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#1
Crosman air pistol - General discussion / My1322 with Quick-Change Barre...
Last post by Don Clark - Today at 01:08:37 AMAbout a year ago I asked fellow airgunner and good friend Jim Bentley a big favor. Would he make my steel-breeched Crosman 1322 a switch-barrel so I could turn it into a carbine or back into a pistol without having to pull the breech off the pump tube? With his background in engineering and metalwork, I knew he could do it if he wanted to. Anyone else might have told me to "Buy a Crosman 2289 'Drifter' to go with your 1322 and just switch the gun in your hand when you need a longer barrel."
Instead, Jim agreed to look at a YT video made by a British airgunner who had modified a Crosman 2240 to take either the stock 7.5 inch barrel or an 18 incher with no more disassembly than loosening a pair of barrel setscrews in his aftermarket breech. He necked the ends of the barrels and threaded them into a short sleeve inserted in the breech. He secured the sleeve with a third setscrew through the top of the breech, close to the loading notch, and with a transfer port he made that threaded into the gas chamber. Gaskets slipped over the barrel threads sealed the necks where they contacted the front edge of the breech sleeve.
After watching the video and thinking on the project, Jim supposed he could simplify the modification by relying mostly on Crosman's transfer port for sealing rather than on threads, gaskets, or O-rings. He'd discourage downstream leaks by necking my 10.25 and 18 inch barrels for a snug fit in the breech sleeve, and by adjusting the length of their necks so they'd butt tight against the breech's rear wall when the barrel ports were centered over the sleeve, breech, and compression tube ports. The sleeve would be held in the breech only by the transfer port tip extending into its wall and indirectly by a single breech-top setscrew dimpled into the barrel ahead of it. Seating the screw in the dimple would assure that the barrel had been rotated to align its port with the other ports.
You cannot view this attachment.
To make an aftermarket band for long barrels accept the short one, Jim made an extension for it that adds ½-20 moderator threads on the front end. The 1322 barrel comes with a neck at the muzzle to fit Crosman's band. Jim lengthened and knurled that neck to give the extension's sleeve a good grip on the barrel for an interference fit.
You cannot view this attachment.
It took Jim a while to find time for the job, but once started he finished it quickly. Subsequent leak testing proved that his simplified sealing worked. A scrap of single ply tissue hung over the breech where a barrel enters it doesn't jump when a 14.3 grain pellet is fired at 10 pumps. And with the small air volume and relatively low pressure involved, there's no danger of the barrel and tube being launched with the pellet. I doubt there'd be any risk even with higher pump counts.
Here's the complete ensemble. Most of the accessories are from Buck-Rail. Both barrels use the B-R moderator. The stock is the B-R folder, with a knob-head screw Jim made to replace the issue socket-head for quicker mounting and removal. A Pachmayr sleeve on the pistol grip makes it more comfortable. The dogleg in the pump handle I built increases leverage and silences handle slap with a stub of plastic tubing sunk in the pump tube channel Sheridan style. Internal modifications were made previously to improve the trigger and increase pumping efficiency. Finally, with either the stock or the long barrel dismounted, the entire rig fits in a 13 x 26 inch Doskocil case.
You cannot view this attachment.
My 1322 may have become unique, thanks to Jim. All he'd accept in return for his labor was the promise of a free beer occasionally. Now there's a true friend!
Instead, Jim agreed to look at a YT video made by a British airgunner who had modified a Crosman 2240 to take either the stock 7.5 inch barrel or an 18 incher with no more disassembly than loosening a pair of barrel setscrews in his aftermarket breech. He necked the ends of the barrels and threaded them into a short sleeve inserted in the breech. He secured the sleeve with a third setscrew through the top of the breech, close to the loading notch, and with a transfer port he made that threaded into the gas chamber. Gaskets slipped over the barrel threads sealed the necks where they contacted the front edge of the breech sleeve.
After watching the video and thinking on the project, Jim supposed he could simplify the modification by relying mostly on Crosman's transfer port for sealing rather than on threads, gaskets, or O-rings. He'd discourage downstream leaks by necking my 10.25 and 18 inch barrels for a snug fit in the breech sleeve, and by adjusting the length of their necks so they'd butt tight against the breech's rear wall when the barrel ports were centered over the sleeve, breech, and compression tube ports. The sleeve would be held in the breech only by the transfer port tip extending into its wall and indirectly by a single breech-top setscrew dimpled into the barrel ahead of it. Seating the screw in the dimple would assure that the barrel had been rotated to align its port with the other ports.
You cannot view this attachment.
To make an aftermarket band for long barrels accept the short one, Jim made an extension for it that adds ½-20 moderator threads on the front end. The 1322 barrel comes with a neck at the muzzle to fit Crosman's band. Jim lengthened and knurled that neck to give the extension's sleeve a good grip on the barrel for an interference fit.
You cannot view this attachment.
It took Jim a while to find time for the job, but once started he finished it quickly. Subsequent leak testing proved that his simplified sealing worked. A scrap of single ply tissue hung over the breech where a barrel enters it doesn't jump when a 14.3 grain pellet is fired at 10 pumps. And with the small air volume and relatively low pressure involved, there's no danger of the barrel and tube being launched with the pellet. I doubt there'd be any risk even with higher pump counts.
