As promised in the review of the Crosman 3576W, I am going to compare that revolver with the Umarex Smith and Wesson 686. Both of these are similar in the high level specs - both are CO2 revolvers, both use 10 pellet clips, and both have a 6" barrel. There is an obvious difference in the materials used, but what else does one get for the significant price difference? To answer this question, I will use the same format that I used for airgun reviews, except now, each section will address the differences between these two airguns.
Operation
Both revolvers use CO2. The 686 requires removing a single grip side and the piercing is performed by the lever that masks as the grip bottom. The 3576W requires removing both grips and the piercing is performed by turning a screw that is revealed when opening the grips. In general, I prefer the approach taken by the S&W, but in this particular instance, I found it a bit more finicky than on the Beretta 92FS, which uses the same mechanism.
The clip loading is done using a swing out cylinder mechanism, while the Crosman uses a top break approach. The swing out approach is simpler and more robust.
Overall, there is no significant difference in operation. Users may prefer one approach over the other, but both revolvers are nice and easy to use.
Package and build
The S&W 686 impresses here, as it comes with a nice custom case and is built to look like the firearm it replicates. The 3576W is built very well, but this is an area where the price difference has an obvious justification.
Adjustable settings
Both revolvers have a nice adjustable rear sight. The S&W offers two additional options for customizing the front sight and those give it an edge.
Performance
Both revolvers do a great job of regulating the CO2 consumption. By this, I mean that the airguns maintain high enough power for longer, with the result that they also consume the CO2 powerlet after fewer shots. This is a good thing though, because fewer stronger shots are better than a lot of weak ones when it comes to target shooting. The S&W 686 seems to do a superb job here, as it cuts clean holes through paper for 50 shots, then loses power very quickly after that. The 3576W seems to lose power a bit faster, but after 60 shots, it still produces enough power for punching holes in paper targets and can go 20 more shots if you don't care about scoring - the sudden drop in power that I noticed with the 686 is not present here. The 686 seems to have a stricter consumption regulation, but the difference is pretty small anyway - both revolvers are great CO2 airguns.
Both revolvers also have great triggers. The 686 has a lighter trigger and the double action is exceptionally smooth. The 3576W double action is very good, but the 686 is just special here. Both triggers work great in single action - the 686 is still smoother here, but I actually prefer the resistance of the Crosman single action, so I'd call it a draw.
In terms of handling, the plastic build of the Crosman works in its favor, as it makes it easier to use for longer sessions. I also find the handle-trigger ergonomics to be slightly more comfortable than on the 686. The S&W 686 is a large and heavy revolver and its weight and size take their toll after a while - this is a plus if you want it for training to use a similar firearm, but a minus if you only care about target shooting.
The accuracy of both these revolvers is excellent and I cannot pick one over the other. Neither is designed for target shooting, but they can work in that role pretty well.
Conclusion
Both the Crosman 3576W and the Umarex S&W 686 are excellent CO2 revolvers. The 686 is a showpiece and in this aspect, it has no competition from the 3576W. But when it comes to actual use and results, the differences are smaller than one might expect. The 686 offers an adjustable front sight and an exceptional double action trigger, as well as an excellent use of the CO2 powerlet, but these differences aside, there is very little to separate these two airguns when it comes to accuracy - in fact, here, the plastic build of the Crosman make it a bit easier to use over longer periods of time.
If you are split between these options, I hope this comparison will help. And if you are still split, consider doing what I did - get both! They are worth it.
Showing posts with label Crosman. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Crosman. Show all posts
Saturday, March 9, 2013
Friday, March 8, 2013
Crosman 3576W
As I mentioned in the review of the Smith and Wesson 686, the other CO2 airgun that I wanted to try was the Crosman 3576W. These are CO2 revolvers with similar specs - both have 6" barrels and use 10 pellet clips. They both also have very good reviews and the Crosman costs about a fifth of the cost of the Umarex revolver, so I was curious to compare them, especially since I liked very much the Crosman 1377C, so I knew that Crosman can provide great quality for an affordable price.
The style of the Crosman 3576W revolver draws inspiration from the Colt Python, but it replaces the swing out cylinder mechanism of that revolver with a top break mechanism that I first saw in the S&W Schofield; also, the Python did not seem to have contoured grips, so those are probably inherited from some other revolver model. As such, the 3576W is not a firearm replica - it is just styled to look like a firearm.
Crosman has quite a history of producing CO2 revolvers. The 3576W comes from a series of 357* revolver models that goes back to 1983 - 30 years! I imagine that the "357" part of the name hints to revolvers using the .357 Magnum round and I know that the "6" stands for the 6" barrel, but I do not know what the W is meant to suggest - perhaps higher power compared to previous generation? As with the S&W 686 airgun, this Crosman revolver also used to come in versions having different barrel sizes, but now only the 6" version is available.
