hope the hobby continues to be as much fun for you as it is for me! I hope you and everyone else didn't mind my throwin' in my two cents worth. :)
Click to expand...
I'm not giving up yet... I appreciate your comments and encouragement, thanks buddy.
 
Upvote 0
Simplemann said:
Sorry I don't have any photos and I've never posted a photo so I'm not familiar on posting phots. I'll try to get more educated on that in the near future. Yes it is a great target shooter, you can go to the Crosman site and go to the custom shop and design your on airgun/carbine I highly recommend it 🎯
Click to expand...
No problem at all. I'm still a neophyte user on almost anything other than posts myself. Thanks for the suggestion; thanks to my wife last year for our anniversary, I did manage to score a VERY nice 1300KT-based carbine from the Custom Shop (probably my favorite shooter in .177) and was about to order myself another, but they've been closed now for months -- I hate it when that happens. ;-)
 
Upvote 0
JohnnyRingo said:
Need help from any familiar with the 347 or related models of benji.... struggling with my 1972 347. Trying to get the first chamber nut unscrewed with the square tool. wd 40 overnight but still no budge manually. Have not tried a vice yet. One vid on youtube the guy just placed it and turned.... mine, however, is not rotating loose. This gun was never left outside, always indoor closet with AC. But time is time, and likely some thread corrosion or rust. Just need tips from what work for others. thx
Click to expand...
I'm working on a 317 for a friend at the moment. It was tough to get out, but it came out. I used to work on helicopters, hotrod's and hydraulics before my most current career. Tapping a nut would at times loosen it however, that was not with unobtanium like an old sheridan. I let the lube on mine sit overnight, installed the square tool, and tapped down on it gently with the handle side of a large flathead while pausing at times to loosen it. It eventually came off. If you don't feel up for it, you can always send it out as there are some people out there that specialize in these builds (in not one of those people, my "speciality" are 13xx and 22xx models). Next is the inside nut, I'm going to make a slide hammer tool like I saw on another forum as it can also be hard to remove. Good luck. I hope you get it out. Plus side is, once it's sealed up again, with care it will last another 50 years.
1000004633.jpg
 
Last edited:
Upvote 0
I like the 13xx models for pumpers. When I think high end I look at longevity. 1400 are great however the pump link is the weak link. The 362 has the moddibility and the 392 linkage for strength. Here is my heavily moded 1400/1377 build that can hit over 1000 fps with standard lead at 10 pumps.
Here is my half way moded 362. Still to come: flat top, metal trigger, valve mod, longer barrel. The 362 and the dragonfly may be the new way to go.
1000004654.jpg
1000004652.jpg
 
  • Like
Reactions: Simplemann and bubbapearson
Upvote 0
airgunner53 said:
I like the 13xx models for pumpers. When I think high end I look at longevity. 1400 are great however the pump link is the weak link. The 362 has the moddibility and the 392 linkage for strength. Here is my heavily moded 1400/1377 build that can hit over 1000 fps with standard lead at 10 pumps.
Here is my half way moded 362. Still to come: flat top, metal trigger, valve mod, longer barrel. The 362 and the dragonfly may be the new way to go. View attachment 508946View attachment 508947
Click to expand...
I have a 1300KT that I really enjoy shooting a 25 yards. 5 shoot groups CTC under .50 🎯 I have the Crosman two stage trigger to install that I'm "assuming" :) will produce tighter groups..
 
  • Like
Reactions: airgunner53
Upvote 0
I always told myself that I favored the 392pa and crossman pumpers however, I hand never handled an old sheridan/ benjamin until this week. A neighbor and a friend of mine received a 317 when he was 13 year old and is in his 70s now. It was long ago it busted it's seals due to pumping more than was recommended resulting being stored in a closet for the past 25 years. Long story short he did not have the funds or know how to fix it so I threw it on my bench for a new set of seals in trade for some old bb guns. Shooting like it did the day it came out the box. Now im on the hunt for an old sheridan in 22.

1000004710.jpg
 
Last edited:
  • Like
  • Love
Reactions: holo07, Sawney Bean, sekiar and 2 others
Upvote 0
airgunner53 said:
I always told myself that I favored the 392pa and crossman pumpers however, I hand never handled an old sheridan/ benjamin until this week. A neighbor and a friend of mine received a 317 when he was 13 year old and is in his 70s now. It was long ago it busted it's seals due to pumping more than was recommended resulting being stored in a closet for the past 25 years. Long story short he did not have the funds or know how to fix it so I threw it on my bench for a new set of seals in trade for some old bb guns. Shooting like it did the day it came out the box. Now im on the hunt for an old sheridan in 22.

View attachment 509549
Click to expand...
You won't find any old Sheridans in .22. They were all .20 up until around the 90's when they started selling them as "Benjamin Sheridan's".

I had an old rocker safety Sheridan for a few years though and and it was a sweet gun.
 
  • Like
Reactions: airgunner53
Upvote 0
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top Bottom
Back
Home
Forums
Resources
Menu