[Jeff Higgins]

Matt, I know where you are coming from. The afore mentioned Sheridan I just bought my son does not have the look or feel of quality that my 1962 model has. That said, Tim McMurray of Mac1 assures me that the new Sheridans and Benjamins are of better quality mechanically, and material wise, than the older ones. He much prefers the new ones for his Steroid conversions.

They have cut corners in aesthetics, no doubt. My old Sheridan has some of the nicest walnut of any rifle I own. Bar none; including some high dollar center fires. The new one has a hardwood stock stained to look like walnut, and the metal finish is a bit rough. I, for one, would gladly pay twice the price for one with real walnut and a better finish on the metal.

The new one does shoot every bit as well as the old one. It actually does feel more solid when pumping, and has a better trigger. Accuracy is a wash between the two. Velocity, as verified over my Chrony, is as advertised. Actually a bit higher; it shoots into the 680+ fps range with eight pumps. Extreme spread from highest to lowest velocity in a ten shot string was something like four fps. Powder burners just can't match that.

I love the pump up pneumatics. Their versatility is unmatched. Three pumps has you shooting noiselessly in the garage on cold winter nights. Eight pumps has you thinning the local rodent population. In my Steroid tuned Sheridan from Mac1, 14 pumps has it killing pests as big as possums with well placed shots. They are very, very versatile.

Gun Broker always has vintage Sheridans. There has to be a large number of them forgotton in attics, closets, under the stairs; wherever. For anyone looking for an older one, they can still be had very reasonably.