Point a n00b in the right direction

[kraaash]

So I've decided to jump right in as a noobie and build a 22xx and 1377 at the same time from scratch,. I was hoping the pros could offer ideas/short list of the must have after market parts/mods.  So as to not waste money on things I will change anyway.
  Thank you all very much in advance. 

[JEBert]

What do you want to do with your guns?  Vermin or paper?  What range?  Also, do you consider bling to be a waste of money?
We just need a little more information to guide you in the right direction.  We can mod the same gun over and over and not consider it a waste of  money.  You can even end up with enough used parts to make another gun.
Cheers,

[1377x]

the only time money is wasted is when the gun sits collecting dust
its all personal choice. go bling, stay plain,to carbine/rifle or not the only thing that matter is the gun shoots good

[crossliner]

the only time money is wasted is when the gun sits collecting dust
its all personal choice. go bling, stay plain,to carbine/rifle or not the only thing that matter is the gun shoots good

We share the same observation Mr. Trese..The most basic mods are a steel breech and some trigger tweaking, lubing/cleaning of internal parts and its mechanism then off you are to find the magic pellet for it. Best regards.

[kraaash]

What do you want to do with your guns?  Vermin or paper?  What range?  Also, do you consider bling to be a waste of money?
We just need a little more information to guide you in the right direction.  We can mod the same gun over and over and not consider it a waste of  money.  You can even end up with enough used parts to make another gun.
Cheers,

Vermin and paper both I hope.. I'm going bling for sure, not carbine though...
Looking for performance parts ideas mostly.. What makes em work better, besides barrel.
  Thx guys for the help

[breakfastchef]

If you are mostly interested in performance modifications - those primarily to increase pellet velocities - you should purchase a chronograph. Without the chronograph, you will not have a baseline on which to test and evaluate future modification to your guns.

Shoot whatever gun(s) you purchase for a few weeks. Learn how they work and note what changes you would want to make them work better for you. Do oodles of research online for information gaps you may presently have. At some point in the near future, you would be ready to ask more specific questions.

Download parts diagrams for any guns you buy so you will have a reference to what the parts are and how the whole thing goes together. There are plenty of online videos and pictorials covering the 13xx/22xx platforms.

[JEBert]

X2 to what Larry said.  By the time you shoot it and catch up on reading posts here (It's hard to do both unless you have nothing else to do in life) you will have formed your own opinion as to what you want to do.  That said, Here are my recommendations in the order I think they are needed/desired/afforded.  As always, YMMV.  So may your opinion.
1.   Trigger Work:  Smoothing and polishing the trigger/sear/hammer contact surfaces, shimming the slop out of the trigger, installing an over-travel setscrew, and changing out the sear spring is the cheapest mod that will return the most accuracy improvement for the money.  Polishing is just labor and shims can be made out of anything from scrap plastic/nylon with hole punches to honing down #4 SS washers.  Adding a  trigger shoe helps too and only costs around $10 or you can make one.
2.   Extended Bolt Probe (or flow-through bolt): to increase accuracy and power.  You can buy one or mod your original bolt to get the pellet to seat just past the transfer port.
3.   Solid Pivot Pin (13XX):  Solid pivot pin kit or a homemade solid pump pivot pin will make future disassembly and reassembly much easier and prevent the roll pin from working its way out.
4.   Paint grips and forestock (13XX):  Paint is cheap.  Plastic is bad enough but brown plastic is even worse.
5.   Shoulder Stock:  Increase shooting stability and enhance the looks.
6.   Better Pump Handle (13XX):  2289 or 760 forearm from Crosman is cheap.  Got to look out for the fingers
7.   Steel Breech:  Secures barrel better to enhance accuracy & adds a top rail for mounting scope or better sights.
8.   Better Sights or scope:  Goes with breech above.  May include a muzzle brake to mount better front sight onto.
9.   Longer Barrel:  Add barrel  length for  accuracy + fps.  In a 1377 with a longer barrel, you can add a muzzle device for a better front sight or a longer sight radius.
10.   Better Grips (and forestock on 13XX):  Improve handling & accuracy & looks. Wood vs plastic?  The only argument here is between me and my bank account.
11.   Flat Top Piston and Valve (13XX):  Fewer pumps for the same power or same # of pumps with increased power.
12.   Change Caliber:  You can change a 1377 to .22 More FPE.  You can change a 2240 to a .177 Lothar Walther barrel for competition.
13.   A silent extra....to make it backyard friendly in you live in an urban environment.
14.   Bling.  It's only last on my list because I prefer function over form and some of it will happen anyway as the material for some of the replacement parts can be chosen for the accent theme.  If you want it to shine, you can paint, polish, or plate (chrome, nickel, or even gold) the hell out of everything while you have it apart.

