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V-350 & 3500
model 100 model 101 101"CG" model 102/104 models 105/106 107/108 model 109/110 models 111/112 models 113/114 models 115/116 models 117/118 model 120 models 130/137 models 140/147/147BP models 150/157 models 160/167 models 180/187 models 600/677 model 622 model 99 M-1 V-350 & 3500

 

Model V-350 Slide-Action BB Air Rifle
Because of the distinctive stock, this is either a Sears or Wards version of the V-350.
In 1961, the V-350 has the distinction of being the first spring-powered BB rifle to be produced by Crosman Arms. It is introduced as a Revolutionary Crosman invention! And, as the World's First Rugged Trouble-Free BB Air Rifle. Retail price is $12.95. By 1961, Crosman Arms is sitting on top of the pellet-gun world. What was left was the BB-gun market and Phil Hahn decided he wanted that too. But, to really compete, they would need a new design that would more directly compete with the classic Daisy lever-action spring BB gun. 

Problem is, Crosman Arms had absolutely no experience with a spring-powered air rifle. So, the Crosman airgun designers took a liking to the turn-of-the-century design of an old Quackenbush Air Rifle  that had taken up residence in the famous Crosman Arms morgue. So, just like the ancient Quackenbush Air Rifles, the V-350 is cocked by pulling the barrel in and then out again. This motion compresses a spring-piston assembly. Although the Crosman designers took their start from the old Quackenbush they didn't stop there. Instead, they added one of the more interesting and innovative features to ever grace a BB gun; the POP valve. The V-350 POP valve is designed to hold back the rising air pressure, in front of the forward-moving spring-piston assembly, until it reaches the optimum level, it 'pops open' and forces out the BB. With spring-piston pellet guns, the pellet itself works as the 'pop valve.'  However, since steel BB's don't work the same way, this normally limits the power. Realizing this, the Crosman engineers designed the pellet-pop-valve function into the BB-gun itself. Pretty slick.

Value

Although an interesting, practical, and extremely popular gun during it's time; the V-350 has never attracted much collector's interest. All the attention goes to the military-styled model M-1 which is actually just another V-350 under all the fancy trappings. Then, because it is a BB gun, it receives no attention from shooters. Add in that Crosman must have made a million of 'em. It all ends up with not much left in the way for the V-350. In excellent condition, a V-350 might reach up to $50 - $60, maybe. There were a very few that had presentation-quality stocks that could go higher. But, overall, a V-350 is worth perhaps $20 - $30 in typical condition. Even with that said, finding buyers at the $20-$30 price level might be difficult. The (1970 - 1973) model 3500, although a much rarer gun, goes for about the same level, perhaps a bit more.
The improved trigger assembly is the dead give-away that this is the later model 3500. The standard stock would indicate a standard Crosman product.

 

DT Fletcher 12/2000