smith and wesson 77A year???

[c801tfd]

Jon,

I have rebuilt one of my 77A’s, bought a flat top piston from mac1 and a Crosman 140 seal kit as they are the right size then tore it down, glad to provide details if you need help. There are two small screws on the valve body that need backed out and a couple of 4-40 screws do the trick for that task and also for tapping back into position.

The reseal looks difficult to do, but in reality if you focus on the valve body location and do not need to remove everything else it is a really easy job to do.

[eeler1]

I rebuilt a few maybe 12, 13 years ago, and I took some notes and pictures.  What sticks with me offhand is that it has some quirks (like for the valve body) and that I hate clamshell receivers.  But nice to know there's help out there if needed, Elroy. 

Maybe a video if it might be useful to someone.  I've actually got so many other projects going right now, mostly not airgun related, that it could be a while before I get to it.  Putting it back in the safe for now.

[c801tfd]

Jon, not a problem. Maybe one day I will do a few videos as well, just way to busy with youngest sons high school sports and oldest son first year of college sports. Just barely found the time to work on a Crosman 147 that I actually started March and finished last week.

[Ron in Nebr]

Just to add to the database, I recently acquired another 77A. This one has scope grooves, Springfield Mass stamp, serial number G036037.

 Sold as not working and they were right this time- feels like the pump cup is toast, even after a good oiling. I have a couple extra Mac1 flattop O-ring pistons here, so it's getting one of those before I tear into anything else.

[bantam5s]

Just to help further the idea that there is potentially a date code in the S&W airgun serial numbers my 79g has all the features consistent with a later production gun, has a SN that seems to indicate a '78 production,  and has a receipt as well as stamp on the box indicating that it was shipped / sold in 1982 which is again consistent with a very late production gun.

I believe my gun to be a 1978 example and date coded as such, but that date code could be coincidental.

[78gCollector]

Cobia787,

I have read where there is a hypothetical theory that leading alpha character indicates decade of manufacture and last number in serial number is the year of that decade, if this is indeed true my rifle was manufactured in 1975 which puts it in the time period of the years dovetail scope rails were added to the action (1973-1978). I had to use zoom on my camera to confirm the G was not a numerical zero which it looked like without zoom.

This winter I've been putting together a database of 78g and 79g pistol serial numbers along with model and packaging changes. (I've kept track of a few 77A and 80g rifles as well, and all 77A SN's I've seen have had a G in the prefix.) So far I've got a sampling of about 120 pistols, and it's revealed quite a bit about the line.  Their serial numbers don't indicate date of manufacture such as on a Daisy or Crosman where you can figure out the exact month and date they were made.  S&W used serial number starting with Q and switching over to G about 3/4 of the way through the run. So far it looks like they mostly sequential from 0 to 170k, then they jump around a little bit to 200k, then 290k-300k.

There's also some question about the lore of the move to Springfield from Tampa in 1973.  All the early pistols came with paperwork listing Springfield as the location for parts and service.  The guns that came out right after the adjustable trigger was dropped feature a change in address to Tampa in the owner's manual and on the warranty card.  Around this run in the series pellets and CO2 packaging was starting to be marked Tampa, and even the pistol boxes were stamped in Tampa.  About 40k pistols later, everything switched back to Springfield addresses.

I plan to put together a website with the info I've found once I find a few more samples that help nail down specific changes.

[Bigjoewatson]

Hi I got a Tampa Florida 77a

[78gCollector]

Hi I got a Tampa Florida 77a

There were a small number of 77A rifles that were made in Tampa, from somewhere before serial number G027000 to some point after G028500.  (These are very approximate numbers.)  These rifles are stamped Made in Tampa.  The rifles before this serial number range as well as those after are marked Made in Springfield.

The 80g rifles are all stamped Made in Springfield, but the boxes on early rifles were printed Made in Tampa while the later ones were marked Springfield. 

[Bigjoewatson]

G019928

[78gCollector]

G019928

This serial number falls in the range that should be stamped as made in Springfield Ma.  If you check the other markings on your 77A, do you see a location of manufacture?