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Other 78G/79G value

I think it will be hard to find a clean, resealed on for that myself. A seal kit alone is going to be around $30.
Keep looking, don't be in a hurry. I bought both my 78g and 79g for $100 each. Seal kits for $60. They are out there. Imagine that both for $260

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Don't know about adj. trigger .

The original S&W 78/79Gs had a sear-engagement screw in the trigger, and (as I understand it) the earliest examples were actually MADE by Smith & Wesson. Having owned two adjustable-trigger versions and three of the Crosman-built (non-adjustable), the Smiths not only have superior triggers, but better finish.

78G custom.jpg


Strangely enough, the factory barrel on my current Smith & Wesson built 78G (above) shows not a trace of rifling!:oops: So I machined a brass RIFLED barrel to fit. Mine also has a nicer and more durable finish than Crosman's.

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The original S&W 78/79Gs had a sear-engagement screw in the trigger, and (as I understand it) the earliest examples were actually MADE by Smith & Wesson. Having owned two adjustable-trigger versions and three of the Crosman-built (non-adjustable), the Smiths not only have superior triggers, but better finish.

View attachment 465256

Strangely enough, the factory barrel on my current Smith & Wesson built 78G (above) shows not a trace of rifling!:oops: So I machined a brass RIFLED barrel to fit. Mine also has a nicer and more durable finish than Crosman's.

.
The barrel on my 78G has almost no rifling and is not particularly accurate, I might machine a new barrel for it soon.
Extended barrel for the Crosman 600 first, and maybe a new one for the Crosman 38T too!
Was the lack of rifling also found in the 79G? I've never heard of this until A&Gman told me his original barrel had the lack of rifling.
 
now i am a watcher of prices and the S&W 78-79g have been going up like crazy 10 years ago they were 60-80 buck guns and many of us bought them at that price and oh they leaked but that can be fixed
but the prices have been going up and the 150-200 range like other here seems to be fair but by no means cheap and you add some shipping and tax if any and the fun has been taken from that purchase
but the bottom line is they are a great pistol and that is the problem, the new to this hobby are finding that out and paying way more than they should, while us old timers are going yeah i got some of those
 
The original S&W 78/79Gs had a sear-engagement screw in the trigger, and (as I understand it) the earliest examples were actually MADE by Smith & Wesson. Having owned two adjustable-trigger versions and three of the Crosman-built (non-adjustable), the Smiths not only have superior triggers, but better finish.

View attachment 465256

Strangely enough, the factory barrel on my current Smith & Wesson built 78G (above) shows not a trace of rifling!:oops: So I machined a brass RIFLED barrel to fit. Mine also has a nicer and more durable finish than Crosman's.

.
78G and 79G pistols were made and produced by Smith & Wesson from 1971 through 1980. They were first made at their Tampa, Florida, plant. In 73, they moved the airgun division to Springfield, Mass. In 78, they moved airguns division again back to Florida.
 
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G
78G and 79G pistols were made and produced by Smith & Wesson from 1971 through 1980. They were first made at their Tampa, Florida, plant. In 73, they moved the airgun division to Springfield, Mass. In 78, they moved airguns division again back to Florida.

If so, I stand corrected. Probably enough misinformation about them that I don't need to add more. Hard to tell what to believe sometimes.
 
I got a 79G in the 3rd grade. I loved that pistol but sold it to another kid and used the money to buy a BSA Scorpion pistol. All of this back in the 80’s. I have regretted it to this day. I found another a few years ago and it started leaking pretty quick. I think I paid $150. Early model in great shape with the adjustable trigger and power. I need to get the leak fixed.
 
I've been watching the sales on eBay very closely for the last two years, and resealed pistols don't generally sell for a lot more than non-sealed ones do. Considering the cost of parts and shipping, plus the time it takes to perform the rebuild, you'd expect them to sell for a lot more! Also beware when a seller says "resealed" because people have a different perspective on what this means. I've bought several "reseals" at good prices and found that the owner just swapped out the large o-ring on the piercing assembly and called it a day!

The pistols that regularly get premium prices are the boxed examples with accessories and paperwork. Early models with adjustable triggers can go higher than the later pistols, but a lot of times sellers don't know they have this feature and fail to advertise it in the listings.
 
I've got a 78G with the 2-stage trigger and the Low/High selector. Condition is excellent and serial is around 0020000. I paid close to $300, but I believe that was eBay pricing. Very rare to find the Hi/Lo and 2-stage trigger. I also have a 79G that doesn't have either and I paid $100 for it in excellent condition - like @Septicdeath it needed a reseal.

Great little pistol, but I wouldn't get too bent on needing the adjustable trigger as the standard one on my 79G is nearly as good.

Get pictures. Ask if they attempted a reseal themselve - one 78/79G I got was just listed as "leaking" and needing a reseal. Once I opened it up I could clearly see someone has used a steel pick and gouged deep lines trying to get out the o-rings. Took me a few solid nights buffing those out to get a seal that holds.

Get pictures. Shoot it to prove it holds CO2.

Plenty of other good vintage pistols out there are well. The Crosman MarkI/II is an excellent pistol.
 
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