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Crosman V350 A different BB gun

by B.B. Pelletier

While I was working on some new American Airgunner episodes at our New York studio this week, a curious thing happened. Paul Capello’s brother was visiting the studio and told Paul he had a gift for him in the car. When Paul opened the trunk he saw a strange-looking gun. It was plain-looking and lightweight, but the metal was blued steel and the stock was hardwood.

V350
I recognized it as a Crosman V350, since I have one in my collection, but this was the first one Paul had seen. His brother asked him to cock it and winked at me, thinking Paul wouldn’t figure it out. But amazingly, he got it within seconds. To cock this spring-piston airgun you grasp the barrel near the muzzle and pull straight back. It cocks like several of the old Quackenbush airguns from the 19th century, but how many people are familiar with them today?

08-06-09-01
Crosman’s V350 is a powerful, yet plain-looking BB gun that cocks by pulling straight back on the barrel.

Later Paul told us he had been trying to break the barrel down, and by chance it slipped backwards, but I say that’s a lucky chance. Guys who work with their hands a lot tend to have that kind of luck more than most, I guess. Paul is a carpenter by trade.

The V350 is a very powerful BB gun from the 1960s. It later got updated into the V3500 but also into one of Crosman’s most classic BB guns, the M1 Carbine.

02-10-09-crosman-m1
The first year Crosman M1 Carbine had a slabwood stock. This is a later model with a more rounded Croswood plastic stock. Though it is more rugged and better-looking, the wood-stock model is rarer and commands a higher price.

A different powerplant
This family of BB guns has a completely different powerplant from the classic Daisy Red Ryder gun. Though it has a spring-powered piston, it uses a poppet-type valve that stores compressed air until it blows open violently. The velocity is indicated by the model number, hence this gun is in the Daisy No. 25 category power-wise.

One design characteristic mitigated against this type of gun–the cocking method. As Paul was quick to learn, the V350 isn’t easy for an adult to cock. It’s almost impossible for a younger shooter unless some measures are taken. One common thing was to hold the cocking hand over the muzzle to pull back on the barrel with greater force. That probably didn’t sit too well with the Crosman legal department when they thought about it.

Look for bluing wear
Also, because of the cocking method, you can easily tell how much use a gun has had by the amount of blue remaining on the barrel near the muzzle. Paul’s gun was nearly new there, so it probably got very little use. Parents used to take the BB guns away from children who misbehaved, and sometimes they never got them back.

As far as accuracy goes, the V350 is on par with other BB guns of the era. The steel barrel is smoothbored with plenty of clearance for the BBs, so don’t expect much less than two inches at 25 feet with a good hold.

The gun holds at least 23 BB shot in a gravity-fed magazine that has a port near the rear sight. You can tell if the gun is loaded by shaking it and listening. Never assume it is empty, though, because there’s no positive way of telling.

Want one?
If you want a V350, the best place to find one is at an airgun show. They go for $20 for a dog/parts gun to perhaps $80 for new-in-the-box. This is one vintage airgun that is undervalued at the present time. I know Paul is fascinated by his, and I suspect he’ll find a way to work it into the television show this season.

author avatar
Tom Gaylord (B.B. Pelletier)
Tom Gaylord, also known as B.B. Pelletier, provides expert insights to airgunners all over the world on behalf of Pyramyd AIR. He has earned the title The Godfather of Airguns™ for his contributions to the industry, spending many years with AirForce Airguns and starting magazines dedicated to the sport such as Airgun Illustrated.

51 thoughts on “Crosman V350 A different BB gun”

  1. Morning B.B.,

    An off the wall but on topic question please– do you know if any of the parts are interchangable between the V350 and the Crosman M 1 Carbine? Just curious. Thank you.

    Mr B.

  2. Hello,BB

    I own a Diana Panther 34.

    I have tested it with various

    brands of pellets at 5, 10 ,15 and

    20 Meters.

    The problem i have is that it

    keeps shooting to the left even

    after i adjusted the rear sight as

    far as possible to the right.

    (I bought the rifle brand new about 2 months ago and have only shot +/- 320 pellets through it.)

    Cougar94

  3. Off topic,
    Firearm report…
    I just added a Blackhawk .357 mag that also has a extra 9mm cylinder. I had read mixed reviews on the accuracy of the 9mm cylinder, some said it was not as accurate as shooting .38 special or .357 mags..
    Well not the case in my test..

    The 9mm did just as well or even better.. hard to know, because I shot them last and was getting more use to the hold and the sights.. so that could be why the last groups were a little better.. all 12 or 18 shot groups were 6" or less at 15 yards off hand.

    Then I switched to the 9mm Makarov semi-auto (smaller rounds, not the Luger) and the 16 shot groups opened to 8" & 10"..

