When startup airgun maker Sheridan realized the world was not ready to embrace the beautiful 1947 Model A that sold for $56.50, it quickly developed another rifle with the same functions but serious cost controls. In 1949 the firm brought it out at $19.95. From that point on, the Model C, or Silver Streak as it soon became known, dominated the Sheridan line. The Model A that some call the Supergrade was only produced until 1954, while some version of the Streak has been in continuous production for more than half a century.

The first Sheridan Silver Streak (1951-1960)
had a slender Mannlicher stock. This one came standard with the Williams peep sight instead
of the usual open rear leaf.

Ammo Was the Key
Sheridan partners E.H. Wackerhagen and Bob Kraus found that the principal problem with pellet rifles in the 1940s was the available ammo. Pellets were not yet well developed, and inconsistencies were reflected in the poor accuracy of contemporary airguns. It would have been easier for them to stick with the conventional .22 diabolo, but the pair would never have realized their dream of a better airgun.
It’s possible to see an order-of-magnitude increase in accuracy when shooting a vintage airgun with modern high-quality pellets, but good pellets were 30 years in the future when the partners began developing their guns. They had to create a proprietary caliber to prevent shooters from stuffing bad pellets into their rifles.

Bantam pellets were revolutionary in their day. Heavier than diabolos, they retained velocity
and penetrated deeper. The thin driving band
at the base seals the bore.

They chose 5mm, which is .20 cal., and so it remains to this day. The only airguns that ever bore the Sheridan name were all 5mm. That decision created a monumental marketing challenge.
Sheridan pellets had to be available at the same stores that sold the rifles! They faced a half-century of inertia from companies such as Benjamin and Crosman, whose .22-caliber pellets were entrenched. If a shooter couldn’t find .20-caliber Sheridan Bantam pellets in his local hardware store in Enid, why buy the gun? Perhaps recalling the Remington 5mm rimfire fiasco will give you a sense of how wary buyers must have been.

Penetration was tested in soft pine with two, four, six and eight pumps. No more effort was needed; more pumps can cause valve lock! The picture is taken from the 1949 issue of Shooter's Bible.

The company invested heavily in print ads in Boy’s Life, where youngsters like yours truly could see the advantages of a Sheridan. Since chronographs were also in the future, they devised a “controlled penetration” ad showing pellet performance in pine. The most interesting shot was the final one on the full eight pumps that blasted clear through one inch of wood!

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