HomeCompaniesShooting a Classic CCI Crosman Framed Phantom

Shooting a Classic CCI Crosman Framed Phantom

In this short video I test fire an early first generation CCI phantom with a Crosman frame.

I pulled this pump out, aired it up and found it still cycled without leaks so I decided to do this video. I didn’t clean/oil it before hand but I am sure once I go over it and possibly change springs the stroke will be nice and smooth and the velocity problem will be fixed.

Phantom number 67.
Crosman framed early Phantom, serial #1167. This is Phantom Number 67.

I didn’t realize how pitiful my shooting was until after I had exported the video, I definitely need to work on my trick shot.

Crosman framed Phantom, right side view.
Right side show of Phantom 67. Battle grips came from Palmers.

This early phantom uses the Crosman frame rather than CCI’s m-16 frame.
In the video my numbers are slightly off for production numbers.

Serial number on the back of the Crosman framed phantom rail.
Serial number stamped on the back of the frame. Serial shows 1167. Serials must have started at 67.

Mike Casady told me he made around 100 Crosman framed Phantoms and then started at 2000 for the serials he used on his M16 grip frame phantoms.
Casady said he made around 10 of the barrel and rail kits. These would likely resemble a phantom but use a 007 frame. I’ve never come across one of these kit.

Early phantom patch in used shape.
Early Phantom patch. This patch is obviously worn but has a silver phantom on it.

When Tim Firpo, Derek Roberts and I visited Mike Casady he showed us a Phantom with serial 1111, which he said was the 11th Phantom made. This makes the pictured Phantom in this video number 67.

Side view of the Crosman frame on the early phantom.
Side view of the raw rail and Crosman frame on the early phantom.

The grips on the pictured Crosman framed Phantom came from a recent visit to Palmer’s Pursuit Shop and were likely cast by Forest Cox of Elite Products.

An early Crosman framed phantom ad.
An early advertisement photo for the Crosman framed Phantom that I reshot at CCI in May of 2013.

According to Mike Casady, he began production on the early Crosman framed phantoms in 1987.  Ads started appearing in APG and frontline around this time.

Another shot of the Battle grips on the Crosman frame.
Another shot of the Battle grips on the Crosman frame.

Mike was forced to stop using the Crosman frame at some point around 1988 or so when Aldo Perrone, of Brass Eagle, convinced Crosman to not sell the frames to anyone else using them for paintball projects.

Find CCI online at:
http://www.phantomonline.com/

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1 COMMENT

  1. Hello,

    I’m trying to date my Phantom Express. Is there a list of serial numbers for comparison anywhere? I believe mine was used at the 1989 UK Mayhem Masters (Patches found along with the Marker in a house clearance). Unibody with Phantom frame, but different to another Unibody I own. The feedneck stub looks to have been threaded into the body then roughly soldered- but still looks factory, where my other Unibody has a modern looking pressed in feedneck stub. Serial looks to read 6568 (Could read 0568?), and what looks to be the newer of the two reads 3204.

    Great website, and I love paintball history!
    Regards,
    Tam

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