Quote:
Originally Posted by LWJ
I had the pleasure of killing a rat with a Sheridan Blue Streak back about 1976. Shot clean through the neck. Pop. Rat no mo.
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I've had the one in the above photo since I was ten or twelve years old (the year was 1970 or so, it was manufactured in 1963). I've lost track of how many rats it's dispatched. I found it laying in a ditch under water in a local park and brought it home. It didn't work (much to my mom's relief), but my dad said I could keep it if I could make it work. He offered to pay for the parts, and ordered a rebuild kit for me. So, yup, one of my first mechanical projects, and I did most of it myself.
Fast forward to about ten years ago, and it was getting awfully tired. The barrel had separated from the pump tube at the muzzle, it would no longer hold air, etc. I had by then acquired another example, made in 1978, and essentially "new in box". Not nearly as pretty wood, but it does have the newer rocker safety, a vast improvement.
I sent the old one off to Timmy Mac when it became no longer functional. He called me and said "no way, can't save it, it's a real POS. Looks like some kid has been working on it. I'm sending it back". So I replied "well, it's
my POS, and I was that kid some 45 years ago" and told him the whole story. So he said "that's fantastic, I'll get right on it. I don't care what it takes". He repaired it, upgraded it to his "steroid" build, and I've been killing rats with it again ever since. He really is a great guy. Oh, and he eventually did the new one as well. Very worthwhile mods, even if you will never use the full power.