By B.B. Pelletier
When you think of CO2 rifles, you probably think of Crosman’s famous 1077. It’s a great rifle with 12 shots and wonderful accuracy. Want somthing a little more substantial for hunting? The Benjamin AS392T with AirSource might be just the gun for you.
The AirSource bulk CO2 tank was created by Crosman a few years back. The first rifle adapted for it was .177 caliber, which is great for plinking but hardly what’s needed for hunting. A year after they introduced the 1077 AS, they adapted it to the Benjamin 392, giving us our subject rifle. So, for the first time since the late 1940s, we have a .22-caliber CO2 rifle that uses a bulk tank.
How many shots you get depend on which power level you pick
The AS392T has dual-power control that delivers two levels of power. When the bolt is pulled back, you’ll get a click – and then a second one. Stop pulling the bolt after the first click, and you’ll be shooting at low power. At this level, Beeman Silver Bear hollowpoints shoot an average of 506 f.p.s. On high power, which is one more click back on the bolt, they average 580 f.p.s. The AS392T is rated at 610 f.p.s., which I got when using RWS Hobby wadcutters (they’re lighter than most .22 pellets). That was on high power, of course.
If you want to conserve CO2 and get more shots, then shoot on the lower power. Need more power? Click the bolt a second time, but remember that you’ll get fewer shots and should carry a spare AirSource tank.
Add pellets & a scope and you’re ready to shoot!
Benjamin Sheridan Diabolos feed the best because a slope at the front of the feed trough flips up the tails of many other types of pellets (they stop on it and tip their noses down). I found that round nose or domed pellets feed well.
Mount a scope with the Crosman intermount. It clamps onto the barrel and provides a base to attach scope rings. If you choose Crosman’s 410, 410S or 4032 scopes, you don’t have to buy anything else because they all come with the correct rings to attach to the intermount. I recommend the Crosman 4032, because it’s brighter and more powerful. More important, the potential accuracy of this airgun warrants the extra expense.
The AS392T is a great CO2 rifle for the hunter who wants substance and power. As a .22, it is one of the few CO2 airguns with enough power to make hunting a genuine possibility.
Before I sign off today, there is one more thing I want you to consider. Five years ago, Benjamin Sheridan offered several CO2 rifles in either .20 or .22 caliber. Today, this is the only one left standing. If a .22 CO2 Benjamin has ever been a secret desire of yours, it’s time to get the lead out!
How good is the pump 392 or the blue streak in 20 caliber compared to this rifle?
Well, the barrels on all the rifles mentioned are pretty much the same despite the caliber differences, so the accuracy potential is going to be the same for all of them. The principal advantage of the AS392 is that it runs on CO2, rather than air.
Many shooters enjoy shooting a CO2 gun because they don’t have to pump for each shot. For them, the AS392 is terriffic. It’s really the only CO2 rifle in .22 caliber from Benjamin Sheridan. They used to offer a Sheridan .20 caliber in CO2 but it was dropped from production a few years ago, so if you want a gas gun from them, this is it.
B.B.
Benjamin has a 22 caliber pistol in co2 how does that compare to the co2 rife?
Actually, I was hoping someone would notice the pistol. In my book, all the Benjamin AND Sheridan (.20 caliber) pistols are way better than their asking price reflects. These guns are so close to they way airguns were made in the 1950s that it’s scary.
I’ll no doubt do several reports on these pistols as time permits. Thanks for noticing.
B.B.
Why do you recommend a crossman intermount for 392as? I have an AO scope mounted that works. Would this rifle benefit from Cooper T valve as it stays charged alot? and has been an awsome pest controller round here.
What mount do you use with your scope? I recommended a Crosman Intermount because it fits and works. I am aware there are lots of other mounts that work, like the B-square mounts that hang over the receiver, but I find the Intermount is a more standard item. Tell us why you like your mount better.
You’ll have to tell me about the Cooper T valve you mentioned. I’m not familiar with it.
B.B.
Hello I bought one of the Benjamin EB 20’s. I have a soft spot for 20 caliber especially one that is discontinued. I know you said wait for a report but can you tell me more about my new addition?
Well, by now you know what a wonderful pistol you have. Because yours is a .20 caliber, airgun collectors view it as a Sheridan. When Crosman combined the names of the two companies several years ago, .20 caliber became the only sure way to know that a gun was a Sheridan.
The pistol you have isn’t much different than the others that remain today, other than the caliber. But it is so well-made that it doesn’t seem to be much different than the Benjamin pistols made during the 1950s, or even the 1930s, for that matter!
That’s all I’ll say for now.
B.B.
I’ve had an As392 for over a year and it still leaks. It’s got power enough out to about 25 yards, but my 250 is almost as powerful and is extremely accurate, a lot lighter and cheaper to operate. The big CO2 bottle looks good, but the thing is a huge disappointment – I wish I’d of got a 2260 instead. The 250 with Crosman’s steel breach is ideal CO2 rifle, in my opinion.
Did you try Pellgunoil on the tip of the AirSource cylinder before puncturing it? That will stop most small leaks.
