by B.B. Pelletier
Crosman’s new Pro77 is an exciting BB repeater with blowback action.
Okay, today I’ll bring you this little treat. The Pro77 is one of Crosman’s 4 Horsemen of the Airpocolypse, which have been so highly touted by them and just as eagerly anticipated by airgunners. I reported on the Crosman C11 on October 24, so this is the second Airpocolypse pistol I am testing for you.
Uncanny resemblance!
The Pro77 is obviously positioned to compete with the CP99 Compact, which I’ve just finished reviewing for you. It’s the same size, single-action only, 17 shots in the stick magazine and so on. Only $6 separate the basic guns here at Pyramyd Air. The two guns do hold differently, though. The CP99 Compact grip feels larger than the Pro77 grip. The Pro77 grip is more angular than the CP99 Compact grip. All subtle differences for sure, but noticeable when you have both pistols to hold.
The Pro77 is a blowback BB repeater. At just 22.5 oz. with a Powerlet and empty magazine onboard, it’s noticeably lighter than the 29-oz. Walther. The metal slide has enough mass to impart the realistic feeling of recoil every time the pistol fires. There is also a Weaver accessory mount on the underside of the frame, just forward of the triggerguard. Although this is the same on the CP99 Compact, this mount is about a quarter-inch longer, which means it will be easier to mount lasers to this pistol.
Like the CP99 Compact, the Pro77 has a polymer frame with a metal slide, trigger, sights and controls. The Pro77 also has an external hammer and that is metal, as well. Both guns are finished a dull black, very reminiscent of modern tactical firearms.
Unlike the Walther pistol, the Powerlet on this gun hides in the underside of the grip. The magazine covers that objectionable thumbscrew, so everything looks copacetic.
They tucked the CO2 loading port inside the bottom of the grip, where it doesn’t show. Once the magazine is in place, there is no clue to how the gun is filled.
Trigger and hammer
Being single-action only, the gun must be cocked to shoot. Pulling the trigger when the gun isn’t cocked accomplishes nothing. Fortunately, the Pro77 has an external hammer that can be thumbed back at any time, so cocking and decocking is a very easy one-handed operation. Of course, every time the slide blows back, it recocks the hammer. The trigger is a wide, deeply curved blade. Pull weight measures 4 lbs. with a surprisingly crisp release.
An external hammer makes cocking and de-cocking easy with just one hand. The safety lever is also a one-handed operation!
Safety
The switch is located on the upper right of the frame and easily controlled by the shooting hand. It is a trigger disconnector, not a de-cocker. This feature on the Pro77 is way ahead of the difficult de-cocking safety on the CP99 Compact.
Possibility of dot sights and scopes?
Because the slide is balanced to the gas that pushes it back, you can’t just add a dot sight or scope to it. It won’t function reliably. A mount has to attach to the frame and enclose the slide without touching it-birdcage fashion. Such mounts already exist, so I think it’s only a matter of time before Crosman (and Umarex) offer them with these BB pistols.
I will finish this report tomorrow. Then, on Monday, something entirely different and fresh!
hi b.b.
i read through the old viper express posts to see if this was brought up but i saw the air shotgun getting used on one of the hunting shows on OLN. i think it was hunting university. either way they were on a ranch blasting turkeys with bows but, they took a couple minutes and were showing a kid who was dropping squirrels out of trees and the squirrels looked dead before they hit the ground. they were close range, 10 yards or so, but it will dispatch more hearty small game like squirrels. either way i thought it was interesting. still i don’t think i would buy the gun. would it make a difference if it was pre charged?
Brian,
This gun develops 12 foot-pounds. The Fire 201 PCP develops more than 250 foot-pounds. Yes, I guess you could say that a PCP air shotgun is more powerful.
/blog/2005/10/air-shotguns-part-2-the-fire-201/
B.B.
I just bought this gun for my husband and I know he is going to love it. Thanks for your review! I was wondering, can you get extra magazine clips for this gun? I have seen the extra clips for the compact cp99 but I’m not sure if that clip will fit the pro77. Can you help me? Thanks!
Nicole,
Crosman just brought this gun out this month, and the magazines are not yet out, but they should be soon. I think in time for Christmas.
I have asked Pyramyd AIR to tell me what they know, so I will get back to you.
B.B.
Nicole,
Pyramyd AIR tells me they have 100 Pro77 magazines on order. Same for C11 and T4 pistols.
B.B.
What do you think of the Crossman 1088 pistol. I know it will be less accurate because it’s BB/pellet, but just wanted to know if anybody’s got some experience with it. Looks nice and price is right. Any thing in the same price range worth my time. Just looking for a single action pistol.
