Crosman 1077 - a fun pellet gun

by B.B. Pelletier

CWI posted that he has both a Crosman Nightstalker and a 1077. He likes his NightStalker but not his 1077. The airgundoc asked me to blog it, however. I thought I had already reported on this rifle, but looking back, I can't find it. So, here we go - hopefully not again!

It's really a revolver!
The 1077 looks something like Ruger's 10/22, which it's patterned after, but inside the gun's mechanism is a revolver instead of a semiauto. This revolving aspect is where the (sometimes) long, hard trigger-pull comes from, as you are both advancing the clip to the next pellet as well as cocking and releasing the hammer. The Ruger 10/22 is a highly successful product, and Crosman's copy is too. I expect it to be around for many more years.

Run by CO2
This is a gas rifle and available only in .177 caliber. Its velocity is in the 575-600 f.p.s. region with accurate pellets, which makes it too weak for hunting. But, it's the perfect gun for plinking and general shooting.

For many years, there was just one basic model - the one that accepts 12-gram powerlets. Crosman added a walnut stock in the late '90s, and a few years ago they adapted it to their new AirSource system. Newer guns can be converted from 12-gram to AirSource, though one of our readers reports having problems with his conversion. Read the conversion stipulations on the Pyramyd Air website (in the conversion description), which is straight from Crosman.

A collectible model
For a few years in the '90s, Crosman offered a model they called the Constant Air gun. It was a 1077 adapted to accept a braided steel hose from a 12-ounce CO2 tank that was either worn on the belt or clamped to the bottom of the gun. The retail price of $185 for the Constant Air setup kept sales low, but the existence of that rare variation proves how dedicated Crosman was to get back into bulk-filled CO2. They had not made a gun of that type since 1954.

Both a clip and a magazine are required
The heart of the rifle is a removable box-like magazine. Into this magazine goes a circular 12-shot clip loaded with pellets. When it's inserted, it's locked in place. The large magazine is easier to handle than the much smaller clip, so it is used to load the clip into the rifle.

Different clips work differently in the magazine, so you will get a different trigger-pull as each new clip is installed. As the rifle wears in it becomes smoother and the trigger pull gets lighter until it arrives at a very pleasurable state. My first 1077 was a used gun that was already worn in, so I didn't experience the harsh trigger of a new gun for a long time. When I got a second rifle that was adapted for the AirSource cartridge and it, too, had a sweet pull right out of the box. I've felt some 1077s with harder pulls, however, and they do crop up here and there. The best tuneup you can give the gun is hard use, which isn't difficult once you find out how much fun the rifle can be.

Very accurate!
My first rifle is so accurate that I mounted a $300 Beeman SS-2 compact scope on it. That seems laughable, but this gun can drill a dime at 25 yards all day long, so it's worth the better scope. Also, the obsolete Beeman is one of the smallest on the market, which goes well with the 1077's smaller size and weight. Today, I would mount a Leapers Bug Buster 2 on one - which doesn't cost anywhere near as much as the SS-2!

A classic
The 1077 is a design that will endure through time. Long after it's no longer sold, new airgunners will be hoarding the used guns and using them for what they were built to do - shoot fast, accurate and OFTEN!