Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Air Guns Six decades with the Sheridan

After a good deal of begging back in the 50's I convinced dad that he should "invest" $27.50 in a new Sheridan Silver Streak pellet rifle. I know that those Silver Streaks were priced about a dollar more than the Blue Streak, but my friend Dave's Blue Streak was already showing signs of wear, so I had to have that silver one. 500 Sheridan pellets to a can for $2.50 back in those days would keep me occupied for days shooting down the basement. Three pumps for target work, then way more up to 8 or 10 to make it magnum powered as the need arose. The bird feeder in the backyard was little more than a target of opportunity. My deceased bird pile in the back of the yard attracted crows which were truly big game to ten year old. Pumping that thing developed shoulders like a body builder and it was quiet enough so that Mrs. Scott next door didn't notice that some of her birds were missing. Five or six pumps with just air blew the house flies walking on the screens nicely outside although thoroughly strained. Some light oil and just air took out the bees on the flowering crab tree like a shotgun. Lots of rabbits and one near armor plated grey squirrel that leaked all over the back yard. Dave got a skunk one day with his which was a truly huge accomplishment although I understand it didn't go particularly well for Dave either. A new valve and o-ring bolt and it was good as new or better. The cat ate breast of blackbird in place of cat food which I rationalized more than made up for dad's initial purchase and keeping me in pellets. Pigeons and rats were a particular favorite out at the old grain clean out track behind the roundhouse. Multiple necropsy examinations relieved that those Sheridan pellets were not expanding. A crow confirmed that as it flew a block and a half before falling out of the sky. No, it wasn't the West Nile Virus after all. A change to the Crow Magnum .20 caliber pellets helped the DRT count considerably. Now that I'm all grown up and in my dotage, it has been the chipmunks in the garage and yes, that old Sheridan is still going strong. Something that you guys with the Co2 or springer guns don't appreciate is the variable power of those pump up models. The current house cat is 12 years old now and much prefers cat food to an occasional mouse that finds it's way into the house every fall. Two pumps is a great mouse load without complete penetration; perfect. With a hydronic heating system after a mouse tires of being chased around by the cat, they take refuge behind the copper piping in the heating system. 8 pumps of air stuns them nicely for extraction. Long winded, I know, but thank you for letting me reminisce.

Thanks for the interesting reminisce.

Anything you buy and that is going decades later is good, 6 decades is downright impressive!

My father bought me a Brno 452 .22 rimfire when I was in my early teens -- and I've been doing my best to wear it out for more than 4 decades now. Like your pump up air rifle, it is still going strong!

John

Yes, I have a lot of fun reading and writing stuff here on the forum. I can still remember trying to defend myself when my mother caught me shooting the icicles off the neighbor's eves from my bedroom window. As an adolescent with a Sheridan, I guess my cerebral cortex reasoning center was a little late to develop. It seemed like a good idea at the time.

I guess we were a little poorer than you because I got a Crosman 760 instead of a Sheridan but I have alot of the same type of good boyhood memories from that gun just the same. I remember one day mom and dad went Christmas shopping and left me home alone for the first time when I was maybe 10. Mom had warned me repeatedly not to shoot her birds or she'd take the gun away but with them gone the temptation was just too much. I took up position shooting out the back window of the garage, which handily was only about 30 feet from moms feeder and proceeded to commit bloody mayhem on the bird population. When I finally decided I'd better start cleaning up feathers and getting rid of the carcasses I counted 47 victims. Man, what a blast ! I bet I shot a couple wheelbarrows full of pellets out of that 760 before I finally got a .22 and passed the pellet gun down to my little brother. I'd not even care to guess how many chipmonks, frogs, birds, squirrels and rabbits died in front of it's muzzle but it was alot ! I don't know what ever happened to that old Crosman and my brother claims he doesn't remember. I strongly suspect he either irrepairably broke it or sold it to a friend and didn't dare to tell me. In any case, many years later I decided it needed to be replaced with another from the same time period so started looking at every gun show, garage sale, flea market and antique shop in the area for an old one just like it. I finally found one in excellent original condition complete with a vintage Weaver D4 on board at an antique shop in the Catskills. I still take that gun out regularly and use it to keep backyard vermin in check while reliving those boyhood memories.