    Next I tried the HiPoint 9mm luger semi-auto and got 7" to 9" 16 shot groups..

    Not only were the groups better with the revolver, the recoil and abuse to my holding hand was the worst with the lowest power Makarov..

    Wacky Wayne
    Ashland Air Rifle Range

  4. A comment on targes.
    Bassman, I hope you stay…but…
    I didn't read anything 'nasty' in DB's reply. Someone asked a question, he gave an answer. One of the bad things about the internet in my opinion…you can't see the persons expression and people sometimes take offense when it isn't necessary.
    I believe as DB does. I buy my targets from a dealer in Canada, and when I buy bulk (minimum 1000 targets) they work out to under 2 cents each. This is for an offical 10 target with 5 bulls, so in essence it is adding less than 1/4 cent per shot to my expense.
    Taking in the expense of duct tape and the time involved, cobbling up your own targets is not cost effective IMO.
    And the 'real' targets are very easy to score.
    Just my two cents.
    CowBoyStar Dad

  5. Cougar94,

    Let's try and figure this out.

    Is your front sight bent on your rws 34? Are your stock screws tight, including the trigger guard screws? Are you using the artillery hold? Is your cheek placement (cheek weld) consistent?

    kevin

    kevin

  6. Cougar94,

    My RWS 350 had a similar problem… I found the clam shell on the rear sight had lateral movement. Unscrew the vertical adjustment screw, open the clam shell and check both mounting bolts are tight.

    Next, check for lateral movement of the top half of the clam shell. I had to add a small piece of friction tap to remove the lateral play.

    I have shot hundreds of rounds and never lost zero as a result.

    One last thing…. if the artillery hold isn't working for you – try holding the stock into your cheek so that you dampen any lateral vibration. It may not be the most accurate hold but it may provide an insight into your technique.

    G.

  7. B.B. and all…
    I feel silly……
    Wanted to change my TSS back to .177 this morning.
    Took out the .22 barrel , somehow got the barrels mixed up, and carefully reinstalled the .22 barrel.
    Found the mistake when the 8.4 exact fell from the breech to the endcap.
    One more barrel swap and the problem is solved. Did not even need to adjust the scope for 20 yds with the 8.4 exacts.
    Will touch up later with the cph.

    twotalon

  8. twotalon,

    Thanks buddy I thought I was the only one who did things like that. Are you using the stock Talon SS valve, and hammer with both barrels?

    By the way how are you feeling?

    Mr B.

  9. B.B.,

    I have a problem. I bought a brand new webley longbow. Great gun, the only problem is so far i have beem unsuccessful in mounting a scope. I first bought a leapers mini scope but returned it do to eye relief issues. I currently have a leapers 3-9x32mm scope…. its set up on a low profile b-square mount… even with this fairly light scope and mount the scope moves under the recoil of the gun. without a hole for a drop pin i don't know how i can keep the scope from moving… Can you help me B.B.? I love this gun but as of yet haven't had a chance to appreciate its accuracy and craftsmanship.

    Thank you for your help,

    Mike from Kansas City

  10. Mike,

    I will soon be reporting on the new BKL scope mounts that THEY CLAIM will hold a scope without a a scope stop. I have tested them in the past and they always failed, but now that AirForce is making them maybe they are better.

    Other than that, the only solution is a mechanical stop, and you already know what must be done.

    B.B.

  11. Mr B…..
    The SS keeps the same power plant parts all the time.
    Tends to suck air pretty fast in .177.

    Feelin OK right now .
    Blew away a full grown chuck yesterday with the Talon(dor).
    One piece hammer from TT is smooth. A bit heavy maybe for a 18" barrel. MV 1000 fps with Kodiaks.

    twotalon

  12. Cougar94,

    Then you know what has to happen. You need sights that can adjust farther to the right. That probably means a scope.

    Get an adjustable scope mount and set it up correctly. It's a hassle to do, but it solves the problem.

    B.B.

  13. Mike, I take your mount is a one piece mount? You could try using a scope stop if you have room to mount one. Drilling a hole for the stop pin may be an option, but I would check with an expert webley longbow owner first to see how much room there is to do this. I wonder if friction tape would help?

  14. Mr. B.,

    My guess is that the powerplant parts of the4 V350 and M1 Carbine are identical. Remember this–any time a company can use the same part in more than one gun they will do so, because it brings huge cost savings.''B.B.

  15. A neat old BB gun. I have one that needs to be resealed/repaired.

    When I was a Kid, my best friend had one. It was a lot more powerful than the old Dasiy I had.