Operation
One other aspect where the 3576W shows that it is not a replica is the presence of a safety. This safety takes the form of a bolt that can be pushed in the path of the hammer - to engage it, you have to pull the hammer slightly, to allow the safety to slide in front of it; to take it off, simply push it out of the way of the hammer.
As usual, the CO2 powerlet can be loaded in the grip of the revolver. The grip mechanism is rather unique in that both sides come off. First pull the right side by holding it from the middle and pulling it away - it should detach with little effort and once it comes off, the left side will be easy to remove too. What remains is a grip skeleton that is shaped to receive the CO2 powerlet. The piercing mechanism is a simple screw - this needs to be unscrewed first to make place for the powerlet. After oiling the tip of the CO2 cylinder and placing it in the grip, you can turn back the screw to pierce it. Do that by turning the screw firmly once you feel stronger resistance. As I mentioned in the review of the Walther PPQ, which uses a similar piercing mechanism, I like to turn the screw a bit after it pierces the cylinder, but then I unscrew it just a tiny bit. Now it is time to replace the grips. I do that in the reverse order in which I removed them - I first fit back the left grip and then the right one - when they are fitted correctly, pressing them together will result in a snapping sound and they'll get secured. Removing and putting back the grips requires very little force - if you find it to be otherwise, you are doing something wrong. The grips are made of plastic, so you should never apply excessive force - it is not necessary and it can break the attachment clips.
As mentioned earlier, the clip loading mimics a top break mechanism. To break open the revolver, you need to push a lever on top - keep it pressed while pushing down the barrel and release it only once the barrel is clear of the lock. You can now mount a clip on the short protruding pivot at the back of the barrel. Once a clip is loaded, I press again the top lever while pushing the barrel back to its normal position. I always press the top lever during this operation, to avoid wearing the locking mechanism.
The revolver is now ready to fire either in single action, after cocking the hammer, or in double action with a longer trigger pull.
Package and build
As usual for airguns in its price range, the 3576W came in a plastic wrap that I cut with scissors. One clip was included besides the manual and warranty cards. As it seems to be usual with Crosman packaging, the manual was rolled so I had to roll it in the opposite direction to get it to sit flat. I recommend getting one set of extra clips - they are inexpensive and make recharging easier.
The Crosman revolver is built from metal and plastic. The grips are plastic and attach to a metal frame, the clips are made of plastic, and the barrel is shrouded in plastic. The safety bolt is also plastic, but the rest is metal - the trigger, the hammer, the grip frame, and the barrel. I liked that a metallic piece was also used in the top break locking mechanism to protect the plastic of the shroud. Basically, all essential parts that suffer wear and tear are made of metal or protected by a piece of metal. The only parts that may get worn out are the attachment clips of the grips, but so far I saw no issues with them. This is a very nicely built revolver.
I also like the plastic parts - they look and feel very nice. They also make the 3576W very light, especially when compared with an airgun that uses more metal such as the Smith and Wesson 686.
Adjustable settings
The front sight is fixed, but the rear sight adjusts for both elevation and windage via a couple of screws.
Performance
The 3576W does a very good job of regulating CO2 use and it provides pretty constant power over the use of one powerlet. I can get 80 shots per CO2 cylinder, but after the first 60 shots, the power starts dropping and the pellets no longer cut clean holes in the paper targets, so I stop after 6 clips. This revolver definitely maintains constant power better than the Beretta 92FS and the Walther PPQ.
The Crosman 3576W handles very nicely - I really like the shape of its grips and its light weight also makes it easy to handle it for extended periods. The sights are also very good.
The trigger is crisp and precise in single action mode. In double action mode, it requires a stronger pull, but it still works very predictably - I was quite impressed with the overall performance of the trigger.
Given all the above observations, it should not come as a surprise that the accuracy of the 3576W is excellent and that this revolver is very suitable for target shooting. Everything works great here.
Conclusion
Crosman has engineered another classic airgun in the 3576W. No wonder it is so popular. Even ignoring its very affordable price, this revolver offers pretty much everything that you could expect to find in a CO2 revolver.
I am impressed with Crosman - they offer excellent features in very affordable models.
In my next post, I will attempt to answer the unavoidable question - how does the Crosman 3576W compare to the Umarex Smith and Wesson 686?