Crossman 760 here. Many a bird and rabbit fell to my marksmanship, and strike anywhere matches WILL ignite when fired from the barrel (on any surface) skips burn, and hard impacts explode.

Bought my Silver Streak from the Yankee store around '67. I think it was $37. Couldn't begin to count the furred and feathered vermin that fell to those nasty 5mm pellets. They had much better penetration than my buddies .22 Crossman. My most memorable shot was when I took a crack at what I thought was a squirrel head peaking out of a crotch in a walnut tree. At the shot a big raccoon stood up on his hind legs and tipped out of the tree DRT! Still have my Silver Streak and found a like vintage Blue Streak about a year ago. I have two grand-kids that'll inherit them.

1377 is used for the occasional small household pest around here, and serves as a tackle box gun where the Mark II is inappropriate.

And I like shooting my Nitro Piston .22 for high volume plinking at extended ranges as the break barrel cock, load and shoot is a much more efficient source of power for someone in a hurry to take the next shot. And the 3-9x32 scope adds to my enjoyment at longer ranges. Plus it fires the .22 pellets pretty fast for a satisfying thump at 60+ yards.
Or the Blackhawk Elite with the BIG scope for precision target shooting.

But the Blue Streak is the only gun with a permanent spot in the living room, leaned up against the corner of a bookshelf. And it still sees regular use. It wears a Williams.

Other pumpers are an old 880, and a new camo 35 "truck gun" that'll be getting a rifled barrel soon.

Matches Kellory, who would have thought? You I guess. Many fires at your place? Those new pellet guns are right up there with a .22 RF and if memory serves I think that I've even seen air gun You Tube videos up to .45 caliber and guys used them for deer and hogs. Good to see a few of the old Racine, WI. built Sheridan's still out there in the ranks. Under powered that those things were, it taught a kid to make that one shot count. My buddy and I tried every way we could think of to get those Sheridan pellets to expand better, but the velocity was too low and the pellets too hard. We tried making them into hollow points on a drill press, we shot them backwards, we cut the skirts down with a razor blade and even tried a small pistol primer glued in to the base to shoot backwards. I found those Crow Magnums way too late, but I use them now. Blackheart's mention of waiting for mom to leave brought a smile and reminded me of that darn squirrel. Mom went to the store which afforded me the perfect opportunity to gun that grey squirrel out back in the maple tree. The darn thing wouldn't die and proceeded to run all over leaking blood all through the snow in the back yard. Ten minutes out there with the snow shovel cleaning up the crime scene before mom got home. First and last squirrel I ever shot with that Sheridan. Good memories.

Similar story only with a Benjamin. Got it for Christmas when I was 10 or 11. Must have pumped that thing a million times. Still have it, but have since discovered springers.

Bought two brand new 1971 blue streak's($45ea. if memory is correct).Shot many rat's & cottontail's.They're both awesome today with modern .20cal pellets.

I have a Silverstreak by the front door and a Bluestreak by the back

Does anyone know where I can send my Silver Streak for a rebuild? Thanks...

Dennis Baker.
19711 County Road 230
Mt. Victory OH. 43340
phone {937} 660-9152

+1 on Dennis Baker. I sent him my FILs old Crosman 101 that he got as a youngster. A local airgun-smith said it couldn't be fixed. Dennis refurbished it to almost like new condition and it shoots great. I gave it to my BIL as a Christmas gift.

https://www.bakerairguns.com/repair-restoration/

Oh yeah....we used to hang cans from the trees in the orchard behind the house and shoot from my bedroom window....amazing how far we could consistently hit them with the blue streak. I recall picking a red squirrel off from high in the maple trees in front of the neighbor’s across the road from all the way back in our back yard....50 or 60 yards probably. Straining flies through the back door screen, yep.

Great link to Dennis Baker, thank you. Not that my Silver Streak is broken, but that newer o-ring bolt and new valve way back when really brought mine back to life. Shooting the bees with the extra oil probably killed that valve in the first place. Fun, but not recommended now that I'm too late smarter. I have always kept mine cocked with one pump in it and it has sure stood the test of time.

I need to contact D. Baker, we have a Sheridan that won't hold air.

Lent it out, came back broke.


My childhood gun was a Daisy 880. I wore it clean out.
It won't pump up either, but it is so wore it's not worth fixing

Should just throw it out,

Naaaa.

