Crosman

Crosman Corporation is a leading, worldwide designer, manufacturer and supplier of products for the shooting sports. The company has a long standing presence in airgun design and a proud tradition of producing high quality pellet and BB air rifles and pistols. Crosman is also one of the world's leading producers of airsoft guns, many varieties of airgun and airsoft ammunition and CO2 powerlets.

Airguns in the United States

Airguns have a rich tradition in the United States, most famously with being associated with Lewis and Clark's Corps of Discovery. Meriwether Lewis carried a version of today's pre-charged pneumatic (PCP) capable of firing 40+ shots and used the rifle to demonstrate superior firepower through multiple shots when meeting natives for the first time.

Airguns remain popular training tools for teaching youngsters proper gun handling and safety. The National Rifle Association (NRA) sanctions airgun competitions to continue youth development through airguns. Many other sanctioning bodies provide many opportunities in a variety of airgun shooting disciplines for a lifetime of airgunning.

Airguns, due to their simplicity, owe some of their popularity to their ease of modification. A cottage industry of parts suppliers for DIY upgrading proves the popularity of these arms. Inexpensive ammunition is also a major contributor.

The development of adult air rifles in the form of high velocity, high energy guns firing .22 and .25 caliber pellets has legitimized airguns as hunting tools.

Crosman history

Crosman was founded in 1923 in Rochester, New York, as Crosman Arms Company. Its credo then, as now, was quality and innovation. From its inception, Crosman's principal products have been products for the shooting sports, primarily airguns and airgun ammunition.

During the 1950's, significant growth occurred, driven by national accounts such as Sears Roebuck & Co., Montgomery Ward, and Western Auto. All sold Crosman's products under their respective brand names. Then, in 1966, Crosman introduced its own Crosman branded airgun, the Pumpmaster 760, selling for $27.95. Today the ever-popular Crosman Pumpmaster Model 760 still sells in the same price range, with more than 13 million rifles sold.

In 1971, The Coleman Company, Inc. acquired Crosman. Subsequently Crosman's principal manufacturing facilities were moved to the current location in East Bloomfield, New York, about 30 miles south of Rochester. Throughout the 1970's and 1980's, the emerging strength of mass merchants, including Kmart and Wal-Mart, fueled Crosman's growth.

In August 1990, Pexco Holdings, Inc. acquired Crosman, making the company a 95%-owned subsidiary. Subsequent to the acquisition, Crosman implemented a long-term strategic plan designed to preserve its position as an entry-level producer, while accelerating the company's growth toward "world-class" manufacturer status. To broaden the company's reach, strategies were developed and implemented to significantly expand Crosman's international market penetration.

Crosman acquired the Visible Impact Target Company in July 1991, as well as the Benjamin Sheridan Corporation in February, 1992. Benjamin has continued as a dominant U.S. manufacturer of high-end pneumatic and CO2 powered airguns. Sheridan was one of the world's foremost manufacturers of high quality paintball markers.

In 1994, the Benjamin Sheridan manufacturing operations, then in Racine, Wisconsin, were consolidated into Crosman's East Bloomfield facility. During 1995-96, Crosman introduced several new, innovative products into the spring air powered airgun market to complement its traditional strength in the pneumatic and CO2 powered airgun markets. In January, 1997, Crosman was acquired by an investment group whose renewed focus on market expansion, new product development and leveraging the company's core competencies of design, manufacturing, and distribution to new areas of business, re-energized Crosman. Later in 1997, Crosman entered the steel shot business and, in 1998, introduced its first camping accessory product, the Pressuremate pressurizing system for white gas lanterns and camp stoves.

In 1998, to leverage its position in the growing paintball and related products market, Crosman formed the Sheridan Paintball Division. In 1999, Sheridan tripled the number of products offered and became a full-line supplier, improving its ability to effectively compete in the paintball business.

With the new millennium came the Crosman Challenger 2000®, an affordable, three-position, CO2 powered, competition target air rifle. Crosman now had a strong entry in every major segment of the airgun market. Also in 2000, Crosman entered into a partnership with USA Shooting, the organizing body for competitive shooting sports in the United States.

