Thinking over a Crosman 1377 for old times sake. Or 1322?

[Tallbald]

Around 1979, when I'd started commuting to college from our farm each week, I purchased on a whim at "S-Mart" (a small chain discount store) a 1377 Crosman pistol for $35. It came in a styrofoam nest inside a box and I bought it more as a play toy than anything else. Please recall though that this was in the days of 88 cent boxes of Winchester Wildcat .22 High Speed Hollow Point ammo, and my family owned a 300 acre farm with 65 acres of woods. An air pistol had a hard time competing with cheap .22 LR in any number of guns I could shoot right outside our front door.
 Anyway, today's 1377 looks different somewhat from how I recall mine back then. Mine had a round formed steel sleeve that twisted and slid to open or close the breech. The sights were plastic with a metal blade I think. The sleeve never did seem really secure during the life of the pistol, but it worked and I had much cheap fun shooting walnuts from the tree in our yard. I don't remember if the breech was plastic or steel either. At any rate the gun got sold for $35 in the mid 80's at a yard sale after moving to town.
 Fast forward to today's 1377 and I see the gun now has a bolt. I like that a lot. I don't care for the plastic breech today though, and I see that Crosman, in a clever marketing move, sells a replacement steel breech.
 So. To those with a new 1377 or 1322, why did you pick the caliber that you picked? For killing squirrels I'd grab any number of other air guns I have. But accuracy counts with me a lot and I wonder if one caliber is a winner in that accuracy department in this pistol?
  I'd like to buy another specimen of this pistol for "old times sake and downright fun", but remember back then wishing I'd bought the .22 caliber. Suggestions please maybe helping me decide? Hard to beat a $55 pistol for inexpensive fun either caliber.
 Also. Is the steel breech a "must have" upgrade? Any other tweaks to this classic American pumper pistol to consider please?
 Thanks for offering food for thought.
Don
 

[Matchstickshooter]

 .177 might be a bit faster, with flatter trajectory , but .22 has a lot more wallop when it hits.
 I have an earlier 1377 Rear Cocker that had the breech you describe, but it now wears a Baker Airguns Aluminum breech. So although still a rear cocker it has a bolt, and dovetail grooves for my pistol scope.



Welcome to the Rabbit hole!  LOL

  jmho!


 

[Tallbald]

Beautiful rig! I love the "corncob" fore end and smooth grips. Were I to buy a 1377/22 I'd be crafting new grips and fore end for mine too.
May I ask how the steel or aluminum aftermarket breech is affixed to the gun? Drilled and tapped holes? I wonder if aperture sights could be affixed to the 1377/22?
Any other popular tweaks to this gun? I'm not as worried about working on a $55 gun as I would be on my $400 Diana 460 magnum .22. I just don't have the skill set yet.
Thank you. Don

[Matchstickshooter]

Beautiful rig! I love the "corncob" fore end and smooth grips. Were I to buy a 1377/22 I'd be crafting new grips and fore end for mine too.
May I ask how the steel or aluminum aftermarket breech is affixed to the gun? Drilled and tapped holes? I wonder if aperture sights could be affixed to the 1377/22?
Any other popular tweaks to this gun? I'm not as worried about working on a $55 gun as I would be on my $400 Diana 460 magnum .22. I just don't have the skill set yet.
Thank you. Don

Those same two screws that hold the old breech on; the long one through the rear sight and the tiny one in the breech, under the probe.
No drilling/tapping necessary.
 Original plastic rear sight, had to sandpaper a bit to fit the notch, but you can find metal after market sights for the metal breech's.
 

This is where "Following Alice down the Rabbit Hole" begins.   These, along with 1322 and 2240's are "Lego guns"
 Many, many, aftermarket parts And dealers out there, and a lot of parts are interchangeable between guns.
You can mod the heck out of these, and put hundreds $ into them!!  lol

Plenty of people on this forum to guide you!
 

[Van]

  I found the stock 1322 to shoot a little too slow for me (around 455fps) at 8 pumps with 14.3g pellet.  A steel breech & flattop custom valve and piston, properly adjusted, brought it up around 500fps. To get more than that you need a longer barrel and more pumps.  For me 600fps took about 12 pumps and 18" barrel with shoulder stock.

[Tallbald]

Good information to know. So. Steel breech or aluminum breech and if it's OK to ask why which choice?
Trigger shoe?
Still undecided here though between .177 and .22. I keep both on hand.
Thanks as always. Don.

[Van]

  The aluminum breech accepts the plastic stock sight and of course is lighter weight.  The heaver steel one is dovetailed for the LPA metal sight that is more substantial and adjustable but cost about $40 from Crosman.  I like the steel with LPA open sights and the aluminum with a scope.  Both function great over the plastic one.