BB,
How come people don’t use bipod and shoot in prone position in FT competition? Is it not legal to do that?
B.B. i thought about this question alot but never got around to asking it, how much does temperature affect the POI on an average spring rifle?
thanks,
scopestop
Thanks so much for your answer. I guess I will be making another purchase from Pyramid, Which has the best customer service and shipping.
B.B.
Does the pro77 resemble a real steel firearm? It kinda looks like a heckler and koch gun, but I’m not sure. Does anyone else know?
1088,
I think the 1088 is a fine air pistol. I’d recommend it. Only Daisy makes anything close to it, so why not get the one you want?
B.B.
Field target,
The gun may not touch any rest that touches the ground. This is why FT is so challenging. I’ve seen SWAT snipers finish in the middle of the pack!
B.B.
scopestop,
Temp affects poi in two ways. Spring guns are very sensitive to temp below freezing. At zero F, they lose a significant portion of their power. How much depends on how they are lubricated. Only CO2 guns are more affected than springers.
Gas spring guns are less affected, but they still do change as the temp drops.
Scopes also shift POI as the temperature changes.
B.B.
There aren’t many steel firearms left in the world. About half are now synthetic.
The Pro77 is very realistic, if you factor that in. After all, a Glock 9mm or a Ruger P345 doesn’t look that realistic, either, when the criterion is all-steel.
B.B.
Sorry, what I meant to ask was,
is the Pro77 modeled after a real firearm (not necessarily all-steel)?
Just curious,
Thanks
I’m not sure whether the Pro77 is modeled after a specific firearm or not. It certainly looks very SIG-like to me.
Do any of our readers recognize a firearm?
B.B.
Anonymous…
I wrote and asked the Crosman folks this question and they said that the C11, 1088, and Pro77 are styled like modern firearms, but are NOT replicas of any existing firearm.
Dick
BB,
What lasers on pyramyds website currently fit this gun properly? Also, Ive been looking at the CP99 Compact as well. In your personal opinion, which gun is the better gun? Thanks.
That’s a call Pyramyd AIR will have to make. They have all the lasers on hand and can check the fit for you.
After my test, during which the Pro77 exhibited several failures, I’d have to go with the CP99 Compact.
B.B.
B.B.
Thanks for the honest answer. Will you be doing a review of the Gamo P23 Lazer, or have you done one already? If you have fired/used the gun extensively already…how does it fair with the CP99 Compact? The CP99 Compact is sort of the benchmark gun Im looking at now, and I wanted to know if there are any other laser equiped airguns out there that are VERY reliable and fun. The FPS of the P23 is considerably higher than the CP99 Comp. shoots bb’s and pellets. I just dont know much about Gamo. Ive heard of Walther though.
Thanks for ANY input. Its appreciated.
woops. that first “lazer” should be with an S. hahaha..
P23 Laser,
I don’t know whether I’ll get to the P23 Laser or not. But don’t let that dissuade you from getting one if you want one!
B.B.
Is this sweet airgun have accurate aim?? Is it good for plinking? How fast can you shoot the bb’s out of the magazine??
Thanks!! : – )
The gun shoots as fast as you can pull the trigger. Read this article and watch the video to see what that looks like.
/product/walther-cp99-compact?m=735
As far as accuracy goes, there isn’t much. This is a smoothbore action BB gun, and not made for accuracy.
B.B.
Hi, i have a crosman Pro 77 and right when i screw the C02 in it has a fast leak. I know that it is coming from somewhere in the bottom near where the C02 goes. I have not tried anything yet to fix it. i have only shot about 10 C02s in it before can you please help me?!
Steven,
A fast leak is always a bad seal. Return this gun for a replacement or a refund.
B.B.
The PRO77 looks most like a Heckler & Koch USP to me. It was what first caught my eye when I saw it.
I just bought a Crosman PRO77 and after shooting a couple of time it started to do something really annoying. The trigger wont let the hammer go and when i pull the trigger the bb just falls out. I have to stick something in to kind of reset the hammer and then after a couple of shots it does the same thing.
Your new Pro77 is malfunctioning. Either return it to the dealer or to Crosman. There is no easy fix for the problem you describe.
B.B.
Hey people,
I just bought a Pro77 from Canadian Tire today, and have yet to test it out. I will report back after firing a few CO2 powerlets worth.
This gun does resemble a H&K USP for the most part, aside from the grips. I can see how the reviewer thinks it looks very Sig, but from the trigger up, it is identical to a usp (aside from hammer.)
