by Tom Gaylord
Writing as B.B. Pelletier
My Sheridan Blue Streak was purchased new in 1978.
This report covers:
- Not a shooter
- You’ve got mice!
- The problem grows
- The rifle
- Thumb safety
- Rocker safety
- Why so different?
- Twenty caliber
- Multi-pump
- Accuracy
- Trigger
- Sights
- Goodbye, Edie
Some readers asked me to do a memorial blog to my late wife, Edith. Today marks one year since she passed away, but this blog is still infused with her influence. So I thought I would tell you about her favorite airgun — the Sheridan Blue Streak.
Not a shooter
Edith was never a shooter. Even when she shot with me to get her Concealed Carry License, she wasn’t as interested in the shooting aspect as she was in self defense. But she had a soft spot in her heart for the Blue Streak and I’d like to tell you why.
You’ve got mice!
When we moved into our house in Maryland, the last thing the old owners told us was we had mice. There were woods all around us and game was plentiful. We figured with 9 housecats, there wouldn’t be any problem with mice, but we were wrong. Several cats were excellent mousers and caught a lot of them in the beginning, but they didn’t kill them right away. They would play with them, often breaking their legs and watching them squirm around on the floor. Edith had a soft spot for animals and could not abide that, so she asked me to teach her to shoot the Blue Streak, so she could finish them. This was almost a decade before The Airgun Letter was even a glimmer on the horizon.
I taught her how to operate the rifle, how to pump it and load it. More importantly, I taught her firearm safety and gun handling etiquette. You might say what I taught her was a lot like what Jack Cooper is teaching Jill. She especially liked the fact that with a multi-pump you can control the velocity by varying the number of pumps — from 3 to 8 with the Blue Streak. Field mice are small and she didn’t want to splatter them around the house.
The problem grows
Within a year the mouse population in our house approached zero. Problem solved — or so I thought. Edith was also a bird lover and she placed a pan of bird seed on the front porch to attract songbirds. One day she notice a bird had disappeared rather suddenly and she hadn’t noticed it flying away. There were also a couple feathers lying by the bird seed. So she watched. Soon another bird landed and was busy eating the seed when it was jumped by a large rat that came up from under the porch! Edith had inadvertently set the table for a family of rats!
Out came the Sheridan, which had a yellow twist tie around the triggerguard, to remind her to use the pellets in the yellow plastic box. Edith set out more bird seed, then took up a hiding position outdoors about 20 feet away. Another bird landed and attracted the big rat, but this time she popped him as he climbed up the porch wall. She called me at work, which was no small feat, because I was in a building that required a very high classification to enter. We didn’t get phone calls unless there was an emergency.
She had never called me there before and I was worried that something bad had happened, but she just wanted to tell me about bagging the rat. Over the next month Edith killed all the adults in the colony and 5 babies who were out on our front steps, sunning themselves. In all I think she killed 19 rats — the furthest being the final one that she dropped offhand at about 20 yards. I thought we were going to have to mount that one on the wall, she was so proud!
The rifle
Let’s now take a look at Edith’s favorite air rifle. The Sheridan Blue Streak first came to market in 1949 — as a less-expensive model when their Model A that we call the Supergrade today, failed to sell. The Model A sold for $56.50 in 1948, while the new Blue Streak was only $19.95 when it first came out.
Thumb safety
One quirky feature that kept sales low for year was the thumb safety. Atop the comb is a spring-loaded button that must be depressed to fire the rifle. While it apparently fits some shooters well, many complain that it isn’t easy to hold down. It’s just too far forward for most thumbs to reach comfortably. It is very common to find something jammed in the thumb button slot, holding it down permanently. This safety was so troublesome that sales of the rifle exploded when the designers changed to a rocker arm design in 1963.
The thumb safety had to be pressed down to fire the rifle. In theory it worked, but the safety button was poorly placed.
Rocker safety
The rocker safety has a button on each side of the receiver. Press down the F button on the left side to fire and the S button on the right for safe. The beauty of this safety is once a button is pressed, the rifle remains in that state. Nothing further needs to be done. This model became the all-time classic Blue Streak, lasting from 1963 until the decade of the ’90s
Rocker safety works much better. Push down on the button you want and it remains there.
Why so different?
Why was the safety found on the Blue Streak different than the one found on the Benjamin 340-series rifles that became the 397 and 392 in later years? Simple — Sheridan was a separate company from the Benjamin Air Rifle Company at that time. Benjamin hadn’t bought them yet. Crosman did not own either company until around the 1990s, and for several years after they acquired the companies they kept each brand separate.
Twenty caliber
When Sheridan came out with their first rifle in 1947/48 they did so in .20 caliber. That was not a popular airgun caliber before they started using it, but Quackenbush had made a large number of 20-1/2 caliber guns, and Crosman had also made a few. The company line was they couldn’t find pellets that suited their airgun, which in the 1940s timeframe is very believable. They picked a proprietary caliber to control what was fed into their guns. But there is also the belief that they had the corner on the .20 caliber market. It didn’t do them any favors, though, because .20 caliber pellets were not widely distributed like .22 and .177 calibers.
Sheridan stayed with .20 caliber for the Blue and Silver Streak throughout the entire production run and through three different corporate owners. Only the Model A was ever made in .22 caliber, and those few were just testbed guns.
