While I really enjoy shooting air rifles, sometimes I really want a small air gun I can easily hide from the eyes of others. Something small that won’t draw much attention, yet powerful enough to do some small game hunting. A gun I can picture myself throwing into a backpack and heading out to the woods with.
For this reason, I settled on the Crosman 1377 American Classic multi-pump air pistol. I believe this is the most versatile air pistol on the market. I already had a 1322 pistol as well so I ran these pistols through all kinds of test to find out exactly what they were capable of and here are the results of my finding.
Crosman 1377 Velocity Test
Note: In all of the tests outlined below are from a stock setup with no upgrades.
First, I tested the Crosman 1377’s velocity using the Crosman Premier Hollow Point 7.9 grain pellets. The instruction manual for the 1377 says the gun should be pumped a minimum of 3 pumps and a maximum of 10 pumps. Pumping over 10 pumps could damage the gun and supposedly does not increase velocity. Listed below are the number of pumps and the feet per second the pellet was clocked at. Also included are the foot pounds of energy produced.
3 Pumps – 365 FPS – 2.34 FPE
4 Pumps – 395 FPS – 2.74 FPE
5 Pumps – 428 FPS – 3.21 FPE
6 Pumps – 457 FPS – 3.66 FPE
7 Pumps – 473 FPS – 3.93 FPE
8 Pumps – 490 FPS – 4.21 FPE
9 Pumps – 506 FPS – 4.49 FPE
10 Pumps – 521 FPS – 4.76 FPE
11 Pumps – 527 FPS – 4.87 FPE
12 Pumps – 521 FPS – 4.76 FPE
Here are the result doing the same test with the Crosman 1322 using the 14.3 grain Crosman Premier Hollow Point.
3 Pumps – 272 FPS – 2.35 FPE
4 Pumps – 295 FPS – 2.76 FPE
5 Pumps – 326 FPS – 3.38 FPE
6 Pumps – 351 FPS – 3.91 FPE
7 Pumps – 375 FPS – 4.47 FPE
8 Pumps – 395 FPS – 4.96 FPE
9 Pumps – 416 FPS – 5.5 FPE
10 Pumps – 431 FPS – 5.9 FPE
11 Pumps – 439 FPS – 6.12 FPE
12 Pumps – 441 FPS – 6.18 FPE
Accuracy Testing
Next, I decided to do an accuracy test and a test to find out what type of pellet the gun shot best. I had 6 types of pellets to choose from, Crosman Premier Hollow Points, Crosman Premier Pointed, and Crosman Premier Ultra Magnums, Benjamin Pointed Hollow Points, and Daisy Precision Max Flat-Nose and Daisy Precision Max Hollow Points. For the accuracy test, I mounted my barrel clamp scope mounts and a scope so my shot placement would be consistent. All shots were taken from 10 yards, with 10 pumps from a rested position. Here are the results of that test.
Crosman Premier Hollow-Points
Sometimes the CPHP would group well, other times I would have a few flyers. This was an average grouping with the CPHPs
Crosman Premier Ultra Magnums
The CPUM performed very well. All shots were well inside of a penny.
Crosman Premier Pointed
The CPP were by far the worst pellets when it came to accuracy, however it was still within reasonable acceptability for close range hunting.
Daisy Precision Max Flat-Nose
As expected, these flat-nosed pellets performed very well, with all shots touch one another.
Daisy Precision Max Hollow Points
The DPMHP had one of the best groups. I did have a bit of problem with these pellets in the gun though, they were difficult to load. I had to tilt the gun downward and drop the pellet in, bypassing the bolt to get them to feed. Still, they shot very well.
Benjamin Pointed Hollow Points
The BPHP shot very well, with all shots fitting behind a penny.
Most Accurate Pellet For The Crosman 1377
- Daisy Precision Max Hollow-Points Pellets
- Benjamin Point Hollow-Points Pellets
- Daisy Precision Max Flat-Nose Pellets
- Crosman Premier Ultra Magnum Pellets
- Crosman Premier Hollow-Point Pellets
- Crosman Premier Point Pellets
Note About The Scope Mount: After performing these test, I noticed that the weight of the scope mounted to the barrel was starting to make the barrel move. This was because the weight had caused the screw inside the breech to become loose. While initially I was hopeful this mounting system would be a good option, I determined that long term use would likely cause the gun to malfunction. Since the whole point of this pistol was for survival purposes, I removed the scope for long term use. Eventually I added a steel breech to properly support a scope which I will talk about a little later on in the article.
Free Hand -Open Sights
The Crosman 1377 and 1322 come with adjustable sights for windage and elevation. To adjust for windage, you can move the back sight right to left. There are indicator markers to see where the sight is positioned.
You also have the option of standard sights or ghost ring.
To adjust for height, loosen the screen and slide the plate up or down and re-tighten the screw to set the sight into place.
Accuracy With Open Sights
With open sights, the Crosman 1377 and 1322 pistols are still very accurate and perfectly capable of hunting with at close distances. Here is my five shot group using the Benjamin Point Hollow-point pellets from 10 yards with ten pumps.
Best Penetrating Pellet For The Crosman 1377
Now that I know how accurate the pellets are, I want to find the one that will penetrate the best, so I can select the all around best performer for this pistol. Using the same pellets in the accuracy test above, I shot from ten yards, ten pumps into a treated piece of seasoned pine. Here are the results from this test.