[Tallbald]

I'm sorry. I don't know the abbreviation LPA. And I saw the $40 price tag for steel. Wonder if there's a better price elsewhere or by an aftermarket manufacturer? Guess that's an OK question here. $40 is only $5 short of the pistol cost one place I saw.
Thank you. Don

[Matchstickshooter]

 Here's an LPA...
https://www.ebay.com/itm/SALE-Williams-LPA-MIM-REAR-SIGHT-For-Crosman-w-Steel-Breech-2240-1322-1377/291332319404?hash=item43d4c268ac:g:1WQAAOxyXWdQ8nr3



a bit pricey......

[lefteyeshot]

I can't do all that pumping and mashing fingers again.

[Spooner]

i have one of each and love them both. either caliber will do a good pesting job with the right weight grain of pellet and enough pumps. the truth is that between the two calibers... i have a hard time choosing, so i just take turns with them, lol. i dont know anything about the aluminum breech but i went with the long steel breech on both. i use large scopes, so steel makes sense for me. yes, in my opinion... getting rid of the cheap plastic breech is a must do upgrade.

these were my first re-entry guns into this hobby. after reading reviews, posts, and watching videos... they seemed to be loved by all. accuracy, an easy learning curve to work on, accuracy, and a ton of available upgrade options... this list goes on and on.   

you can invest a small fortune in upgrading these guns, they are fun to work on, and it is addictive, so be warned, lol  . mine are upgraded to hilt, but as long as you know what it is you want your choice to achieve... you "should" be ok, lol. these guns dont need a bunch of upgrades to be fun. 

i got mine for pesting. pumpers give me the option to just give them a little sting, or take them out completely if i have to, and either one of these will do that but the .22 definitely packs a better punch at higher pumps.

the Crosman custom shop is down right now, shame too, but if you plan to do some basic upgrades like the steel breech, stock, barrel, ect... they are the cheapest way to go and you can get the main upgrades for the fraction of the cost of going aftermarket. 

here is my 1377


and my 1322

[Matchstickshooter]

i have one of each and love them both. either caliber will do a good pesting job with the right weight grain of pellet and enough pumps. the truth is that between the two calibers... i have a hard time choosing, so i just take turns with them, lol. i dont know anything about the aluminum breech but i went with the long steel breech on both. i use large scopes, so steel makes sense for me. yes, in my opinion... getting rid of the cheap plastic breech is a must do upgrade.

these were my first re-entry guns into this hobby. after reading reviews, posts, and watching videos... they seemed to be loved by all. accuracy, an easy learning curve to work on, accuracy, and a ton of available upgrade options... this list goes on and on.   

you can invest a small fortune in upgrading these guns, they are fun to work on, and it is addictive, so be warned, lol  . mine are upgraded to hilt, but as long as you know what it is you want your choice to achieve... you "should" be ok, lol. these guns dont need a bunch of upgrades to be fun. 

i got mine for pesting. pumpers give me the option to just give them a little sting, or take them out completely if i have to, and either one of these will do that but the .22 definitely packs a better punch at higher pumps.

the Crosman custom shop is down right now, shame too, but if you plan to do some basic upgrades like the steel breech, stock, barrel, ect... they are the cheapest way to go and you can get the main upgrades for the fraction of the cost of going aftermarket. 

here is my 1377


and my 1322

I like that pump handle on your 1322...I have one coming!

 My 1322..

[Spooner]

I like that pump handle on your 1322...I have one coming!

 My 1322..

they are awesome Wendell! now if they would just make them in Realtree camo pattern, lol... wishful thinking, hahaha. 

i really like that camo LDC on yours... very nice  !  where did you get it?

[Matchstickshooter]

That is an aluminum pipe covered in Duck tape from Walmart
Inside is a 1/2x20 thread adapter  and two Disco baffles (NP214-001) cut and glued together, to keep it quiet.

[Back_Roads]

 
 Yup Rabbit Hole. . .

[Spooner]

That is an aluminum pipe covered in Duck tape from Walmart
Inside is a 1/2x20 thread adapter  and two Disco baffles (NP214-001) cut and glued together, to keep it quiet.

I never would have guessed... nicely done! 

[Tallbald]

This is going to be fun....
Thank you all. Don (The Man Trying To Sidestep The Rabbit Hole)

[SwampHunter]

This is going to be fun....
Thank you all. Don (The Man Trying To Sidestep The Rabbit Hole)

Pfft....too late

[SwampHunter]

 Yup Rabbit Hole. . .

Where did you get that stock??

[Back_Roads]

 Yup Rabbit Hole. . .


 Saw a video, and found the best price here. https://www.evike.com/products/26895/

Where did you get that stock??