This specially-built custom 760 airgun was made for a specific purpose.
This report covers:
- Custom-made
- First model
- Power
- No test
- Summary
Today we look at an air rifle that very few people have ever seen or will ever see. It’s a Crosman 760 that is probably the most ubiquitous airgun the Crosman company ever made. But this one is different. What’s so special about it? It has been modified by shortening the barrel.
Modified airguns are no big deal. You see them all the time. Perhaps the most modified guns of all are the ones from Crosman and from their two subsidiary brands, Benjamin and Sheridan. There is a red-hot aftermarket of tuners, customizers and boutique parts sellers. Crosman also operated a custom shop when they were fully staffed, but that is gone. So, encountering a customized Crosman, Benjamin or Sheridan isn’t that unusual. But this one is different.
Custom-made
This airgun was made especially for a county game control department. It was never sold commercially. I used to think someone outside Crosman had cut it down, but I no longer think so. I believe Crosman made this one specially for a commercial order. I can’t prove that and since the rifle dates to 1966-71 there is no one around to ask. But it’s fun to think about. Now let’s look at the airgun.
First variation
The base model of this 760 is the first variation. The wood buttstock and forearm/pump handle give that away. Because the pump lever was short on the 760 to begin with, the only thing that needed shortening was the barrel. It measures a 12 inches, breech to muzzle. A replacement plastic front sight was pressed on the muzzle after the barrel was trimmed.
The 760 is and always has been a smoothbore. This one certainly is. The accuracy will be iffy at anything but very close range — perhaps 25 feet, or so? Shortening the barrel did nothing to improve accuracy.
The 760 does not need to be cocked. Pumping air intro the gun cocks the hammer, much the same as it does for the Crosman 130 pistol.
There is a brass bolt but it does not cock the rifle. It just opens the breech for loading. The shooter can choose between loading a pellet or a steel BB and 180 BBs are held in an internal reservoir.
It would be easy to criticize the gun for its shorter barrel, but the information engraved on the right side of the receiver indicates that this gun was once the property of the Oconee County, South Carolina, Game Control Department. It also has the number .37 engraved on the side of the gun. The dot before the number makes me think it’s not a rack number.
Power
Two things mitigate against the potential for power in this multi-pump pneumatic. First and foremost is the short barrel. Pneumatics need long barrels to develop power. By looking at the penetration of a pellet into fresh duct seal after the maximum 10 pumps, I estimate the pellet leaves the muzzle between 200 and 250 f.p.s.
The age of the gun is a second reason to suspect the power isn’t that great. I think it is original and unfooled with. Yes the powerplant can be rebuilt. but that would destroy the gun’s originality.
I assume that this gun was not meant to kill anything. It’s almost as if they were trying to reduce the velocity to as low as it would go, and of course the multi-pump design would help with that, as well. Perhaps it was used to motivate larger animals. Like an extended cattle prod, the game officer could put in three pumps and whack the errant bull in the butt without breaking the skin.
These were made in the 1960s, when little was known about the relative power of airguns, but it’s a cinch they knew that this one was not lethal or humane. And, given its lack of accuracy, it wouldn’t reach out that far anyway.
No test
I have no plans to test this airgun in the usual way. I’m thinking this report will be all I do. The gun is a 760 so the performance would be similar to the rifle I tested for you in 2019 and 2020, except this one has a short barrel, so velocity will be less than the other one. Both are smoothbores, so accuracy could be equivalent.
Summary
Today we have looked at a unique variation of an airgun that’s been produced in the millions. The first variation is rare to begin with, and this particular one is pretty close to unique.
BB,
First off, I’m happy that you are OK; that’s awesome!
As for this airgun, it’s surely a unique piece of history.
I love seeing reports on funky oddball airguns like this. 😉
Blessings to you,
dave
Tom,
Whatever it was supposed to be used for it sure is something that would be handy for camping and light enough to carry all day while shooting at various inanimate targets of opportunity at short range.
Siraniko
B.B.,
Lets see:
1. Oconee County, South Carolina, Game Control Department.
2. Perhaps made in the late ’60s they had some different attitudes in them there days in SC.
“Perhaps it was used to motivate larger animals. Like an extended cattle prod, the game officer could put in three pumps and whack the errant bull in the butt without breaking the skin.”
You sure it was just for errant bulls? Just maybe it could have been used to whack errant poachers in the butts as well?
shootski
shootski,
I seriously doubt it was “used to whack errant poachers in the butts as well”. Even in the sixties, poachers were usually armed, and not with sawed off airguns.
RidgeRunner,
Joking! FAilURE yet again.
But I’ll bet land values in Oconee County, SC in the USA will rise in the next few weeks ;^)
shootski
Why not. Airguns usually do when we talk about them.
BB-
Alphabetically, Oconee County is the 37th of South Carolina’s counties.
And your point is?
RR-
The county’s number code is 37. Explains the ‘37’ stamped on the gun.
paco,
You could very well be right. The period preceding the number should probably be on the previous line after DEP.
BB,
This would be a fun little air rifle to hunt feral soda cans. It may also do well as an extended range cattle prod. Some friends of mine would really like to have this to “shoot” the deer in their garden.
A friend of mine shoots the deer in his garden with a paintball gun. He calls it “catch-and-release deer hunting.”
LOL! That would work!
FM’s fishing aficionado friend calls his philosophy of angling “fillet and release.”