Found one of the old brass Benjamins leaning up against a tree once. It looked like it had been there for at least a year so I brought it home. Refinished the wood with oil and ran that gun for many years. No rust since it was brass. .177. Had a hard time killing pheasants with it I can tell you that!

Thank you Sir!

I inherited my Dad's benjamin. I never asked him how old he was when he got it, but if it's not 8 decades old, it will be in a year or two. We did have the seals redone in the '80's and the barrel was re-brazed to the pump body. Other than that it still works fine. Haven't shot it in a few years, about time to dig it out and run some pellets through it.

I have had mine a little over 50 years. Never had any trouble with it. I have killed a godawful number of squirrels with it. Bunnies, chucks, coons, chipmunks, crows, gophers a few feral cats. That damn thing has stood in the corner by the back door for forty odd years. It still works just as well as when I bought it. My current setter is right there as soon as I pump it once. I have never seen a dog who hates red squirrels with the passion she does. Grey squirrels she thinks ought to die too, but the reds she has a special thing for. She likes the Sheridan even more than I do, every time I pump it she knows another red squirrel is going to die. As gentle as setters are, I have learned that my fingers do not belong on her red squirrel until she says I can.

I still have my Benjamin that was bought in 1969 IIRC. I had it resealed for the second time about a year ago. It's still fun as hell to shoot.

Got my Sheridan SS in 1964, still have it and still use it.

I tried contacting Dennis via email on their website, never got a response!

Best way is to call and talk to him.

I have one that needs that done. Who do you send it to?

There is a place called Mac1 airguns. Check out their website. Also, JJ Hack knows a lot about sheridans. Im sure a pm to him would get you pointed in the right direction.

Mine is in it's 5th decade as well, only a Benjamin "Franklin" .22. I think I got mine for Christmas in '69 or '70. Both of my older cousins got Silver Streaks that same year and I can still remember shooting them together at my Grandparent's house over the holidays. I also remember them telling me how much better their guns were than mine! My dad simply told me to tell them that mine was a larger caliber and had more knock-down power for hunting. Boy did that start a little "mine is bigger than yours" debate among the young Johnson cousins!!!

Never owned a Sheridan but have always wanted one. My observation is that you don't see very many for sale in gun stores... same for old Benjamins or Crosmans for that matter. I always thought the Sheridans were pretty "futuristic" looking. Correct me if I am wrong, didn't they have a couple of plastic parts on them? I know my old Benjamin is pretty much all walnut and brass except for the seals, etc. I'll have to give my cousins a call and tell them their Sheridans were the "Tikkas" of their day!!! They would get a kick out of that... I think. With that said, I'd take one of those old "Tikka" air rifles any day!!!

Always wanted a 5mm as a kid, later in life, p/u an R9.......never disappointed. A thumper with 14.3 Premiers.

Yes, the original pellets were solid and penetrated great, pros/cons depending on application. Newer pellets improve the versatility.

Now slingshots (mostly a "Pocket Rocket")......I can tell you guys some stories! Heavy lead projectiles accounted for many DRT squirrels. Steel Ball bearings and marbles took care of various feathered varmints.

And a Feaux S&W 41 - aka Daisy 790G, tweaked with a little extra "Rod" to add power, that little thing was a tree squirrels worst nightmare....

Not to change the subject, but sling shots and wrist rockets are worthy of another thread!!!

I'd perfected their application well before getting my pellet gun. A neighbor, who was an avid trap and skeet shooter, gave us all of his old spent primers to shoot through ours. They flew straight, hit hard, and even "whistled" on their way in almost like a missle! I can't believe I never broke a window with one, at least that I know of! My first sling shot was carved from an old willow from my Grandfather's yard in So. Calif. (Inglewood) and utilized thick rubber bands and a pouch made from the tongue of an old leather shoe. I had it for years, then it turned up missing. I hope I find it someday for one of my Grandsons.

Back to Sheridans!

I've had a Crossman 766 for 45 years now, still holds air, never been rebuilt. I'll have to try that match trick. It's been deadly on the pigeons, ground squirrels and Asian doves of late.

I bought a break barrel "Ruger" pellet gun a few years back on sale at Bass Pro. It doesn't come close to the accuracy of the Crossman.

