First Mods only Fuel the Fever

paddlejockey · September 20, 2015, 12:39:38 AM

I just recently acquired a 1377 and have been spending a little time shooting and reading. It shot pretty good in original form, but either it, the pellets (Crosman Premier Superpoint) that I was shooting or I was a bit inconsistent. I have issues with near vision that probably affected things too. I did get some improvement with weaker 'reader' glasses, but there was still some inconsistency.

I read this forum, the GTA forum and New Crosman Airgun forum and figured out that a steel / metal breech was a fairly consistent foundation for future mods. I also read reviews on pellets and saw that some were more suited to target / plinking and offered more consistent POI. So I bit the bullet and ordered a Crosman steel breech and some RWS Diablo wadcutters from an online merchant. While I was at it, I added a Crosman Targetfinder scope - cheap <$5 at a big box store.

The breech installed pretty easily as did the scope. Admittedly, the scope is a bit on the cheap side but it seems to work OK. FWIW, it appears to be the same scope (with different logo) as the Tasco 4x rimfire scope $7.50 at the same big box store.

The gun now seems to be a bit more consistent using the Crosman pellets and the RWS pellets seem to be a bit better still - though I have only done very limited testing.

I'll post pics later as time is now running a bit short on me.

agninja · September 20, 2015, 02:48:04 AM

I'm guessing it looks something like this...

paddlejockey · September 20, 2015, 05:32:52 AM

Yep. Pretty much just like that. I mounted the scope further forward, but essentially the same.

Here are my targets and my 1377.

Crosman Pellets:

RWS Pellets:

My 1377 at this stage of the fever:

paddlejockey · September 20, 2015, 05:42:07 AM

I'm thinking that my next project will be to take a look at the trigger mechanism and see if I can make any improvements without spending much $$. I think that I will try smoothing and polishing mating surfaces and see if I can find some spring(s) to decrease the pull weight a bit. I'm also thinking about a shoulder stock as well.

I need to shoot it a bit more first though. We'll see what direction things take. I also think that I need to build a pellet trap / target holder. I use old political signs as target a backer. It is one of the best uses I have found for them; they do not appear to be recyclable.

Noah · September 20, 2015, 06:29:05 AM

agninja · September 20, 2015, 07:32:14 AM

Quote from: paddlejockey on September 20, 2015, 05:42:07 AM
I'm thinking that my next project will be to take a look at the trigger mechanism and see if I can make any improvements without spending much $$. I think that I will try smoothing and polishing mating surfaces and see if I can find some spring(s) to decrease the pull weight a bit. I'm also thinking about a shoulder stock as well.

Yep, polish up the sear and hammer and replace the spring or cut a coil off of the existing one.

beerhippy · September 20, 2015, 01:09:05 PM

Take the stock trigger spring to the hardware store and find one of the same diameter but made of much thinner wire. Save the stock trigger spring - you can install it in the valve if you need to dump more air on higher pump counts if you go in that direction or to reduce the hammer spring tension needed which will help with the trigger feel too.

BigErn · September 20, 2015, 04:20:08 PM

Looking great! I sure do like the looks of those new pumpers $:-\$ Those little scopes are hard to dail in but they work great once you do. They have very thin crosshairs which is a plus for me. I have a couple of them on my shooters, even wrapped one in carbon fiber

agninja · September 20, 2015, 06:18:33 PM

It's also a rifle scope he has on that pistol. In the long term he'll probably want a skeleton stock or a new optic.

1377x · September 21, 2015, 07:54:11 AM

Crosmanitis is setting in.
Welcome to the disease
I mean the hobby

BillK · September 22, 2015, 05:58:19 AM

Quote from: 1377x on September 21, 2015, 07:54:11 AM
Crosmanitis is setting in.
Welcome to the disease

There is only, to my limited & effected knowledge, one cure to this disease. The only good thing about this ailment is that the cure seldom happens if your a CAPOF member.

MikeWinVA · September 22, 2015, 06:03:52 AM

Also look at that 2289 pump grip. It makes the gun so much more pump friendly, no more pinched fingers. I just put one on mine tonight and it is night and day in difference.

Also polish the sear, hammer and trigger. The sear looks like it is punched out of a plate and has a rough tear line where it went through the die from one end to the other. The hammer has all sorts of nasty lathe marks on it from being turned to quickly. The trigger has a casting mark that rides along the sear. I went 400/800/1000/2000 grits in that order. Wet/Dry paper glued to a glass plate. Do this with water or mineral spirits. Polish each grit at 90 degrees to each other and stop at each grit when you have removed the previous courser grits marks. At 2000 it is almost mirror bright. Don't try a metal file, the sear and hammer hardness is too high. It will just ruin the file. Use wet/dry paper or sharpening stones or diamond files.

Be careful with the trigger and don't change its contour where it meets the sear. The trigger is real soft aluminum or pot metal.

If you have access to some metal polishing compound, get a piece of 1 x2x 6 scrap wood with sharp edges and load it up with the compound. Take the hammer, trigger and sear and drag them across the wood pressing real hard. This will give you a mirror polish.

Assemble and put a drop of oil on each pivot point and some moly grease any where metal rubs metal.

If you can't get metal polishing compound, use Meguiars ScratchX car paint compound. It is at most auto parts stores and works just as well as metal polishing compound.