Here's the complete ensemble. Most of the accessories are from Buck-Rail. Both barrels use the B-R moderator. The stock is the B-R folder, with a knob-head screw Jim made to replace the issue socket-head for quicker mounting and removal. A Pachmayr sleeve on the pistol grip makes it more comfortable. The dogleg in the pump handle I built increases leverage and silences handle slap with a stub of plastic tubing sunk in the pump tube channel Sheridan style. Internal modifications were made previously to improve the trigger and increase pumping efficiency. Finally, with either the stock or the long barrel dismounted, the entire rig fits in a 13 x 26 inch Doskocil case.
You cannot view this attachment.
My 1322 may have become unique, thanks to Jim. All he'd accept in return for his labor was the promise of a free beer occasionally. Now there's a true friend!
#2
Crosman air pistol - General discussion / Re: What a hoot!
Last post by Flex - Yesterday at 04:53:56 PMQuote from: Dee Dub on April 10, 2024, 03:06:54 AMUt-oh!Welcome to a great forum! Glad that you've found joy with your 1377 "pumper". Might I suggest that you resist the urge to enter the steep climb to the PCP (pre-charged pneumatic) mode (as alluded to in one of the replies) as it will quickly become quite costly
I'm having so much fun plinking with this, I just bought one as a birthday gift for my hobby machinist buddy. I may have to have one to plink with and one to never finish modifying!
! Not saying don't ever do so but just resist for now as there is so much fun and enjoyment to be had with the "entry level" 1377 & 1322 air guns. Sadly, the forum's activity in the "entry level" sections seems to have slowed over the past few years. Not exactly sure why BUT having "new blood" injected may reverse the trend
. Starting new threads and/or replying to older ones may encourage some of the forum's gurus to drop out of the rarified air of PCPs to share their extensive knowledge (or opinions 
) RE: pumpers. BTW, having a hobby machinist buddy will be a definite asset when moving beyond basic modding! Again, welcome to the world of airguns . #3
Crosman air pistol - General discussion / Re: Random Keyhole
Last post by Dee Dub - April 11, 2024, 03:00:48 AMGood question! The pellet could have passed through other media before embedding in the plywood. And now that I connect a couple weak brain cells, I believe powder rounds that have keyholed in the past showed the keyhole in the paper instead of the backstop.
Thanks for your help!
Thanks for your help!
#4
Crosman air pistol - General discussion / Re: Random Keyhole
Last post by DHunter - April 10, 2024, 10:24:12 AMIs there more than just paper before the plywood? I've seen the keyhole when the pellet goes through corrugated cardboard, as depending on where in hits in the corrugations, it will be made to tumble one direction or another. The good accuracy however tells me it's not happening in flight before it reaches the target. Even with my 1322 pistol with open sights, I can do 2" groups at 45 feet, and the limit seems to just be how steady I can hold it.
#5
Crosman air pistol - General discussion / Random Keyhole
Last post by Dee Dub - April 10, 2024, 03:19:37 AMThis little 1377 is exceeding my expectations as a cheap plinker, although I am getting a random pellet imbedded sideways (keyhole) in the plywood paper target backstop. Is this normal for this low budget pistol? So far, I'm shredding the tin cans, but that keyhole in the paper is like a dripping faucet in the back of my head.
Thanks in advance!
Thanks in advance!
#6
Crosman air pistol - General discussion / Re: What a hoot!
Last post by Dee Dub - April 10, 2024, 03:10:20 AMQuote from: KevinP on April 07, 2024, 09:40:47 AMHa... it starts anew ...... now you must learn the way of CO2 my son ....then of course PcP
HA! I may have finally found a reason to retire.
Falling down the forum rabbit hole, I see some incredible air gun performance. Even big game hunting.So much to learn, so much fun to have.
#7
Crosman air pistol - General discussion / Re: What a hoot!
Last post by Dee Dub - April 10, 2024, 03:06:54 AMUt-oh!
I'm having so much fun plinking with this, I just bought one as a birthday gift for my hobby machinist buddy. I may have to have one to plink with and one to never finish modifying!
I'm having so much fun plinking with this, I just bought one as a birthday gift for my hobby machinist buddy. I may have to have one to plink with and one to never finish modifying!
#8
Crosman air pistol - General discussion / Re: What a hoot!
Last post by DHunter - April 07, 2024, 11:44:31 AMThe 1377 and 1322 have been called "the most expensive cheap gun out there," or something like that, because people start cheap, and find out about the unlimited ways to modify and customize them, and increase power, and so on.
#9
Crosman air pistol - General discussion / Re: What a hoot!
Last post by KevinP - April 07, 2024, 09:40:47 AMHa... it starts anew ...... now you must learn the way of CO2 my son ....then of course PcP
#10
Crosman air pistol - General discussion / What a hoot!
Last post by Dee Dub - April 07, 2024, 02:47:30 AMJust took the 1377 out of the box and set a pop can up in the back yard at 15 yards. Two pumps on Crosman Premier pointed 7.4 gr pellets and the can is twitching. On four pumps I had to go retrieve the can out of the brush. Still have the stupid grim on my face. This is going to be a great hobby!