Lund- yes, dad shot ALOT of trap, and yes - those primers whistle

NVh - the Springers - can vibrate, and have a slower locktime, which can make them 'hold-sensitive"

A former RWS 34 was powerful, fairly accuracy, but very "rough in firing behaviore' - an FWB 124 and similar R9, will allow more precision often times simply due to a smoother firing cycle. Pumps, Co2 and compressed air do not have those issues, and often allow easy less sensitive precise shots to be made.

Years back, one airgun Guru, did conversions on the old Sheridan Co2, to a Dual cartridge, bumping up the power...just more trivia. Sure wished I had picked up several of both models in Silver back when they were made with more hand labor in Racine.

Did anyone ever put 2-3 BBs in the 760, was hell on birds at close range! could not tip the barrel down tho!

Mine you could, the bolt was magnetic.

so was mine but it would only hold 2 BBs the 3 one would roll out!

You guys just rekindled another good old memory!

I remember getting my hands on some old lead bird shot and "packaging"/twisting a small portion into a small (cleaning patch size) piece of Saran wrap and loading it into my .22 Benjamin... poor kids "air shotgun". I can't remember whether it accounted for any close range sparrows or not. It did "pattern" on cardboard though!

I can't even imagine being a kid today where you could not wander, explore, and experiment a little.

Yep, I'd load 3-4 in mine. With 10 pumps it still flung them pretty good. Mine musta had a stronger than average magnet as it would hold 3 against the bolt face even if you pointed it at the ground.

Where do you have these resealed? I was gifted an old worn out POS and was going to pitch it. But if they can be refurbished I would certainly do so.

Thanks tmitch.

It needs a new rear sight also. Should I just ship the whole thing or do you guys do this yourself?

I would call and talk to him. I found him pretty helpful and he had a good stock of obsolete parts. I sent him an old 40s vintage Crosman 101. He refurbed it and replaced the broken pump handle with an original. Works and shoots like a new one.

Awesome. I'll give him a ring.

tag

mitch,

His site advises against phone calls so I just sent him an e-mail describing the gun and all the markings on it. Anxious to see what this will cost and get it working.

I had a Crossman 760 for a lot of years. We called it the "mouse gun" and it did serve that purpose. When it died, I bought the modern version of the same gun. I don't think it lasted 6 months before the seals failed. Will not function at all. I might still have it here on a shelf, but I doubt it is worth the cost to repair it. No comparison between the old and the new.

My mid-70's 760 lasted 15 years of mixed use before I replaced the seals.
Other than that, never 1 problem and LOTS of fun.
It was up to taking gray squirrels out to 30 yards with 12 pumps and a lead pellet. (I know -you were supposed to stop at 10, but where's the fun in that? And after the seals were replaced it definitely perked up the max velocity)
Wood stock and hex shaped brass bolt knob.

It's been 3 years since I sent him the 101 for repair, so maybe that's new, or I just disregarded it.

It helps a bunch if you only use silicone air gun oil and always store with 2 or 3 pumps in it to keep the valve seated. Petroleum oils degrade seals.

Nice to know. I'll try that with my next one.

Can I buy a new one anywhere?

You can buy a Benjamin 392, or 397. Based off the same design, but in .22 and .177 calibers instead of .20 caliber. And the stock looks a bit different.

That silicone oil is for spring piston air rifles and cost about $15 for a quarter ounce. Crosman recommends Pelgun oil for their pump air rifles which is two or three dollars for a small tube at walmart or dicks or wherever.
https://www.crosman.com/pellgun-oil


The new 760 is pretty much the same internals as the 1377. I had one, a 1377, from the early 80's that finally needed some new seals a couple of years ago. But I just went and bought a new one for $45 because I could. And the new one has a regular bolt that the old one didn't. And it's actually much more powerful than the old one because it has more valve volume and some other internal improvements.
But the 1377 seems to be a much sturdier gun than the new 760. And unlike the 760, it has a rifled barrel.

Those are all some great memories...

I can remember lusting for a Sheridan back in the 50s... Got a Daisy 1894 when I was 8 that was later stolen by a kid in the neighborhood. He actually did me a favor however as it was replaiced by a PIC .177 springer...that was MUCH more powerful and killed a lot of birds. Sold it to a friend in the late 60s as all I was shooting was a Marlin 39A.

Didn't have another airgun until about 1982 when we bought a small farm in East Texas. Finally got a Silver Streak to kill rats with... And yes, two pumps inside a house will kill a mouse without much damage but will dent the side of the microwave it is eating next to...

