ALMOST THREW IT IN THE GARBAGE

[melloroadman]

My dad thinks he gave this Hawthorne Montgomery Ward M140 { made my Crosman } to me for Christmas in 1959 . It was my first air rifle at the age of 8 . And it sure got a work out for many years . With out any proper care from me . I was short on arms at that time and he cut about 2 1/2 inches off the stock so I could shoulder it . And it was way to short for me now . The pump pin was gone and a nail took its place . The pivot holes were eye shaped , It would not pump air , or hold air . It was wore out . I added up the cost to fix it and I could have bought a new BENJI and I almost trashed it . But back in the closet it went . Then I ran in to a gunner that donated a stock that look like a mad beaver had gotten a hold of . I finally ran across AB airgun who would sale me a repair kit instead of all new valves and he also pressed the pump seal on for me at a grand total of $22.00 I already had a lot of sand paper and some  left over stain . I now have a .22 air rifle that chronyed today with 14.3 grain pellets at 575 FPS. And at 10 yards it was stacking pellets . It was always a good shooter ever so many years ago . Not a bad $22 .00 investment IMO. So it lives once again .Marvin

[RedFeather]

You reminded me of a camera I once traded off a shipmate when I was in the Navy.  It was a Yashica Electro 35 rangefinder that took absolutely beautiful color slides.  When I got discharged I kind of lost interest in it and put it aside.  Later, I decided to use it and found that the shutter would no longer work.  So, I decided to see what made a 35mm camera tick and disassembled it to the point where it was impossible to put back together and out with the trash it went.  Sometime thereafter when I went back to college I took a photography course and needed another 35mm.  As luck would have it, a store had a new Yashica, same exact model.  Imagine my chagrin when I read in the instruction manual that the shutter would not operate if the battery was dead!

[shadow]

There's alway's hope for a ol shooter, happy you cared enough to give em a second chance.

[shootist]

Hi Marvin,
       Imagine getting back an old and trusted friend for $22.00!!! My brother-in-law has a Crosman 140 he cut the stock on for his son. Of course the son grew up but the gun stayed the same. Earlier this year I put some dowels in the cutoff, sanded and refinished. Cleaned it up and gave it some oil in the cup, let it sit for a couple days and gave it back to him. It was like he had just seen it after all those years. His Dad gave it to him in 1958. The look on his face was enough payment for me. He pumped it up and it shot like a new gun. He was beyond happy. Glad you gave yours a new life. Have a great evening - Lee

[Progun]

Good job Marvin. Yes, for 22$ you done good.Nothing like a successful Lazarus project.

[VINNY]

Glad you held on to her!!-and the dead battery thing sounds so like me!!

[mikeiniowa]

If it's a Crosman Alan is the go to guy, if he doesn't have a part on hand he knows where to get it...great guy to work with also....

[PIlotHelo]

Mello--

This brought back some great memories.  I grew up in Central Cali.  Remember a lot of time spent as a kid wandering through the fields around my grandparents' ranch near Riverdale with my Crosman 140.  I still have that gun, but it won't hold air any longer.  It's been sitting neglected in a closet for years.  I loaned it to a relative for pest control and got it back looking kind of beat up.  Found your thread on Google when looking for Crosman 140 info.  I have nothing but the gun itself, no manual or anything.

Do you have contact info or a website for AB Airgun?  I'd sure like to fix mine up and be able to shoot it again.  As far as I can tell without tearing it down, most of the issues are cosmetic; it's got some nicks and dings on the stock, esp near the butt, and the barrel and reservoir have some light rust and the finish is worn in spots, especially around the breech.

Cheers,
Jeff

[mikeiniowa]

that should get you to Alan, he'll fix'er up for ya....

[ronbeaux]

Look on the Crosman web page for authorized repair shops. Harry Smith in Sunset Louisiana is the MAN. He supplies small parts to a lot of other repair shops around the nation, specifically cocking levers and bushings to fit them. Along with custom springs to hold the cocking lever in place.. Just search for a repair shop in Louisiana and look for Smith's Gunshop.

I spent 2 hours chatting with him Friday and there were at least 12 old Benjimans laying around and most WAY older than me(52) that all shot good. I had him repair my old 1377 pistol. Gave me a guided tour of his shop. If it can be fixed, he can do it. He told me that all the repair shops talk to each other and help each other out. I've never seen so many Benjiman Franklin air guns in one spot in my life!

[lil'feeby]

now that is a cool story, thanks.

[melloroadman]

This should get you there . Good luck .Marvin
http://www.abairgun.com/index.html