Best Penetrating Pellet From The Crosman 1377
- Crosman Premier Pointed Pellet
- Benjamin Pointed Hollow Point Pellet
- Crosman Premier Ultra Magnum Pellet
- Crosman Premier Hollow Point Pellet
- Daisy Precision Max Hollow Point Pellet;
- Daisy Precision Max Flat-Nose Pellet
Though it is a bit hard to tell from the pictures, here was able to concluded from the test.
Crosman Premier Pointed Pellet – This pellet penetrated the furthest by a considerable amount as expected.
Benjamin Pointed Hollow Point Pellet – This pellet went the second furthest into the board with some expansion.
Crosman Premier Ultra Magnum Pellet -This pellet performed very well, no expansion.
Crosman Premier Hollow Points – Decent penetration with some expansion.
Daisy Precision Max Hollow Point – Poor penetration, lots of expansion.
Daisy Precision Max Flat Nose – Almost no penetration, pellet broke into pieces. During the accuracy test pellets were flattening completely and bouncing off the board.
The Best Pellet For The Crosman 1377
After accuracy and penetration test, I concluded the best pellet for the Crosman 1377 would be either the Benjamin Pointed Hollow Point and the Crosman Premier Ultra Magnum.
Crosman 1377 and 1322 Sound Report
Next I tested the sound report from the pistol. I did this for both the 1377 and the 1322. Both pistols were identical in my test for sound report with the max sound produced being 92 decibels.
Here is a break down of the sound produced versus the number of pumps.
3 Pumps – 87 decibels
4 Pumps – 88 decibels
5 Pumps – 91 decibels
6 to 10 Pumps – 92 decibels
From my experience upgrading this pistol in the past, the longer the barrel, the quieter the gun becomes. My 1322 with a 24″ barrel is whisper quiet. At the muzzle it has a sound report of only 79 decibels and sounds like a very low thump
My Prefered Configuration
After testing the pistol, I determined the gun was much more functional when a scope was utilized. However as I mentioned previously, the mounts that attach to the barrel are not a good long term solution. I decided to install a steel breech to the gun and also decided to move up to .22 caliber essentially making my 1377 into 1322. All I had to do was swap the barrel when I installed the steel breech. The steel breech fits on the gun very securely and is perfect for mounting a scope.
I also decided to upgrade my pump arm to the backpacker pump arm. This allows for much easier pumping but adds a little width to the gun. All in all, the gun is still very compact and easy to carry in a bag unnoticed.
The amazing thing about the Crosman 1377 and 1322 is how much you can customize these pistols. There are so many options and setups you can go with depending on your need for the airgun. Here are a few upgrade options you can do with these pistols:
Flat Top Piston and Valve – Installing a flat top piston and valve will allow you to increase the amount you can pump this pistol thus increasing its energy and velocity.
Port Valve – The port valve is a small little piece that transfers the air from the valve into the barrel. An expanded port valve allows more air to rush into the barrel quicker, again increasing energy output and velocity.
Hammer Spring – Installing a stiffer hammer spring will allow for the valve to be opened longer when the trigger is pulled, increasing energy and velocity.
Barrel – The length of your barrel will not only help increase accuracy, but will also increase your velocity and energy and reduce the sound report of your gun. Listed below in this article I have some more information about how the length of barrel and the number of pumps affects velocity.
Steel Breech – Adding a steel breech to the gun will allow you to mount a scope giving this gun the accuracy it deserves.
Roll Pin – The roll pin is the rolled steel pin that the pump arm pivots on. Over time this pin can start to work itself out and must be put back into place. There are roll pins that secure better so you will not have to worry about it working itself out.
Pump Arm Grip – The pump arm grip and an upgrade simply for comfort. It allows you to get a better grip on the handle for easier pumping.
Stock – A stock will provide better stability to the gun allowing for better accuracy.
How Modifications Change The Crosman 1322
Since these pistols are highly customizable, I thought it would be appropriate to document how the length of barrel affects velocity in these guns. These test were performed with a Crosman 1322 with the following modifications – Flat Top Pistol, Lighten Valve Spring and increase exhaust valve. Shots were taken using Crosman Premier Hollow Points 14.3 grain pellets.
Crosman 1322 – 10 Pumps
10″ Barrel – 493.3 FPS – 7.73 FPE
14″ Barrel – 515.1 FPS – 8.43 FPE
18″ Barrel – 540.7 FPS – 9.28 FPE
24″ Barrel – 574.1 FPS – 10.47 FPE
Crosman 1322 – 15 Pumps
10″ Barrel – 552.8 FPS – 9.71 FPE
14″ Barrel – 566.9 FPS – 10.21 FPE
18″ Barrel – 610.2 FPS – 11.83 FPE
24″ Barrel – 654.4 FPS – 13.6 FPE
Crosman 1322 – 20 Pumps
10″ Barrel – 589.1 FPS – 11.02 FPE
14″ Barrel – 611.1 FPS – 11.86 FPE
18″ Barrel – 652.2 FPS – 13.51 FPE
24″ Barrel – 702.9 FPS – 15.69 FPE
Conclusion
The Crosman 1377 and 1322 makes for an excellent, stealthy backpacking air gun. It is lightweight, powerful enough for close up small game hunting while still fairly quiet. Both guns perform very well, with the 1322 producing slightly more power. The 13xx platform is so versatile with the number of upgrade available can can build the gun to fit your needs. Bottom line, every survival bag should include one of these pumpers!