One of my Favorite Rifles

Jeff Higgins · 11-03-2021, 02:25 PM

And likely the "best" (although that is just as subjective as "favorite", really) rifles of its kind that I own. My fondness for this rifle may be colored by the fact that I have owned it since I was twelve years old (1972). I bought it from a friend (for the then princely sum of $8.00) who had found it underwater in a ditch at a local park. Totally non-functional, my dad initially upset... Until he saw a learning opportunity - "if you can fix it, you can keep it". So I did. Bought a valve kit and rebuilt it, and stripped the stock and refinished it. Been shooting it regularly ever since.

In the meantime, however, somewhere along the way (maybe fifteen years ago?) I heard about Timmy Mac of Mac1 Airguns. Yes, this is an air rifle. A Sheridan "Blue Streak" pneumatic (pump-up) air rifle in 5mm (.20) caliber. I sent it off to Tim for his full "steroid" treatment, which effectively increased its power by about 50%.

Not that I ever really use that kind of power, really. While that power is achieved with up to 14 pumps ("stock" configuration can only use eight pumps), it's really at its best with about five pumps in its role as a backyard plinker.

It's the one on the left, a 1963 manufacture Sheridan Blue Streak. On the right is a 1978 version of the same (also steroid modified), acquired in the last decade or so. Notice how much of the finish is worn off of the '63. And take a look at that wood... on a "kids' air rifle".

I have plenty of other, fairly high end German made spring-piston air rifles. Certainly "adult" air rifles of very high quality. I thoroughly enjoy those as well, but, well, they are just "different". Much, much heavier for the same ballistic performance. Kind of annoying "double" recoil. Only one level of power - full power at all times. And, well, not as much power as the Sheridans when they are pumped full. The Sheridans are easier to shoot well as well, with absolutely zero recoil, in addition to being, I believe, inherently more accurate anyway.

It's hard to capture the real difference in mass and bulk between these two in a photo. The springer is a Weihrauch HW 80 in 5mm (.20) caliber, just like the Sheridans. It weighs right at ten pounds with the scope, the Sheridan about five.

That old Sheridan had pretty much all of its finish when I bought it. Just look at what 49 years of continuous use by he same 12 year old kid has done to it...

John Rogers · 11-03-2021, 03:02 PM

I was lucky enough to be given a FWBs300 that was made in 1978. Won a bunch of matches by the original owner at 10 meters. Had to refinish the stock and replace the seals and clean out some dried lube inside. It is a .177 and with good target pellets will make one hole at 10 meters when trigger is set to a 1 OZ break.
John

Jeff Higgins · 11-03-2021, 03:43 PM

Very, very nice, John! I would love to add one of those to my collection. From a time when target rifles still looked like rifles.

We both love our muzzle loaders as well. I like to think that the kind of drawn out, methodical loading process of the pump-up Sheridan kind of "primed the pump" (horrible pun... sorry...) for my love of muzzle loaders. The notion that it's going to take awhile to prepare the next shot kind of alters one's shooting habits.

I bet a guy could do will in some informal matches with the Sheridan, if it had a more match suitable stock. They really are that accurate, when fed the right ammo. Unfortunately, the old original Sheridan "Cylindrical" pellets were not that ammo, nor are the new Crossman/Benjamin redesign. They are designed as a "hunting" pellet, with a lot of weight for caliber and a solid nose on the front and a kind of minimal skirt. All of my 5mm's shoot far, far better with JSB Exact pellets (13.73 grains, so a little lighter than the Crossman/Benjamin at 14.3g).

These rifles really excel as hunting rifles. The steroid improvements are good for an honest 20 ft lbs of muzzle energy, where my HW 80 gets maybe 16 ft lbs. Beyond that, and maybe one of their best advantages, is that they can remain fully pumped indefinitely with no risk of damage. As a matter of fact, Timmy Mac says he would rather see one stored pumped than empty. It's actually easier on the valves, keeping them on their seats so they won't dry out and deform. We keep them charged with three pumps for storage.

No spring piston gun should be left cocked, with the spring compressed, for any appreciable amount of time. This makes it difficult when waiting over the bait for a rat to come along, or when out in the woods looking for squirrels. A pellet can be inserted and left there, but the rifle will need to be cocked when game is spotted. A bit more movement and noise than is necessary with the pumpers, where all we have to do is flip the safety off, just like a powder burner. I think that is a big advantage in hunting applications.

LWJ · 11-03-2021, 07:48 PM

I only shot a blue streak once. In about 1978. I shot a rat somewhere at the Oregon coast. Neck shot. I was 12. Nice gun. Made me look great.

I would love to have one.

