Sunday, January 2, 2011

A Crosman 1377 Pellet Pistol for My Second Childhood


How many of you remember your first BB gun and maybe later a pellet rifle? My first was a Daisy lever BB rifle, but my first gun of any real power was a Benjamin pneumatic pump pellet rifle. If I pumped it eight times it would dump even a Texas Jackrabbit with a well placed pellet. Lots of squirrels, rabbits, rats along with other pests and vermin fell to that little rifle. I do not even know what happened to it but I have wished many times I still had it.

I have been watching for some kind of pistol I could carry on river fishing trips to take out the odd snake or shoot a frog for the pan when needed. Even though I often carry a side arm I need something not quite so loud that would not spoil the quiet and solitude of the river like a large caliber pistol. I also wanted something that could be carried without worrying about the expense if something happens to it on the river. While Christmas shopping for my grandson and nephew I ran across an inexpensive pump pellet pistol made by Crosman Company which also manufactures the Benjamin pump rifle which is today’s representative of the old Benjamin I carried all those years ago. The pistol is the 1377 model pneumatic pump also known as the American Classic pellet pistol. It is a light weight pump pistol with a 10.25 inch barrel. The whole package is about 13.6 inches long and will stow in my boat easily. It comes in .177 caliber pellet and with a full load of 10 pumps will shoot around 600 fps depending on pellet weight. The .177 caliber pneumatic air pistol features a single-action bolt design for easier cocking and loading, a rifled steel barrel for accuracy and an easy-pump forearm for variable pump power. The 1377 features a fully adjustable rear peep or open sights and a fixed blade front. The variable pump power lets you control the velocity for whatever shooting you are doing

The little gun is extremely accurate and I can place five shots in a cluster, that can be covered with a quarter, at 10 yards without much trouble. This gun cost me $49.99 at my local Academy Sports store. A tin of 250 .177 caliber hollow point pellets was $2.49 so shooting will be inexpensive. Since it is a pneumatic pump there is no need to buy Co2 cartridges, only pellets and my own manpower to pump the pistol for each shot.

There is a complete industry based on after market accessories for Crosman airguns and you can modify them to unbelievable extremes if you desire to do so. You can even buy a shoulder stock to turn it into a legal short barrel carbine as it is not classed as a firearm by law. I plan on putting a steel breech on this one and converting it to .22 caliber pellet so I can have a little more knock down power. I want the steel breech as it is grooved for mounting optics and I want to put a holographic reflex type sight on it for my ageing eyes. This is one little pellet gun I plan on keeping and even passing on to someone someday. Go get one for you and the kid inside you, Wild Ed

3 comments:

Bobby Nations said...

Ed,

Welcome to your new addiction; the 1377 is just the gateway :-)

Pellet guns are a real hoot to hunt with, and I know you'll enjoy your new toy. In case you don't know already, there's a very lively airgun forum centered around Crosman guns.

http://www.network54.com/Forum/275684/

Cheers,

Bobby

Wild Ed said...

Bobby, I just ordered the parts to convert to a 1322 with longer barrel and steel breech this morning. If you check on the Crosman site you will find member wilded. Guess who that is. Have a great day, Wild Ed

THE FISHING MUSICIAN said...

Great pistol, Wild Ed. I have one myself, and it's been working good for about 20 years. It is a classic.

My dad bought it years ago when a woodpecker was attacking their siding and despite waterhosing and all other efforts, the bird was destroying siding WAY up high on the house.

6 pumps put a stop to that.

I've nailed one sizeable cottonmouth in our backyard with mine in the last few years, and I keep it out in the workshop where I'm likely to encounter creatures.

Now I want to get some C02 guns for shooting around the back yard.

Too bad you can't get cool steel bb guns like the electric full auto airsoft guns that the kids have. I mean, there are a few, but not the wide range like with plastic airsoft guns.