RWS Diana 54 Airking .22

[slowcoach]

Just a few lines re this 'oldie' that I have recently awoken from a long sleep.
The gun was built in 2005, used extensively for 6 months or so then put away in its box whilst its owner went on various trips abroad and never came out to play again until a few weeks ago when I took ownership.

Now these are 'recoiless' in design in that the action is mounted on a sliding sled affair and the whole action recoils on runners at point of firing. Very little recoil or jump felt and the shot can be tracked through the scope. Think great clunking almost pcp performance:D

These are heavy beasts, on a par with a HW80 for nearest comparison, sidelever cocking fixed barrel design. All steel and wood apart from trigger, rear cylinder cover and forsight asy.

The gun after awakening was 'dry and squeaky' on cocking and sounded a little harsh on shooting with the sled system not fully travelling it's full extent.

Stripdown revealed hardened grease and congeled oil from it's long lay up inside the power plant and on the recoil rail system.

All cleaned off with solvent and properly lubed, recoil rail tension adjusted and put back together.

Much better, smooth sounds on cocking and a small smell of burnt lubes that cleared after 60 or so shots and action recoiling fully on shot release.

An absolute joy to shoot, heavy and confident in the aim, quick to load once mastered, and accurracy has to be seen to be believed, target can still be viewed through scope for follow through instead of leaping off target.

Why didn't I get one years ago?? Probably because I couldn't afford one and today they arn't cheap at around the £600 mark new.

Shot consistancy is very good and settled at around 601fps average with RWS superdomes to print ragged groups at 30 yards for 11.62ft/lbs.

Reading up further it was found that the action is almost on half throttle at these velocities as they run in the 20-25ft/lb range in countries without power restrictions so would make an ideal candidate for FAC in the UK I'd imagine.

If anyone is running at FAC level, could they post back their findings as to its performance? If good a slot could be taken up with the airking soon.

Link to Ruags site with brief 54 info

http://www.ruag.co.uk/?p=51&id=53

Cheers

[Vulcanator]

I would search the U.S. airgun forums and www.pyramydair.com click on their video link, they have a test of the RWS 54. It should provide what you're looking for.

[slowcoach]

Cheers Vulc.
Well I had to fiddle about some more as this was so promising after a bit of lube and target session.
Ordered a new breech seal from Chambers and a Vmach kit from BAR. Both arrived next day so cheers to both.

Stripdown was a doddle, followed the kit instructions to the letter and rebuilt. Thanks to Steve Pope for answering the phone call direct with some spot on advice re power adjustments and general kit fitting tips. Worked a treat after it was rebuilt a second time with power back to the legal side:)

The original spring that came out was a good 5-6 coils longer than the Vmach but with no top hat and a fairly loose rear spring guide, although it performed better after its wake up lube was still sounding a bit harsh and no amount of thick grease was going to take up the tolerance.

Steve's Vmach kit for the 54 has transformed it beyond all recognition, nice and quiet on the cocking stroke and a solid 'snap' on firing.

Sat down today on the clubs 25 yard indoor range (too windy outside) and shooting off a bean bag, nice and deliberate slow and steady.

Very pleased so far although a fair amount of running in still needed, looking good so far!
Cheers all

http://i833.photobucket.com/albums/zz254/slowcoach_photos/RWS54001.jpg
http://i833.photobucket.com/albums/zz254/slowcoach_photos/RWS54003.jpg
http://i833.photobucket.com/albums/zz254/slowcoach_photos/RWS54002.jpg

[Vulcanator]

That's some great grouping. Glad to hear the tune kit transformed the rifle. I wish Steve Pope would make an FAC kit for my Kodiak.

[Hellequin]

Nice review slowcoach, that's a good looking rifle and the performance sounds superb.

I had the chance of buying one of these a while back. I was going to have it uprated and put on ticket to complement my FAC'd HW80; the reason being that I figured the 54 would be better suited to prone 'rested' shooting.

I'm starting to wish I'd bought it now, instead of spending too much on an already FAC'd Daystate Mk3RT which I now have to send away to get bloody fixed...:rolleyes::mad:

Anyway, keep us posted on yours. Especially if you put it on ticket.:cool:

ATB
Paul

[slowcoach]

Cheers Paul.
Still trying to get my head around the fact that it is a springer of considerable weight that shoots as it does! Keep expecting scope blackout and recoil.

