Healthways Plainsman BB Pistol Disassembly, Part 1

I picked this up awhile back and forgot I had it! It’s an early Healthways Plainsman BB pistol. The CO2Airguns site has a great write-up about it with links to a few other articles on the pistol.


Sort of like a Colt Woodsman, somewhat like a Nambu… It’s not ugly, just oddly proportioned.


”Plainsman .175”, “PAT. PEND.”, “Healthways L.A. CALIF”.


The other side.


The rear sight doubles as the BB filling gate.


Well it’ll be hard to spill BBs, unlike other guns.


The lever actuated piercing cap. The screw head is for power adjustment.


Unscrewed.


The CO2 cartridge is inserted neck down and the lever actuates that piercing pin.


It uses 8g. CO2 cartridges. 


The left grip removed. 


Removing the right grip.


Right grip removed.


More valve elements down in the tube. 


Removing the left frame screws.


Five screws of two different lengths.


Nothing flew apart when I removed the left frame side although the loading gate spring did come out.


A fairly simple mechanism. Which is good. 


The spring should be under the post extending from the loading gate.


I find it interesting that they used a straight piece of spring wire both here and as shown below with the safety. I haven’t seen this type of spring in any other airgun.


The safety is captured by a piece of straight spring wire that passes through a hole in the post. Notice the semicircular slot.
More to come…