Today reader Ian McKee, whose blog handle is 45Bravo, tells us about an airgun many of us know, but this version is different. It’s a Sheridan model 190B.
If you’d like to write a guest post for this blog, please email me at blogger@pyramydair.com.
Take it away, Ian.
A Sheridan 190B
by Ian McKee
Sheridan 190B.
This report covers:
- A Projector (Not the film type)
- Overview
- And now for something completely different
- Not the first projector to grace my bench
Today we are looking at a Sheridan 190B. Many readers are probably familiar with the airgun, but probably have never known the name of it. It was made by Benjamin Sheridan.
It is a Pneu-Dart Projector. Most of us older people recognize it as a tranquilizer gun similar to ones used by Marlin Perkins in the 1960-70’s TV series Wild Kingdom.
A Projector (Not the film type)
A Projector is the name of the Pneu-Dart tranquilizer guns, be it the airgun version, the CO2 version or one that uses .22 caliber blanks to propel the dart. They are still being used today by some wildlife officials for their intended purpose, and also by ranchers and veterinarians, to administer medications to livestock or dangerous animals.
The 190B shown with a 0.5cc practice dart that weighs 109 grains.
I am not sure of the year of manufacture, but I know some of the Sheridan aficionados can let me know. It has a .50 caliber brass smoothbore barrel, but other than that, it is all Sheridan quality with a brass main pressure tube and alloy grip frame.
I bought it from one of the online airgun classifieds for a very reasonable price because on more than one occasion some of you had expressed an interest in an article about them. And I have a few ideas for this Projector.
Overview
The Sheridan 190B is a multi-pump that we are all familiar with, and is intended to be pumped between three and eight pumps. The manual says it is effective up to about 50 ft. We will test that.
I have a couple of practice RDD’s (Remote Delivery Device) but I will from here on refer to them as darts. The practice darts I have weigh 7 grams or just over 109 grains. Practice darts can be ordered in different weights to simulate the weight of the volume of chemicals you wish to inject into the animal. And that is dependent on the weight of the animal you wish to inject.
The practice darts I have are lightweight and meant to simulate 0.5cc dosage. The pistol is suggested for 3cc dosages and less.
The pistol has wood grips, and a wood pump handle grip, a plastic front sight and a steel rear sight that is adjustable for elevation. It has a crossbolt trigger safety, and TWO cocking handles! One is used for loading the dart into the bore, and the other is used for cocking the hammer to fire the airgun. The instructions say to always load the dart into the bore first, then cock the hammer only when ready to fire.
The pistol has two cocking handles.
And now for something completely different
There are a couple of unusual things to note on this airgun. You normally don’t see a brass detent in the right side of the barrel to hold the dart or other projectile in place — even while carrying the gun or pointing it downwards. The detent is easily released to allow the dart to move forward out of the muzzle should you need to unload the airgun.
The second unusual feature is that it has a velocity adjustment. You control the main velocity by the number of pumps you give it. Then there is a second adjustment that controls how far the bolt is inserted in the bore. The transfer port is under the bolt, and it directs the air into the center of the bolt to push the dart from the center of the bolt.
This photo shows the power adjuster, and the transfer port and the bolt handle to load the dart.
As you adjust the position of the bolt with the power adjustment, it will change the alignment of the bolt/transfer port orifice (moves it forward or back). That causes it to open or close off the transfer port.
Not the first projector to grace my bench
A few years ago, I had resealed a rifle version called a 178B that is based on the Crosman 392. I took photos, and had to get the gun back to the owner in short order, so I never had a chance to shoot it other than to see that it functioned. I never wrote a blog about the reseal because, other than the bore diameter and the bolt mechanism, the valve is the same.
While newer and less abused, the rifle version uses the same bolt arrangement.
We will go more in depth with this pistol, testing for velocity and accuracy. It is after all a dart gun, just a big bore dart gun.
