My first rifle was the Benjamin 300 pre war 2 that pumps straight out the front of the barrel. I think it was made in 1938 and I bought it from a friend for 3 dollars. It is a .177 BB and BB were 5 cent a box in 1943. I was paid to kill sparrows from the chickens being kept in the back yards. I still have this model and it works great. I was too small to pump it up with 5 pumps for max speed of a lead BB. I would get on the street curb to be tall enough to jump up and pump it.

Lead poison maybe why I am so crazy now as I would put BB in my mouth to keep them ready for faster loading. Just think what I could have been if I didn't have the lead poison in my body. Ha Ha, I will soon hit 87 and going for 100. I could have been something except a crazy gunsmith!!!

Some thoughts from the past???

Les: I think that most of us might be a little 'crazy' from all of the lead that we were exposed to hunting with lead bullets, reloading, lead paint on the walls, lead water pipes. . . . . Not to mention DDT and other hazards. Hey, you turned out great in spite of it all!

Les, I have the Benjamin air pistol that used the same pump design. It is marked "Benjamin Franklin" on the left side of the reservoir, takes just three or four pumps and is not very powerful at all. Fun though. Tom Gaylord says these were made from 1935 to 1941.

quote:

Lead poison maybe why I am so crazy now as I would put BB in my mouth to keep them ready for faster loading. Just think what I could have been if I didn't have the lead poison in my body.

That makes two of us, a mouth full of BB's,177 and .25 caliber pellets made for faster reloading. I had a Benjamin .177, a Crossman .22 pump up that came equipped with a 4 power scope(!) and a Sheridan Blue Streak (I think it was called), was hell on crows at roosts.
Still have a Crossman single pump .177 target pistol, not speedy at all but very acurrate.