Help with a yard sale find. ID needed

[docholiday]

Been a while since I've played or been on the forums, but I came across this last weekend at a yard sale of all places. Could anyone give me some more info? It looks pre-2k for sure, with some early palmers and AA stuff but the low serial number on the body is what caught my eye more then anything. I'm sure it's nothing special, but if anyone has any information I'd greatly appreciate it

[Jonnydread]

The wire detent tells me this may not be a normal WGP, but I don't know much about the early cocker years. Nice find!

[Painthappy]

Mini cocker. They restarted the serial numbers for those.

[jokers]

Very nice find if you do not mind me asking what did you get it for?

[russc]

Do you figure that's just a sticker, or is this an early BBT job?

[OpusX]

Early Mini-cocker based on the wire detent (they had a separate serial number series as Painthappy mentioned).

Brass Palmers quick switch and rock seem period accurate, ram looks to be period stock 3-piece brass. I want to say that looks like Air america Whispering Death expansion chamber.

BBT did wire detents. If this is their work they may have scribed some info on the inside of the frame under the grips, which would typically include the serial of the body to ensure they matched back up the right bits.

Nice find, leave it as is, rebuild what leaks and get back on the field with that fine looking period piece.

[skinnyfatguy]

I don't think detents came standard until '96/'97 timeline, so early cockers like this would have to have them added aftermarket. Looks to have some nice upgrades for the time. You may need to re-spring it to run HPA as based on the expansion chamber it was likely set up to use CO2. A full rebuild including the pneumatics would be wise, but probably a nice shooter based on the work put into it back in the day.

[Paintslinger16]

My guess it’s a factory Mini, BBT / Danny did the work, I think that’s a whispering death not SP, JJ hard chrome barrel. And early Palmer brass reg. Are you in the Midwest?
like mentioned you should see some hand etching under the grips.

[DocsMachine]

Very early MiniCocker- wasn't there a serial number chart around somewhere? Barring that, I'd guess circa '92.

Very early Palmer's "Rock" reg, back when they were still brass and had soldered nipples. Probably the same vintage. Stock 3-way and early ram. As noted, that's an Air America Whispering death expansion chamber, meaning it's set up for CO2. That looks like an early stock bolt, cocking rod and pump rod. Probably Sheridan springs, and a 12" J&J hardchrome brass barrel, probably "straight rifled" and about .693".

As noted, that's likely a BBT-installed wire detent- ball detents weren't common at the time, and as noted above, weren't factory-installed for a couple more years.

Basically, it's an excellent example of a survivor. It's an example of the higher end of mods back in the day (the Rock was $80 and the expansion chamber was $150) and I'd wager she hasn't seen the field in an easy 25 years.

Honestly, it'll be merely okay as a playing gun, but if you or somebody you know has a place to display it, I'd keep it as-is as a collector's item.

Doc.

[Grendel]

https://pastehtml.com/view/c9halptdq.html

That is the link to Thumper's Serial Number list but it really does not include the Mini Cocker serials. As Painthappy stated those were a whole separate range after the first few were made.

[OpusX]

Doc nailed it. yeah looking again that is a stock, c-clip style 3-way. quick switches are rounded off at the end from that profile.

[Jonnydread]

the expansion chamber was $150

what in tarnation

[Grendel]

There is a reasonably good chance that was done aftermarket. Spring Detent "kits" were fairly common and easy to install with some basic tools (no mill needed). I installed a few spring but mostly ball detents back in the early to mid 90s for players that had non-detent bodies. The ball detent is the easiest to drill, tap and install but the spring detents are not much harder.

[Shaftski]

I'm with Doc and say keep that as a collector's item. I wouldn't clean up the brass or anything, leave the patina as is. Fix any leaks and that's it.

It's just too cool of a period piece to mess with IMO.

[Ecapnation]

Early Mini-cocker based on the wire detent (they had a separate serial number series as Painthappy mentioned).

Brass Palmers quick switch and rock seem period accurate, ram looks to be period stock 3-piece brass. I want to say that looks like Air america Whispering Death expansion chamber.

BBT did wire detents. If this is their work they may have scribed some info on the inside of the frame under the grips, which would typically include the serial of the body to ensure they matched back up the right bits.

Nice find, leave it as is, rebuild what leaks and get back on the field with that fine looking period piece.

Bingo.....

Likely through bbt for the detent an tuning

[The Inflicted]

Question- what purpose does the little lanyard loop on the rim of the bolt pullpin serve?

[Paintslinger16]

Question- what purpose does the little lanyard loop on the rim of the bolt pullpin serve?

These pull pins were repurposed from aircraft and military duty, safety wire or a thin wire keeper would have been used in the hole / ring