Naturally Sheridan said their pellets were best, and in 1947, they were. Not only were they more accurate, they also obtained a much higher ballistic coefficient by not using the full diabolo design. So they retained velocity farther and penetrated better. Today, however, the original Sheridan cylindrical pellet has been surpassed by modern diabolos that are more uniform. If anyone still shoots the older Sheridan pellets, they give up a lot of accuracy to pellets like the JSB Exact.
Multi-pump
The Blue Streak and its nickel-plated sibling, the Silver Streak, were multi-pump pneumatics. They operated on between 3 and 8 strokes of the movable forearm. I have tested them at a greater number of strokes and confirmed that the power diminishes, however older guns sometimes gain a little with a ninth stroke. A rifle that’s operating at spec, though, tops out at 8 strokes. At that level you get a medium-weight .20 pellet traveling in the mid- to upper-600 f.p.s. range. Each rifle will be different. My 1978 rifle is old and tired and now goes about 635 f.p.s. with the Crosman Premiers that are no longer available in .20 caliber. I say they’re not available, but 14.3-grain Benjamin diabolos are Crosman Premiers in everything but name.
The Blue and Silver Streaks are small, lightweight air rifles that pack more power than their size indicates. Only PCPs have greater power in packages of similar size. The overall length is just over 36.5 inches and the weight of my rifle is an ounce and a fraction less than 5 lbs. Yet the pull is a decent 13.25-inches and the barrel is 19-3/8-inches long. That’s adult dimensions in a pint-sized package. I think size and weight were some of the reasons Edith liked the rifle.
Pump effort starts low and builds into the final couple strokes that are in the 35-lb. region. Beeman used to add up the effort for each of 8 pump strokes to demonstrate how much work shooters had to do. That’s like counting the times your bicycle pedals go around for a one-mile trip. In my mind, the figure is without merit. You either will or will not like to pump the gun for each shot — it’s not something that, when measured or put on a spreadsheet, has any real meaning.
I like pumping because it slows everything down. It’s relaxing — like shooting a flintlock rifle. But if you like an AR, a multi-pump may not be for you.
Accuracy
I will test the Blue Streak in the usual fashion for you, so accuracy will get defined. But I’ll say right now that a Blue Streak is not as accurate as what can be obtained from some of the better spring rifles. I’m referring to rifles like the RWS 34.
Trigger
The rocker safety Blue and Silver Streaks have triggers that were designed before the lawyers were allowed to voice an opinion. They aren’t light, but they are nice for what they are — simple trigger mechanisms. And they can be made nicer with simple fixes like removing the slop in all the parts.
Sights
Besides the thumb safety, the rear sight is the second-quirkiest thing about the Blue Streak. It does adjust in both directions, but the vertical is just a simple screw and the horizontal is a weird arrangement of a push-pull set of opposed screws.
The rear adjusts sideways by loosening one screw and tightening the other (arrows).
Goodbye, Edie
That’s the start of my report on the Sheridan Blue Streak and also my memorial to Edith. Some of you readers may remember all the help she gave you when you first got started reading this blog. We will miss that, because I certainly can’t do it. I need as much help as any of you.
She’s gone, but the things she touched are better for it. I know I am!
Mr. BB ,sir. Gone, yes. But lives on in the hearts of all who were touched, or in this case spanked by her. Bless you my friend. Shoot/ride safe,
Beaz
Definitely a fitting tribute to her.
God bless Edith for her patience to all who came to this blog. May she continue to live in our hearts.
It sure doesn’t seem like it’s been a year.
Of all the pumpers I have owned, a Sheridan hasn’t been one of them.
Benjamin, Crosman, Daisy, and neither did any of my friends.
Tom,
Great tribute to Edith.
A blue streak was my first gun (that was not a hand-me-down) and is still my favorite. I still have my original that I’m going to tackle as a rebuild project this winter. I purchased a later model C9 last year at the Texas Air Gun Show. I purchased a blue at the Malvern show this year.
I added a Mac1 scope mount and a UTG scope to the blue streak (old eyes). I have been amazed how accurate it is with the JSB pellets.
I’m looking forward to the rest of this series.
Jim
Jim,
I’m looking forward to it, as well.
B.B.
Hi BB
What a lovely way to honor Ms Edith’s memory. It’s a fitting tribute to a great Lady who was by your side for 33 long years & I’m sure was a huge influence on the Amazing work you have done for our benefit over the years. I miss very much her comments & witty answers which were spot on and put us right on track many a time. I prayed to the Lord as I woke today for her & for you, to give you good health and fitness to carry on the great work. God bless you Sir.
Errol
Errol,
Thank you for your prayers. I put on the armor of God each day I arise, because I need it to get through the day.
B.B.
BB
Great memories for sure from Edith. She sure did know how to make the blog roll. And the help she gave with posting and other issues was remarkable. There were issues that came up that I sure didn’t understand but Edith would get things straightened out. And thats cool she liked the Sheridan multi-pump.
I can remember them sitting on the shelf at the old Grandpa Pigeons discount store when I was a kid. Matter of fact. Right next to the Benjamin 392 that I ended up getting. I thought at the time the Sheridan .20 caliber pellets where odd looking. And what’s kind of ironic is I chose the Benji 392 because of it being a bigger size pellet than the .20 caliber Sheridan and the small .177 caliber pellets that we shot out of us kids 760’s and Daisy pumpers back then. Just like now days I would rather have a .25 caliber pcp or hopefully a .25 caliber Marauder based pumper in the future.
And I do remember when Benjamin bought out Sheridan. But didn’t really never think about how long ago that was.