But I leave you with a video that shows in slow motion how the “darts” actually work. They are a lot more high-tech than one would think.
Shoot safe, and have fun!
Ian
45Bravo,
Thank you thank you. I have been bugging B.B. to do a series on tranquilizer airguns. To no avail.
What do they use to tag whales or tranquilize elephants?
-Yogi
Let me research that, I have never really thought about what would be needed to anesthetize an animal of that weight .
Nor how to penetrate a couple of feet of blubber without serious injury to the animal.
Unless the drug being administered is very strong, I would think for a large mammal like a whale the dosage would be measured by the pint or liter, not by the ounce or cc…
I will get back to you..
Ian..
Ian,
As a doctor I would imagine that they would have a base dosage that can be increased by the number of darts required to get the desired effect on an animal. Having assisted anesthesiologists several times in procedures the dosage required for an intramuscular drug to take effect is going to be way more than a drug that gets directly into the circulatory system. Having had experience in the difficulty of inserting needles in stationary vessels from up close it is well nigh impossible to target a vessel of an animal from a distance. The veterinarian is surely going to make a shot for the muscles and allow the drug to circulate before taking effect. Adding more darts/dosage as required.
Siraniko
All this time reading your comments and grammar corrections, and I never guessed that you were a physician.
Roamin Greco,
I wear many hats. At times I also serve as a Computer Repairman besides being the Handyman at home.
Siraniko
Me too!
Ian,
Please do. I have also asked B.B. to do a series on the air cannons that shoot t-shirts into the audience at Major sporting events. They can shot hundreds of feet and shoot dozens of t-shirts before repressurizing.
-Y
45Bravo,
Thanks for a view on something we don’t see everyday.
Siraniko
As Col. Klink says: very interesting! I was wondering to myself, as I was reading about the pistol, how the darts worked. The video explains the functions of the darts very well. I would guess that the velocity of the dart is critical. And that it might need to vary a little, depending on the distance, and the toughness of the animal’s exterior.
Good point EF. I was just thinking that the sliding adjustment of the transfer port might be a simple way to change power based on the length of the dart. A dart for a larger dose might be longer and thereby heavier than one for a lighter dose.
I guess that to prove that, one would need to know how long the other darts are. If the adjustment, in moving back to accommodate a longer dart, opened the port more, then that would provide the extra power needed for the heavier load of medication.
Please excuse my rambling,, still a bit dizzy.
Ed
Cool report and link to a cool video.
Thanks, Ian. That was very interesting. I never knew how the dart forced the medicine in. It’s like the multipump is shooting a pcp.
Some engineer in China after reading this report will design a bolt with an adjustable air flow for the Avenge-X adding yet another tuning variable.
Good report. I had no idea tranquilizer darts were this complex.
Deck
Would you believe it but blowguns are actually prohibited weapons here in the UK. This includes pea shooters!
“Pea Shooters”? When we were kids, we would take a plastic drinking straw, chew the paper wrapper into a wet blob of paper and saliva, the “spit wad,” and use the straw as a blow gun against targets of opportunity. Is that the same as a pea shooter? Would that be a prohibited weapon in the U.K. as well? ;o)
Roamin,
Don’t laugh! When the UK got on pocket knives I heard that even table cutlery came into question.
BB
Makes one want to retire to one’s own desert island called the State of D-nial. Readership of this blog get passports. All others need to apply for a visa.
I have friends in the UK.
They are still pushing “save a life, turn a knife.”
And legislation has been passed concerning “Zombie Knives”.
Ian
RG,
Probably. I could see a teacher today instead of sending us to the principal’s office, having us arrested and sent to prison.
First they outlawed guns. Now they are trying to outlaw knives. Pea shooters? Why not.
We used to take a pin and add a little cotton or paper wad to the head and stick them into the ceiling of our classroom. The spit wads used to stick right nicely to the blackboard.
RR,
The only paddling I got in high school was for shooting spitwads in class.
