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Gateway To Product Reviews => Air Gun Reviews => : Black Mamba March 01, 2007, 09:24:27 AM
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The stock gun was originally purchased at Farm and Fleet for $47.50 and was shot about 500 times. It was in .177 but I was disappointed with the final chronograph results.
After looking around the internet and spending several hours on the Crosman Forums I found Power Stroke Pneumatics. ( http://home.joimail.com/~sifu_mcconahy/index.html ) It is run by a single person who does all sorts of tunes but specializes in pumpers like the Crosman and Benji’s.
I called Skylar McConahy and talked to him at length about what I had and what I wanted out of it when it was done. He recommended a couple procedures and we came up with a final price. I chose to have a Full Power/Accuracy Tune along with a new .22 cal barrel and barrel band installed. I also knew I’d want to put some sort of a sight on it so I also requested a Crosman steel breach with screw in bolt. The “Tune†consists of Barrel Crowning, Trigger job, Valve modification, and port modifications. The whole thing came to a total of $135 including return shipping.
Once the gun was gone I purchased a BSA 30mm Red Dot site only to find out I’d need 30 mm rings because it came with weaver rings. Next I contacted Roy at Mountain Air Custom Airguns ( http://www.mountainaircustomairguns.com ) and talked with him about a muzzle break/barrel shroud and a trigger pad. When the phone was hung up I had an 8†shroud and black trigger pad heading my way to the tune of $48.
Unfortunately about a week after my gun arrived at PSP I called to check on the progress to find that Skylar was in a waiting pattern due to a lack of Crosman breeches. He had no real idea when they’d be shipped out but he knew that he was certainly not the only one waiting. So, we waited…..
In the mean time my BSA Red Dot and my stuff from Mountain Air arrived and I was pleased with the items. The shroud is carbon fiber with some sort of harder plastic ends with small set screws for fit/hold. VERY light and it fits the barrel very snuggly.
Close to two weeks after I’d last called Skylar I called again and he informed me that the gun was done and on the way back to me. In truth, I wasn’t so pleased because he had said that he’d email me when it left with a tracking number. I never got an email but he did provide me with a tracking number when I called.
About 2 days later the gun arrived with the original parts in the original box and the gun minimally packed along with it. The gun survived the trip in perfect condition. I eagerly threw on the additions and took it down to the basement to chrono it. I must say that at first I was not too impressed. I tried various pellets at 15 pumps and was getting barely 500fps! I was afraid that switching to .22 was too much to ask of this frame. A day or two later I called up Skylar to ask him what I could and couldn’t do with this gun as well as pick his brain for what I should expect of the gun. One of the first things he said was a good reminder to me. “You have to remember that to get more power you need to pump it more. You can pump that gun up to 50 times it you really want to.†He also recommended I oil it in the right places and after a good talk on the phone I was ready to try again. I oiled it and went to the chrono….BINGO! FPS jumped between 20 and 30fps with each type of round tried.
How’s the accuracy you ask?
In my opinion, considering I’m using a red dot and not a pistol scope….fantastic. I’m clover leafing almost every round I’ve tried with 5 shot groups at 10 yards using my bench with a rice filled shooting bag. (Trigger Happy Shooters Bench) Consistency is very good as well because it’s a pumper. The trigger job done on it was not as soft as I would have expected but it is crisp and smooth. I have gotten used to the pressure required to let a pellet fly and it’s caused no problems for me in terms of accuracy.
Am I satisfied?
Yes I am! I had wanted this to stay a pistol but have the power to take squirrels at 30 yards or less. It most definitely does have the power. I just need some willing squirrels to hold still long enough for me to try it.
At this particular time I’m of the belief that it’s favorite rounds are Crosman Pointed and Crosman Hollow Points with JSB Exacts coming in right next to the HP’s.
For those of you interested in numbers, here’s some for you:
(http://../photos/get-photo.asp?photoid=351)
(http://../photos/get-photo.asp?photoid=349)
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Hay Black Mamba,
What a beauty you have there. You have to get more light on that beauty to really show her off, and a lighter background.
But what a fine job ! I have a 1377, and had to look twice, real nice, real nice !
Take another photo I love to get a better look at her.
And send us some photos of those squirrels when you get them ! Over at the hunting gate we love to see the results of a good hunt !
And I loved your work up, but you must have arms like Arnold after all that pumping !
Thanks,
Bill
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I will definately get pics up of any critter that get taken with it.
I'll try to get a better picture up soon. I agree, that one doesn't really show it off too much.
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Greg, very nice. 8) I've been looking at getting a pistol myself and it will be a Crosman, They got a lot of option,s to play with. It will be for hunting, keep buying air rifles hehe. Again sharp pistol, keep us posted. Ed
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Nice pistol. Good post too as I am thinkin of getting a pistol too. Lookin forward to those pics! :p
Greg
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Great Post Greg.. Very objecive and forthcoming. Glad you are happy with your 1377 pumper.. I have one that has a new steel breech in it and ready for a new barrel..:) But I don't know if I am up to pumping it up more than 10 times though... lol.
Good Luck
Gene
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Gene , send it to me and I'll pump it up for you and send it back. I won't shoot it, I promise hehe. Ed
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Sweet lookin' shootin' iron there. I built a pretty nice one a few months ago, that I ended up trading off to someone else because I couldn't stand pumping it. I just had that very same gun back here last weekend and I converted it to .25 cal!!!! Sweet shooter as a .25, but the one I built had an adjustable flat top piston in it, so that helped alot. Wish I liked pumping, those guns are fun to work on too, and self contained, no CO2 or pumps, or spring recoil....but you gotta pump 'em like crazy to get the real power from 'em. Too much for my elbows with tendonitis.....I'm like a walking medical emergency sometimes I swear:)
Dan