Though generally well made, it should be noted that the first year's production of the Model 1377 and 1322 was subject to recall by the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission, due to an improperly installed or designed screw which over time could loosen and cause the pistol to cease to function or to discharge unexpectedly. (CPSC, 78--015). Those early pistols affected by the recall will have a steel breech and will not have the letter R stamped on the gun. Model 1377 and 1322 Air Pistols manufactured from 1978 onward had the letter R stamped on them
While the first version of the 1377 used a steel breech, from 1981 to the present date, plastic has been used to make this part, no doubt as a cost saving measure. This change does not seem to have affected the pistols durability, in fact I had used a 1377B pistol purchased more than twenty years ago until late 2012 when it finally gave up the ghost.
In later years, the pistol didn't generate quite the muzzle velocity than it did when new. At ten pumps it would top out at about 400 feet per second with a 7.6 grain pellet, however it was just as accurate as it ever was.
Operation of the Crosman Model 1377B
- Pointing pistol in safe direction and with finger off of the trigger, pump 3 to 10 pumps.
- Open breech cover by turning to left and drawing it back.
- Insert projectile, either pellet or BB and return the cover to the closed position.
- Pull back cocking knob and the gun is ready to fire.
These pistols require little maintenance other than a few drops of oil on the pump pivot pins and pump cup after every tin of pellets (about 250 shots). I use a liquid fishing reel lubricant which is safe for plastic although the manual suggests that it is also okay to use even a household oil such as 3-in-1 or sewing machine oil.
There are diagrams of the lubrication points in the Crosman manuals which can be found in PDF format at http://www.crosman.com/airguns/service/manuals/crosman-pistols.
Occasionally I will also clean the barrel by using a pull-through to drag a patch soaked with powder solvent from the breech to the muzzle, followed by a few dry patches.
The latest variant introduced in 1998, the 1377C now uses a brass bolt handle in place of the sliding breech cover and cocking knob. It has been designed for use with pellets only as it not equipped with a magnet on the bolt face as was the case with previous versions of the pistol.
The breech of the 1377C is made of plastic just as it was with the previous variant. There is a Crosman Replacement steel breech kit available for the 1377C which will allow the mounting of scope or other sights on to the pistol(Pelletier).
Another option for mounting a scope on a 1377 is to use the newly available intermount which will clamp onto the existing plastic breech.
Classic 1377C Air Pistol
| Crosman 1377C | |
|---|---|
| Action | Bolt Action Pump Air Pistol |
| Caliber | 0.177 |
| Barrel | 10 inch, Rifled |
| Overall Length | 13.6 inches |
| Weight | 2.0 pounds |
1. Outwardly the 1300 and 1377 are similar in appearance and design but the Model 1300 does not need to be manually cocked before it can be fired. This likely created a safety hazard for the careless user who might be holding the trigger while loading it.
CPSC "Release # 78-015 Repair Program For Hazardous Pellet Pistols Announced" U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission Mar 2, 1978. Accessed (Dec 26, 2012)
Crosman http://www.crosman.com/airguns/service/manuals Accessed 15 Dec. 2010
Pelletier, B.B. "1377 - Another Crosman classic!" 16 Aug. 2005 http://www.pyramydair.com/blog/2005/08/1377-another-crosman-classic.html Accessed 15 Dec. 2010