Crosman Legacy 1000 – One Hundred Year Edition.
This report covers:
- The test
- Qiang Yuan Training pellets
- FX 10.3-grain dome
- FX 13.4-grain dome
- Benjamin 10.5-grain match grade airgun pellets
- One last word
- Summary
Today we look at the accuracy of the Crosman Legacy 1000 – One Hundred Year Edition multi-pump pneumatic rifle. If it’s just a can-buster, today will end the series. If it shows potential, we will look farther.
The test
I shot 5-shot groups from 10 meters with each pellet tested. I used the open sights on the rifle and I rested the rifle directly on a sandbag. I used a 6 o’clock hold on the bull. I pumped the rifle five times for each shot. Let’s get started.
Qiang Yuan Training pellets
First to be tested were Qiang Yuan Training pellets, which are wadcutters. I also sighted in the rifle with three shots to adjust the rear sight so the pellet was inside the bullseye.
This wadcutter pellet loaded very hard, as if the lip of the nose had to jump over a sharp edge at the breech. And that showed in the group that measures 1.506-inches between centers. It’s the largest of the day.
The Legacy 1000 put five Qiang Yuan training pellets into a 1.506-inch group at 10 meters. I see that the rear sight is adjusted too high. If that continues to the next pellet, I will deal with it.
FX 10.3-grain dome
I figured wadcutters might not be right for this rifle so everything else in the test is a dome. The next one is an FX 10.3-grain dome. Five of them went into 1.274-inches, which is not that much better. To my surprise, these also loaded hard, though not as hard as the wadcutters.
Five FX 10.3-grain domes went into 1.274-inches at 10 meters. There are 6 pellets on the target. The first shot was the highest one, so I adjusted the rear sight down one notch and shot the group.
At this point I was thinking that the Legacy 1000 is just a tin-can buster. It’s certainly good enough for that, but unless I see some potential I don’t see running any further testing.
FX 13.4-grain dome
The next pellet I tested was the heavy 13.4-grain dome from FX. They also loaded hard, though not as hard as the wadcutters.
I have noticed that sometimes multi-pumps do their best with heavier pellets. And this was one of those times. Five pellets are in 0.826-inches, but four of them are in 0.447-inches. Those four shots made me wonder whether the Legacy 1000 deserved a test with a dot sight. Maybe the next target would tell?
Five FX 13.4-grain domes went into 0.826-inches at 10 meters with four in 0.447-inches.
Benjamin 10.5-grain match grade airgun pellets
The final pellet I tested was the Benjamin 10.5-grain match grade airgun pellet. The Legacy 1000 is a Crosman airgun, so this pellet should be the best in it. And it was! Five went into 0.721-inches with four in 0.376-inches. That told me the Legacy 1000 is accurate with the right pellets. It also told me that the previous larger groups were not caused by sighting errors.
Five Benjamin 10.5-grain domes made a 0.721-inch group at 10 meters, with four in 0.376-inches. This one is the best of the test.
A word about the Benjamin pellets. These .177 domes have performed splendidly in most airguns I’ve tested them in. I call them Benjamin Bullseyes, but Crosman calls them match grade airgun pellets and to keep from confusing everybody I will use their name. They feed well in the Legacy and they are also accurate. In fact, they have earned the Legacy a fourth test, which will be another accuracy test with a good dot sight.
One last word
JTS is bringing .177 pellets into the US. If they perform anywhere near as well as their 18.1-grain .22 dome, they will be in many accuracy tests in the future. They said they would send me some to test, and I hope they get here before I test this rifle again.
Summary
The Crosman Legacy 1000 – One Hundred Year Edition multi-pump pneumatic rifle is testing well. And, since it is much cheaper than the non-anniversary Legacy 1000, it’s a great deal!
Tom,
Have you considered that the headsize of the pellets might be the source of the problem? Another thought is that the throat of the barrel might need to be polished(?) in order to allow smooth entry of the pellet into the barrel. Just a quick test with a Pelletgage on the pellets might tell the tale.
Siraniko
Siraniko,
I haven’t spent a lot of time looking at this rifle. I’m hoping the JTS .177 pellets will arrive soon so I can test them in the gun as well.
BB
The Legacy 1000 has a stronger metal pump than the 2100B plastic one. 725 FPS on the 2100B with ’10 pumps’ was to be increased to 1000 FPS on the ‘1000’ with ’12 pumps’ using light weight plastic pellets.
Got any plastic?
Bob,
I don’t think I do.
BB
BB,
My wrong, it actually says light weight ‘Alloy’ pellets. I was thinking along the lines of the Crosman PowerShot.
BB,
This would most definitely be a good air rifle for a newbie and because of the price would stand a good chance of being in the big box stores. Should this not be tested with pellets that would also be found in those same big box stores? This is what the newbie is likely to encounter.
You may also wish to test what kind of accuracy with bbs this air rifle has as that is another kind of ammunition a newbie will likely use.
RR,
Those are two good thoughts. I will consider them.
