Air Gun Home :: View topic - Kinda new to airguns. Benjamin 392 pump purchase debate

Tallbald · New Member

I'm fortunate to live in a gun-friendly area of the USA (cash, computer instant background check and carry that day, long gun or handgun) and pretty much most of my shooting life has been with cartridge firearms over the last 48 years. But as retirement hit, and my wife and I left the farm for a move to the suburbs, I don't get to shoot as much as I wish to. The airguns I currently own are a Sheridan HB22 pistol I have shoulder stocked and scoped, and a scoped Webley Stingray. Both .22 caliber, I enjoy them quite well. The Webley is over-powered for my yard, and the Sheridan pistol is , I think, underpowered for pest elimination. My trouble is that my loving wife and I live on 1/2 an acre and our hobby garden is at the back of our yard. Gray squirels and rabbits descimate our little crops and I'm so tired of re-planting and being watchful, only to find the decorative corn we plant for fall decorations and sale have been eaten away.
I grew up with a Sheridan 5mm C model, and loved the walnut stock and true firearm-like build. Vintage models of these rifles are rather pricey, and I've been doing research finding the Benjamin 392 .22 caliber pneumatic may be the closest thing I can buy new that compares to the old Sheridan. My thinking is that the pump mechanism would allow me to tailor the power of the shot to the distance and quarry. Am I missing something? I would outfit it with aperture sights (Williams) to help my aging eyes, avoiding the clamp-on telescope sight base that I understand stresses the solder joint between the barrel and storage tube. Thoughts on the practicality of the Benjamin 392 would be appreciated, given the information above. Don

oddtodd · Silver Status Member

Personally, I love the 392. I had one but it was destroyed in a car crash. I miss that rifle. I want another one but I can't afford it right now. If you don't want a rifle with a scope, it's the way to go as far as I'm concerned.
I used it for everything from killing flies in the house with no ammo in it, to squirrel hunting, to starling control. They can be a little hard to pump, but they are a great gun.
THey are sturdy too. they have some weight to them, but they aren't too heavy like some spring-powered guns can be. If you just have 2 or 3 kills at a time to make, go for it. On the other hand if you do like I did and bait starlings and had 20 to 30 to kill at a time forget it. Your arm will fall off. lol

If you want something that will make all the kills you want at any time and it's going to be warm weather you might want to consider a crosman custom rifle. They are CO2 powered, you can get them any way you want and they are built extremely well. You can get them in any sight configuration that you want. THey are powerful, but not like these 1000 fps springers they have out now. Mine clocks out at 780 fps with a crosman .22 hollowpoint. They don't pass thru, so you don't have to worry about a hit going past your target. And if you are like me and only take shots that you know you can make, it's no problem.

I used to set up a bench rest on my picnic table, set out a bowl of dog food 20 yards away, dial in my scope, and just plink away. I could get about 30 to 40 shots out of a cartridge. And with the 24 in barrel, it didn't make enough nose to scare away the other birds. They would just fall over and the others would keep eating. I would throw away a walmart bag full of them at a time. I was in the suburbs and it didn't make enough noise to disturb the neighbors.

If you are just doing pest control 2 or 3 at a time though go with the 392. You won't be disappointed. I just really like my 2400 too.

Tallbald · New Member

Thanks Oddtodd. I was wondering if anyone was going to respond. Your insightful comments help me a lot. As I shared, I need the ability to choose my power level to meet the task at hand. I shoot black powder revolvers (Ruger Old Armies) by choice when I do get to go to the range, so repeated preparation for a shot is not new to me. Now the scope issue may be trouble for me, because of my age (54) and eyesight. I read about an "intermount" that clamps to the receiver that may be a possibility. I already have a Bushnell AO 4X airgun scope I can use. Williams aperture sights may be my only option though.Checked my email, and the Benji won't be here until next Thursday or Friday. In the meantime, I am converting a tossed out firewood bin, about 2.5 feet tall by 2.5 feet deep by about 4 feet long thick (1/8 inch thick) galvanized steel with a heavy hinged lid into a back yard air gun range and shooting gallery. Will make my own swinging targets from stainless spoons, and cut out some animal forms from sheet aluminum that will knock over with a hit. Should be a lot of fun for the whole family, especially our grand daughter age 7. Using cheap things like saltine crackers and hard candies will give me bio-degradable splattering target too. I hope the remnants don't attract the garden raiding rabbits and squirrels though (wink wink). They may end up in the stew pot LOL. Goo to converse with you! Don

oddtodd · Silver Status Member

I am trying to remember where I found it but there an airgun site that has ice cube trays in the shape of targets. Here it is!

http://www.pyramydair.com/s/a/Ecotarget_Ice_Target_Mold_2_Target_Sizes/4441

I want one, and if you are serious about learning your 392 they might be a good idea. At least you don't have to worry about attracting bugs or animals!

Tallbald · New Member

I never would have thought! Now that's a good idea. My grand daughter and me would get a real kick out of that. Thanks so much! Don

oddtodd · Silver Status Member

Here's the intermount and it looks like it's a lot sturdier than the sheridan one.

http://www.pyramydair.com/s/a/Air_Venturi_Intermount_Fits_Benjamin_Sheridan_Multi_Pump_Rifles/2015

It wasn;t around when I had mine, or I would have used it.

Tallbald · New Member

That does look sturdy. Another airgunner has pointed me toward a Ballistic Enterprises Intermount that's a one piece affair, of the receiver clamp style. Looks like I have some saving of dimes ahead of me LOL. Thanks for all your advice! Don

redlock · Member

Hi Don.
I've lived in the suburbs most of my life and I think that you had better just forget any idea of corn or decorative corn. Shooting the squirrels will never solve the problem, there are too many of them and they are too prolific. On top of that the corn seems to drive them crazy and they won't stop until it is all destroyed. The urban environment is good for them and they have no real enemies. That's not to say that you shouldn't shoot them, it can be fun, but don't expect to be able to protect any sort of corn in a city garden. I have used big rat traps, small sacks of dog fur, chicken wire cages/fences, chilli spray and other stuff. NFG.
Red.

Sjdep97 · New Member

I currently own 3 of the Benji pump guns. 392, 397, and the Sheridan BlueStreak. I absolutely love them and get way more shooting out of the three than I do with 2'other high end RWS guns in my cabinet. Installed Williams 64 sights on all three and have wasted several squirrels, word peckers, and feral tom cats with the .22 and .20 cal guns. Outstanding quality and accuracy without all the quirks of the springer rifles!

grizzlyadams · Member

i own a 397, a 392, and a rocker safety sheridan silver streak as well as a blue streak, and some other old benjis. they are all great guns, though the older ones would be a better choice if you can find one at a reasonable price (the old ones were built better) you may want to consider the b272 intermount that crosman themselves make. it allows you to mount a long eye relief pistol scope(scout style) so that it gets the scope out of the way of the receiver, which is the best place to hold the gun when pumping. bsa makes a 2-7x scope that will work well. it is part of their "edge" pistol scope line.