Hi everyone,
New to forum and really enjoy it. I have a 350 that I have pumped about 8,ooo shots through in the year that I have owned it. This gun may have lost a little velocity but has settled into a much smoother shooter and I am quite happy with the tradeoff. This is my first springer and I am wondering about how many shots can be expected before the performance decreases significantly to the point where a weakened spring will need replacing. I assume that the breakin period would start all over after a new spring is installed. I shoot this gun alot setting on my back porch shooting out in the woods. I am considering getting a 34 or something to give the 350 a rest.
8,000 shots and still shooting well. Good job. However I must say that you have exceeded the useage of the gun before giving it a good lube. Maybe you have done that already.. Dianas benefit greatly from regualar internal maintenance like a lube tune. The RWS cleaning kit that I have, mentions internal lubrication by a professional shop after 1,000 shots I believe, which we all know is premature but that's because most Dianas come pretty dry from the factory. Send that baby out for a lube tune and your 350 might be like new again but just as smooth or smoother with the power restored. You may even need a new seal after 8,000 cycles which also helps restore some of the power. There are several tuners that can do this with ease and they will also let you know if the 350 needs a new spring or not once they have it apart. Most offer the lube service for $120-150 including spring & seal replacement. Make sure you ask for an RWS 350 spring as Macarri only makes 350 springs as a custom order and you may have to wait for a while IF he decides to make you one.
How old is your 350, and how are the metal blueing and stock finish holding up?
Harry, did you say, send your gun out for a pro lube tune every 2 tins of pellets. Man, that is expensive. 2 tins of pellets go pretty fast. Don't you think that just giving it a lube job at home would suffice. At those prices you would really become a great shot, having to spend abut .20 cents for each shot. I can see a new spring etc. after 8 to 10k shots or even more. Hopefully these modern day metal springs can last even longer. This is not my expertise, but I sure hope I am right or I need to take up a new hobby.
that's not what I said. I said the RWS cleaning kit says to lube the mainspring after 1,000 shots (with RWS spring oil). I suggested a pro-lube after 8,000 shots so that they may also check the spring & seal if Garry doesn't want to open it up himself.
Are you trying to start something? cause I 'm ready I 'll come down there to VA Beach and show you how to go fishing with an airgun Hey I hope the invitation still stands. I want to come down and go hunting in that 1 mile long forest you have there. Oh wait, I don't have a VA hunting licence Got my 16th squirrel today with a miracle shot at 35yds and no scope! Pics are posted at the GTA hunting forum as usual Now if I don't control myself I 'm going to wipe out the squirrel population like I did with the groundhogs It's like a sickness. You want to keep buying new airguns and I want to keep shooting critters in my back yard. There must be an FDA approved drug we can take, no? They got a pill for everything else!
Just replaced the spring in my 17 yr. old mod.48 and did a lube tune in the process.Couldn't tell you how many rounds are through it, but although the spring is new,the cocking and firing cycle are smooth as glass and the velocity increased by nearly 50 fps. post tune.
I read your post again. Welcome to the forum! Only 1yr of ownership - got it. You shoot that 350 a lot! Good for you.
Most of us here use our first name but you don't have to. What do we call you? Shibumei?
Keep in mind springers need maintenance every few thousand shots. That's the trade off for having a powerful, no accessories-needed hunting air rifle. As opposed to the lower cost, less powerful CO2 & pump guns, or the higher priced PCP's and their accessories.
Get that 350 lubed and have the mainspring & seal checked. Got nothing to lose except the fee$, unless you do it yourself, but do your homework first! You 're also on the right track getting another rifle and splitting your time between the two, so you don't have "high mileage" on one gun only.
My name is Garry and I'm from middle Georiga. I bought my 350 in .22 from Midsouth Shooters supply in March of 06. I shoot at spinners and cans and targets or anything breakable and of course the occasional critter. I'll sip on a beer or six and before I know it, I've put a 250 count can of Benjamin Diablo 14.3 pellets away. I find it to be a real stress reliever.
As far as maintenance, I have followed the manual pretty much. A couple drops of air chamber lube in the compression chamber every 1000 shots. Then I put about six drops of spring cylindar oil on the main spring. I'll grease the hinges and trigger. I mostly wipe the gun down after each use and clean the barrel. Thats about all the maintenance I do. The gun looks almost new and shoots really nice. IMO, it's been a great gun for the money.