Have a free slot so may well go the FAC route, but I suppose once it's there it has to stay there.
Would be interesting but I think the pcp would win the day due to its flexability in the field, ie weight saving and overall accuracy in many differant positions.

I'll play about a bit more then make my mind up

ATB John:)

[yansica1]

This is on my must have list. A few years ago I had to return a used one to a dealer when it failed to cock shortly after I bought it :(. They are said to be happier at FAC levels :).

[air-tech]

Will do 23 ft/lbs with the correct spring and nothing more. You did well to fit a kit to yours, the factory guide is super sloppy and (at least at full power levels) the undamped spring does not last long.

Decent accuracy, far better than the 48/52 but I do feel that a TX can do just as well.

Possibly the shrouded barrel with intermediate sleeve assy results in a barrel that is more flexible than one which is solid, so the barrel vibrates/whips about upon firing, but this is just hypothesis.

[slowcoach]

Interesting, cheers for the info. It is a very efficient design by the looks of things and is raring to go. Will run for awhile in sub 12 mode and look into the best way fwd re FAC.
This is always so tricky and a grey area with air.
You buy a rimfire and you know what you're getting straight from the start almost guranteed and repeatable performance.

With air it seems a bit of a gamble, the hoops to jump through re legalities, i.e placing on ticket then finding it's not quite what you wanted, the change in classification from air to FAC (to which it must then stay??) and then applying for a variation to start again.

How have other people made the transition?

Anyone got their firearms dealer to convert so you can test and then place on ticket if suitable in effect transfering the gun onto the RFD who I assume can work on these things above standard energy levels and then declaring it if recoil and shooting habits, accuracy etc are satisfactory?
If not changing the guts back to sub 12FPE and carry on with the search?

I can imagine there are basement tuners who will get up to spec and then declare if the gun is to see the light of day but again this raises a sea of fog and grey areas.
This thing will wear an ox super strength supersonic chrome square gti with racing stripes spring without flinching I'd imagine such is its build and mechanism:rolleyes:

All a bit confusing and bothersome but would appreciate any feedback from others experiances

[Hellequin]

Interesting, cheers for the info. It is a very efficient design by the looks of things and is raring to go. Will run for awhile in sub 12 mode and look into the best way fwd re FAC.
This is always so tricky and a grey area with air.
You buy a rimfire and you know what you're getting straight from the start almost guranteed and repeatable performance.

With air it seems a bit of a gamble, the hoops to jump through re legalities, i.e placing on ticket then finding it's not quite what you wanted, the change in classification from air to FAC (to which it must then stay??) and then applying for a variation to start again.

How have other people made the transition?

All a bit confusing and bothersome but would appreciate any feedback from others experiances

I've had FAC air for a while now, I started with a pcp but always fancied an uprated springer. I had the advantage of knowing exactly what I wanted though, which was a tuned HW80 sitting in a nice custom stock.

Unfortunately I had neither the experience nor tools to do a proper job myself so once I'd got the donor rifle (a brand new 80k with the newer screw-cut carbine barrel) I sent it away for the work to be done. To keep the post a bit shorter, here's a link to the review I did on my rifle:

http://www.airgunbbs.com/showthread.php?433157-HW80k-Custom-(fac)

I know it's not going to be quite the same as tuning the 54 but it might be of some interest. As I said, I had the advantage of knowing exactly what I wanted from the rifle at the outset and also the confidence (with so many 80's having been done previously) that what I wanted was achievable. For me, it's been much more about how the rifle shoots and handles, rather than simply a power increase; if power is the main objective in FAC air then I still reckon a pcp is the way to go. On a purely personal level my HW80 offers me so much more than that.:cool:

[joffy]

SCOOBY1 on here had an fac rated one for sale last year .............he might be able to fill you in on how they perform when uprated ;)

[slowcoach]

Cheers guys.
Paul, just read your review, blimey you went through hell and high water by the sounds of it. Paitience paid off in the end to get you where you wanted to be.
I've added a bipod to the airking and have settled on H&N FTT's as well as the ammo of choice.
Just as accurate with the sledge system, so yet again a 1st for me in a springer that still shoots good on a bipod!