FOG · 11-03-2021, 08:04 PM

Jeff,

Send the springers to Tim for a spring swap, etc. and you can leave them cocked. I tested a RWS 48 he did a tune-up on in the late 90s for over 90 days while overseas with no ill effect.

I think you missed or minimized the smoothness, both pumping and shooting, that Tim gets out the Sheridans. I believe the smoothness = consistency = accuracy. Add in the Williams Fool Proof and I believe the result in usable accuracy is more important than the increase in power.

I am of the school that the springers are better to train with as they demand more consistency in technique to utilize for the majority of shooters.

S/F, FOG

aigel · aigel's Garage

Haha. Not what I expected to see behind this title! Are those rear peep sights stock? I have a newer model in .22 and not happy with the sights ...

FOG · 11-03-2021, 08:30 PM

Aigel,

Tim McMurray of MAC-1 ariguns in So Cal has been doing this work since at least the early 80s. He uses a William Fool Proof rear sight and changes the front so you can zero the air rifle.

S/F, FOG

Jeff Higgins · 11-03-2021, 08:31 PM

I had no idea he did that kind of work, FOG. I'll have to give him a call and chat him up. I actually have an RWS 48, one my most powerful air rifles actually. It will hit 23 ft lbs with certain pellets. I would love to be able to leave it cocked by the back door as my night time "rat rifle" of opportunity. One of its advantages over the older pumpers is the ease of scoping it (and other springers), which really helps when shooting at night. Pretty darn hard to hit a rat at night with a peep sighted pumper.

I did have Tim machine the receivers on my "modern" pumpers, my Benjamin 392 and Sheridan C9A, which allows them to be scoped. It's really the only viable way to do it, with all other mounts leading to barrel separation from the pump tube as they tend to lever them apart when tightened. The steroid 392 is a beast, topping 26 ft lbs with heavier pellets. It's the designated rabbit rifle.

And, yes, just the overall quality of Tim's conversions makes them a real pleasure to handle and shoot. These are great guns to begin with, but Tim brings them to the next level for sure.

I agree that springers are better for training. They teach the importance of trigger control, follow through, consistent hold, and all of that. They are very unforgiving of mistakes. Many years ago I commented on that right here on this forum, when I acquired a Wembley Tempest spring piston pistol. Now there is a challenge - that darn thing will humble the best of shooters. Better pay attention and bring your "A" game with that one.

Jeff Higgins · 11-03-2021, 08:35 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by aigel

Haha. Not what I expected to see behind this title! Are those rear peep sights stock? I have a newer model in .22 and not happy with the sights ...

Quote:

Originally Posted by FOG

Aigel,

Tim McMurray of MAC-1 ariguns in So Cal has been doing this work since at least the early 80s. He uses a William Fool Proof rear sight and changes the front so you can zero the air rifle.

S/F, FOG

You can also just buy a Wiliams peep from Pyramid Air or Airguns of Arizona. The new Benjamin pumpers come drilled and tapped for them right out of the box. It's a Williams model 64:

https://www.pyramydair.com/product/air-venturi-williams-64-peep-sight?a=5

FOG · 11-03-2021, 08:43 PM

Jeff,

I haven't used a Tempest but I do have a RWS 6M 10 meter pistol that is very accurate but extremely sensitive, most people have much better results with a Crosman 600 semi autos even though they are are probably a magnitude less intrinsically accurate.

S/F, FOG

Jeff Higgins · 11-04-2021, 12:44 PM

With its recoil cancelling second piston, that RWS 6M should be much easier to shoot well than that darned Tempest. I own one other spring piston pistol, the Weihrauch HW 45. The Weihrauch is far easier to shoot well than the Tempest, for whatever reason.

Some of my favorite air pistols, however, are the single stroke pneumatics. I have a couple of Weihrauchs, an HW 40 and an HW 75. Both are completely recoil-less, much easier to shoot well than the springers.

My all-time favorites are still the multi pump pneumatics. I have a Benjamin 132 .22 caliber that I bought when I was about 13 or 14 years old that I still shoot regularly. It's an amazingly accurate, well made little pistol. I love it for all of the same reasons I love my Sheridans.

vash · vash's Garage

I am going to drive by Mac1 in January on my way to a deer hunt in TEX.

I am dropping off my Sheridan. I am going for the steroid treatment and some other stuff. the peep for sure. he said he may have it ready on my return trip. I am not in a hurry.

I once hit a cal gray ground squirrel right between the eyes..exactly where I was aiming. mine is so accurate with the bone-stock sights. I cant wait for the peep.

