by B.B. Pelletier
Time for another installment in our continuing saga – “Air Shotguns.” We last looked at the Vincent and the Paul, two American-made shotguns from early in the 20th century. Let’s turn our attention to Korea and a much later time.
The Yewha 3-B Dynamite was an air shotgun that was imported in the 1980s – BY CHANCE!
Yewha 3-B Dynamite
If you were a Beeman customer during the 1970s, as I was, you were surprised one day to see a strange-looking airgun among the traditional German and English models. It looked large and crude, and the name – Yewha BBB Dynamite – was hardly what Beeman customers were used to. It was an air shotgun from Korea.
From the Blue Book of Airguns
What I’m about to tell you is documented in the Blue Book of Airguns Fifth Edition. The Beemans were working out of their house in San Anselmo, California, when they were approached by people claiming to be representatives of the Unification Church – known as “Moonies,” after their leader, the Rev. Moon of Korea. They came to the Beeman’s home and showed them their guns, including the .25-caliber air shotgun that Robert Beeman renamed the 3-B Dynamite.
South Koreans are forbidden to own firearms and must use airguns for hunting. They were using this shotgun to take ringnecked pheasants, and the salesman told Beeman that with a round lead ball, the gun could also take deer! Though it wasn’t up to their usual standards of finish, Beeman bought 50 guns at $35 each. As the salesman was leaving, Dr. Beeman joked, “If you ever want to sell the rest of your guns at $10 apiece, I’ll buy them.” Eight months later, a truck arrived at their home in the evening with 300 more guns! They had taken the joke seriously and wanted their money RIGHT NOW!
150 pumps for the first shot!
The Yewha is similar to the Vincent and Paul, in that you pump it many (150) times before taking a shot. The Blue Book says 10 to 20 pumps, but that is only after the gun has first been filled. After it’s full, each shot drains off about 10-20 pumps. If you replenish between shots, it will retain full power for every shot. Otherwise, you get a number of shots with decreasing power. There’s a flange on the end of the pump rod for your foot, and the gun itself becomes the pump handle.
Some American owners have converted their guns to precharged operations, but they have retained all the original parts, because the gun isn’t worth much when it’s all hacked up. This way they can charge it from a scuba tank and enjoy the gun without working so hard for every shot. I have also seen at least one converted to bulk CO2. That would have necessitated some changes to the valve, as well, if they wanted to retain the full functionality of the gun.
Plastic shotshells
The shotshells came with the gun. Like all air shotgun shells, they are open on both ends for the air to pass through. They hold just a pinch of shot, but it must be enough to get the job done because hunters do well with the gun in Korea. I would guess they shoot birds on the roost – not in flight.
Plenty of power
A fully charged gun gives velocities of 1,000 f.p.s. That’s similar to the Fire 201 shotgun I covered October 26. I don’t know if the Yewha can drive as much shot as the Fire, but they are both .25 caliber, so it might.
What are they worth?
The scarcity of the gun in this country, plus the association with the Beeman name, conspire to drive the value much higher than the gun deserves on its own merits, I believe. I see Yewhas selling at airgun shows for $450 to $500, when they should fetch $250. The Farco shotgun has to struggle to break $350 in the box with all the accessories, but the Yewha seems to have a mystique that fascinates airgunners.
We are not finished with air shotguns, but I’m stretching this out so those who don’t care about them will not become bored. Hang in there if you’re interested – there’s more to come!
🙂
Thats a good one for the history alone…and it’s got juice.
Happy Hollidays to ya BB.
turtle
You might help me. I own a Daisy air gun (multipump) the 10 pumps type. I bought it in the early 1980’s and kept with me wherever I went. Now the pump’s piston is broken and can’t pump any air. Do you know where or how can I buy a new piston or the parts to repair it. I live in Orlando Florida. Thanks, Bob
hi i,m not sure why bb did not get
back to you he must have missed it
but i would say get a new one or take it to a gun smith but if you want a shooter just get a new one
there are good guns out there for not to much hope you come back to read this
Bob,
I’m sorry but your message was never forwarded to me.
You didn’t mention the model, but if it’s the 880 Daisy still makes it. You can send it to them for repairs. I don’t know if they sell parts but call customer service and ask.
B.B.
Hello there,
There is a big chance that i can get a BBB Yewha soon, but i cannot find any documentation about it. It needs to be restaurated. Can you send me more info? thanks!
You can reach me on; mijn_opruiming@hotmail.com
Thanks a lot!!
You might contact Dean Fletcher (Google him). He deals in airgun ephemera.
The BBB Dynamite is usually found in excellent condition with the box and manual, so you shouldn’t have much trouble finding what you need.
B.B.
B.B.
I am Dan, formerly Dan in Iraq as I post on the Yellow…
I own both the 3B Dynamite and the Fire 201 shotguns.
I have found both to be reasonably accurate at 30 yards (hitting medium spinner targets easily offhand) even though smoothbore with .25 caliber pellets.
Interestingly enough, my guns do NOT have similar power. I can shoot the 201 with 3 pellets in the shot tube and have devastating effects on spinner targets or boards or whatever at 30-40 yards while I can only shoot one from the Yewha with any real power.
