It's amazing what cleaning a barrel can do! Crosman 760XL (sort of...)

[Treefrog]

This rifle has been around since I was about 20. I picked it up at the flea market and eventually gave it to my brother when I left the state. He gave it back to me when I returned (31-years later). When he got it still had the gold 760-XL receiver and nicely re-finished wood stock. Needless to say, it's been well-molested since then. About the only thing original besides the pump system is the rifled barrel. I tested it a couple of years ago in the basement and it wouldn't put anything I had for pellets into an inch-and-a-half at 8-yards. After setting it aside for a while, I decided to give it another 'shot'. So I gave the barrel a good cleaning last week to see if it would shoot pellets accurately enough to rate some use.

There was also another scope sitting around that needed a home, so adding that into the mix wouldn't hurt now would it? It's a bit much, but then if it works...

What a surprise! Sub-half inch groups with Crosman 7.9g wadcutters (at ten pumps) at 8-yards? It seems to favor those and the Crosman Devastators. Anything pointed won't go into less than an inch. While bringing it back upstairs I noticed some slop in the action because of loose receiver screws. Thinking it will do even better without the barrel and pump system moving up and down in the receiver. Perhaps I'll even re-seal it sometime soon because it doesn't always want to hold air. I hear transmission stop-leak does wonders.

Ride on,

J~

 

[WorriedMan]

Slapshot,

Are you sure your brother returned the SAME gun to you, some 31 years later? The first several digits of the serial number designate month and year of manufacture. For example, mine starts, "604," thus June 2004. If it's the same one, did he ever mention why he replaced the special gold receiver and wooden stock, with the plain ones? Had to retire mine when the plastic receiver and stock became "dried out" and loose. Things cracked when attempting to tighten. Was considering a rebuild with rifled barrel replacing smoothbore, but budget-wise was smarter to purchase Crosman F4 Nitro from Walmart ($80) for my backyard target and pesting needs. Old 760 still holds place of honor, but I've moved on to this. WM

 

[Treefrog]

WM,

You make some good points as it's mostly not there anymore. I do like the spring-piston models. A friend gave me a Crosman Quest a while back and it's a good shooter.

I did a little digging through my pics and found out where the stock and forearm went. Back to my brother, pic attached. He'd handed me the one he kept to fix, so I resealed it and gave it back to him. I remember refinishing the stock and forearm when I owned it. Somewhere along the line he'd swapped the wood onto what he thought was a nicer model. I remember making the bolt knob for it, too.

Back in the mid-seventies to mid-eighties there were a few that would quit holding air and end up at a swapmeet or yard sale. The XL was only made from '78 to '80 so it must have been around then that I found that one. Unfortunately, the old metal-receiver models like these don't have serial numbers. Sometimes you can find a number on the front of the pump-pivot and that will tell you year and month that it was made.

I pick these up cheap, fix them, use them to train kids and then usually give them away for my cost. It's just nice to have one that's accurate enough to hand to a talented kid to gage how well they can really do. It's doing WAY better than what I thought it could. Kinda cool!

If I can get my Caldwell chrono to actually work then I'll know how hard it shoots.

Be safe,

J~

 

 

[WorriedMan]

Slapshot,

Good story and well told. There's a few on this forum who collect, repair and enjoy the 760s, however most, myself included, have moved into the dangerously addictive and expensive world of PCPs. I'm only a year, or so, removed from my long-time commitment to the PumpMaster, so always enjoy a good 760 post. Glad you shared and hope you'll continue. WM 

 

[Treefrog]

Thanks, WM.

My older brother received one for Christmas when I was 7 (in '67) and he shared it with me on occasion. So having and shooting these brings back his memory. I spent a lot of years looking for one just like his and settled on this Revelation a couple of years ago. It's not exact, but it's close enough.

I also have a couple of QBs. A 77 and 78. One I recently finished making accurate enough to be interesting. I like shooting flies at ten yards. Thinking about posting up about that process.

Stay safe,

J~

 

[WorriedMan]

Slapshot,

That's a sweet one alright. Oh, for the days of metal receivers and wood stocks. Here's the old girl, check out the cracked plastic receiver near the stock. As stated before, the plastic parts dried out and when I tried to tighten loose stock, the receiver cracked. As you know, the stock is held on by a bolt with square nut fitting in plastic slots on both sides of receiver, fine as long as plastic doesn't get brittle. Cost of replacement receiver sides, stock and a "smoothbore to rifled barrel conversion," was more than new Crosman F4 Nitro, so retirement, it was. I tried eBay for getting a "parts" 760, but each time they were bid up. Who knows, might find a "parts" gun at a garage sale, some day. WM

 

[Treefrog]

I have a newer one that just stopped holding air. I don't think that the (plastic) receiver is compatible with yours, but who knows? Here's a pic. The sights are spot-welded on. You might look at the parts lists for different year models and see if it will cross over and work for you.

Stay safe,

J~

 

[WorriedMan]

Slapshot,

Thanks, but mine is 2004 model which uses 5-shot plastic clip. I'll include pic of the actual molded part number from inside receiver. One day I'll come across one at a garage sale and make the needed repairs. The problem started when the plastic stock edges shrank while the center remained true. This caused a wobble I tried to remedy by tightening bolt, not realizing the true cause, cracked receiver was result. I need to find one a few years newer, with same style stock and receivers, that might be rusted or non-functional. WM

 

[MJS]

Slapshot -

Wow, does that '67 760 bring back memories. Got mine for Christmas in '66.

 

[Treefrog]

Slapshot -

Wow, does that '67 760 bring back memories. Got mine for Christmas in '66.

Now THAT is cool. 

A little more back story. My brother traded his off sometime in high school so I never got a shot at owning it. So I spent the next forty-some years checking shops, yard sales and swap meets looking for one like it. Sadly he died before I found the one that I now have. I had really wanted to spend some time with both of them together, but things don't always pan out. I can't see or shoot it without thinking of him, and that's the way that it should be.

Be safe,

J~