BB
Ridgerunner,
You’re right about this being a good air gun for a newbie, my first was the very similar Crosman 2100. I had so much fun shooting things that we now call reactive targets, in the basement and out in the back yard. It came with a Tasco 3-7×20 scope (that I still use) and I shot Crosman Copperhead pellets indoors because BBs bounced like crazy. The accuracy and power were good enough to make me very happy. I’m one of the many, many who had such a positive intro to shooting while on a shoestring budget.
Regards,
Will
Thanks for another well done report! The Benjamin match grade pellets apparently saved the day! In the first report on this rifle you stated: “And the whole front post fits into the rear notch perfectly!” So, even thought the open sights are relatively inexpensive and simple, they were designed properly and work well. Looking forward to the next report.
BB
Judging by some of the scores this rifle may deserve a chance at 25 yards. Imagine a $60 rifle shooting 1 inch and better with pesting power.
I am assuming it is made in China. Do they use hammer forging in making barrels? Accuracy in recent years has Snowpeak’s attention.
Deck
Deck,
I have no idea about hammer forging except that it requires an expensive machine, while button rifling doesn’t.
BB
Deck, the Legacy is one of the “assembled in the USA, with parts from foreign and domestic sources” guns.
I’m betting there’s a burr in the breech and this plinker is capable of even better. Shame we won’t see it here in the UK
It might be interesting to check head size, but given that all the pellets tried fit tightly in the leade, my hypothesis is that due to barrel issues, this is a “can-buster” gun. I have a couple of springers that can do MUCH better.
The FX 10.3 grain is made by JSB, a dominating top choice for field target shooters. Shoots well (I could say best) in all my airguns. The JSB variant of this pellet was the #1 seller for Pyramyd last year, as reported by Hard Air Magazine. Hard Air also tested the Benjamin Match Grade, finding a consistent head size in the 4.51-4.52 range, which in my experience is a bit smaller than most nominal 4.52 pellets.
https://hardairmagazine.com/reviews/benjamin-match-grade-pellets-10-5-grain-177-caliber-test-review/
At 10 meters, if no pellet did better than 6.3 MOA (3.3 MOA with a Mulligan), it’s not looking very promising. If I shot a new gun and tried several different pellets at short range with this result, I’d say “no thanks”.
Jerry
JerryC,
In that case then the feeding problem most likely is at the throat of the barrel which hopefully will improve over time.
Siraniko
I’m thinking that would take a LONG time, Siraniko. I’ve often thought that it would be worthwhile to have a set of plug gages that could be used to check the ID of a barrel. Knowing that, you could make a good inference about what pellet size is needed.
JerryC
That would be nice. Ease of access into the breech dictates that it would be primarily used in breakbarrels though. Considering the trend for magazine fed rifles especially in PCPs the breech is getting to be a tighter fit. You would have to take the gun apart just to have access.
Siraniko
Jerry,
As someone who has airguns that shoot sub-MOA at 4 times that distance, I know why we would say “no thanks” to the Legacy 1000 but I think about another perspective.
I often invite visitors to plink and have them place their tin cans at the distance they are comfortable with – usually 8 to 12 yards. In watching them shoot these sub-MOA airguns I see that a 6-MOA rifle wouldn’t be much of a hindrance to them.
The important thing is that they have fun and I think that the Legacy 1000’s accuracy is OK for a lot of people.
I have a variety of airguns of different capabilities, I just make a point of using them for the appropriate application, within their effective range.
The Legacy 1000 is not something that I would get now, but years ago, when I was just getting into shooting, I would have been very happy with one.
Cheers!
Hank
Hello, Hank,
We’re in agreement, although there are so many guns out there…
My first three guns were:
BAM B-26 in .22 Pretty accurate. Mike Melick delivered it, my brother had recommended. Put a scope on it, and although I have no notes, I’m quite sure it was better than 3 MOA after several years. Gave it away to a good friend who had nutria in the creekbed, it did the job, he loves it.
Gamo Whisper in .177 tuned by Bob Werner, a gift from my brother. Put a scope on it, it was never accurate no matter what I tried. Very frustrating. Sold it cheap.
Slavia CZ-634 in .177 tuned by Gene Curtis. Put a nice scope on it. Very accurate rifle. Still have it, I believe it will do 2 MOA or better. Never had any issue with this gun (OK, trigger not very good). A keeper for sure.
None of these were expensive. I do have an HW97K, a .177 Marauder with custom stock and barrel, and an Avenger in .22. They will all get close to 1 MOA out to 40 yards. They are relatively expensive, although I consider the Avenger to be a bargain in price/performance.
I bought 4 Crosman 362’s, all given away or sold for what I paid (I got a deal on them). I guess I would put the 362 in the same category as the “Legacy 1000”, although I believe I think my first 362 was better. It seemed like a solid little gun, and shot OK. Need to look back to see how it did for Tom. I think the special anniversary 362 wasn’t that great, either. But I agree, this is a similar product for the same market. I’d still like to see it get down to about 3-4 MOA without any fuss at close distances.