I own a crosman 795 single shot rifle, and a umirex PPK replica.
My next purchase will likely be a berretta 92FS replica.
I originally bought a crosman 1088, and it was a total POS. I am unsure weather it was defective, but it jammed almost every clip, and it was the most inconsistent / irreliable pistol I have ever shot. So I got an exchange for the Pro 77.
-Evan
Hi everyone,
Can somebody help me? I just bought this gun yesterday and it worked fine until the CO2 cartridges started leaking. When I put the cartridge in and tighten the piercing nobit immediately starts leaking and within 5 minutes the cartridge is empty. Can anyone tell me if they had similair problem with this gun and how to fix?
hello mattnj816, i have the same problem, i bought 2 of these, and one of them worked fine- i screwed in the co2, a short hiss, then it shot well. the 2nd one is a different story- i screw in the co2, and it starts leaking!!! in 10 minutes its all gone!
Mattnj816,
I’m sorry, but your message was not forwarded to me. I did get the message from the fellow who posted on April 9, however.
The answer for both of you is to either return the gun to the store where you bought it or to send it to Crosman for repairs. And don’t forget to put a drop of Crosman Pellgunoil on the tip of each new powerlet that you pierce.
B.B.
hi ive noticed that this works with pellets too! do you think it would be a good idea though as people say its for bbs w?
The Pro77 is not made to shoot pellets. If you can get it to shoot them, you must be doing something exceptional – like loading one at a time.
B.B.
Hello all! Just bought the Pro77 this weekend and have enjoyed several rounds so far. I really want to get a laser sight on this, but having issues finding one to fit. Will the new Crosman 0423 Laser Sight, Weaver Mount fit this gun? If so, has anyone got anythign good or bad to say about the 0423?
Pro77,
The Leapers laser fits:
/product/utg-deluxe-tactical-laser-sight?a=1411
and the Crosman 423 should fit, as well.
B.B.
Thanks B.B. for the info regarding the Leaper’s laser. The Leapers looked better in quality over the Crosman 423. I ordered one today from pyramydair along w/ extra clips.
i saw your comments about the 423. would that fit under the pro 77 or over?
Slugbird,
Under in front of the triggerguard.
B.B.
ok thank you very much!!
hi there.!
I have that co2 gun and I really like it. have a nice blow back kick!!
but.., allways when I pull the trigger just for release the hammer without shot or when the gun is set unable-to-shot the bb’s just escapes from gun. I mean that the bb just falls.
is it NORMAL.? ., please if someone knows about it..
Thanks!
sorry my english.! 🙂
I had the same problem, so I think this is the way the pistol works.
B.B.
bb,
i was wondering if the clip on the pro77 is metal or plastic
Touch it to your lips to find out. Metal is cold and plastic is warm.
B.B.
The PRO77 has held up well for me so far. I have fired almost 3000 bb’s through it with no problems. I use the zink coated bb’s.
Accuracy could have been improved with a rifled barrel. If you like to blast away and not concerned about pin point hits then the smoothe bore is the way to go.
If I had a hand in the design of this pistol I would have made some minor changes like, (1) Slightly more rounder grips for hand comfort.
(2) Trigger pull could have been smoother, lighter pull instead of the 4 pound pull, and shorter pull.
It is possible they put in a 4 pound pull for safety reasons.
Overall I like the PRO77 but with a few refinment I mentioned this pistol could have been improved even more.
alright i know this is really random but have any of you ever seen a silencer on a pro77 cause i havnt seen any on the internet and i wanted to get or make one and also do they make a scope mount for the pro77 like they do for the p99?
Tyler,
I’m not aware of either a silencer or a scope mount for the Pro 77.
The accessory rail is for tactical flashlights and lasers.
B.B.
I recently purchased a pro 77 air pistol, and for the first few months it worked very well. But now when I fire it, every few shots the trigger sticks back and if you pull the trigger a bb just FALLS out of the barrel.(gun still cocked)Then I have to pull the magazine out, put it back in, and push the trigger toward the trigger gaurd before I shoot it again. Since I used this gun for hunting rabbit this is very annoying. I threw away the box and papers the pro 77 came in. Does anyone have suggestions?
Nick,
First I want you to read the second part of this report. You will see that the BB dropping out is common in this model. It’s located here:
/blog/2006/11/crosman-pro77-part-2/
It sounds like the trigger return spring is either not working (which I doubt) or there is something jamming the trigger from returning all the time. I think it is the latter.
Have you been using Crosman Pellgunoil with each new cartridge? If so, drop so,me on either side of the trigger blade and see if you can free it. Leave the magazine out when you do this and hold the gun upside down, with the butt pointing straight up.
