Recently got my first Crosman mk1

[Multigunner]

Seen these fine pistols many times but never got around to buying one till recently.
The one I got is in great condition with new urethane seals. Not sure if it has the MAC 1 hot valve like the one I used on my 78 g but it has plenty of velocity comparable to my souped up 78g.

Accurate as they come, though when I first got it I had to clean a lot of lead and residues out of the rifling.

If I ever do have to replace the exhaust valve I intend to have the gun Nickel plated while its stripped down. I may get a plating out fit and do that myself.

How many Mk1 and Mk2 owners here?
What's your impression of this high quality CO2 pistol?

[rancher1913]

I think I have a couple of them, haven't played with them since I was a teenager, may have to go find them and get them refurbished. used to cut the ends off shoe laces, fray the back a little, push a pin through till it stuck out the front and those things were plenty accurate.

[Multigunner]

The Mk1 and Mk2 are certainly worth the cost of resealing. The O-rings even those of the highest quality materials are very reasonably priced. If a new exhaust valve were necessary the Mac 1 valve for this pistol is not that expensive and the best valve of this type made today.

I made a airgun dart for my .22 S&W 78g many years ago. I still have it. It held up very well . I turned a hardwood body for it with a groove for a leather O ring to ride the rifling and used some natural fibers to make a brush tail. The spike was made from a large darning needle.

Another experiment was using shotshell flechettes. a friend gave me a few of those. I made a sabot from a plastic straw and packed a cotton wad behind it. The 78g would bury these in seasoned walnut boards. The fletchettes often broke though.

[beezapilot]

I've a MKII that is my favorite to shoot with, I've a 50' air pistol / rifle range in my shop. Love plinking after work.

[Multigunner]

The Mk 1 and Mk 2 are classic examples of "they just don't make them like that anymore".

Heavy full metal construction, solid as a hammer.

I've seen images of some very beat up old Mk1 pistols but I've never seen one that was actually broken in any way other than having lost one of the knobs on the cocking piece.
Mine has the old style cast metal bolt knob but the cocking piece knobs look to be machined steel.
Mine has the adjustable trigger but not the fine adjustment screw for the hammer spring.

These pistols can have newer parts on older guns because they lasted so long many were sent back to Crosman for repairs and upgrades, or sent to qualified air gunsmiths for servicing.

Mine also has the push in piercing button rather than the lever style. I think I like it as it is.

Theres a Russian manufacture target pistol that appears to be a rip off of the Mk 1/ 78g operating system. Those are not available in the USA as far as I can tell.

The 78g is a much simpler design than the Mk1 with far fewer parts.

Crosman should consider bringing out an up dated design based on the 78g. Apparently they sold the patent for the basic operating system to Daisy long ago, or perhaps S&W did when Daisy came out with their cheaper version of the 79g.

If the Russian pistol , the LOV 1 I think they call it, were available in the US at a reasonable price it would sell very well.

MAC 1 airguns builds custom 12" barrel long range target pistols from Mk1 pistols. He gets some very high velocities from his guns.