Tag Archives: 1930s

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 2

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by Tom Gaylord
Writing as B.B. Pelletier

A history of airguns

Part 1

This report covers:

  • Maintenance
  • Success!
  • Lead shot is not consistent
  • Sorting shot
  • Loading technique
  • BB rollout
  • Velocity
  • Accuracy testing
  • Cocking effort
  • Trigger pull
  • Summary

Maintenence

The last time I looked at the Targeteer I lubricated it with a lot of Crosman Pellgunoil. How many drops, you ask? Maybe 50. It’s still oily a week later, which a BB gun needs to be, to work its best.

paper
I just thought you would like to see the cover of the manual.

Success!

And they all said — whaaaat?

A couple readers knew I was having problems getting either of my two Daisy Targeteer pistols to shoot. I was working on the problem, but last week I was stumped. Fortunately this ain’t my first rodeo and I finally remembered what I used to do.

Lead shot is not consistent

We know that lead birdshot is not of consistent size, regardless of how it is made. That had to be the problem. When I looked through the barrel I saw nothing. There should have been light shining through, so the barrel was plugged. I found something to ram through the barrel — turned out to be one of those thin plastic spray tubes that come with many aerosol cans. Remember — this Targeteer is .12 caliber, not .177! 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 3

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by Tom Gaylord
Writing as B.B. Pelletier

Remington 33
Remington’s model 33 single shot .22 was their first bolt action rimfire.

Part 1
Part 2

A history of airguns

This report covers:

  • New versus old
  • Irony
  • The second test
  • Summary

Remember what I wrote about the range last Friday — how everything went bad for me? Well I did manage to test my HW85 and one other rifle. That rifle was my venerable Remington model 33.

New versus old

You may recall that I bought a nice example of the Remington 33, to hopefully replace my current rifle that’s rusted up. I was thinking that with a better barrel the new rifle would really show up the tired old bolt action I only bought to burn up discarded range ammo.

I was out on the 50-yard range, so I decided to try my luck with both rifles shooting the CCI standard velocity long rifle cartridge. First up was the old rust 33. You will recall that I had cleaned the barrel of this old beater for the first time in anticipation of this test. Well, I had forgotten to bring my reading glasses to the range, so the sights were quite blurry. Still, I did my very best and with the tired old 33 I put 5 into 2.293-inches at 50 yards. The rounds hit a little above the bull I was aiming at. That was a good start, so now let’s switch over to the nicer 33 I just bought. read more

Remington model 33 single shot rimfire: Part 2

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by Tom Gaylord
Writing as B.B. Pelletier

Remington 33
Remington’s model 33 single shot .22 was their first bolt action rimfire.

Part 1

A history of airguns

This report covers:

  • The new desire
  • How accurate?
  • Start point
  • 30 minutes later
  • Differences
  • Summary

Happy New Year! May 2018 be a blessed year for each of you!

Today will be a short report, if you don’t mind. No — I didn’t stay up that late on New Year’s Eve. I wrote this last Friday, as is my custom of staying a little ahead of the blog. I am getting ready for the 2018 SHOT Show and a lot is happening, so I’m trying to stay ahead.

Yes, this is still an airgun blog. If you read Part 1 you’ll discover that this report started with a friend from church who had a pest problem. I tried solving it with an airgun, but he was ahead of me and solved it himself with a shotgun. But it got me looking at my old Remington model 33 single shot bolt action .22 rimfire, shooting CB caps. Read Part 1 to catch up. I’ll wait. read more