1969 Benjamin Model 342 .22 BB

Mom's from when she was a child. Owned by Grandpa Joe and gifted for Christmas 2016 by Uncle Mike.

Info

September 14, 2011 by Tom Gaylord (B.B. Pelletier)
https://www.pyramydair.com/blog/2011/09/benjamin-347-multi-pump-pneumatic-part-1/ (archive)

The presence of quotation marks around the name, Benjamin Franklin, indicates that it's not real. It is, in fact, just a play on words. Since the company name is Benjamin, they wrote Benjamin Franklin on all their guns during certain years. There was never a Benjamin Franklin airgun model, nor is there any other connection to the name.
...
All Benjamins are made of solid brass.

https://www.crosman.com/discover/crosman/benjamin-product-dates

Benjamin & Sheridan Product Dates of Manufacture

Year	Starting Serial Number	Ending Serial Number
1969	T5530	T61352

Overview from 2002 Beeman catalog and beeman.com 2006

Internationally recognized for its outstanding field accuracy, the classic Beeman HW-77 was the most successful underlever spring-piston sport rifle ever made. Several years ago, the stalwart HW-77 was upgraded to an even more formidable and stylish sporter. The revised model was designated the HW-97, and it too has received its share of praise from adult airgunners the world over.

Still enthusiastic about further developing the hidden potential of the basic HW-77 design, Weihrauch engineers have now succeeded in dramatically increasing the rifle's performance. The latest HW-97 series model now has performance approaching our famous R-1, and it does this with little increase in cocking effort or felt recoil!

As always, quality is what our valued customers have come to expect from Germany's premier sport air rifle maker. The fine ordinance steel action, barrel and cocking lever are hand polished and blued to a standard that exceeds most comparably priced firearms. Likewise for the elegant beech sporter stock, which features a long tapered forend, hand-cut checkering on the pistol grip, high comb with raised cheekpiece and a soft rubber recoil pad.

Intended for use with optical sights, the receiver is grooved to except 11mm ring or one-piece mounts. Of course, you also get the famous Record adjustable two-stage trigger and automatic safety; the trigger that has been the industry standard for over four decades! Field shooters will further delight in the HW-97's smooth cocking, handling and overall feel. It's an underlever sport air rifle that carries on the HW tradition of excellence.

So now field sport airgunners have the choice of two exceptional underlever sporters. Whether you choose the sleek lines of the Beeman HW-97, or the handy size of the Beeman HW-77 MKII, you really can't go wrong. Both have the performance and features that make them winners whenever their carried afield.

Markings

Breech	CAL 22 MODEL 342
Compression Tube	® "BENJAMIN FRANKLIN"
	T164444
	MADE IN U.S.A.