    It brings back a lot of memories

    Mike

  16. B.B.

    This is my first ever post, B.B. you are the sole reason that got me back into air gunning. I'm going to be way off topic but I dont know who else to turn to. I just bought a Diana RWS 350 Feuerkraft Pro Compact and I'm facing a dilemma. I live in Kuwait (yes, pretty far and pretty hot!) and have placed an order for a UTG scope mount and weavers space 1 age rings. Guess what, they got stopped in NY (transit mailbox where my shipper ships my orders to next destination, Kuwait) and were deemed "unacceptable material" as you guys have the word rifle or rifle parts on the package description. Anywho, there is no other way that I can mount a scope as air gunning is not very common here and we dont have proper shops. So, as you know, there isnt an open sight on this monster and I'm yet to take my 3rd or 4th shot! Its been sitting in my cabinet for a month now and I cant use it! its a nightmare! Is there a way that I can put open sights (diana made of course) on it? If so, how? I'm going to try to place another order for the mount and waevers and ask the sales dept. not to mention the word rifle on the package and see if it reaches this time.

    B.B. keep up the good work! great blog!

    Faris

  17. Mike & B.B.,

    Don't Webleys have the same cross hatch on the tube like the FWB 124/127? They need a mount with the crossbars. These are still made and until recently were carried by PA. There are other vendors that still carry these scope mounts with the cross bars/scope stop built in.

    I bought into the rhetoric on BKL's clamping force being sufficient and put one on an RWS 54. Didn't move as fast but it eventually moved. I haven't heard anything about Airforce improving the design of any BKL mount. I just heard that they took over production and after a long dry spell starting shipping some of the backorders a couple weeks ago.

    Your test of the new BKL's will be interesting.

    kevin

  18. Mike from Kansas City,
    I had a similar issue. I bought a RWS 94, no stop pin hole. My situation was a little different because I bought a refurb so there was no warranty. I sent it to VinceB to get repaired and while he was at it I asked about installing a stop. He did a great job of installing a screw down stop at the back of the dovetail and it works great. Just make sure there is enough room left to use your mount! Mine just has enough, but barely because the dovetail is relatively short on this gun. Anyway, I'd say shoot with open sights until the warranty expires and then send it to someone you trust to install a similar stop. Ask Vince, maybe he'll do it.

  19. On the scope stop issue, I have a question.

    Why don't they start making air rifles with Weaver/Picatinny rails instead of 3/8" dovetails? I know it'd be off-standard, but a quick change on rings would fix that, and the grooves look like they would act as scope stops.

  20. Hi I just pretty new here and have a couple off topic questions about air gun.

    Recently I get a brand-new side-level gun, after a few use, I found the chrome sliding chamber has some scratches caused by pulling the level back. Is that normal or an indication of potential problem?

    Also what kind of oil I should used to keep the outside of the barrel clean? I read BB recommended Ballistol. But PA dis-continued it. What other options do I have?
    I also bought a silicone cloth, but it is pretty dry. Seems to be useless.
    Is there a way to revive the cloth?

    Thanks.

  21. B.B.

    I know that about the difference between 9mm Makarov and 9mm Luger..

    The Makarov round is smaller and special for that pistol.. as far as I've found so far.

    The larger Luger round is the one that works also in the Ruger .357 mag. Black Hawk with the extra 9mm luger cylinder.

    Now that I have compared the Makarov to the HiPoint semi-auto and the Black Hawk revolver for accuracy and recoil, I'm thinking I'll drop the Makarov and it's special, smaller ammo… and stock up more in the more available and cheaper 9mm Luger, .38 special and 357 mag..

    I like the ability of the Luger ammo to interchange between the revolver and semi-auto.

    What cha think folks..

    Wacky Wayne

  22. Kevin,

    The modern Webleys did not have the transverse grooves that the Webley Patriot had. The problem was that the people at Webley when this rifle was made were not airgunners. They had absolutely no ideas of what was needed in an airguns to make it work.

    B.,B.

  23. Faris, in order to mount the original sights on your rifle the barrel would have to have dovetail grooves cut into the muzzle end and 2 threaded holes in the breech block. If it doesn't have those, there's no easy way of mounting open sights.

    Kevin, with regards to oil – I'm just gonna relay my experiences. Yhe only time I ever got rust on my guns (several of them!) is after using Remoil to wipe 'em down. After that I've pretty much stuck to cheap 30wt ND oil… it's thick and a bit gooey, but I've had very good luck with it.

    A friend swears by 3-in-1 oil… used it on his firearms for 30 years without a hint of rust. I recently worked on a Winchester 1894 of his, and the metalwork was indeed in pristine condition.

  24. Faris,

    There is no easy (affordable) way to mount good open sights on your airgun. But you can make a set from cardboard and tape them to the gun. They will work, though they won't look good.