I do have a blue steak, a B/S 397, a old S&W 77a rifles and also Sheridan E series pistols in .22 and 5mm and also a CP88.
Those are fun guns up close but I really like shooting more than 50 yards out and the 350 is the only one accurate in that range.
I wish I knew about this forum when "Big D" posted the 6 part "350 lube tune". The pics are no longer linked. I would really like to do some of that maintenance myself but don't have the knowledge. If anyone know how to get a complete copy of Big D's posting, please let me know also.
Anyway, thanks so much for the responce. From what I have read, the 34 in .177 is a good plinker and I'll be looking for that second springer real soon.
You got some nice airguns there. I 've always liked the Sheridan line but never got around to buying one, came close though on a 392 about 10yrs back and before that in the mid-late 80's. I don't know what stopped me every time.
I would recommend you post a new thread for BigD to get in touch with you to see if he can post those pics again, or e-mail them to you. I should have saved them on my PC, but I didn't think of it at the time. I would like to have those pics too because I plan on doing it myself one day.
BTW, which scope do you have on your 350?
Happy Holidays
PS.
I spared a squirrel today being that it 's the holiday season and all. I had him on my iron sights at ~20yds for several seconds but felt sorry that I took 3 of his buddies the last 2 days.. I think he just came around to look for them
Gary, please tell me what you like or dislike about Your Ben. Have you ever done a chrony test? I saw one on the rifle the other day, and it seems that on average, three strokes gives the best velocity all around. This gun is inexpensive and Tom Gaylord really recommended it as a best buy in the price category. Besides I want to buy as many of the good quality guns before they all turn to plastic. How loud is the gun? It it much more loud at 6 strokes as compared to 3? Have you ever compared it to the 392. If so what are the differences? Thanks
Dave
I have never done a chrony on the 397. I normally shoot the gun at either 3 or 4 pumps. At 4 pumps the gun is about the same loudness as RWS 350. I'm sure the velociy increases significantly with additional pumps but accuracy for me (and my old eyes)is best at the 3-4 pump. I just now pumped it 8x and shot. It is just about as loud as my .22 rimfire shooting shorts. Pretty good work out on the arm to pumping it up. I'm guessing at 8 pumps it was +700fps. I really would like to have a chrony. I have never shot a 392 but plan on buying one based on how well I like the 397a.
What I don't like about the 397 is the usual stuff with these types. The b272 scope mounts for these guns do not fit either the 397 or blue streak barrels well. They do fit the Sheridan pistols great. I have to place layers of tin foil doubled up around the barrel to get a tight grip otherwise the mounts slide. Once a scope is mounted it interfers with cocking and loading. Trying to get your hands on the small bolt cocking and placing the pellet can be very awkward with the scope in the way. If you just can't use iorn sites, a red dot with infinite eye relief can be better positioned and worked well for me. Unlike the blue streak, even the first pump seems heavy and shooting the gun alot can be tiresome. The gun requires a minimum of 3 pumps for accuracy out 20 yards and you can get close to same hole shots. The gun is really well made and you know it is a pass down as soon as you hold it. The trigger could use some work as it is pretty stiff.
I also have a 350 22. and love it.I have had it now for 4 months and have put 800 rounds threw it.I waited until I had 200 rounds threw to put a scope on it.And after 200 I put a tasco 6-24x42 varmint on. That was all good with no problems for 500 rounds then decided to get a leapers 6-24x50 with r/g and have had that one on for the last 100 or so.Im thinking of doing a lube and seal my self this winter ,wich one of macarris seals is the right one for the 350. I also would love to see Big Ds pictures from the posting.
do you see any major differences between the Tasco and Leapers besides the bigger objective lens? Clarity, features, zooming, A/O works well? etc.
I got scared and ordered a Tasco Golden Antler 3-9x32 for $43 just in case my 350 is still in the scope breaking mood, but I doubt it. It's much smoother now.
