Crosman’s 362 100th Anniversary Edition. This is not a stock photo: it’s the actual rifle being tested.
This report covers:
- Oiled the pump head
- Loading
- The test
- Consistency
- Huh?
- Retest
- Retest consistency
- Pump effort
- Trigger pull
- Summary
Today we look at the power of the 100th Anniversary Crosman 362 pump and there is a lot to learn about multi-pumps today, especially about this one.
Oiled the pump head
I oiled the pump head with Crosman Pellgunoil before starting any of the tests. The pump cup on the head looked dry, so I oiled it with Crosman Pellgunoil. That may have caused something you’ll see in the tests, and I’ll discuss it when we get there.
Loading
I will say that the bolt handle is on the short side, but the 362 cocks easily enough thatv it doesn’t matter. The pellet trough has no screws in it and the pellet feeds smoothly The space for the pellet is short in front of the bolt probe, but it’s ideal for Crosman Premiers.
The test
I shot just a single pellet today, and as you see the tests unfold you’ll see why this was the right way to go. I thought the test would be straightforward but it was anything but. Let’s get started.
I selected the .22-caliber Crosman Premier pellet for all tests. First I will look at the velocity between 2 and 8 pumps.
Pumps……….Vel.
2……………….266
3……………….430
4……………….469
5……………….498
6……………….545
7……………….572
8……………….602
The rifle shot a little slower than I expected, but we are only just getting started. Next we look at consistency. For that I will shoot a string of ten shots with the rifle pumped five times for each shot. Here we go.
Consistency
Remember, each shot is a Premier pellet on five pumps of air.
Shot………….Vel.
1……………….476
2……………….500
3……………….529
4……………….535
5……………….547
6……………….551
7……………….562
8……………….556
9……………….559
10……………..567
Huh?
To the best of my recollection, this is the first time I have seen a result like this with a multi-pump. Remember, all shots in this string were with the same pellet and all were made on five pumps of air. We’re either seeing the 362 break in before our eyes or the oil I added to the pump cup was slowing the velocity down. I did see a lot of oil droplets on the cardboard box backstop after the first and second tests, so I think it was the oil. Look at the pump cup and see what I saw.
The pump cup appears dry as a bone.
I think the reason the pump cup looks dry is the material it’s made from. When I pump the rifle it’s obvious it is properly lubricated.
Retest pump strokes
Because of this test I decided to run the pump stroke and velocity test again. I will show you the results of the second test and next to that the first test results.
Pumps……….Vel……..First test vel
2………………..370………….266
3………………..458………….430
4………………..516………….469
5………………..572………….498
6………………..607………….545
7………………..628………….572|
8………………..654………….602
Retest consistency
One good turn deserves another. So I ran the 5-pump consistency test again. Here is that string.
Shot………….Vel.
1……………….554
2……………….562
3……………….569
4……………….567
5……………….569
6……………….565
7……………….569
8……………….568
9……………….566
10……………..567
The average for this string is 565 f.p.s. Do you see what has happened? The velocity has crept up incrementally, as if the rifle is breaking in. I think it’s just getting rid of the excess oil I used. I notice that after the second pump stroke versus velocity test the velocity seems to have stabilized.
I don’t think oiling the pump cup did any damage. It just slowed the rifle down until all the excess oil was blown out.
Pump effort
What does it take to pump this 362? I do note that you do not need to cock the bolt for the pump to work. Following is a test of the effort needed to complete each pump stroke. I pumped slowly and deliberately, so in the real world you will probably see an effort somewhat about this.
Pump…………effort in pounds
2………………………18
3………………………22
4………………………23
5………………………24
6………………………27
7………………………27
8………………………27
Trigger pull
The weight of the 362’s trigger does not change as the rifle is pumped. The trigger is two stage and stage one pulls with one pounds four ounces. It stops at stage two that then breaks crisply at between four pounds two ounces and four pounds four ounces.
Summary
The Crosman 362 100th Anniversary Edition is shaping up quite well. I have to say I am pleased with what I see so far