I don’t have a chrony so don’t know what power they are turning….
I need to take the time to detail the shot loads that I put through each of them and chrony to see what fpe I can get as well as measure the fpe and accuracy of pellets from each.
Still, both are a ton of fun and I really enjoy them. 🙂
All the best,
-Dan (not in Iraq now but back in WA state lol)
Dan,
Welcome back!
The Fire 201 produces in excess of 250 foot-pounds with a 100-grain shot load. The Yewha may make 50.
The Fire 201 became the 9mm single shot Career Pyramyd sells. It is an awesome air shotgun.
I got over 1,000 f.p.s. from a 100+ grain shot load.
B.B.
B.B,
Thanks for the re-welcome. 🙂 I am glad to be back. I will ship back over there in about August of next year; until then, lots of airguns to shoot!
I have read all your blogs about air shotguns. You are partly to blame lol….because I now own:
Yewha BBB Dynamite
Fire 201 .25 caliber shotgun
Gamo Viper express .22 caliber shotgun
Farco 28 gauge CO2 shotgun
lolol! I didn’t even know air shotguns existed until I read about the Viper Express in your column. After I bought that one, I was hooked.
I have a .20 gauge Bontrager ordered that should be here in the next few months. I also bought one of his new .50 cal super-mags….but I am most excited about the shotgun.
Would you like to borrow either of the Bontragers to review after they arrive?
Thanks for sharing the FPE of the Fire 201 and the Yewha. I could FEEL the difference, but didn’t realize the difference was THAT extreme!
The Yewha has a slooooooooow leak. I put a bit of chamber-lube in with the probe (converted to PCP) and it stops it for the duration of a shoot; or I can’t hear it or tell if it doesn’t anyway…….but the next time I use it, I have to redo the chamber-lube. Any ideas as to a more permanent fix without a gunsmith?
My Fire 201 came straight from Davis of the Farco fame….he still has some more left; old/new stock. 🙂 Mine came with a wad-cutter too which works well.
All the best, B.B. You have the best blog about air-gunning on the web.
-Dan
Dan,
Your Bontrager shotgun sounds interesting, but you could do the blog if you like. We have a guest blogger program that allows the readers to post their own stories. Pictures of the gun and what it can do would be nice, too.
I served in the Army in Washington at Ft. Lewis, back in the very early ’70s. Is that where you are?
B.B.
B.B,
I will gladly post to the best of my abilities; but until I get a chrony, my reviews are of course somewhat limited. My offer to let you borrow either/both is quite sincere; I know you would take care of them lol. I also have a fairly extensive collection of Haenels. I have the DRP 1 (very poor condition but working), the DRP III, a fine rifle and in excellent working condition although it IS used often so it won’t bring a premium. I also have a pair of the model 26 pistols, the model 28 pistols, and a single treasured 28R. (all of the pistols in 22 caliber). I also possess a 303, a 310, and a treasured nickle-plated model XV. 🙂 All are shooters and used frequently with the exception of the 26’s which are with Jeffrey Doubric for repair and one of the 28’s which is with John Groenwald.
All of the Haenels I have are the result of the MOD III coming to me from a friend; just a gift because he knew I loved airguns. That and your blogs about them lol! 🙂
Yes, I am at Fort Lewis. 🙂 It has changed a LOT from when you were here. Still the same rain though. 🙂
Housing goes for average of about 250 grand around here lol…
-Dan
Dan,
Yep, you should be laughing. When I was there fro 1970-1972, an off-post house sold for $13-20K.
I used to fish at Gravely Lake and I had a regular table at the Renton gun show every month.
If you are a treasure hunter, Ft. Lewis is great for metal-detecting.
B.B.
Addendum lol!
I almost forgot to mention my Haenel XXXX, another kid’s gun like the XV but fun, fun, fun!
My 18 year old daughter claims it as her own because it is “small like me, Daddy” lol. 🙂
-Dan
Yeppers….the prices are insane. I definitely won’t be retiring here. I am heading back to Mississippi where there are only 3 million people tip-to-tip in the entire STATE. 🙂 I have a house both there and in Oklahoma; so have options.
Metal-detecting is all managed by the post now. One requires a permit, blah, blah……takes the fun right out of it.
I must admit though, it might be possible to find me on slow afternoons with a buddy or two out plinking in the deep woods without a pass lol. 🙂
Still plenty of forest around here and privacy galore. Heck, if I am using my Logun S16s, no one will even know I am there lol.
-Dan
B.B.,
A final question. What PSI should I take my PCP converted Yewha to? I have just kinda been winging it and that isn’t the right answer, I know.
Thanks,
-Dan
Dan,
This is where a chronograph comes in handy. You start at around 1100 psi and keep increasing by 100 psi, while watching the velocity.
If the valve was not changed, I will bet your shotgun does the best between 1200 and 1400 psi. Certainly no more than that.
B.B.
B.B,
Thanks for the information. I will try that. I am hoping to have a chrony by Christmas. 🙂
-Dan
I have this
airgun!!
Herry,
You have a collectible. Not masny of these came into the U.S.
B.B.