Started collecting Dans back in the 1990s and have a bunch now...

https://www.24hourcampfire.com/ubbt...hrono_results_from_some_5mms#Post5312328

http://www.rimfirecentral.com/forums/showthread.php?t=497476

http://www.airguns.net/reviews_sherdan.php

http://ujays.net/sheridan.html


Again thanks for the memories...

Bob

Bob, those Sheridan domed pellets were too good on penetration and non-existent on expansion. Change your mouse load to the two pumps and the .20 Beeman Crow Magnum pellets and they bowl stuff right over and don't over penetrate. I got a rabbit with the Sheridan once that had a .177 pellet in it and talk about a youthful superiority complex for a few days. This tread was lots of fun here around the fire.

Thanks for the tip Windfall...

Need to get my airguns out for a session...have not shot any of them in two years...just have been busy with other things...

Bob

Several nice older guns on GB now...

https://www.gunbroker.com/item/775760498

https://www.gunbroker.com/item/771175516

Those are nice all right. My buddy's Blue Streak had the blue finish worn down to a pink color where he held it to pump it. My Silver Streak never discolored like that. Those two have the safe and fire levers on the back of the receiver. Mine was that older version with one little tab that you need to hold down with your thumb or it won't fire. No problem now, but kind of a reach for an 8 year old thumb back in the day. A Williams peep sight on that Sheridan about doubles the sighting radius and is nicely out of the way for your left hand to pump the gun ahead of the receiver.

I should check the Air gun threads more often.
I have Blue Streak made January 1964 that I saved my pennies and bought for $27 and change IIRC.
Been rebuilt twice, and shoots great. No telling the critters that gun has dispatched.
I have another from about 1970's that I inherited when Dad passed.
Another that is first or second-year Silver Streak, maybe first year (1949) as it is somewhat flat on one side of the stock, and screws hold the forearm on. I bought it at a gun show. It has been rebuilt internally, and shoots good, but needs a new front sight and a few other things to be what I wished it was.
Also one of the last Sheridan 5MM pump pistols, I have the box it came in a .177 box that the factory had put 5MM stickers on.


Ebay is letting Sheridan pellet guns sell there again

I have seven of them sitting here right now. 6 of them I need to sell off. I kept them for parts into the future as needed, and for the kids in our family to shoot here when they visit. They are grown now and don't want to "pump" when a firearm is "better"
Of the 6, 4 are perfect. two need seals they pump and you can hear the typical slow leak of air. This is not a major issue at all, these are over 50 years old and only two need new seals!

One has a Weaver V16 scope
two have MAC scope rails
One is a newer design not sure where it came from but it has a tapered forend, not the long oblong design.
one stock has been modified for a young kid to shoot with replaceable sections of the stock to lengthen as they grow. it's well done I have photo's.
Two have factory installed Weaver Peep sights.
Also I will throw in the book of the history and time line of the sheridan rifles.
All have original Walnut stocks.

I can send a photo of all. Or the individual pictures as needed. text me if interested. I want to sell all of them at one time in a group. No interest in the effort to package up 6 times!

800 bucks for all. Easily worth much more sold individually. I just dont have the time to manage this right now.

One last model. I have a near perfect condition1960 version with the hold down thumb safety. It also has the Factory Weaver peepsight and plastic barrel guard so the finish of the metal does not wear off during pumping. This is an absolute tack driver That I have held onto for over 30 years because it's so perfect.

That one is 350 bucks no hurry to sell it actually, but if I'm cleaning house I should at least offer it. Plenty of photo's possible by texting. 509 540 5723

I'm done trying to post photos here, it's not Mac Friendly so I cannot get the pictures on here.

Just saw this. A shop in San Antonio named Don's Gun Shop. They also a fair number of NOS parts. They also replaced the forearm on mine that cracked when I was in high school. I made a replacement but prefer the original. I have an original Benjamin receiver sight on mine. I believe I may still have the original in one of my boxes of crap. Let me know if you still need one and I will take a look.

Great link 700LH, thanks. My old Sheridan went in for the new o-ring bolt years ago and I always keep it cocked with one pump in it and it has stayed perfect for all these years. I know that they were made in Racine, WI. way back when, but I'd be at a loss to know where to send mine if something ever went wrong with it, but now I'd know.