And I have to ask what did Edith think about pumping the Sheridan. Or did she not even give that a thought because she knew what she needed to do if she wanted to shoot it.
GF1,
I should have mentioned that Edith didn’t like to pump more than 5 strokes. She could go to 8 if necessary, and that long offhand shot on the final rat was taken with 8, as I recall. But 5 was where she stopped most of the time.
B.B.
BB,
I usually pumped 5 strokes as well. There was a dairy farm down the road. the owner used to pay my by the bird and 5 strokes was plenty.
Jim
BB
You know what even my 1377 that I converted into a Discovery pumper I use 5 pumps mostly. There might be times I pump to 10 and that is at the longer 50 yard shots when it’s windy. If its not windy it still only gets 5 out at 50 yards. Love them pumpers.
A little more than a year ago, the idea for Pelletgage originated, and at the Malvern show, I saw a 1968 Blue Streak on Bill E’s table. Never had looked at one closely, This was one was very nice, and went home with me. Blog posts of the time mentioned Pelletgage, and several posters here advised that it should be Pelletgauge. Edith replied this was the accepted spelling for a mechanical measurement device. Case closed. I was gratified and relieved. Glad to own her favorite rifle, and I will be reminded of her when I use it. 🙂
I will remember Edith as an unexpected, and welcomed source of clarity and support. When you least expected it and most appreciated it she was there for us and absolutely enhanced this blog.
A very special Lady…
Bob M
Exactly!
And just noticed now we have a drop down box with options on receiving email alerts.
We never had that available if I remember right and I do remember Edith asking me one time if I wanted her to change my setting so I would receive notification of all replies on the blog. I told her no thanks. Heck it was hard to check my emails the way it was when I was getting them for only replies to me.
I myself would rather not get the notifications and just check the blog when I get a chance. I tend to miss them sometimes anyway when there is multiple replies to my comments and email notifications. I end up scrolling down the blog anyway. That’s my thoughts anyway.
And so is the IT stuff getting straightened out. I still have the arrow up box at the bottom right that works but it’s gray with no arrow. And I haven’t tryed the smiley faces yet to see how they do. Let’s see if it works without the space.:) Or with the space. 🙂 But I guess that drop down is how we can do our settings now for notifications. And I wonder if it’s the same on my laptop. Haven’t used it in forever. Oh and no spell check yet either. Which don’t matter to me anyway. My phone always seems to override what I even correct. Yes it’s a pain in the butt.
Figured with the administrator test posts yesterday they would maybe have it working right. Or the drop down will be the fix from now on. Which is fine. That way we have a option available.
And just thought I would mention my arrow up button is back to normal.
BB,
Though I never met her, I find I miss her also. I enjoyed our little conversations here. I look forward to that day when I finally do meet her.
Thank you.
RR,
I look forward to that, also. 🙂
B.B.
Dear Website Administrator,
Will we be getting the spelling correction function back?
B.B.,
Very nice tribute and quite the fitting one. Your writing gave us a true sense of the pride that she felt after a successful rat “safari”. 😉 As many stated, she encouraged, as well as “spanked”, keeping us all in line and on track, while still allowing the occasional foray off into the “ditch”. Her comments and computer skills were like that of a surgeon,…. quick, effective and fixed what needed fixing. Or,… like a sniper! 🙂 Things would be running along, perhaps going a bit amuck, and BAM! She would swoop in with one felled “shot” and left no doubt in your mind that you had been “hit”. I miss her too, and that is just from the 8 or so months that I had the pleasure of interactions with her, right here.
As for the Blue Streak, I suppose that this is one that you either love, or hate,.. the looks. I fall into the later category, sorry to say. Maybe if I had one as a kid, or even saw one back then, that might be different. The rear sight horizontal adjustment I think is quite nice. I think that for a leaf spring sight, that it is quite effective.
Chris
Chris,
Thanks for the info concerning the spell check. I was not aware of such. See, us old dogs can learn new tricks after all.
RR,
Yup on the ol’ dog comment. I still have much I do not know on computer stuff,…. other than if I try to go outside my normal comfort zone,… things seem to get screwed up pretty quick somehow. My whole family uses the Apple products. Perhaps they are easier and more self prompting? The logic of how the systems are laid out, and what you have to do,… to even do the simplest of things,… seems to escape me. What should be logical, seems the opposite. Ask a computer expert though,… and everything is perfectly logical.
I may be getting “brushed up” on all that though.
Chris USA
Computers are a pain in the you know what. Never was good with them. And then my phone. That’s whole nother story.
And good luck on your brushing up. 🙂
Chris,
As a kid I felt the say way. I thought the rifle looked clunky. But when I was in Germany Robert Beeman published the first “Airgun Digest” and I came home ready to roll. The Blue Streak was the second airgun I bought. And FWB 124 was the first, as I recall.
B.B.
Chris USA
Let me know if you get to shoot your Mrod today with the bi-pod locked up.
And just a reminder is it locked up tight. If you bump it you could end up with your shots changing. That is what your testing right?
GF1,
Shooting now, about done, 96 or 12 X 8. Did 33.95’s under varied conditions and then went to the 25.39’s and repeated the same conditions. 6 groups each. Look for an update to show up at the bottom later.
Chris USA
Will do.
BB,
Nice little pumper. I can most definitely see where the rocker safety was a major step up. If Crosman does not build the Minimus, I may have to pick up one of these or a 392. I may have to do so anyway. Once my Grandson is ready to graduate from the Daisy Buck, something like this would be an excellent next step.