    As for the names of the scope mounts, that's unfortunate, though our customs should have no problem passing scope mounts. It would be the customs of the country into which they are going that stops them. So why they were stopped in the U.S. is a real puzzle.

    Come over to my website and drop me an email about this.

    B.B.

  25. Kevin,
    Vince beat me to it with a good answer on oil. I have two high-dollar special oils for everything: 30W (ND currently, but I'm not too worried about it) and a mix of HD 30W or 15-40 with ULSD diesel (clear kerosene for heaters should work but it won't smell as pretty:)). The 30W really sticks to the metal and makes the blue shine, but it can be, as Vince says, a little gooey, which is why I cooked up the mix (which also has some limited solvent power). I use the 30W every once in a while (its almost like a wax), but carry the mix with me in an small plastic squirt bottle, as its good enough for my general use, along with a same sized bottle of Hoppe's #9.

    Just to cover my liabilities, this is just what I do, your mileage may vary.

  26. Vince,
    I think 3n1 is fine, too, but it is up there with WD40 in terms of exciting arguments on the gun forums. There's almost always someone (usually with "Krieghoff" or "Perazzi" in his sign-in), who will say something like "I don't understand why people will spend thousands of dollars for a gun and then try to save $2.00 on the proper lubricant!" After almost 30 years of using almost anything petroleum based, I've yet to see rust appear on a regularly maintained gun.

    Your experience with Rem-oil is interesting.

  27. B.B.

    Ok, I get what you mean. It's not really smaller, just shorter.. and wider.. I had heard they were different, and not for any gun but the Makarov 9mm. (I guess that's why they call the ammo 9mm Makarov)..

    So, Thanks for the warning and details of why they don't work.

    Mr.B,

    I had a Makarov in .380ACP. (that is not the same as .38 special, which is a much larger round) The .380ACP is even smaller than the 9mm Makarov, and it's really hard to find the ammo now..

    ..and when you find .380ACP.. it's more expensive than 9mm Luger, which seems to me a more powerful round, and comes in a wider choice of loads and grains..
    And now I can shoot the 9mm Luger in my Black Hawk Revolver..

    So, I'm wondering why I need the 9mm Makarov Pistol and it's smaller round that costs more, recoils more, and isn't as accurate as the Hi-Point semi-auto 9mm Luger or the Black Hawk dual cylinder 9mm Luger and .357 mag revolver..

    I'm thinking of trading it off for more 45 long colt ammo for the "Judge" .. got plenty of .410 shotgun slugs and shot:) am I crazy..or just..

    Wacky Wayne

  28. BG_Farmer, the Remoil both surprized me and seriously pissed me off. The first thing I had noticed was rust on the sliding cylinder of my RWS48. I checked a couple of other guns that I had wiped down with the stuff and found light rust patches on mroe than one. Since using 30wt the only rust I've seen is on a Beeman 250 I have – and I had re-blued the barrel and part of the compression tube with Oxpho-Blue (Brownell's cold blue). For some reason the barrel seems to want to rust, but the tube doesn't.

  29. Wayne,

    I misunderstood what you were looking to do when I posted my comment about the barrel.

    Has anyone tried using silicon oil to protect the blued finsih on their guns. I've been using some of the Rust Free that AG Russell sells to protect the finish on his knives. Is this a good idea or bad idea?

    Mr B.

  30. kevin,

    Thanks. I saw that one, but lost the name of the folder my brain stored it in. This time I'll let AOL keep track of it for me.

    What was I keeping track of on AOL???:)

    Mr B.

  31. Thanks for all the advice everyone, i'll give whatever it takes a shot at getting a solid mount on this longbow.

    Fused, How can I get in touch with VinceB? I'd like to talk to him and see what he can do.

    Thanks again everyone,

    Mike from Kansas City

  32. Mike from Kansas City,
    Post a comment on Mondays new blog. Chances are that VinceB will see it then, he usually makes comments almost everyday. The latest blog is the best place to make contact for questions. Especially when B.B. isn't traveling and so readership is up! If you feel comfortable, you can post your email address in your post and ask VinceB to email you.

  33. Faris,

    I asked Pyramyd AIR to look into why your package was stopped in New York.

    This is their reply:

    ——————

    Tom,

    He entered the shipping destination address in NY. Whoever stopped the package has nothing to do with us as he must have made some arrangements to ship it from NY to Kuwait.
    ————————
    Faris,

    If you are shipping the package to an address of your own choosing, Pyramyd AIR cannot be responsible for what happens to it at the destination.

    B.B.

  34. The V350 is already obsolete for many decades, so like anything else, you need to find used parts. You can either buy a used gun for parts or you can have the gun rebuilt by someplace that has the parts.

    Here is one such place:

    B.B.

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