Let’s put it this way, I want something like the AvengeX lately reviewed, or a re-tooling of my old CZ. No more Gamo type springers for me. Maybe I am impatient, or expect too much. I’m pessimistic about the CL100, though.
regards,
Jerry
If this gun gets another test, I would like to see if the best one or two pellets would do better with a few more pumps. My Crosman 362 seem to shoot a bunch of pellets pretty well at 6 or 7 pumps, but not at 8 (max) pumps. Here, 5 pumps may be too much for some pellets and not enough for others.
I also think these less expensive guns benefit from a longer break in period, just as long as they don’t break in the meantime.
Still this is a candidate for a good into rifle, especially since it has decent sight to learn with and is inexpensive. I like the smiles per dollar comment. Cans are fun first targets to shoot at.
This is kind of late in the day for all you early birds that are leaving comments at 3:00 AM, but maybe SOMEONE will read this!
The only information I can find on 2024 air gun shows in the Midwest is the Columbus, OH, show on 1 June 2024. Can it be true that the Findlay, OH, show, the Malvern, AR, show and the Texas air guns show have all gone extinct???? Really?
Motorman
Eastern MO
BB,
Kinda in line with Hank above.
“High power above all else!”. Your favorite saying. No wait, I believe it may have been someone else, RR perhaps? 😉
Anyway, I think a lot of younger Airgunners may think like that. “So what, if it takes a few shots to hit that can, way, way out there. This is a real powerful blaster!”
Otherwise there probably would not be so many magnum powered air rifles out there for under $100.
You can’t install wisdom; they need to live and learn. They may actually be very happy with it?
So, when you are covering a relatively powerful airgun, at a relatively low price, you may want to enlighten them as to the maximum power or more relatively, high fps it can achieve to impress them.
How it can be achieved using what pellet and then remind them of what they may be sacrificing to get there. Like that would mater to them anyway. At least you made the point clear, and the airgun may impress them enough to get it.
Everyone would be … “Relatively happy” and have a fine airgun day! Not like today. I have one of those rivers of rain passing overhead all day. Well most of it. Some drops are finding their way into my home, 🙁
Bob M,
Don’t know the type of construction on your home but So Cal builds especially with tile roofs can do better keeping moisture from rains OUT with an air exchanger with filters that gives a slight positive pressure; found that out while living in the south of Spain on the economy. It also kept the dust out when we had the Levante BLOW for days at a time.
shootski
Shootski,
I live in an old 24×60 mobile home. I paid for the 3.3-acre property in San Diego County with cash to retire on, and it came with it. Lots of room for a single guy. It also came with a 24×30 garage, and I had 6 cars and a Harley at the time.
I was going to build a house next to the garage, but the price went through the roof, and I would have to install all new utilities to accommodate it, so I decided to keep my million dollars in the bank and fix up the mobile home. Then I got old and lazy and took up procrastination. Considering replacing it with a new one now.
On the good side, I’ve had no rent or mortgage for the last 14 years, give my daughters new cars and accumulated around 20+ cars and motorcycles for myself and lost count of airguns.
With 4 sources of income, I’m still saving and accumulating wealth.
I may be living like a poor man, but I’m worth more than most who think so and don’t really care what they think. I am set for life, want for nothing, do whatever I want, and have peace of mind.
Unfortunately, you can’t buy “Round Toits”. The property tripled in value so far. Gotta pinch myself sometimes. Caring for my disabled ex in the back bedroom has crimped my style, but I do it for the kids so they can have a life.
B.B.,
I look forward to: “…a fourth test, which will be another accuracy test with a good dot sight.”
My reasoning is that the existing sight system is mounted on top of the barrel but the dot sight will likely be mounted on the receiver’s dovetail. Many buyers of this airgun ill likely mount a dot sight.
Your test will show if any issues exist in receiver/barrel stability.
shootski
BB,
Might I suggest that you choose the best pellet and shoot groups at different power levels.
Five pumps didn’t shoot too well; 4 pumps or maybe 6 might have been better.
I would suspect that the designer would go for best accuracy at best power (because power sells) and 5 pumps would be at the low end of things.
Hank
If I were a young person with limited funds, I would buy the lowest cost scope or the $15. Crosman 0290 red dot and get the cheapest ammo I could find. Nothing that cost more than the rifle.
Anything more expensive and you now have a choice between a powerful break barrel that already comes with a scope.
Bob, for a young person with limited funds, I’d say a 362. With the aperture sight, it works OK with my middle-aged eyes, so with younger ones it would be great. Also, a bit more power for hunting, pesting, and showing those cans who’s boss. Crosman Premiers are cheap enough at WallyWorld.
OhioPlinker
Oh, I agree with you, but I was assuming he already had the Legacy 1000. The 362 is $50. more at $110. Throw in some sort of additional optic and you are well over $100. At least $125.
I figured if you added some sort of optic for $40 to the Legacy 1000 you could purchase a powerful break barrel / scope package for the same price. Less than $100. Now you would have to decide. Do I really want to shoot BBs too? A $15 dot sight on the Legacy would put you at $75.