RR
760’s are nice for kids too. I’m betting if the Sheridan is anything like the Benjamin 392 I had as a kid. It was a hand full compared to the 760 I had shot for a few years before I got the Benji. But I did shoot that Benji everyday from then on after I got it. Heck it felt like I was shooting a .50 caliber pumper after shooting that little .177 caliber pellet in the 760.
You should try out one of the Crosman custom shop 1377’s. That should be a nice little light weight pumper to transition to.
GF1,
My thoughts are that with the Sheridan or 392 is these would be around for quite a few years. I do not know if you have noticed or not, but the little rug rats do not stay little rug rats very long. It will probably not be long before he will be wanting a Marauder or Air Ranger or such.
By the way, I have just received notification that there is a Webley Tomahawk waiting for me when I get off work. 🙂
RR
Yes they do grow up fast don’t they.
And good waiting to here what you have to say about your Webley and that Hawke scope.
GF1 and Brent,
Here are my first impressions of my new Webley Tomahawk and Hawke scope.
The stock is a very nice chunk of walnut and fits the air rifle well. It shoulders nicely and I have to say the Quatro trigger out of the box is not that bad.
There are some serious issues though. The fit between the barrel block and the compression tube arms are not very good. It is flush on one side and a visible gap on the other. I may be able to adjust that out, however the barrel block will still not likely be even on both sides due to poor machining. The barrel block also has a very sharp edge along the top which I will need to file down a bit.
Right now it has a harsh firing cycle and is dieseling horribly. I am hoping this will settle down after a bit. If not I will have to tune it down a little. Fortunately though there is no buzz or noticeable vibration.
If I had paid $260 for this air rifle, I would not be a happy camper. For $100 I think this air rifle is pretty good and I think with a little finish work it may turn into a real nice air rifle. If I can get a little cooler weather so as to shoot it some, I will get a better idea. In the mean time I may sit in the air conditioning and see if I can do something with that action block.
Now as to the scope. AWESOME! I feel like I bought a nice scope and they threw the air rifle in for free! It is a Hawke 2-7 X 32 AO Mil Dot Red/Green IR scope. This scope is crystal clear and very well made. It also came with Hawke mounts. This scope makes this whole deal worthwhile.
Knowing what I know now, would I buy this air rifle and scope? Yes, but I am not afraid of tinkering with this rifle. If you buy this thinking you will be getting a top end brand air rifle you will be greatly disappointed. It is a Hatsan. For what I paid for it, I think it was a good deal, most especially with the scope.
RR
I kind of thought you would say that about the gun.
And I really thought that’s what you would say about the Hawke scope.
I think I will go out on a limb and say something here. I think that Hawke scope will end up on one of your other air guns. Something like the 46e or your Edge.
Ridge Runner,
Let us know what you think of your new
sproinger
Brent,
Read my first impressions above.
Great tribute to a beautiful lady. She was our “Mama Bear”, the person who fixed our problems on the blog.
Everyone who reads this blog has been touched by her in one way or another.
May the Lord continue to bless you in your daily endeavor to keep this blog up and running. For me, it is a beacon of light in an internet of smut, trash an useless distraction.
Live long and Prosper
Pete
I think of you and Tom often. We miss you Little Sister. You live on through getting me interested in shooting at the range, picking up my brass, and then reloading the cartridges again. A fun and relaxing hobby.
Bob
Bob,
She would be so happy to know that! Thank you,
B.B.
The women that we marry either make our lives easier or harder and Edith was a blessing in that respect. She certainly made the lives of those who used the Airgun blog easier. But we have that blessed hope!
I remember seeing ads for the Blue Streak in Boys Life Magazine when I was a kid and thinking “That’s a lot of money for a pellet rifle.” You couldn’t find any ammunition for them in local hardware stores either.
We had a Crosman 1400 with a scope and I remember it being hard to pump but having a great trigger. Thinking about getting an earlier model like a Crosman 147. How are their triggers?
Brent,
A Crosman 1400 with a nice trigger is rare. The 140 and 1400 both have triggers that hold the air reservoir shut until pulling them allows it to pop open. As a result, the more they are pumped, the harder the trigger pull becomes. What you had was a rare airgun.
B.B.
Tom,
I was re-reading some old posts the other day, and smiling when I saw some remarks by Edith in the comments section. I figured it must be about a year now, but couldn’t remember the exact date. I am so glad you wrote this. I remember the mice / rat killing story from some time ago. I enjoyed it just at much today as the first time.
What a wonderful tribute. You are a good man sir, and she was a great companion for you. I know she is smiling down on you as you continue thrilling those of us who follow you on here. Thanks for continuing to do what you do best.
God bless!
Jim M.
Jim/RidgeRunner, I too was looking back at an older review/blog the other day and saw Edith’s comments. Put a smile on my face and warm feelings in my heart. I never met her, but through this blog and B.B., I felt as if I knew her. I know she is a very special Lady.
B.B., I always remember my Benjamin 397 as shooting accurate, for what it was. That said, the mind has a way of remembering only the best (like a first car) and not all the bad. I always wanted one with the Williams Peep sight on it. I always wondered how much better it would shoot with it. If Crosman don’t build a “newer” one, this (Benjamin) could very well be the best pumper we’ll ever have (shall I say American pumper). It’s still wood, steel and I believe still a brass barrel?.
Doc
B.B.,
“She’s gone, but the things she touched are better for it. I know I am!”
So very much said in two short sentences.