What’s the range on one of those? I have a bad deer problem in my neighborhood. We had 11 deer in the backyard yesterday. Anything that keeps them away from the shrubs and plantings will be considered.
Roamin Greco,
Have Gun Will Travel
shootski
Is your Diana a Diana? Does the box it comes in say “Designed in Germany” or “Made in Germany”? There is a difference.
RidgeRunner,
The box or the contents???
shootski
Both likely. I think they are referring to the contents.
When I decided to look for an airgun (a couple of years ago now), I went to Wally World. The Crosman 760 is what I bought. It had been about 55-years since I had shot an airgun. And, I had never used this type of airgun before. I pumped it up several pumps, loaded a pellet and pulled the trigger. It clicked but didn’t discharge the pellet. I pumped it a few more times and tried it again with the same results. I thought something was wrong with the gun and tried to return it. Nope, have to contact Crosman, no returns on these are allowed at Wally World. I called Crosman, the first question was: Did I pull the bolt back until it clicked twice? I had not, and that was the problem. So, apparently the current 760 airguns require cocking. I soon wanted something “more accurate” and began reading this blog and acquired GAS (gun acquistion syndrome). More recently I found out that the 760 is more accurate than I first thought (now that I have learned how to shoot better, thanks, for the most part, to this blog).
BB
Moonshiners used it to hit and run revenuers to lead them away from stills.
Deck
Decksniper,
So that is what they actually used those Hot Rodded Stock Cars for!
shootski
I have an early Crosman M417 from before they got in trouble with H&K and had to change the name. It’s basically a 760 in pseudo-tactical dress-up. But it does have a rifled barrel.
jiminpgh,
I reviewed the Crosman 417, though I had to label it as the M4-177 for the reason you gave.
https://www.pyramydair.com/blog/2012/01/crosmans-new-m4-177-multi-pump-air-rifle-part-4/
BB
That’s a cool gun. I have sometimes wondered how the Crosman 760 would shoot if it had a rifled barrel. Your report seems to give us a good idea of the accuracy potential. Thanks!
Oconee County, SC is the westernmost county in SC. The Chattooga River separates it from GA. That’s the river that the book and movie “Deliverance,” starring Burt Reynolds was about and the movie was filmed there. When I was much younger, we used to go rafting on that river (shortly after the movie came out). Lots of people still do raft and kayak and canoe on that river. I gained a lot of respect for the river each time we went there. It can be dangerous. But we had a lot of good times there and thankfully no one got seriously hurt.
Elmer Fudd,
The County Tourism Dept. thanks you for your post!
It is a veritable LAND Rush down here.
shootski
I was thinking that there are a lot of outdoors type of people here that might appreciate knowing about the activities on the river. Class III and class IV rapids are to be respected though…
Elmer Fudd,
The Chattooga River can be a handful depending on the flow…but lots of fun.
I can be found at Little Falls on the Potomac River in an 18′ Sea Kayak if the flow is just right Class lll or lV most of the time; i don’t bother with it even in a plastic boat when it is V or V+/Vl just too old and SMART. The Play (White Water) Boaters go nuts seeing a Sea Kayak running rapids of any size and stoping to ride the standing waves. My EPIC 18X hull currently holds the Colorado River Run record time…it wasn’t me…but if i was young and dumb again i sure would give it a try.
https://www.outsideonline.com/outdoor-adventure/water-activities/how-grand-canyon-speed-record-was-broken-twice-three-days/
shootski
We cruised on the Potomac a few years ago. If I remember correctly it was from Alexandria to Mount Vernon and back. How far up the river are the falls you’re describing?
Elmer Fudd,
9.75 nautical miles (18 kilometers) from the Old Town Alexandria dock.
I usually put in at the Pentagon Lagoon so it is a little shorter of a paddle up river to Little Falls.
shootski
Shootski and Elmer
I have fly fished the Chattooga above the rapid running sections. There are large Brown trout there if lucky enough to hook one. Lots of natural beauty on that river to reset the mind.
Deck
Decksniper,
One of my favorite fresh water fish caught many in the Black Forest in Germany; they call them Bachforelle.
https://www.quick-german-recipes.com/poached-trout-recipe.html
shootski
Shootski
And eating one cooked in bacon grease caught only 15 minutes ago is a lasting culinary experience. If a brown, rainbow, brook or cutthroat trout was born in the river there is nothing swimming that tastes better.
Your delicious sounding recipe reminds me of grilling fresh wild salmon in white wine. I need to do that again.
Deck
Decksniper,
I always have a jar of bacon drippings in the refrigerator.
I also use it in place of shortening, oil, or lard in from scratch corn bread.
shootski
Elmer,
GAS (gun acquistion syndrome). I finally found out what I caught from the carriers BB, RR, Shootski, and others.
Now I aspire to be a carrier too!
As far as low power to startle a deer, any multipump using maybe 25% of the max allowed pumps will get a bb there and startle them. But I think the idea of paintball is even better. You can see the repeat offenders!
To everyone….
Is there any hope for an airgun show in Dallas TX area? Waxahachie? The ones I have seen in the past couple years were out near El Paso…. that’s a long way from the coastal bend.
I took my brother in law, son, and son in law to the last one in 2017? 2018? and we brought home about 5 different guns… I have already resealed the two Crosmans my b.i.l. bought.
I’ll bet dollars to donuts they never realized shortening the barrel would lower the power back then.
Probably cut down to be carried as a truck rifle for quick access, and we know where that idea came from.