Don’t give up on the gun. It can be resealed if it needs it. Any gas or pneumatic gun will leak when a seal goes bad.
B.B.
I purchased a Benjamin AS392 and it leaked when I put the CO2 cylinder on for the first time. The sound was most noticeable by holding the gun muzzle up and listening through a hole that is in the large cylinder that runs underneath the barrel close to the muzzle. No amount of adjustment to the CO2 cylinder would stop the noise. I fired only 25 shots and the CO2 was exhausted 12 hours later. I spoke to Crosman and they are sending a new o-ring for me to place in the receiver where the Air Source cylinder is installed. The very helpful guy from Crosman did not sound very enthusiastic about this working, however and explained that I could send the gun to him for evaluation/repair of the seals which he expected would be necessary. Here is my question: would you recommend sending this brand new gun back to the manufacturer or would you recommend exchanging it? I recognise that this may only be a personal preference but I am still interested in what you would do. Would I be any better off having a gun that was factory checked/examined or am I more likely to have problems with a gun that has already had issues. Do many guns have some degree of leakage? I’m leaning towards just getting a different/replacement gun. Thanks.
twm,
I would exchange the gun. However I am curious. Did you put three drops of Crosman Pellgunoil on the tip of the AirSource cartridge before you installed it?
B.B.
No, I didn’t. I could not find any at my local Academy store so it looks like I’m going to have to order it. My impression from reading your web site was that it helped with small leaks and this seemed like a big leak. Also the Crosman technician I spoke with did not bring it up. I would have expected a new gun to have had some oil applied to the metal area where the Air Source is installed, but maybe not. I’ll get some before I screw another 88 gram CO2 cylinder on to try the new o-ring.
twm,
Go ahead and get some. I’m not promising, but I have fixed guns this way in the past.
B.B.
I’ve gotten some new o-rings from Crosman for my leaking AS392 and I worked on the gun. I put pictures to show Crosman on http://www.flickr.com/photos/twm3/sets/72157600104522911/
The o-ring wasn’t defective, it was non-existent. Now I’m going to need a new hard plastic piece that fits in the base of the CO2 receiver to replace the cracked one I have now. Hopefully this will fix the leak. I will coat all of the parts that I install (disk & o-ring) with Pellgunoil. This is shaping up to be a pretty frustrating experience.
twm,
That just plain sucks!
I hope you informed Crosman about your situation. The pictures was a good idea. The man to talk to is Ed Schultz.
B.B.
I have a 20 caliber blue streak. I somehow got hold of it from a relative. Any idea how much that’s worth?
If it has a rocker safety, and is excellent, it’s worth $100. Any working Blue Streak is worth $75.
B.B.
i forgot to mention that the 20 blue streak that I have uses co2. I’ve been looking it up online and I haven’t found anything on it. Because it’s co2 does it affect the price?
Yes, the CO2 changes everything. You don’t have a Blue Streak, you have a model FB. It never had a name.
Until recently the model F was valued at less than a Blue Streak, but is is harder to find and is starting to get some collector value of its own.
If it says Sheridan 1975-1990 on the side, it was made when Sheridan (or, later, Benjamin owned the company and is worth $110-150 in excellent condition. ($75 in good working condition). If it says Model F9 on the side it was made after Crosman bought Benjamin Sheridan, and is worth a little less.
If it is highly polished, it is worth a little more.
B.B.
I have a stock 392 that was resealed… now, when i pump it, air blows out barrel with each pump when uncocked. Now, if I cock it first, it pumps and builds pressure ok. I want it to pump up uncocked, then cock and load as originally designed. What happened(Authorized repair station did work)?
Some multi-pumps are designed to work the way your’s now does. The Sheridan Supergrade is one.
Your firing valve return spring isn’t closing the valve all the way. By cocking the gun you take all pressure off the valve stem and the firing valve closes. The problem is a few thousandths of clearance between the hammer and the firing valve stem.
It could be fixed, but I would leave it as it is. You can do this – pump the gun twice, then manually uncock it. The valve should remain closed and you can either store the gun or continue pumping to shoot. You should be storing the gun with air in it anyway.
B.B.
I have an as392 and have had to send it in twice for co2 leaks and it just tore another seal. Basically every time I've attempted to use it I've had problems, I really regret purchasing it. Is there any way it could be adapted to a larger refillable tank or something so I could actually use it? Thanks
Josh
Josh,
The AS 392T uses an 88-gram CO2 cartridge. I assume you are always putting Crosman Pellgunoil on the tip of every new cartridge when you pierce it? Because if not, that is your problem.
It sounds like you are screwing the cartridge in too far. The tip of the cartridge mates with a thin membrane seal called a face seal. It will roll up and tear if the cartridge rotates against it too much without lubrication, or if it puts too much pressure on it.
My AS392T worked for many years without a problem, and I know many others that have, also, but lack of lubrication and overtightning the cartridge can tear the seal immediately.
It should be possible for an airgunsmith to make an adapter to allow the AS392T to use the same removable cartridge mechanism that the 1077 has. That's the one that allows the 1077 to use an 88-gram cartridge, and also has a valve to turn the gas flow off and on.
B.B.