~ken
B.B.,
Regarding meaningless numbers, you reminded me of the marketing ploy; “between us we have 57 years of experience.”
I haven’t seen this one as much recently, nor do I want to.
~ken
B.B.,
As much as I loved my Blue Streak and the Sheridan “bullets”, I was disappointed when you blogged your test of them vs. .20 Crosman Premiers.
/blog/2011/12/are-vintage-sheridan-pellets-better-than-modern-pellets/
My Sheridan needs attention from a knowledgeable and skilled airgun smith, but we still talk over old times and adventures had.
~ken
B.B.
This ranks as a top blog for me.
I never spoke to Edith on this blog but I was a reader at that time. I enjoyed her charisma and strength. A perfect ying to your Yang. I have been married only 4yrs. (In October) to the most perfect woman I have ever met. It is difficult to understand many things that only experience will tell me later. How the team must continue with only one player. God bless you Tom, and God bless her soul to stay connected to yours in life and in death. I should be so lucky to spend that many years with wife. I was shattered to read this blog this morning. It is strange because I have never met any of you on here.
P.S. my wife’s favorite gun is my benji 392. Although she only keeps the feral mangorita can colony in check.
BB and Punchin Holes,
You guys today have helped me to decide what my next air rifle will be, a Benji 392. I have given thought to one before as I told GF1 because I am certain it will not be long before my grandson will graduate from the Daisy Buck to wanting something else. These small, compact pumpers would be ideal.
Also, my wife Kathy commented just last night that she should start shooting with me so as to share the experience of airgunning with me. Once again these pumpers would be an excellent choice.
Thank you.
RR
Pretty sure you will be happy with it.
R.R.
I too think you will be happy. You can get a peep sight and supersear, when/if the time comes. The best thing about these pumpers is the can blasting you can do. I shoot for the top and bottom rims to make the cans back flip. That oughta keep the young one occupied, and give the wife the satisfaction of instant results of her efforts.
The rifle shoulders well on my wife and she’s 5′ 3″. She can pump it 5 times pretty easily and 8 if she has to.
Tom,
A year ago today. For many of us, certainly for me, perhaps for you, anniversaries of the loss of a loved one are incredibly emotional with grief, recollection of good times, and all sorts of powerful feelings.
Yesterday I noticed on my calendar today’s importance, so I have thought of Edith and her warmth and humor quite a lot yesterday and this morning. We all were so very fortunate to have known her, even if only in the confines of this blog. I know that you rightly feel blessed to have had her as your partner in life, Tom.
You have paid her a wonderful tribute.
Michael
My “Airgun restart” came just a few months ago, so while I wasn’t around when Edith was alive, I’ve sure felt her presence when reading older posts. I don’t think I will soon forget her dentist story when her “guns” were bleeding.
On the Sheridan Blue Streak-
When I was growing up in the 70s, it seemed my friends all had either a Sheridan, a Crosman 760, or a Daisy 880, depending on the family income. I was the odd one, having a S&W 77A.
That S&W 77A is the gun I always compared to the Blue Streak. Even now whenever the Sheridans come up, I wonder how a gun-to-gun shooting comparison test would go.
Hint. Hint.
For that matter, although I know you’ve covered the pistols, a bit on the S&W 80G along with the 77A might be interesting.
Barry,
I have both, and my nutshell take is this. Compared/contrasted with the Sheridan 77A is less powerful by about 4 foot-pounds, much bigger, and much heavier. However, it is easily scoped, has a light crisp trigger, and is slightly more accurate than my rocker safety Racine era Sheridan. I would not part with either of them, and either blows away any Benjamin pumper of any era, and I have had more than a few of those, too.
Michael
Thanks. I knew of Sheridans around, but not belonging to nearby kids.
You are right, that S&W is big. Everybody made fun of me and my great big rifle that I dragged all over the place. I thought the Sheridans were about the same size.
Barry,
I forgot above to offer my own personal welcome to you to the blog. Welcome! Probably 90% of what I have learned about airguns I have learned from B.B./Tom and the other commenters here. I regularly read and reread older installments, including all of the comments and responses to the comments. Additionally, here I have never been made to feel that any question I had was stupid.
The Sheridan has that same solid feel that the S&W 77A has, but it is significantly shorter and therefore, probably a pound lighter (just a guess). I recommend that you consider getting one. If you do, my advice is to get one made in Racine, WI, not New York state. Also, get one with the rocker safety rather than the thumb safety. They are generally considered a bit superior because as B.B. notes above, the thumb safety is a bit more muzzle-forward than where a lot of folks’ thumbs land. (If you have freakishly long thumbs, go for it!) And the rocker safety does not come on automatically, so a gun-safety-savvy user can choose not to engage it as a regular matter of course. The spring-tensioned thumb safety must be depressed continuously in order for the rifle to be fired, a la the backstrap safety of the Colt 1911 models.
Sheridans are tough to scope. Do not use one of the scope adapters that let a pistol scope be clamped to the barrel. The flaw in those is that sometimes over time the rifle’s barrel separates from the compression tube. Dennis Baker and some others sell a scope mount that is compatible with some eras of Sheridans that mounts a regular scope up near the bolt.
Michael
Thanks for the info and the welcome.
