Tag Archives: 1930’s

Sharpshooter rubber band catapult gun: Part 1

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by Tom Gaylord
Writing as B.B. Pelletier

A history of airguns

Sharpshooter pistol
The Sharpshooter catapult pistol was made from the early 1930s until the 1980s by as many as 5 different companies. This one was made in the early 1940s.

This report covers:

  • History
  • Operation
  • How much value can be put into an inexpensive gun?
  • What is this about?
  • More power!
  • Next
  • Summary

Today I begin a report that I started five years ago and never finished. That was before we had the historical section of the blog. I planned to test many things about this line of unique catapult pistols and even bought the rubber bands for the extended test, but somehow it got away from me. Well, now I’m going to try it again.

You may remember several months ago I reviewed the Daisy Targeteer .118-caliber “BB” gun. You may not recall it, but when we got to the accuracy test that pistol failed miserably. These Sharpshooter pistols shoot the same small .118-caliber shot as the Targeteer, but they are powered by rubber bands and are generally much more reliable — at least the older ones are. They are still weak airguns, but I think we can have some fun with them anyhow. read more

Benjamin 700 multi-pump repeater: Part 1

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by Tom Gaylord
Writing as B.B. Pelletier

A history of airguns

Benjamin 700
Benjamin 700 repeating BB gun.
This report covers:

  • The Benjamin Automatic
  • Model 700
  • Repeater
  • How many pump strokes?
  • My encounter
  • The gun
  • Takedown
  • Accuracy
  • Price
  • Ammo
  • Getting it fixed
  • Summary

And now for something brand new, because it is so old that most of you will never have heard of it. We have to go back to 1930 for this one! And those were exciting times at the Benjamin Air Rifle Company in St. Louis, Missouri.

The Benjamin Automatic

Early that year Benjamin launched the model 600 they called the Benjamin Automatic. It was a smoothbore 25-shot BB repeater that fired as fast as the trigger was pulled. Well, that was the story. I’ve never tested one so I can’t say anything about one for certain, but my general knowledge of multi-pumps of the day tells me you can expect a handful of shots before it’s time to top off the gun by pumping again. I’m saying don’t expect to rattle off 25 shots at one go. read more

Daisy Targeteer shooting gallery: Part 3

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by Tom Gaylord
Writing as B.B. Pelletier

A history of airguns

Part 1
Part 2

Targeteer shooting gallery
Daisy Targeteer shooting gallery.

This report covers:

  • Velocity
  • Ebay comes through!li>
  • Target
  • The test
  • First 10 shots
  • What about Daisy steel shot?
  • Bottom line

Today is accuracy day for the old Daisy Targeteer I’m testing. In Part two I showed you how I solved the feeding problem and got my pistol back to operational condition, though “operational” is a stretch. It’s weak and there is nothing that can be done about it. Today I will show you how I made a target to test the accuracy of the Targeteer.

Velocity

This is just a reminder of what we are dealing with. I have to shoot either original Daisy steel BBs, which are collectable in their own right, or number 6 birdshot. The birdshot is easy enough to get, but it has to be sorted by dropping it through the shot tube. If you don’t you’ll get one stuck and have to deal with it. The Daisy BBs go about 120 f.p.s. and the birdshot goes about 105 f.p.s., so neither one is powerful enough to go through a paper target. I will address that in a moment, but first let me tell you what I did about the shot. read more

Daisy Targeteer shooting gallery: Part 1

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by Tom Gaylord
Writing as B.B. Pelletier

A history of airguns

This report covers:

  • Why we collect
  • Today
  • .12 caliber
  • The box
  • Lead BBs?
  • Fragile
  • Art deco
  • Summary

Why we collect

Sometimes we collect something because of its performance. A Whiscombe recoilless rifle that’s powerful and accurate might be an example of this. Other times we collect something because of the way it is made — the craftsmanship. The Sheridan Supergrade comes to mind.

And other times we collect something for other reasons. My M1 Carbine is an example of this. I like it for three important reasons:

1. It is so well made and so well designed. It weighs 5 lbs. — a rifle weight that has never been equalled in a rifle as powerful, to the best of my knowledge. And this rifle was designed in 18 months, back in the late 1930s! read more

The Challenger countertop trade stimulator

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by Tom Gaylord
Writing as B.B. Pelletier

Challenger
Called a countertop trade stimulator, the Challenger was one of many small shooting galleries that accepted pennies.

A history of airguns

This report covers:

  • History
  • Money tight
  • Drop Coin into slot
  • The prize
  • The play
  • Shoot Hitler
  • On through the ‘40s

Now for something a little different. Instead of guns, let’s talk about trade stimulators today — shooting gallery trade stimulators, to be specific.

History

In the 1930s, the world was in the middle of a hard depression, one which many people were not prepared to weather. Lifestyles of the Roaring ’20s had to be revamped to survival in the ’30s. For store owners, the pinch of tight money was particularly defeating because money is the lifeblood of trade. read more

FLZ Luftpistole, version 2: Part 1

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by Tom Gaylord
Writing as B.B. Pelletier

FLZ pistol
The FLZ version 2 pistol was made in Germany from 1938 to 1940.

A history of airguns

  • Uncommon
  • Description
  • Stock
  • Marks
  • Looks like a rifle

Today we start looking at an air pistol that’s uncommon in the U.S., and indeed, around the world — the FLZ Luftpistole version 2. FLZ stands for Fritz Langenhan of Zella Mehlis, Germany. We have looked at one other FLZ airgun on this blog in the past — the Millita that now resides in RidgeRunner’s Home For Wayward Airguns.

Uncommon

I don’t think the FLZ air pistol is rare, but the first version that has a rounded grip was made from 1926/7 to 1940, according to The Encyclopedia of Spring Air Pistols, by John Griffiths. Version 2 that I have was introduced in 1937 and lasted until 1940. The nation of Germany was preparing for war in the late 1930s, and commercial production was curtailed, so I think the second version of the gun must be less common. That doesn’t make it more valuable — just harder to find. read more

Remington model 33 single shot rimfire: Part 1

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by Tom Gaylord
Writing as B.B. Pelletier

Remington 33
Remington’s model 33 single shot .22 was ,made in the 1930s.

A history of airguns

This report covers:

      • The cobbler’s children have no shoes!
      • Barn gun
      • Lightbulb!
      • The question
      • Remington 33
      • Success
      • Addictive
      • Why not an airgun?
      • CB caps are quiet…
      • … and not that powerful
      • Super Colibri
      • Summary

      Hey there, BB — you’re talking about a firearm in an airgun blog?

      Sure am! I do it from time to time to attract new readers like Kevin, who joined us years ago from my comments about Roy Weatherby. The shooting sports is full of guys who just like to shoot, and I lure them in with these occasional excursions off the beaten path. And, there is a very strong tie-in to airguns in today’s report, as you will discover. Let’s go!

      The cobbler’s children have no shoes!

      It all started when a guy at my church needed something to kill a bobcat that was raiding his chicken coop! I immediately suggested an airgun — my “go to” Talon SS. But, when I located it, there was no scope mounted! Oh, no! I found a scope and mounted it quickly and then discovered that my tackdriver air rifle now puts five pellets into one inch at 25 yards. That’s terrible for this rifle. Looking down the bore told me the reason — dirty barrel! That will be the subject of an upcoming blog. read more