BB
Unfortunately, that is not why I got any paddlings.
My indiscretions were many and varied. And so, I became quite familiar with the “Board of Education”.
As were mine. I will never forget the low Math grade in the 8th grade after my father saw it.
Ridiculous and pretty much unenforceable if people are determined to build/shoot one. What the world needs instead is legislation prohibiting blowhard politicians and zombie bloviating bureaucrats.
Unfortunately, the same disease that has affected those on that side of the pond apparently has made it to our side.
RidgeRunner,
It has already been here in the past.
It was removed by our Revolution!
As POGO would point out “We have met the enemy and they is us!” Unfortunately this is of our own doing this time around.
VOTE! as if your Liberty depends on it…because it does. The choices are disgusting due to the Media making anyone with even half a functioning brain NOT want to not seek office; but one “choice” will not take us to the FAR LEFT.
end of RANT.
I FAILED at my promise to avoid the politics cesspool but will regroup and try again!
shootski
shootski,
Welcome to the cesspool.
Ecclesiastes 10:2
Proverbs 14:8
Indeed.
The darts give new appreciation to “loopy trajectory”. Precision targeting with the multi-pump projector is difficult, but higher velocity systems can employ a scope up to 100 yds. Some darts leak when loaded so it’s important to keep the muzzle up. Not always easy to remember when sneaking up on an elusive target. Multiple injections can be necessary depending on the species, individual and sedatives. Large animal veterinarians are usually knowledgeable and helpful to protect the health of the target while still getting the desired response. Any sedatives used require disclosure and appropriate waiting periods by responsible applicators.
Ian,
That is a really cool find you have made. Now I am going to have to look to see if one of these “old gals” would like to live at RRHFWA. By the way, I remember Marlin.
You hinted at having a few ideas as to what you would do with this. I am certain that you are aware of the availability of .50 caliber paint balls, hard rubber balls, pepper spray balls, sabot rounds, etcetera? Those practice RDDs look to be like whompers also.
P.S. Those guys in the video are most definitely having way too much fun.
Yes the items you listed are on the to do list as are Spitballs, home rolled aluminum balls from tin foil.
And a whole list of other things that I don’t want to give away until the next blog.
But yea I have also shot a few .50 caliber spit balls from it so far.
Ian.
Oh yeah! That would be an awesome spitball shooter!
I myself am looking forward to your further experiments with this thing.
Interesting report on an unusual airgun and projectile – or “dart.” Remember “Wild Kingdom” well, an enjoyable watch and far better than most of the garbage infecting our TV sets currently.
You mean you watch the new shows?! Really?! That is so sad.
No, mostly watch reruns of good vintage shows, if at all. Fortunately we do have a retro channel or two available. If current TV show “producers” had to rely on FM for revenue, they’d be bankrupt. Sadly, they have plenty of sheeples and lemmings hooked on their (SELF-CENSORED) and thus they survive to spread the pestilence.
It is truly sad what passes for entertainment these days, from overly violent video games to TV shows that promote criminal behavior.
FM the Wild kingdom shows are on Youtube now if anyone wishes to revisit them.
Ian
Ian,
This has been a fascinating introduction to a very unique airgun.
Thank you very much for including the video…fascinating stuff! 🙂
Blessings to you,
dave
45Bravo,
Thank you.
The double cocking system is very similar in concept to the one Dennis Quackenbush uses; he even used a type of Flow Through loading bolt on some of his smaller caliber airguns.
Great Guest Blog Ian!
shootski
Hmm….
.50 caliber brass smoothbore barrel….
I wonder if you could make brass barrel sleeves to reduce the caliber if desired. Then you could shoot BBs, pellets, etc. In any caliber on up to .50.
Roamin Greco,
That’s quite possible. I recall our local CO2 rifles having a .38 smoothbore barrel (for use with ball bearings or shot) with a brass insert .22 caliber barrel.
Siraniko