Hi BB and the group. What a nice tribute you paid Edith BB. To my knowledge I have never seen a Sheridan, let alone shoot one, so will follow this blog further. I wonder what happened to Reb ? “Hey Reb, let us know if you are ok ! ”
Take care folks
Harvey
K7,
On Reb,…. last I re-call,… he was in pursuit of a gal,..( we all know how that can divert your attention from things) 😉 And, was having a bit of leg/foot issues, which sounded as if they might require surgery. Finances seemed to be an off and on thing, but he always managed to stay in touch through a variety of methods. Quite resourceful and adaptive,.. if I recall.
Like you, hope all is well and he let’s us all know how things are going.
GF1,
Hey, the “back to the top arrow” is back in the box! Still not getting replies, but then again the bottom choices seem to be changing as well….. still workin” on it I guess?
At any rate,….. .25 M-rod. 12 groups. (33.95 for 6). (25.39 for 6). 70 yards. 8 shots per group. Fixed, non-swivel pod for all.
Methods tried,… (forward push on pod), (back pull on pod), (moderate to tight hold), (99% no hold) and (rapid acquisition),… and (combos) of the afore mentioned. Test were duplicated for each of the 2 types of pellets.
Did anything stand out? Nothing earth shattering. What did best of the day? Hard to say…..
33.95, 99% no pressure, slight back pull, 1 7/16″
25.39, forward pod push, moderate hold, 7 of 8 in 3/4″ and 8 of 8 In 1″
25.39, 99% no pressure, slight back pull, 8 of 8 in 1 1/4″
The fixed pod is alright. At least when I swing the rifle back around from resting, the pod will not be crooked to the rifle,..( if I forget to square it up ). Then again, the rifle must be picked up and repositioned to get it 98% of the way there anyways, so no swiveling.
Wish I had something better to report. I will stay with the fixed/non-swivel pod,.. for awhile anyways.
Chris USA
Looks like the 25.39’s did good with the forward push on the legs.
GF1,
“Looks like” a 1″ at 50, 2″ at 70 and a 3″ at 100 gun to me. 🙁 On a “good” day, take 1″ off the 70 and 100,.. and a 1/2″ off the 50.
The really frustrating part is to dump 7of 8 into a 1/2″ at 70 yards and not be able to repeat it on a fairly regular basis. Or 6 of 8 into 1 1/4″ at 100.
The “Dark Side”,…. you will get (dark) circle under your eyes. Your wallet will have a (dark) hole in it. You will be up when it is still (dark) outside trying to figure out your next move. You now have the capability to shoot long range, but to get an extra 70 yards, you have to shoot into (dark) woods. 😉
Just joking,.. of course,…. but maybe a hint of truth. I would not trade it for anything. 🙂
By the way,… did a bit of calculation on the grade rise out to 100 yards. It looks to be around 2~6 degrees. Closer to 2 I think. When shooting the 70 yard targets at 3′ off the ground,… the pellets will pass through the target and sometimes hit the ground level cans that are out the 100. I know you had asked about that in the past.
Chris USA
So what could be different on a good group day verses a bad group day.
Apparently the gun can produce the results you want. You just got to figure out how to do it all the time. Well maybe most of the time. Everybody will have those off days.
Keep on dig’n you’ll get to the treasure sooner or later. 😉
GF1,
Well,….. (long pause),…. steady is no longer an issue. Though we have had debate over the rear pistol grip method of rest/steady,… it really works super well. I could pull up off of that, but the steady would not be as good, I am sure. The 8 shots groups are holding POI very well over 3 groups (24 shots). So psi drop and poi is not an issue.
I am faced with 2 choices it would seem.,…. 1) Give the shoulder only, no rear grip rest,.. a try again 2) Sort pellets.
Thanks so much for gettin’ me this far! 🙂 Back to the “mines” for more diggin’.
Chris USA
No thanks needed. Actually glad you made the jump to the dark side.
And remember when you thought 50 yards was long distance. 😉
And I would like to add a number 3 to your list. Put a few drops of the RWS silicone oil down in the barrel where you load the pellet. And also a few drops on the breech o-ring where the pellet slides into the barrel.
Then try some groups and see what happens.
GF1,
I remember when 25 yards seemed like a mile. I did the O-ring when I was in on the striker adjustment. I think I have yet to ever do the barrel though.
I have empty cans that can testify that 1750 pellets have gone down it. So yea, it may be time.
Didn’t you say awhile back that you found an O-ring at the local hardware? I think that the parts diagram says “Buna” and gives a number. From ones I have bought in the past at the hardware, that is the way they are listed in their O-ring kits/boxes.
Chris USA
Don’t remember now what o-ring. I think it was the same size as what goes in the Foster female quick disconnect.
What a lovely tribute to Edith and very informative too. I knew that she shot animals with air rifles, but I didn’t know that it was mostly to defend other animals. The darned animals need humans to help them behave. I remember Edith describing the “coven of cats” but didn’t know the gruesome details. There is a poem by e.e. cummings which says in part:
Cats are miniature tigers
Who love mice
Hate dogs…
But perhaps their behavior is an indirect way of settling a score. Once I was babysitting a little girl, and I popped in a DVD as instructed by her parents. It was from a series about Beatrix Potter. The video quickly got weird. Kittens got lost in a large house and were waylaid by sadistic rats who tied them up and smeared them with butter!? But they were rescued in time. Perhaps Edith would like a hummingbird feeder or some other kind of bird feeder that is up in the air and out of reach of the rats.
Outsmarting animals can be fun. I was working with a friend on squirrel-proofing a bird feeder that she hung on the branches of a tree. The solution proved to be a cardboard cone roof for the feeder that was covered with tinfoil and greased. Watching the squirrels fall off was better than a silent film comedy.
