Smith &Wesson 78-79g

Gettsgunner,

I have a 78G, but I never knew of a recall until just recently. I assume it's made in Massachusetts as it has a very low serial number (0031xx) with an adjustable trigger. 

On another forum, that I can't find the link to again, stated that the adjustment screw has 9 turns. Mine has about 4.5. Did the caliber or production dates/ mfg location drive this change? 

Roboslug

Daisy bought the rights to that design, got paranoid about the triggers, and made it standard procedure to replace the original (S&W) triggers on any S&Ws sent to them for reseal or repair with absolute CRAP replacement triggers; rendering those nice S&Ws absolutely worthless. I know this from personal experience of trusting Daisy to reseal my first S&W 78G, and it came back to me resealed but with a HIDEOUS trigger action. I wasn't forewarned they would do that, they wouldn't return my original parts, and they obviously weren't interested in hearing from anyone silly enough take a pellet pistol seriously as anything but a toy.

I did a trigger-job myself on my second 78G and got a nice, light, CRISP trigger-pull that broke like a glass rod. That said, I don't go around dropping loaded pistols; consequently don't worry about shooting my eye out. 

I've got two 79Gs and one 78G. None have the D stamp. These are great guns along with the Crosman Mark 1 & 2.

I have the SW 78G , and the 79G. Great pistols ! I favor Crosman MK1 and MK2 for the better trigger action. The oldy Crosman 150 is a shooter as well , and it took the Crosman rear sight from a 1377. All good !

What pellet does your 78G/79G prefer?

Roboslug

I am a fan a JSB Domes. 

X2 on JSB domes!

Thanks readyfisher9 & AirNGasman. My 78G likes RWS Hobby so far (I've had this gun +45 years, but only recently re-sealed it). The Crosman 14.3 gr do not perform well. 

What is the heaviest pellet that you would recommend in the 78G (.22)?

16 grain.

Thank you very much AirNGasman!

Roboslug

Here's tonight's project at parade rest.



Had an itch to find another 78G. Had one as a kid and got it this week. The seal kit showed up today, so I decided to tear it down.



Mark

I have 3 of the 78/79 series, all serial number 3248 and lower. 

none of them have been molested by Daisy with the lawyer trigger.

but I have resealed and restored a few that have had the D.

I do have a Daisy 790 early model, that is stamped with the D, and did have the atrocious trigger, but from a rest, the trigger was predictable as it stacked up until the sear broke, it was heavy, but predictable, and its barrel was very accurate. 

I found a eBay seller that was selling the complete internals from a adjustable trigger 78g. 

I dropped the S&W trigger and hammer components in the Daisy, and it now has the trigger we all know and love. 

I could not put the power adjustment system into the daisy, as in that generation the metal adjustment parts were changed to plastic, and held in place with a pin, and not the threaded plug of the S&W series power adjuster. 



Ian..



The Daisy “upgrade” was to add heavier non adjustable trigger and spring, and a 2 piece hammer that unless the trigger was held in the rearward position, when it fired, part of the hammer would come to rest on the face of the valve body, instead of hitting the valve stem. 

Here are some photos of the “upgrade”

S&W 78, early model, 2 power levels of cocking, 1piece hammer, and the adjustable trigger.

and the S&W power adjuster under the barrel. 











Daisy 790 with the upgrade from the factory, 2 piece hammer, and barrel bushing retained by a pin, and plastic spring preload adjustment, and the plastic buffer / spacer that part of the 2 piece hammer would rest on, while other part would hit the valve stem. 

This is a later 78g parts layout with the non adjustable trigger from S&W before they sold to daisy. 

It still had the power adjuster, and 1 piece hammer, and only 1 level of cocking power. 

Both The S&W guns, and the Daisy guns went through several changes over their production runs, steadily declining each time. 

Culminating in the Daisy 41, which was mostly plastic, and used a different co2 system, and completely different internals.



It was really nothing more than a toy at that point, that resembled the S&W in looks only, which is a sad end for such a finely designed and well made pistol it started as. 



In case you didn’t notice, I really like these, and the Crosman Mk1&2 series. 

(FYI, the engineer for S&W helped design the Crosman Mk1 back in the 60’s)

Does anyone have any chronograph info on the 78G? I re-sealed mine in March using the stock valve. After shooting powder burners for the last 45 years the rediscovery of the air pistol in the sock drawer has been interesting. In seeking accuracy from various pellet/valve combinations, I would shoot several groups by going up the scales (turns of the valve). The RWS Hobby, 11.9 gr. likes 2-2.5 turns while the RWS Super H point, 13.9 gr. enjoys 1.25 turns. I plan to order heavier pellets, as recommended above, at some point. The RWS pellets are available to me locally at a Cabelas.

Roboslug

Been awhile since I clocked mine...

Was getting abt 420 with mid-weight .22 pells.

For anyone with an interest in such things; the piercing units are interchangeable between these and the Crosman MK1/MK2 pistols.

Thanks Skillet. One of these days a chronograph...

Roboslug