In 2001, Crosman formed a joint venture with Procaps to form Diablo Marketing to more effectively penetrate the non-conventional paintball market, including big box and chain stores, with paintball markers, ammunition and related products. And, in 2002, Crosman also created the Game Face Paintball brand to market paintball markers, paint, clothing and accessories. It also introduced its first line of airsoft pistols, designed for low-impact, recreational target shooting.

In 2003, Crosman continued its strategy of becoming a one-stop-shopping opportunity for retailers and became the US distributor for Umarex airguns. Also in late 2003, Crosman introduced the first US designed and manufactured break barrel air rifle, the Benjamin Legacy 1000 and Legacy 1000 X, two state-of-the-art models featuring 26-pound cocking pressure and muzzle velocities of up to 1000 feet per second. In addition, the company introduced AirSource™, the new 88-gram disposable CO2 tank for paintball and airgun use.

In 2004, Crosman broadened its offering in both the break barrel air rifles and rapidly growing airsoft market by introducing several innovative new models in both categories. And, in 2005, adding to its list of firsts, Crosman introduced the Nightstalker, the first semi-automatic air rifle featuring realistic blowback action, making it more authentic and exciting to shoot.

In 2007, the company broadened its line of air pistols and expanded its offering outside the traditional airgun category with the debut its new optics division, CenterPoint Precision Optics, and established stronger distributor relationships in a number of major international markets.

In 2008, Crosman diversified further adding Crosman Archery to its list of branded products. Crosman Archery introduced two new hunting crossbows in addition to youth archery products at the 2008 SHOT Show in Las Vegas, NV.

Also in 2008, Crosman introduced the industry's first affordable, pre-charged pneumatic (PCP) air rifle at 2000 psi, the Benjamin Discovery.

In 2009, the company continued to build on the success of the Benjamin Discovery with the launch of the Benjamin Marauder, a revolutionary new, multi-shot, bolt action rifle with a two-stage, adjustable, match grade trigger and an ultra-quiet internal shrouded barrel. Crosman also bolstered its line of premium airsoft products with distribution agreements with Classic Army and Spartan Imports, adding high-end, skirmish grade, 1:1 scale replica airsoft guns to its line.

Late in 2009, Crosman announced the formation of two new divisions. The CenterPoint Hunting and Outdoors Division, focused on providing the hunting industry with high quality crossbows and crossbow accessories, as well as precision riflescopes and other feature-rich optical products for shooting. The new Game Face Airsoft Division introduced the revolutionary new Verdict Marker BBs for airsoft play and three new, skirmish-grade airsoft rifles.

Today, Crosman Corporation is an international designer, manufacturer and marketer of Crosman pellet and BB rifles and pistols, Copperhead ammunition, high quality Benjamin pellet rifles and ammunition, airsoft rifles and pistols, crossbows and precision optics. The company employs more than 300 people domestically, markets its products around the world and is seen as a leader in the airgun industry.

CO₂

In the 1930s, Crosman began to experiment with CO₂ power. Like other CO₂ guns of the day, they were bulk fill, which meant that liquid CO₂ was loaded into a pressurized reservoir on the gun. Other manufacturers started to use 8 gram CO₂ bulbs used in soda dispensers. Crosman capitalized on this in 1954 by introducing a new 12 gram CO₂ bulb, called a Powerlet. The new Powerlet gave more shots per bulb than the soda bulb, and with the addition of a simple spacer, a Powerlet gun could use the shorter 8 gram bulb.

The 12 gram Powerlet, charged with CO₂ and a tiny amount of lubricating oil to keep the airgun's seals conditioned, is used by nearly all manufacturers of CO₂ airguns today.

In 2004, Crosman introduced a new disposable CO₂ power source, the 88 gram AirSource.

Current models

A list of current air pistols:

• 1377 "American Classic" pneumatic
• 2240 CO₂ pistol
• 2300S CO₂ pistol
• 2300T CO₂ pistol
• 2300KT custom CO₂ pistol
• 357 CO₂ revolver (previously available in .50 paintball and 6 mm airsoft)
• 1008 "Repeatair" CO₂ pistol
• AutoAir II CO₂ pistol
• T4 CO₂ pistol (Modeled after Glock series)
• Pro 77 CO₂ pistol
• C11 CO₂ pistol (Modeled after the Beretta 8000 series)
• C21 CO₂ pistol
• C31 CO₂ pistol
• C41 CO₂ pistol

150 pistol A list of current air rifles:

• 2250 (sold as "Ratcatcher" in the UK) CO₂ carbine
• 2400 custom CO₂ carbine
• 2260 (sold as "Rabbitstopper" in the UK) CO₂ rifle
• Challenger 2000 3 position CO₂ match rifle
• 1077 "RepeatAir" CO₂ rifle with 12 round magazine and plastic stock (extremely quiet, popular in Europe due to cramped parcel sizes)
• 1077W same as 1077, but with quality wooden stock and butt
• 660 pneumatic rifle
• 760 pneumatic rifle
• 781 pneumatic rifle
• 2100 Classic pneumatic rifle
• 2289 pneumatic rifle
• Nightstalker CO₂ repeater rifle, auto-cocking revolver action (not semi-automatic as it is often mislabelled)(Modeled after Beretta Cx4 Storm)
• Remington Airmaster 77 pneumatic rife
• Remington Genesis 1000 spring rife
• G-1 Extreme 1000x (.177) spring rife
• G-1 Extreme 800x (.22) spring rife
• Spring Master 795 spring rifle
• Crosman 664x
• Quest 1000x (.177) spring rifle
• Quest 1000 (.177) spring rifle
• Quest 800x (.177) spring rifle
• Quest 500 spring rifle
• Storm XT (same as Quest 1000, but has minor upgrades)
• Phantom 1000x (.177) spring rifle
• Phantom 1000
• Phantom 800x (.22) spring rifle
• sirra pr
• Pumpmaster 760
• XS7

And a list of soft air guns

• Spring Rifles: Stinger R32 (Modeled after H&K G36C), Stinger R34 (Modeled after the M-4), Sniper R38, (Modeled after Colt Model 653 M16A1 carbine), Stinger R39 (Modeled after Knight's PDW)
• Spring Pistols: Stinger P32, Stinger P36, Stinger P9, P312, P311, p312kt Stinger P30, Walther P22, and Walther P99
• Spring Shotguns: Stinger S32p (Modeled after M87SA), Stinger S30, Stinger s34p Wingmaster and Remington TAC-1
• Electric Rifles: Pulse R70 (Modeled after M4 SOPMOD), Pulse R72 (Modeled after H&K G3A3), Pulse R73(Modelled after the AR-15), Pulse R74, NightProwler SA (Modeled after Beretta Cx4 Storm), Pulse R71 (Modeled after H&K MP5 RAS), Tac R71 (Modeled after H&k mp5k Pulse R76 (Modeled after the Russian AK74U).Pulse R78 (modeled after the M14.)The Newest AEG gun crosman came out with.
• Electric Pistols: Pulse p50 and the Pulse p72, and the colt m19ll
• Gas Pistols: Air Mag M50 (Modeled after Micro Uzi), Air Mag P50, Crosman Air Mag C11 (Modeled after Beretta 9000s)
• Sub-Machine Guns: Pulse M70, Stinger R36 (Modeled after H&K UMP) Pulse R74 (Modeled after H&K MP5), Pulse R75 (Modeled after the American 180)
• Nightstalker

In addition to domestically produced models, Crosman imports German built Umarex air pistols, including replicas licensed by Beretta, Colt, Smith and Wesson, and Walther. These models use a higher percentage of metal parts, and are significantly more expensive than the mostly plastic models made domestically. Crosman also sells some spring airguns made in Mexico by Mendoza.

Crosman recently introduced an online Custom Shop, which currently allows users to build a custom model 2300 pistol or 2400 carabine, with a wide variety of options. Using high end components available from the Custom Shop, it is possible to build a competitive IHMSA air pistol.

Crosman has manufactured and sold the Benjamin-Sheridan and Sheridan model airguns for many years. These models are still made to the higher quality standards of the originals, with wood stocks and primarily brass and steel components. The Sheridan line is strictly 5 mm (.20 caliber), while the Benjamin-Sheridan models are available in .177 (4.5 mm) and .22 (5.56 mm) calibers, depending on model.

References

• Answers.com Article Article about Crosman corporate history
• Vintage targets Shows Fairport location , target bottom
• Interview of Crosman CEO Ken D'Arcy

External links

• Crosman corporate website
• History of Crosman and CO₂ powered airguns
• A forum dedicated to Crosman Air pistols
• A forum dedicated to custom Ratty's