I’ve always thought of the Benjamin 397 series when I’ve thought about multi-pumps. Any reason why Edith preferred the Blue Streak?
Matt61
Matt,
She liked the Blue Streak because it was the airgun I had at the time. This was long before we started writing “The Airgun Letter.”
B.B.
Like all of us, I really miss Edith too. She had a unique perspective on the hobby and airgunners.
I have been apprehensive about the future of Daisy. They have been to American air guns what Lionel is to American toy trains. They have an iconic brand and products.
I had a Daisy Model 95 as a kid, but all my other Daisys were purchased when I was an adult. I think GAMO would do well to keep on producing established Daisy products under the Daisy name.
Les
I grew up in Racine, Wisconsin and knew several people that worked at Sheridan. My dad bought me a new Blue Streak in 1970 when I was 13 which I still own and shoot today. It is in beautiful shape and holds air like a champ, always put away with 2 pumps. Three years ago a random conversation with a veteran on an Honor Flight turned to airguns, and he told me about his Model A Supergrade which he bought new in 1950. I contacted him several months later and was able to purchase it, along with the pellet trap, hang tag, owners manual, and an old red and white tin of Sheridan pellets. This rifle also was in excellent condition and always stored with a pump or two, so it works as it did when new. I enjoy this blog, I have been into airguns all of my life and was a subscriber to The Airgun Letter back in the day. Love those Sheridans, they were so common around here it seemed like everyone had one. Sheridan was a small company at the time and I went right to the factory several times to ask questions or buy small parts. The building is still there on Sheridan Road just south of Racine.
Kevin S,
Welcome to the blog.
What a find that Supergrade was! You are very fortunate.
Thanks, also for being an Airgun letter subscriber. I remember when people told me they wished I could write a new article every day, instead of two or three a month. Now, we have it! 😉
B.B.
BB
She’s gone but not forgotten.
I really would like to see a blog article on a Smith and Wesson 77. I thought about getting one now and again but I’d like to see an in-depth test of one. It seems to be the unknown multi pumper.
Brent,
I would, too. It’s a rifle I have long been curious about.
B.B.
Hey BB, May the Lord Jesus , The Comforter, Keep you and comfort you thru the years. I remember your loss, and mourned with you.
My Dad passed away many years ago, and I inherited the Blue Streak he bought in the late 60’s. That gun kept me out of school one day when i played sick so as to stay home and shoot that neet-o gun. I took a dove off the power lines at around 50 yards. Yes a cleaned it and ate it (after cooking it). I was in 4th grade at that time. Now 50 years later, I still shoot it with a nostalgic ????(cant find the word).
I like the .20 cal. The Sheridan Mod “E” is another one I received when my dad passed. Added to my collection of shooters is the HW77, the AirForce SS. There all shooters and very accurate. Here in North Central Oregon, I shoot Ground Squirrels for the Farmers. My 20’s are tack drivers, even the CO2 “E” out to 30 yards drops and occasional critter.
Lord Bless you and keep you
Shawn
Shawn,
Thank you for your kind prayers. I receive them gladly.
And I think you have a fine airgun collection. A starter collection for Texas — an arsenal for California! 😉
Keep shooting,
B.B.
B.B.
Sorry I’m ‘late to the party,” as I have been away.
Just like Miss Edith, I also have a soft spot for the Sheridan Blue Streak; it was my first air rifle ever, a gift from my Dad back in 1977 (a C-model, just like the one in your first pic). I still have it, shoot it (with modern JSBs), and love it; it’s a true classic.
Miss Edith is awesome (not was, is, as I’m sure she’s in heaven with the Lord); I use her name as part of my password to commemorate her.
I pray God will give you peace (in His own good time) about her until you see her again, in Jesus’ name. Amen.
take care & God bless,
dave
Dave,
Thank you for those kind words.
B.B.
You are most welcome.
There are many of us, for whom this blog is very much more than just that. More than airguns, more than guns. There is so much of Edith and you in all this. I have no words. You have a friend many miles away.
Ps. I had a Blue Streak, and after 10 pumps I was rattling so much, I could not hit a thing. Now I regret selling it…
Anthony,
Welcome to the blog.
B.B.
Tom, I have never posted on a blog before and I don’t post on forums anymore but there was a time when I was a very prolific poster on your old forum back in the late ’90’s and for a few years after. I wouldn’t be posting now except that I didn’t know any other way to contact you with this message and I wanted to pay my respects to a dear lady and friend, Edith. I was doing something a little different on that forum and Edith not only saw it (immediately), she recognized it’s value and went the extra mile encouraging me. I wrote articles at that time just like the kind you read in a magazine and I covered some areas of airgunning that were lacking in the airgun community (terminal ballistics). My problem at the time was that I was using webtv and the darn thing would cut out on me right in the middle of a long post. I mentioned it to Edith and she worked it out so that I could send it over to her and she would make the post for me. That’s the best I could explain it. She was very encouraging and supportive. I talked to her several times over the phone and she was always a joy to talk to…always. No doubt about it, Tom, she was first class in every way. There were several knuckleheads on that forum as I recall and given my temperment back in those days, it was all I could do to keep my piece!;) What helped me with that was her encouraging words in writing those posts. Believe me, I had NO compulsion about letting some of those characters have what for…but I’d be hanged if I was going to do anything that would cause Edith to get after me. I just had too much respect for that lady (and still do). Last year, my wife and I lost six people, family and friends, including my dear Mom. Edith was a friend and a wonderful person. She’s in the six.