[Tater]

Great post Jerry, that could be a sticky.

[JEBert]

that could be a sticky.

Thanks T,
It's been done before.  There was a post going around a year or two ago about what everyone thought were the most important mods.  Or what order you think the mods should be done.  There was a wide variety of opinions on what order the mods should be done and there were things that were high on some folks list that didn't even show up on other people's lists.
This is just my interpretation of what I think should be done and the order I think they are important and in the order I can afford the parts.
I tend to do what I can afford to do and most of my guns aren't finished to the extent that I want them to be (a couple are close) but they shoot well.
Cheers,

[kraaash]

X2 to what Larry said.  By the time you shoot it and catch up on reading posts here (It's hard to do both unless you have nothing else to do in life) you will have formed your own opinion as to what you want to do.  That said, Here are my recommendations in the order I think they are needed/desired/afforded.  As always, YMMV.  So may your opinion.
1.   Trigger Work:  Smoothing and polishing the trigger/sear/hammer contact surfaces, shimming the slop out of the trigger, installing an over-travel setscrew, and changing out the sear spring is the cheapest mod that will return the most accuracy improvement for the money.  Polishing is just labor and shims can be made out of anything from scrap plastic/nylon with hole punches to honing down #4 SS washers.  Adding a  trigger shoe helps too and only costs around $10 or you can make one.
2.   Extended Bolt Probe (or flow-through bolt): to increase accuracy and power.  You can buy one or mod your original bolt to get the pellet to seat just past the transfer port.
3.   Solid Pivot Pin (13XX):  Solid pivot pin kit or a homemade solid pump pivot pin will make future disassembly and reassembly much easier and prevent the roll pin from working its way out.
4.   Paint grips and forestock (13XX):  Paint is cheap.  Plastic is bad enough but brown plastic is even worse.
5.   Shoulder Stock:  Increase shooting stability and enhance the looks.
6.   Better Pump Handle (13XX):  2289 or 760 forearm from Crosman is cheap.  Got to look out for the fingers
7.   Steel Breech:  Secures barrel better to enhance accuracy & adds a top rail for mounting scope or better sights.
8.   Better Sights or scope:  Goes with breech above.  May include a muzzle brake to mount better front sight onto.
9.   Longer Barrel:  Add barrel  length for  accuracy + fps.  In a 1377 with a longer barrel, you can add a muzzle device for a better front sight or a longer sight radius.
10.   Better Grips (and forestock on 13XX):  Improve handling & accuracy & looks. Wood vs plastic?  The only argument here is between me and my bank account.
11.   Flat Top Piston and Valve (13XX):  Fewer pumps for the same power or same # of pumps with increased power.
12.   Change Caliber:  You can change a 1377 to .22 More FPE.  You can change a 2240 to a .177 Lothar Walther barrel for competition.
13.   A silent extra....to make it backyard friendly in you live in an urban environment.
14.   Bling.  It's only last on my list because I prefer function over form and some of it will happen anyway as the material for some of the replacement parts can be chosen for the accent theme.  If you want it to shine, you can paint, polish, or plate (chrome, nickel, or even gold) the hell out of everything while you have it apart.

Thanks! That's a great start, ill do a search on these items... What is a flat top?

[breakfastchef]

You have your first search variables - flat top piston & flat top valve!

If you downloaded a copy of the Crosman 1377 parts diagram, you notice that the valve has a cone in front. The piston pump cup is a corresponding mate for the valve cone. To flat top is to remove the cone from the valve front and create a flat surface to the piston front.

Thanks! That's a great start, ill do a search on these items... What is a flat top?

[kraaash]

More than a few flat tops out there.. Who are most guys using these days?

[breakfastchef]

http://mellonair.myfreesites.net/

[kraaash]

http://mellonair.myfreesites.net/

whats the mellon valve made out of? the site doesnt mention.

[breakfastchef]

whats the mellon valve made out of? the site doesnt mention.

It is a stock 1377 aluminum valve