Quality? or poor choice?

Thank

As with most things, a lot depends upon what you plan on doing with it.

If it is to give to a 14 year old to wander about the fields shooting pests of opportunity, like English sparrows, ground squirrel, and starlings, it is likely one of the better choices for that roll.  It is one of the classics that many cut their teeth on doing just this.  

As a backyard rifle for occasional family amusement it is also not a bad choice.

If you plan on competing in serious benchrest matches, or other serious competitive target shooting, it is not a good choice at all.  

Being a pumper, you are not going to get rapid follow up shots, and it will force you to take more care if shooting game.  Plus the mere act of pumping makes some noise and motion that will temporarily spook critters.   But, being a pumper, you can immediately adjust the power for the next shot for the expected target.  

They are ok, but you'd be much better served finding a Racine 342.

I tend to disagree, and I used to own a Racine 340 and a 342.   While great for their time, they required a positive metal-to-metal fit up from the bolt face to the breach to seal the air, and as they get older they tend to get weaker, even after resealing.   The current 390 series has a o-ring seal on the bolt, so it no longer depends on the metal to metal contact to prevent the breech from leaking, making it more consistent and will have much longer service life.   It's also much easier to install a decent peep sight or even a scope on the current versions.  Now, I don't own a 390 series, I gave up on the pumpers a long time  ago, but they were fun guns for their time.   I occasionally consider buying another and then giving it Timmy Macs Steroid treatment, but really, what for?



 

A good choice for casual use. Totally self-contained, lightweight, fairly powerful.

TOO light for my tastes. I want something with a little more heft. I also prefer the simplicity and consistent power of a single-cock spring gun.

You should get a Marauder

Both of my 342's are factory tapped for receiver peeps, and scope mounting with the IA mount is no problem.  It was TimmyMac who steered me away from the 392.  He said that they just don't hold up like the 342's.

I dabbled in PCP, and will likely return to them one day, but I grew up on pumpers (760, 2200, 342) and like that you get decent power in a self-contained rifle.  Maybe someday I'll be able to afford a FX Indy for the same reason.  

My grandfather bought me a 342 when I was 8-9, I'm 45.   I couldn't pump it more than three times. I wandered the woods with that air rifle as a kid and shot just about anything I could get in my sights.

I still have it, needs new guts but otherwise it's fine. My cousin had it for a year or two when his dad couldn't afford to buy him a decent air rifle. They were great guns.

Of all the guns in my safe that is the one I run out the door in a fire with.

Not all 340 series were tapped for receiver peeps, earlier ones had a Benjamin proprietary peep that basically was installed by loosening the sight bar, inserting it in the gap, and tightening it up.   I had it, it was decent but not the same as a Williams 64, a much more precise sight that could not be installed in those earlier series guns.   Funny you should mention an Indy, I came very close to buying one, but in the end just couldn't justify it, I already have a compressor and tanks for PCP guns, as well as a Hill pump, so in the end I felt the money was better spent towards another better PCP gun.   I actually still do have one pumper, a 1377 pistol that I built up into a very capable and quiet carbine with new valving, a BNM breach and shroud, and other tweaks.   I get 600 FPS with 8 pumps, just over 700 fps with 10, which is as far as I go.   With it's ability to take Marauder magazines or a single shot adapter, it works fine for a bird feeder protector.   One day I may go back to my 310/340 series days, but not feeling the desire just yet.



Edit to add:  Per MAC-1, re-85 Dans and Benjys weren't tapped for receiver sights.  My first 340 was a 1973 manufactured unit, my 342 was a 1974 unit, so no tapped holes for a Williams site.   You had to use the #273 disc rear sight that was sandwiched under the rear site bar.





 

The Benjamin pump guns made today are a piss poor representation of what was years ago.

Funny thing, I was digging through a parts box today and found an original set of B272 scope mounts for the 342 in the original box.   Still has the price tag on it from 1977, $8.95.   I guess I'll have to find a 342 to put them on.   What's old is new again.