Tom, there’ll come a day when we’ll be reuniited with our loved ones. I believe that with all my heart. You’ll be with Edith again. Of this, I have no doubt!
I have nothing but good memories for this world class lady and you’ll always be in my prayers too.
GOD Bless You,
Mike
Mike,
You are right. Edith and I will reunite in the end. That is the hope I live with every day.
She was the most influential person in my life. I know she went well beyond the call of duty on the Airgun Letter Forum. It broke her heart when we closed it, but we had to do it, because it was ruining our lives.
Thanks for your kind words,
B.B.
You’re welcome, Tom. You’ve been blessed like few ever have or will be. How many of us have an Edith in our lives?
Whether she be a wife, a daughter, sister or friend, an Edith might come along once in a lifetime and then again, she might not. Most people do not get an Edith to bless their lives. You did. I can see by these comments that you have alot of people who care very deeply for you. Add me to that list. And that hope of yours is a Scripture promise. I don’t have it on the tip of my tongue right now but I most certainly did see it at my Mother’s funeral. A wonderful Pastor showed me the words and explained them to me in great detail. We WILL be reunited with our loved ones….no if’s, ands or buts.
Of all the airguns that you and Edith had at your disposal through the years, it brings a smile to my face that she liked the ‘ole Blue Streak so much! I did too. My first airgun was a Daisy 1894 bb gun in 1963 at the ripe old age of 10. It was my Christmas gift. Mom and Dad would get up at their usual times but they knew us kids had a different time-table on Christmas morn. Even so, there were (strictly enforced) limits as to exactly WHEN we could get up and see what Santa had brung. Talk about torture!;)) We didn’t want Mom and Dad getting on to us and we also didn’t want to interrupt Santa either….possibly causing him to take his goodies with him! The Christmas of ’63 was huge for me because I’d asked Santa for a Daisy BB gun and the 1894 was just about the prettiest thing I had EVER seen! Sure enough, when I made my way to the living room, I was not disappointed. There it was…the box that contained my heart’s dream. I am 63 years now as I type these words but I remember those moments as though they were yesterday. I carried that rifle around ALL DAY LONG!!! I believe I even slept with it that night. I have a picture of me and that rifle at the dinner table. I had to “negotiate” with Mom about that one but, as firm as she was, she had a heart as big as Texas and she let me bring my “friend” to dinner with me. Believe me, that never happened again! I could hit cans with that thing but I don’t think a single English sparrow had ever fallen to it. A year later, I did get my first airgun hunting kill but not with the 1894. My buddy let me use his Red Ryder on a pigeon in a barn. That was the unluckiest pigeon of all time I have to think. Nevertheless, my bb caught the bird right in the upper neck for a very clean kill. About a year or two later, my brother saved up his money and got a Crosman V-350, named thusly because it would spew a bb out at 350fps. We had green houses in those days and grew tomatoes, the best tomatoes in Michigan if I do say so. My father took both our guns and used them on sparrows that were getting into the tomatoes. He said that my gun was underpowered but that V-350 of my brother’s did the job very nicely. He was a very good shot and, in short order, the sparrow problem was resolved courtesy of Crosman. At this point, I KNEW I wanted something different, better, something with POWER! I came across an ad in a shooting magazine about the Sheridan Bluestreak. VERY IMPRESSIVE ad for it’s time. Heck, that was a very impressive ad for today. This was a quality gun and it had POWER in abundance! It also had a price tag of $35.95. That was a pretty imposing number for a boy of 12 soon to be 13 (1966). I decided that I HAD to have that gun! I found that J.C. Penney’s sold it for $27.95 and that I could get a job on my Grandparent’s farm which I did. Working for a princely wage of .50 an hour, I bought the rifle, a tin of pellets and a copy of the 1966 Gun Digest.
That evening when I got the Streak in my hands, I got two sparrows (the gun wasn’t even properly sighted in at that point but somehow Lady Luck was with a 13 year old kid that fall evening). The difference between the Streak and the Daisy was startling. Those ashcan pellets hit HARD!!! My hunting success did a 180o turn from that point on. I got the rifle zeroed went about the business of hard-core hunting! I never kept count of all that I took with that Blue Streak (and later a ’70 Bluestreak) but I’m sure it would have filled the trunk of a large sedan easily. Pests and small game (always welcome at the table) and trapline (the Blue Streak is a great trapper’s rifle), the Blue Streak did it all. I even put a Weaver .22 scope on it later. That was fun (when I finally got it rigged properly) but truth be told, that was AND IS the Bluestreak’s big shortcoming. It was never scope friendly. Crosman and Daisy apparently learned from Sheridan because their little guns were grooved for scopes. In a way though, I think it was good for me to have used mostly iron sights. They forced me to HUNT small game and pests. And with that gun, I really needed to make the first shot count. I was always, ALWAYS shooting that gun, practicing or taking a hunting shot. As a result, I got to be VERY deadly out to about 30 yards and I’d say that 20 and under were the bulk of my shots. Remember, I was hunting….not just shooting. My Dad couldn’t have taught me hunting discipline any better than that little carbine with the Mannlicher stock! —- Mike
Mike,
Thanks for your sentiments. You have a lot of airgun memories, man. There is a book in you, somewhere.
B.B.
Sorry for your loss, Tom. She still lives on here, in her replies to the blog, helping you out.
This may sound a little morbid, but I’d recommend you print all of your blogs (and hers) before you pass on. Your family will treasure them some day.