Daddy's Guns - V

I was surprised to see this rifle in my Dad's closet. I remember this gun from my youth, but I never remember it in attachment with my father. I remember this gun hanging in my grandfathers shop, just above the reach of young boys.



The Benjamin Pellet Rifle. As common as dirt in Louisiana during the '.50s and '60s, a boy knew he had moved up in the world when he wore out his first BB gun and stepped up to a pellet rifle. Every kid on the block had one of these, either in Sheridan, Daisy, Crossman, or Benjamin configuration.

You can still buy a Benjamin rifle today, not much changed from the example that hung in my grandaddy's shop. Airgun depot has them. The ones they sell today are steel.



This one is made of brass. Solid brass. Whether or not any rifling still exists in the barrel is up for grabs, and I haven't shined a light down the bore. I can say with some certainty that a cleaning rod has never gone down the barrel, so there may be rifling remaining in that soft, brass barrel.

The pump mechanism doesn't work, but there is a leather washer in there that is probably cracked and allowing the air system to leak. Those leather washers were a common failure if you neglected to oil the air system. As I recall, it was an easy fix. I'll take this one to the gunsmiths in a week or so and see if we can get it working. My brother has claimed this rifle, but he won't be able to pick it up until summer. Heh-heh! I'll see if I can get it working. I was never allowed to touch it as a boy.