If that doesn’t fix it, I guess you have to call Crosman customer service.
http://www.crosman.com
The manual for this model is located in the manual library on this website. Here:
/manual/crosman-PRO77.pdf
Finally, you aren’t serious about hunting rabbits with this gun, are you? It is vastly underpowered for rabbits and you’ll wound more than you kill. Just because they don’t scream doesn’t mean they are hurting when they take a BB under their skin.
B.B.
Thanks for the tip. Ill have to get some pellgunoil next time i go to the store. I am serious about shooting rabbits with this gun. It takes a few shots though… How ever I hunt with a Crosman pellet rifle most of the time. Do you know of a bb or pellet pistol with more than 500fps?
Nick,
Several of the Anics BB pistols are faster than 500 f.p.s. They are no longer imported, but look for a used A101 or an A115.
DO NOT consider the Anics A-3000 Skif. It’s a complete dog.
B.B.
UMM ya for all of you who dont know much about firearms the pro77 is almost an exact replica of the walther p99 pistol…look it up
Hey out there
I’m not sure if any of you still view this, but I have a couple of questions
One – Can the blowback feature be disabled to conserve CO2
Two – About how many shots do you get from a powerlet (not what they say, but what actually happens)
Anyone who knows the answer, if they could post it I would greatly appreciate it
Adam,
No, this air pistol cannot be redesigned to eliminate the blowback. And neither can any other pistol with this feature. These guns take thousands of manhours to design. Sometimes the simpler ones can be tweaked in small ways, but this is not small.
Did you read the second part of this report? It was published on November 17, 2006.
As I recall, I got 40-50 good shots from the gun on a single cartridge, but I was shooting at 52 degrees F. It would have done much better if the temperature had been 30 degrees warmer. I would expect it to get no less than 50 shots/cartridge.
B.B.
I’ve had this Crossman 77 for a few days. Third clip of BBs, it jammed. I removed the clip and fired off multiple air shots with no problem. I emptied the clip manually and secured back into the pistol grip and it will not fire. Remove the clip and viola I can shoot air shots all day. I replaced the CO2 cartridge with the same results. I am at a loss – what should I do?
RROBI75406,
It sounds like a bad magazine to me. That can happen. Your dealer should replace the magazine for you.
B.B.
I got one myself and it is a neat gun. However, they are not well built. It misfires about every 10 shots, BBs roll out the end when shooting, the seal failed after 5 cartridges. I remember now why I stopped buying Crossman air guns. I own two of the revolver style and both gas systems failed within the first 10 cartridges.
Anonymous with the failed seal in the Crosman after 5 cartridges,
Have you tried putting pellgunoil on the tip of the cartridges before installation? You may be able to revive your seals with pellgunoil.
kevin
Im getting a crosman gun soon and i was thinking about the crosman pro77 but honestly Ive heard from alot of people that beacause it has the blowback action it has alot of problems and it jams easily and im taking it overseas so please help me out!!!
If you have read a lot of negative feedback, I wouldn't take the risk. Get something with a good record. The Crosman C11 is a good one, as is the Makarov.
B.B.
so u dont kinda recomend it…..what do u recomend ? the features im looking for are very high fps and , if possible , blowback .
You are looking at Part 1 of a 2-part report. The secomnd part is herte:
/blog/2006/11/crosman-pro77-part-2/
You can read the results for yourself. Velocity is low and reliability is off. Of course that's just the one gun I tested, but it does line up wiuth the reviews you have read.
When you speak of velocity do you also want accuracy? Because the BBs that give high velocity don't give great accuracy.
So, what is more important–velocity or accuracy?
I have recommendations, depending on what you say you like.
B.B.
sry didnt know about the second part 🙂
cant i find a gun that has good velocity and good accuracy ? i mean not a gun with great velocity and the accuracy is zero nor the other way around there must be one in the middle !sry but i cant make up my mind !!!!
Okay, that I can answer. Have you considered the Makarov? For a BB pistol is is very accurate, plus it has good velocity. Here is a 3-part report:
/blog/2009/4/new-makarov-pistol-part-3/
I has no blowback, but It does look exactly like the Makarov firearm!
If blowback is very important, how about the Desert Eagle, which is also very accurate? It's a pellet gun so it's accurate farther than a BB gun. The only drawback is the heavy use of CO2 gas. Here is a 3-part report that is not linked to itselft:
/blog/2006/6/desert-eagle-first-impressions-part-1/
/blog/2006/6/desert-eagle-first-impressions-part-2/
/blog/2006/6/desert-eagle-first-impressions-part-3/
For a nice all-around pellet pistol, consider the Walther CP99:
/blog/2007/5/walther-cp99-limited-edition-part-3/
The CP99 Compact is a BB pistol with blowback and fair accuracy:
/blog/2006/11/walther-cp99-compact-part-2/
B.B.