The style of the Crosman 3576W revolver draws inspiration from the Colt Python, but it replaces the swing out cylinder mechanism of that revolver with a top break mechanism that I first saw in the S&W Schofield; also, the Python did not seem to have contoured grips, so those are probably inherited from some other revolver model. As such, the 3576W is not a firearm replica - it is just styled to look like a firearm.
Crosman has quite a history of producing CO2 revolvers. The 3576W comes from a series of 357* revolver models that goes back to 1983 - 30 years! I imagine that the "357" part of the name hints to revolvers using the .357 Magnum round and I know that the "6" stands for the 6" barrel, but I do not know what the W is meant to suggest - perhaps higher power compared to previous generation? As with the S&W 686 airgun, this Crosman revolver also used to come in versions having different barrel sizes, but now only the 6" version is available.
Operation
One other aspect where the 3576W shows that it is not a replica is the presence of a safety. This safety takes the form of a bolt that can be pushed in the path of the hammer - to engage it, you have to pull the hammer slightly, to allow the safety to slide in front of it; to take it off, simply push it out of the way of the hammer.
As usual, the CO2 powerlet can be loaded in the grip of the revolver. The grip mechanism is rather unique in that both sides come off. First pull the right side by holding it from the middle and pulling it away - it should detach with little effort and once it comes off, the left side will be easy to remove too. What remains is a grip skeleton that is shaped to receive the CO2 powerlet. The piercing mechanism is a simple screw - this needs to be unscrewed first to make place for the powerlet. After oiling the tip of the CO2 cylinder and placing it in the grip, you can turn back the screw to pierce it. Do that by turning the screw firmly once you feel stronger resistance. As I mentioned in the review of the Walther PPQ, which uses a similar piercing mechanism, I like to turn the screw a bit after it pierces the cylinder, but then I unscrew it just a tiny bit. Now it is time to replace the grips. I do that in the reverse order in which I removed them - I first fit back the left grip and then the right one - when they are fitted correctly, pressing them together will result in a snapping sound and they'll get secured. Removing and putting back the grips requires very little force - if you find it to be otherwise, you are doing something wrong. The grips are made of plastic, so you should never apply excessive force - it is not necessary and it can break the attachment clips.
As mentioned earlier, the clip loading mimics a top break mechanism. To break open the revolver, you need to push a lever on top - keep it pressed while pushing down the barrel and release it only once the barrel is clear of the lock. You can now mount a clip on the short protruding pivot at the back of the barrel. Once a clip is loaded, I press again the top lever while pushing the barrel back to its normal position. I always press the top lever during this operation, to avoid wearing the locking mechanism.
The revolver is now ready to fire either in single action, after cocking the hammer, or in double action with a longer trigger pull.
Package and build
As usual for airguns in its price range, the 3576W came in a plastic wrap that I cut with scissors. One clip was included besides the manual and warranty cards. As it seems to be usual with Crosman packaging, the manual was rolled so I had to roll it in the opposite direction to get it to sit flat. I recommend getting one set of extra clips - they are inexpensive and make recharging easier.
The Crosman revolver is built from metal and plastic. The grips are plastic and attach to a metal frame, the clips are made of plastic, and the barrel is shrouded in plastic. The safety bolt is also plastic, but the rest is metal - the trigger, the hammer, the grip frame, and the barrel. I liked that a metallic piece was also used in the top break locking mechanism to protect the plastic of the shroud. Basically, all essential parts that suffer wear and tear are made of metal or protected by a piece of metal. The only parts that may get worn out are the attachment clips of the grips, but so far I saw no issues with them. This is a very nicely built revolver.
I also like the plastic parts - they look and feel very nice. They also make the 3576W very light, especially when compared with an airgun that uses more metal such as the Smith and Wesson 686.
Adjustable settings
The front sight is fixed, but the rear sight adjusts for both elevation and windage via a couple of screws.
Performance
The 3576W does a very good job of regulating CO2 use and it provides pretty constant power over the use of one powerlet. I can get 80 shots per CO2 cylinder, but after the first 60 shots, the power starts dropping and the pellets no longer cut clean holes in the paper targets, so I stop after 6 clips. This revolver definitely maintains constant power better than the Beretta 92FS and the Walther PPQ.
The Crosman 3576W handles very nicely - I really like the shape of its grips and its light weight also makes it easy to handle it for extended periods. The sights are also very good.
The trigger is crisp and precise in single action mode. In double action mode, it requires a stronger pull, but it still works very predictably - I was quite impressed with the overall performance of the trigger.
Given all the above observations, it should not come as a surprise that the accuracy of the 3576W is excellent and that this revolver is very suitable for target shooting. Everything works great here.