Yes there is a big difference in clarity the leapers is much beter , but Im talking about a 6-24 and I always keep it at 24 so the tasco is a little grayed out , but you can still see threw it.As for the windage and elevation adgustments the tasco is better or at least more easey.On the tasco you unscrew the caps to expose the adjusters , nice and easy, but on the leapers you have to losen up a allen screw on the cap then turn it to make your adjustments ,it is a little more timeconsuming that is all
Phil. The Tasco Golden Antler has turrets! Came in a couple of days ago. I think it'd be hard for me to go back to screw-on caps after I get used to this scope
BTW, I 've read many posts how most people like to hunt with their scopes set to 6-9X, but they use the highest magnification setting on their scopes for target shooting. Do you hunt at 24X too? I guess the lower magnification is so you can acquire your target fast if it moves? Where with the 24X, you 'll have to look for it with the naked eye first after it moves, and then try to acquire the target with the high magnification which takes longer than with a lower setting?
about the Ben gun.. Deep inside I 've always wanted a Ben Sheridan but I think what always stopped me was the pumping action which sometimes can be as loud or louder than the report of the gun. I remember when I was a teenager, my mom would wake up from her nap or she 'd hear me pumping that old Crossman 760 even though I was outside and she was watching TV inside. One time I came home and my brother was using it in the back yard. I was in the front of the house and I can hear him pumping the 760 loud & clear 40+yds away. I remember sometimes I 'd approach the window from inside the house and see a rabbit or a squirrel in the back yard. I'd grab that 760 and start pumping it. Wouldn't you know it the animals could hear me doing that and run for the hills?
I believe that's the main reason I don't have a Benny yet. With a springer, you shoot it once say at a squirrel, and then you let the neighbors, if any of them care, try to figure out where the shot came from. Also say your first shot misses the squirrel, when you start pumping the gun it would scare him and every animal away in the area. I missed a squirrel's head by a hair a couple of weeks ago 30+yds out. All I could see was his head so I shouldn't have really taken the shot without a scope but I wanted to see if I could do it. Anyway, he just hopped to another branch and was like what was that? Cocking a springer and reloading it is quiet. 2nd shot got the squirrel. I don't have anything against pump pneumatics. I just feel that it is not the right gun for me cause I have owned 2 and still a pump. But if collecting them is your main goal, then by all means go for it.
Harry, I have read that the clapping of the gun is annoying. I really do no want a gun that gives a warning before it is fired. They sound like such great guns for the price. A classic that is probably worth buying just for the investment. Also, as Gaylord mentioned, it is probably wise to invest in as many 22. cals as they will probably be outlawed for sale in all states. The way the dollar is crumbling even further into the gutter and the euro is so much stronger I probably need to focus on the European guns.
You shoulda broken that spring by now, if its going to get broke. So, don't fool with it if it still hits what you aim at.
You'll know by funny sounds, super easy cocking, funny smells, big change in poi, and/or lack of power when something is wrong. It should be noticable to you with as much as you are shooting it. If it ain't broke, then don't fix it. When it does break, thens the time to fix it.
With 8000 shots in one year, you are my hero. Let us know when it finally does break down.
It will be a long time before I put another 8,000 shots through it though. I moved out of town and kind of went crazy shooting the 350 for the last 6 months. My neighbors are a bit close for rimfires (noise mostly) but airguns are no problem at all and I have targets, bottles and cans everywhere out in the woods. I am just about back to normal now and doing things besides shooting 100% of my free time. I want to be able to maintain my own guns and not worry about 8000 shots or even 8 million.
I mailed out a Sheridan 5mm Co2 pistol to R$R shooters in October. It needs new seals. I have never shot the 5mm as the seals were bad when I got it.
I gave R&R a call for a status and they are just now doing September's repairs. Yikes, it will be months before I get it back.
I have the same pistol in .22 (EB22) and that gun is great with a BSA red dot out to 25 yards. I'm really anxious to get the 5mm back. I'll take your advice and and shoot that 350 until I know there is a problem. Hopefully by then, I will learn how to repair it.
It seems like lately all I do is work. And check the internet a couple times a day. If I can't be shooting, at least I can read about people who do. And happy new year to you, and to all here.
I 'll come down there to VA Beach and show you how to go fishing with an airgun 
Got my 16th squirrel today with a miracle shot at 35yds and no scope!