I liked the makarov best,but i have a question about it.
When you remove the slide can you also remove other parts too like the barrel and stuff or not?
adn i have the daisy powerline
15xt…….what do u think is better??
thanks alot for the advice 🙂
You don't remove the Makarov slide. I am a hobby gunsmith and I have never removed the slide on my Makarov BB pistol.
If you also want to take a gun apart, Maybe the Walther PPK/S BB pistol is for you. It does disassemble a little.
And maybe you really want a firearm. A Makarov firearm will disassemble easily.
B.B.
so u cant remove the slide???
It can be removed, but the gun isn't made for owner disassembly. So if you take it off, you will be doing things a gunsmith would have to do.
B.B.
honestly i want to take it off beacause im taking it overseas and its in a container so when the container passes through the x ray the gun will show up ( as it is metal ) and we will start having problems with the police and stuff so its better for me to take it apart!so there's no way that i can dissasemble it ?
Anonymous wanting to avoid gun importation problems,
What are the regulations on bringing an airgun into the country where you will be traveling?
If it's allowed you won't have a problem. If it isn't allowed do you want to take the risk even with a disassembled gun?
kevin
the regulations are that u can import airguns but u need paperwork stating that u can bring them in the country and getting the paperwork needs 2-3 mothns and while you are getting the paperwork the container will be searched piece by piecec as they will think that we are smuggling guns and this will take alot of time as it is a full 40ft container ( high cube ) so itll be easier for me to dissasemble the gun and it will not show up on the x- ray ……….it makes life alot eaiser…..!
Kevin's answer is correct. If there is a problem with importation, it's best not to take the gun to begin with.
B.B.
theres no problem with importation i just want to make it easier and besides even if they knew that u have a dissasembled airgun in the container theyll just tell u to get the paperwork…..can u dissasemble it a little??
The question is not whether I can disassemble it a little. I can.
Can YOU?
B.B.
If you try to import without proper paperwork, with or without a little disassembly, you are smuggling.
I would strongly encourage you to rethink this strategy.
Please don't try and get around the importation laws. I'd rather you spend your money and time sightseeing rather than sitting in jail, paying an attorney and paying fines.
kevin
alright u guys made me change my mind……thanks kevin and B.B. ……by the way i have a question for u B.B. what do u think of the Daisy Powerline 5501 ?
I have no experience with this pistol, but it looks nice.
B.B.
what about the daisy powerline 693 ?
Anonymous,
Have you read the reviews about the daisy 693?
Here's a link you will have to copy and paste:
/product/daisy-powerline-693?m=346
kevin
No, I haven't tested the 693, either. But like Kevin said, others have and have written reviews about it for you.
My vote is still the Makarov. But if you are now looking for a synthetic pistol, look at the Tanfoglio 1911. It tested well.
/blog/2008/8/tanfoglio-witness-1911-bb-pistol-part-2/
B.B.
thanks kevin but i have read these reviews i was asking about an article just like the one for the pro77…….and B.B i didnt like the tanfoglio 1911……ill take a look at the walther cp99 compact…
Anonymous researching lots of pistols,
You're asking great questions unfortunately there being asked under an article that B.B. wrote back in 2006. Not many airgunners check back on these old articles in order to help answer your questions.
I would strongly encourage you to ask your questions where most airgunners are asking and answering each others questions and sharing airgun related experiences. This is taking place under the most recent article that B.B. has written (B.B. writes a new airgun related article everyday, Monday-Friday). I'll give you a link that will always take you to the most recent article. Scroll down to the bottom of that article and click on "comments" and you will join the crowd of passionate airgunners, like you. I'm sure there's lots of first hand experience with the pistols you're asking about and this group is very willing to share their opinions with you. Here's the link:
/blog//
Look forward to seeing you there!
kevin
I just have a quick question. I was a video where they shot paint BBs from a .177 CO2 powered pistol. do you know where i can get any of those?
please reply to my email msalazar902@gmail.com. thanks
Manuel,
Steel BBs are 0.175 caliber. As far as I know, there are no paintballs in that size.
There are paintballs of 6mm size–the standard airsoft size. But these paintballs are problematic, breaking inside the guns. So they are not popular and I cannot recommend them, even if I knew where to buy them, which I don't.
B.B.