GTA

Airguns by Make and Model => Vintage Air Gun Gate => Topic started by: magnum on November 02, 2012, 08:10:13 PM

Title: A nice 1970's S&W 77A
Post by: magnum on November 02, 2012, 08:10:13 PM
Well  my curiosity got the better of me today and I purchased yet another airgun! I have never seen one of these Smith and Wesson 77A's  it's a .22. I was told and  think its a 1973 model based on serial number ends in 3 ?  its in great condition and looks to be hardly used at all. Over all for a 40ish year old pump-gun, I am very happy with its feel weight and performance so far.
        I just finished putting 10 shots with 8 pumps each in about a quarter size area, did this Twice at about 12meters! very impressed.. It seems to hit hard and I can not wait crony it :)
        Anyway I can not find any good information, specifications, exploded views on this strange airgun that I now have? And as normal I will likely want to tinker with it as that is part of the fun to me!
        The trigger and cocking lever seem to be very well made and the design is certainly different from the normal, the trigger pull crisp and predicable nice indeed, the loading port looks to be like a daisy style:)
 I am hoping that some of you seen this one before and possibly point me in the right direction. Thanks in Advance.  Tony.
Title: Re: A nice 1970's S&W 77A
Post by: FriedTater on November 02, 2012, 08:47:53 PM
I have one I bought at a PB show in OK and its the predecessor to the Daisey PowerLine(I was told)
Dig around in one of the most wicked "arms" list available.Im on my phone now and it would be a booger to nav that PDF stuff
http://stevespages.com/page7b.htm (http://stevespages.com/page7b.htm)
Title: Re: A nice 1970's S&W 77A
Post by: SnoValley on November 03, 2012, 02:06:27 AM
Several of us have had or still have these. Do a search here on the GTA.
If you need a parts break down and schematic let me know.
They are very well made and great rifles. AFAIK there is no relation to a Daisy.....
Be careful if you decide to go inside, lots of parts and you need 4 hands to get everything back in place..Think jigs...
Tim Schmidt is very knowledgeable about the S&W's
Title: Re: A nice 1970's S&W 77A
Post by: Ckistner on November 04, 2012, 11:09:44 AM
Welcome to the S&W 77a club.  It's a great AG.  Yours looks to be in great condition.   I'm curious how much you paid for her?  I sent you a PM in case you wanted some documentation that I have collected from other members. 

Take care and congrats on your score...

Ck
Title: Re: A nice 1970's S&W 77A
Post by: magnum on November 05, 2012, 01:27:51 PM
Welcome to the S&W 77a club.  It's a great AG.  Yours looks to be in great condition.   I'm curious how much you paid for her?  I sent you a PM in case you wanted some documentation that I have collected from other members. 

Take care and congrats on your score...

Ck
Ya it seems in great condition very small signs of actual wear Got it for $90 with a tin of rws domed, so happy with that.  I PM,d you back thanks:) . BTW no info on steveslist, and nothing really helpful on internet so far!
Title: Re: A nice 1970's S&W 77A
Post by: Suburbanairgun on November 05, 2012, 02:41:50 PM
Congrats and thats a great price for the gun
Title: Re: A nice 1970's S&W 77A
Post by: FriedTater on November 05, 2012, 03:35:22 PM
I havent even shot this one yet its really clean,dont think it was shot much at all
It came in a package deal and I took it to cover $50-$60 in left over and both sides were happy.
It would be cool to find out more but Im drawing next to nothing with yahoo search etc
Title: Re: A nice 1970's S&W 77A
Post by: Ckistner on November 06, 2012, 05:55:41 PM
Welcome to the S&W 77a club.  It's a great AG.  Yours looks to be in great condition.   I'm curious how much you paid for her?  I sent you a PM in case you wanted some documentation that I have collected from other members. 

Take care and congrats on your score...

Ck
Ya it seems in great condition very small signs of actual wear Got it for $90 with a tin of rws domed, so happy with that.  I PM,d you back thanks:) . BTW no info on steveslist, and nothing really helpful on internet so far!

Here's some S&W info from Blue Book of Guns...

SMITH & WESSON
Current manufacturer located in Springfield, MA. Dealer sales. Currently imported and distributed by Umarex USA located in Fort Smith, AR begining 2006.
In 1965, Smith & Wesson was purchased from the Wesson family by the conglomerate Bangor Punta. A major diversification program led to the in-house design of an airgun line. With the aid of a former Crosman engineer, four airgun models were developed: pistol Models 78G, 79G, and rifle Models 77A, 80G ("A" for "air"; "G" for "gas"). The Model 77A was a .22-caliber pump pneumatic pellet rifle with a less-than-sleek wood stock and forearm-pump lever.

The Model 78G was a single-shot .22 caliber pellet pistol designed to resemble the popular Smith & Wesson Model 41 target automatic. The Model 79G is the .177 caliber version. Both had adjustable rear sights and power. Early versions had adjustable triggers; adjustable for sear engagement; later models had non-adjustable trigger mechanisms. A few problems included gas leakage through porous frame castings.
Smith & Wesson´s Air Gun Division introduced their fourth and final model in 1972, the Model 80G rifle. It was designed by Roger Curran, formerly with Remington. This autoloader fired .175 caliber BBs from a tubular magazine below the barrel. In 1973 the Air Gun Division moved from Tampa, Florida to Springfield, Massachusetts. Some early Model 80G rifles are marked with the Florida address, as are some Model 77A rifles.

In 1978, the Air Gun Division returned to Florida in a part of the former Westinghouse complex and the Model 77A was dropped. Due to changing from a sprayed paint finish to a baked powder-coat finish, Springfield production pistols have a duller, more uniform finish than earlier production. Also around this time, Curran began to develop a CO2 pellet revolver, although Smith & Wesson was not destined to complete development of this model.

Around 1980, Bangor Punta decided that Smith & Wesson should concentrate more on its core handgun business. The Air Gun Division was sold to Daisy. Daisy renamed the Smith & Wesson Models 78G and 79G as the Daisy Powerline Models 780 and 790. A nickel-plated model .177 caliber version was introduced as the Power Line Model 41– in honor of the original Smith & Wesson Model 41 firearm.
Smith & Wesson again entered the airgun field in 1999, when they introduced two models made for them by Umarex of Germany: the .177 caliber ten-shot CO2 pellet revolvers, Models 586 and 686. These were close copies of the .357 Magnum Smith & Wesson revolvers bearing the same numbers.

For more information and current pricing on both new and used Smith & Wesson firearms, please refer to the Blue Book of Gun Values by S.P. Fjestad (also available online).

Not sure what what other info you are looking for or that you will find...

Enjoy,
Ck
Title: Re: A nice 1970's S&W 77A
Post by: FriedTater on November 06, 2012, 09:01:31 PM
This works pretty good,the guy I purchased mine from is far from a rookie in the world of "guns"
Confirming it is in fact a predecessor to the Daisey Powerlines is much appreciated,though the 77 isnt mentioned
in your quote its still a blood trail.

Around 1980, Bangor Punta decided that Smith & Wesson should concentrate more on its core handgun business. The Air Gun Division was sold to Daisy. Daisy renamed the Smith & Wesson Models 78G and 79G as the Daisy Powerline Models 780 and 790. A nickel-plated model .177 caliber version was introduced as the Power Line Model 41– in honor of the original Smith & Wesson Model 41 firearm.
Title: Re: A nice 1970's S&W 77A
Post by: SnoValley on November 07, 2012, 02:09:03 PM
Yep, the pistols became Daisy's, but the rifles were dropped...