Conclusion
Crosman has engineered another classic airgun in the 3576W. No wonder it is so popular. Even ignoring its very affordable price, this revolver offers pretty much everything that you could expect to find in a CO2 revolver.
I am impressed with Crosman - they offer excellent features in very affordable models.
In my next post, I will attempt to answer the unavoidable question - how does the Crosman 3576W compare to the Umarex Smith and Wesson 686?
Monday, February 18, 2013
Crosman 1377C American Classic
Sometimes, I just want to practice a few shots and be done with it. With the Beretta 92FS I have to go through many targets to exhaust a CO2 powerlet, so I started looking at pneumatic and spring piston airguns. The Crosman 1377C was both held in high regard and available at an affordable price, so I had to give it a try. This airgun is available with brown or black plastic grips and I picked the black version, which is listed as PC77 Pumpmaster Classic on Crosman's site - there is no difference between them other than the color of the grips.
Operation
The "classic" aspect of this airgun's name comes from its design originating with Crosman model 105, which was manufactured between 1947 and 1953. So this design has been around for some time and the fact that it is still sold today is a testament to its quality.
Package and Build
Given its low cost, the American Classic comes with no case - just a plastic packaging that needs to be cut to remove the gun and manual out of it. I do not understand why they had to roll the manual in this package - I had to roll it the opposite way, in an attempt to straighten it out. Anyway, the only things you will need out of the packaging are the pistol and its manual.
The 1377C is made of metal and plastic. The frame of the pistol is metal, but the grips and the handle of the pump are plastic, as well as the receiver portion and the front sight. The rear sight is made of metal and is held in place by a screw - reversing it offers the option of switching between straight iron sights and a peep sight. Of special note is the bolt, which is made of brass and looks and handles very nicely. I do not mind plastic, as long as it is used in the right places and Crosman uses it in the right places here - I do not see anything likely to break soon in this assembly.
I should mention here that soon after I acquired the 1377C, I also purchased the 1399 shoulder stock that can be used with it, as well as with other Crosman airguns that share the same grips. This shoulder stock is made entirely of plastic and can be installed easily, by unscrewing the original grips, sliding it over the grip frame, and screwing it using the original grip screws. I have no criticisms for the build of this shoulder stock - it works exactly as intended; I was initially worried about whether its length would be suitable for an adult, but it turned out to be just the right length.
Adjustable settings
The only setting that can be adjusted is the rear sight. The rear sight consists of a metallic piece that is held into place by a screw. By loosening the screw, the sight piece can be raised or lowered to adjust elevation and can also be tilted left or right to adjust windage. By removing the screw, turning the sight upside down, and reattaching it with the screw, we get to use the peep sight. All this seems rather hard to adjust precisely, but in practice, on my gun, I only had to adjust it a bit for windage and it worked great from the first adjustment.
I recommend trying the peep sight first - I just find it more enjoyable to use than the standard iron sights post system.
Performance
The American Classic really delivers in the accuracy department. Put simply, it is one of the most accurate guns I have. It shoots well in factory setup (after sighting in), and mounting the 1399 shoulder stock will boost accuracy further by improving how well you can hold steady this long pistol. You can get very tight groups reliably with the 1377C/1399 combo - better than with any CO2 gun that I own.
Pumping the Crosman 4 times for target shooting is easy and the pistol works silently at this power setting - the sound of the pellet hitting the target will eclipse the sound of the pistol itself - the long barrel is probably also helping here, as the air gets to expand before the pellet gets out.
The only place where I would like to see improvement is the trigger. The 1377C trigger has little travel, is rather hard, and breaks rather unexpectedly. It is not as bad as it sounds, but I wish this gun had adjustable trigger settings. Crosman may want to consider producing a slightly higher end version with such a feature.
Maintenance is rather simple - use Pellgunoil on the pump joints and on the piston head. Work the oil in by using the pump without actually pumping any air - just start closing it until you feel resistance, open it, and then repeat this a few times while the oil works its way around.
Conclusion
The 1377C fully deserves its nickname of "American Classic". It is a very nice, simple and effective design that provides great accuracy for a very reasonable price. With varying power from the multi pump mechanism, this gun is also very versatile. The only thing I would change about it is the trigger - I would really like a lighter trigger, or even better - an adjustable one. There are very few airguns that offer such accuracy within this price range, so this is an easy choice.
Operation
The "classic" aspect of this airgun's name comes from its design originating with Crosman model 105, which was manufactured between 1947 and 1953. So this design has been around for some time and the fact that it is still sold today is a testament to its quality.
