How Many Benelli Kite Owners Out There?

[Gwhite]

I am slowly putting together repair info for the Kites used by the college team I help coach. I've collected a fairly complete list of all the seals they use, including the Parker part numbers for the more exotic ones. I don't know the hardness of some of the regular Nitrile O-rings, but I'm working on it.

Once I got some of the critical parts, I've repaired about a half dozen Kites in the last couple weeks. I have been taking pictures & writing up notes on how to go about it for the benefit of future team armorers.

There are a couple of seals in the regulator system that tend to let go. I think it starts in the regulator valve assembly when the Nitrile O-ring seal fossilizes, which operates at cylinder pressure. When that seal lets go, it blows out the low pressure seal (which has also fossilized) between the valve housing and the frame. You get air hissing out around the brass cylinder mounting piece (which is actually the front end of the regulator valve housing).

We also have some pistols that have a leak in the firing valve area. The symptom is that you get a puff of air blowing across the top of your trigger finger through the dry fire lever slot. First priority is to get them firing at all, and I haven't tackled the firing valve issue yet. I also need to order some additional O-rings for that section.

In any event, I will publish my "repair manual" once it's more complete. I have NO idea how many Kites are out there that might benefit from this info, and if it would be worth it to talk to some place about putting together a seal kit for them.

So, how many Kites are still out in the wild? Any of them still working? How many people would like to resurrect them?

Thanks!