The Crosman 180 can also be converted into a mighty impressive air pistol. Shortening the barrel by half (to 8½”) only reduces velocity about 10%, and accuracy not at all! The 180 pistol below has shot five-shot groups measuring a mere .12” center-to-center at 25 yards and .53” at fifty! But better illustrating its capabilities are five-group averages of .37” c-t-c at 25 yards and .74” at fifty. All groups were shot in outdoor winds.
A dime and quarter sit next to the smallest and largest 50 yard groups for perspective. The field-target ‘pistol’ project After successfully converting Chinese Co2 rifles to regulated high-pressure air (HPA), the time came ripe to build an HPA pistol. A newly-procured adjustable-trigger 187 wasn’t in great condition, but accuracy testing suggested the bore intact. Lacking proper stock inletting capabilities, I decided to preserve the factory inletting and build a walnut pistol stock around the existing inletting of the white-wood stock. The result came out pretty nice, as also did modifying the chamber-tube to accept a drop-block attachment for a regulated HPA tank. A Dura Coat spray finish over the ‘high-patina’ metalwork completed my ‘new’ FT pistol. With the original barrel lopped to 14” and measuring 20.5” overall, the finished hand-rifle is uniquely attractive. But how functional, you ask?
What once was a vintage Crosman Co2 rifle is now an awesome PFT ‘pistol’ that sports a crisp, eight-ounce trigger, returns over 70 shots per charge at 775 FPS/11.3 foot-pounds, with regulated consistency, and… oh yeah… averages .65” five-shot groups at 50 yards! Though certainly no pocket-pistol, she performs as well in silhouette competition as in field-target. Not least of her many fine qualities, in a show of tolerance practically unheard of in Scope-Pistolville, she shoots to the same point of impact from bench-rest as from off-hand and the field-target position! An opportunity to test the hand-rifle on the national stage would not come until late 2012. There the Sixties-vintage Co2 rifle to HPA pistol conversion posted a perfect score to capture the Hunter Pistol National Champion title. It has since claimed two more National and several State Champion titles.
Nostalgic dribble? While some might dismiss Co2 as a propellant and vintage airgun worship as just so much nostalgic dribble, no question Crosman was way ahead of its time in the 1950’s and 60’s. Thankfully, high production numbers insure a treasure-trove of these and other vintage airguns remain available today for relative pocket-change. Many of the affordable classics are easily transformed into fine customs with a little ingenuity and handiwork.
The adage “simplicity is the hallmark of good design” is often lost in this increasingly complicated world. That modified vintage Crosmans can perform alongside the finest competition guns produced in the new millennium re-affirms the genius of simple design and cost-efficient manufacture. Thankfully most techies tend to overlook the old guy with the home-made rig while trying to out-excess their superfluously-equipped competition; a short-sightedness that works to the advantage of this ol’ techno-grouch.