The 1377C consists of a long barrel sitting over the compression cylinder with the pump masking as the forward grip. The manual states that the pistol should be pumped at least 3 times and no more than 10 times. Pumping it less than 3 times could lead to a pellet getting stuck in the barrel (although I did an experiment and even one pump will work, but with little force); pumping it more than 10 times will not increase the shot power and might damage the pistol's seals, so it is best avoided. For target shooting, I started with the minimum 3 pumps, but now I use 4 pumps, to get cleaner holes punched in the paper target. With 3-4 pumps, the Crosman pistol is also very silent.
Pumping the 1377C is very easy if you do not attempt to go for all the 10 pumps. Pumping will get progressively harder, but it is relatively effortless for the 4 pumps I go with now. The last couple of pumps in a 10 pump set are getting very hard; also, the pistol will make more noise at these settings.
The pistol has a safety bolt behind the trigger, which can be pushed on the left side to engage and on the right side to disengage.
After pumping the gun, you need to expose the breech and cock the trigger by pulling the bolt action back. Note that the bolt can slide back forward after this operation, if you tilt the gun, so you will want to keep it back while you load the pellet. Loading a pellet is a bit finicky - the problem is that the breech has a small step, so you cannot simply drop the pellet on it, you need to lift its tip a bit, so it gets into the barrel. Some pellets are easier to load than others. Once the pellet is properly seated, you can push the bolt and lock it. You should do this with little force, to make sure that you do not bend the pellet, if it is improperly seated. Once this is done, the gun is ready to shoot - aim, push the safety bolt out of the way, and then just pull the trigger.
Given its low cost, the American Classic comes with no case - just a plastic packaging that needs to be cut to remove the gun and manual out of it. I do not understand why they had to roll the manual in this package - I had to roll it the opposite way, in an attempt to straighten it out. Anyway, the only things you will need out of the packaging are the pistol and its manual.
The 1377C is made of metal and plastic. The frame of the pistol is metal, but the grips and the handle of the pump are plastic, as well as the receiver portion and the front sight. The rear sight is made of metal and is held in place by a screw - reversing it offers the option of switching between straight iron sights and a peep sight. Of special note is the bolt, which is made of brass and looks and handles very nicely. I do not mind plastic, as long as it is used in the right places and Crosman uses it in the right places here - I do not see anything likely to break soon in this assembly.
I should mention here that soon after I acquired the 1377C, I also purchased the 1399 shoulder stock that can be used with it, as well as with other Crosman airguns that share the same grips. This shoulder stock is made entirely of plastic and can be installed easily, by unscrewing the original grips, sliding it over the grip frame, and screwing it using the original grip screws. I have no criticisms for the build of this shoulder stock - it works exactly as intended; I was initially worried about whether its length would be suitable for an adult, but it turned out to be just the right length.
Adjustable settings
The only setting that can be adjusted is the rear sight. The rear sight consists of a metallic piece that is held into place by a screw. By loosening the screw, the sight piece can be raised or lowered to adjust elevation and can also be tilted left or right to adjust windage. By removing the screw, turning the sight upside down, and reattaching it with the screw, we get to use the peep sight. All this seems rather hard to adjust precisely, but in practice, on my gun, I only had to adjust it a bit for windage and it worked great from the first adjustment.
I recommend trying the peep sight first - I just find it more enjoyable to use than the standard iron sights post system.
Performance
The American Classic really delivers in the accuracy department. Put simply, it is one of the most accurate guns I have. It shoots well in factory setup (after sighting in), and mounting the 1399 shoulder stock will boost accuracy further by improving how well you can hold steady this long pistol. You can get very tight groups reliably with the 1377C/1399 combo - better than with any CO2 gun that I own.
Pumping the Crosman 4 times for target shooting is easy and the pistol works silently at this power setting - the sound of the pellet hitting the target will eclipse the sound of the pistol itself - the long barrel is probably also helping here, as the air gets to expand before the pellet gets out.
The only place where I would like to see improvement is the trigger. The 1377C trigger has little travel, is rather hard, and breaks rather unexpectedly. It is not as bad as it sounds, but I wish this gun had adjustable trigger settings. Crosman may want to consider producing a slightly higher end version with such a feature.
Maintenance is rather simple - use Pellgunoil on the pump joints and on the piston head. Work the oil in by using the pump without actually pumping any air - just start closing it until you feel resistance, open it, and then repeat this a few times while the oil works its way around.
Conclusion
The 1377C fully deserves its nickname of "American Classic". It is a very nice, simple and effective design that provides great accuracy for a very reasonable price. With varying power from the multi pump mechanism, this gun is also very versatile. The only thing I would change about it is the trigger - I would really like a lighter trigger, or even better - an adjustable one. There are very few airguns that offer such accuracy within this price range, so this is an easy choice.
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