UPDATE
Can't sleep for thinking about what can be done, so looking for upgrade to FAC. !!!
Will keep you all posted!!

http://i833.photobucket.com/albums/zz254/slowcoach_photos/RWS54005.jpg

Cheers all

[Petervw]

Nice guns , I owned one about 5 years ago , 5.5 FAC (no FAC law in Belgium, but we can't hunt, too many people not enough land)
accurate in FAC but will kill your scope, make sure you get a springer rated scope

Peter

[original45]

Just a few lines re this 'oldie' that I have recently awoken from a long sleep.
The gun was built in 2005, used extensively for 6 months or so then put away in its box whilst its owner went on various trips abroad and never came out to play again until a few weeks ago when I took ownership.

Now these are 'recoiless' in design in that the action is mounted on a sliding sled affair and the whole action recoils on runners at point of firing. Very little recoil or jump felt and the shot can be tracked through the scope. Think great clunking almost pcp performance:D

These are heavy beasts, on a par with a HW80 for nearest comparison, sidelever cocking fixed barrel design. All steel and wood apart from trigger, rear cylinder cover and forsight asy.

The gun after awakening was 'dry and squeaky' on cocking and sounded a little harsh on shooting with the sled system not fully travelling it's full extent.

Stripdown revealed hardened grease and congeled oil from it's long lay up inside the power plant and on the recoil rail system.

All cleaned off with solvent and properly lubed, recoil rail tension adjusted and put back together.

Much better, smooth sounds on cocking and a small smell of burnt lubes that cleared after 60 or so shots and action recoiling fully on shot release.

An absolute joy to shoot, heavy and confident in the aim, quick to load once mastered, and accurracy has to be seen to be believed, target can still be viewed through scope for follow through instead of leaping off target.

Why didn't I get one years ago?? Probably because I couldn't afford one and today they arn't cheap at around the £600 mark new.

Shot consistancy is very good and settled at around 601fps average with RWS superdomes to print ragged groups at 30 yards for 11.62ft/lbs.

Reading up further it was found that the action is almost on half throttle at these velocities as they run in the 20-25ft/lb range in countries without power restrictions so would make an ideal candidate for FAC in the UK I'd imagine.

If anyone is running at FAC level, could they post back their findings as to its performance? If good a slot could be taken up with the airking soon.

Link to Ruags site with brief 54 info

http://www.ruag.co.uk/?p=51&id=53

Cheersyour review is quite good ,i enjoyed reading it mostly because someone likes it being yourself.its one of the best ever rifles.however i feel not so followed as other rifles as with all of diana/original models.they are fantastic quality and performers.the 54 especialy.once tuned quite simply to improve cocking and discharge cycle they become noticebly improved.its such a shame in uk we have a power limit as these rifles are best a little higher but we must abide by law .the dianawerkcollective is packed with reports advise and info for all diana variants.the guys are welcoming and most of all knowledgeable allways ready to help .long springs are a problem in the 54 ,the use of a shorter but bigger dia spring re a hw 80 is a good tip and spring sleece a neccesity to help smooth its already good action.and as with all rifles a debure and polish of rough edges and surfaces will always improve cycles ,and save damaged seals when stripping to re lube or replace .its a great rifle for a bipod too.check out hectors set up tips for the slidind sledge systerm on dianawerkcollective.as once tuned it will be beneficial.the 54 howitzer a real german piece of engineering quality that delivers.enjoy it

[Al Bundy]

Nice review Slowcoach :).
I recently bought one of these in the laminated stock and absolutely love it,in fact I've barely touched my other rifles!
I had a chance to shoot it indoors off the bipod to see how it groups and came up with these:
30 yards. (http://i226.photobucket.com/albums/dd282/rotel_photos/Diana54Group01.jpg)
50 yards. (http://i226.photobucket.com/albums/dd282/rotel_photos/Diana54Group02.jpg)
Pretty pleased with that as the bipod was resting on a concrete floor,so no chance of any vibration absorption.
I've still to test for the most accurate pellet and have bought a V-Mach kit to install at some point,but for now,very happy with it.

'Helga (http://i226.photobucket.com/albums/dd282/rotel_photos/Diana54Right.jpg)Howitzer' (http://i226.photobucket.com/albums/dd282/rotel_photos/Diana54Left.jpg).

Cheers,
Chris.