Jeff Higgins · 11-04-2021, 02:27 PM

I just recently sent the 1978 Blue Streak back to Tim for some service. The exhaust valve had started leaking. Turns out he had a batch of bad material at the time he converted that one, with most rifles he had converted during that time period (about ten years ago) eventually failing. He had it repaired and back to me in a week.

FOG · 11-04-2021, 02:57 PM

Jeff,

The issue with the 6M is the low velocity/long barrel time combined with the light trigger. So you need very a consistent grip but also very consistent trigger control. Any deviation in pull weight or direction throws the shot. It's very sensitive.

S/F, FOG

Jeff Higgins · 11-04-2021, 03:37 PM

That makes sense, FOG. I'm quite familiar with the affects of long barrel times due to low velocity. My pet black powder cartridge match rifles have barrels from 32"-34". Velocities run in the 1,100-1,300 fps range. Those two factors would be bad enough, but we are also dealing with substantial recoil (500-550 grain bullets), so even a 12-15 pound rifle moves a good deal before the bullet is released. Consistency of hold and position are paramount.

I shoot a lot of flint lock as well. One of them has a 43" barrel, in .50 caliber. Now in addition to barrel time and recoil, we have some lock time to deal with (or wait for).

I firmly believe that shooting air guns (rifles and pistols) is about the best practice we can get for learning to deal with these things. They really highlight (and punish) our bad habits.

tops911 · 11-04-2021, 05:23 PM

I have a Blue Streak I need to send in, this thread has motivated me to get it done.

grant lyon · grant lyon's Garage

I too have a beloved Blue Streak (and a spare). I was seriously considering have the steroid treatment + peep done by Mac-1, but read horror stories about shipping damage. Stories of shipping company personal bending barrels by using a rifle shipping container as a long crowbar.

Tim indicated to me over the phone to just remove the butt stock for shipping and use a gun case, but I'm still nervous. Any hints how and what case is safe way to ship?

dmcummins · 11-05-2021, 02:41 AM

I got a silver streak for Christmas back in the 60’s. I gave it to my son a couple of years ago for my grandson. I assume it needs a valve kit, it won’t hold air. Other than that it still looks good, hopefully my son will fix it and the grandson will enjoy it.

Jeff Higgins · 11-05-2021, 02:45 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by grant lyon

I too have a beloved Blue Streak (and a spare). I was seriously considering have the steroid treatment + peep done by Mac-1, but read horror stories about shipping damage. Stories of shipping company personal bending barrels by using a rifle shipping container as a long crowbar.

Tim indicated to me over the phone to just remove the butt stock for shipping and use a gun case, but I'm still nervous. Any hints how and what case is safe way to ship?

Yup, remove the buttstock. From there, I just brought mine to the local FedEx store and had them box it and ship it. The front counter person was a little nervous at first, saying they can't ship firearms. I explained it was an air gun and exempt from those regulations, and one of the young men in back backed me up on that. First place I went, a Mailboxes store, flat refused. So, beware, there is some confusion. Might be better to box and wrap it yourself. Just use a big box that won't entice them to use it as a jack handle to change a flat on their truck...

Oh, and don't put "gun" anywhere in the address line. "MAC1 AG" is what Tim prefers to see. It is, after all, going to California.

Jeff Higgins · 11-05-2021, 02:56 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by dmcummins

I got a silver streak for Christmas back in the 60’s. I gave it to my son a couple of years ago for my grandson. I assume it needs a valve kit, it won’t hold air. Other than that it still looks good, hopefully my son will fix it and the grandson will enjoy it.

These can sometimes be "resurrected". Tim sells an oil he calls "Secret Sauce" for use in the pump mechanisms of these rifles. I believe it is no more than hydraulic cylinder oil, having spent a fair amount of time around hydraulic pumps in my day. So, either order a bottle from Tim, or get some hydraulic cylinder oil, and lube up the pump arm hinges and pump piston head. DO NOT put oil in the little air hole - new ones are labelled "do not oil", but the older ones come from a time when they expected us to know that.

With it well oiled, just start trying to pump it up. Make sure it is cocked first, to relieve the striker pressure on the exhaust valve. You're trying to make it re-seat. If it's leaking, it will just "fart" when you try to pump it. That's o.k., you just want to get it wet.

Next, take the buttstock off and run the chamber/valve area under hot water until it's pretty darn hot. With the gun really hot, try pumping it again. The valves get more pliable when they are hot. They might soften up enough to re-seat. If it starts to actually take air pressure, pump it half a dozen times and dry fire it. Do this a few times, then go shoot it.

When you're done, if you were successful, make sure to store it with at least three pumps in it. The most common cause of failure in pump-up air rifles is storing them with no pressure in them. This causes the valves to dry out and deform. They like to be stored seated, under some pressure.