" info wanted " original 48e early/underlever

[JSD]

hi all, does anyone have the above 48e ? it is similar to the bsa/l/jeffries
in looks/ style ! would like to see a few pics ! info on when it was made,
length, weight, how accurate, thankyou.. rgds.. J.S.D.

[Topi]

A quick look at Co2Air.de gave the manufacture time span as 1920 - 1940. Length is given as 115 cm and there would seem to have been an extra heavy model as well, the 48RM. There doesn't seem to be much data around about that rifle, though.

I'd guess they would have been imported under the Diana brand even to the UK at that time, if they were imported there at all. The switch from Diana (Germany) to Original in the UK was post-WWII, right?

Cheers,

-Topi

[edbear2]

Apparently, According to Hiller, Then were around from the early 1920's - 1940's, and the "e" variations are quite rare, with only 3,000 being made..The top of the cylinder has the Diana - mod 48 stamped into it with the huntress trade mark. The tap loading plate has a central locking screw between the two securing screws (nice germanic touch!)....as BSA ones can be loose!.....some have "made in Germany" stamped underneath...and a number may be on the stock......The top of the barrel may be stamped "Diana-luft-Gewehr"....but this is often faint..available in .177 and .22........They are very similar in style and appearance to pre-war BSA standards.......in fact I think there may have been grumblings at the time from British company's about "inferior copys" ....although the one I have seen and examined looked to be very well made, as all weapons of that period were!

Also according to Hiller, the company Mayer and Grammelspacher used "diana" pre war, and "original" afterwards.....But the guy who will know more (and probably correct me) is Garvin, who is into the older german stuff, and will probably have some piccys too.....

Value (in 1985!).......was given at £100-150.......not much help I know, but I would personally say a nice one should be worth more than an equivalent BSA, although collectors are a loyal lot to their favourites, and many good guns are undervalued for various reasons......I personally think these are very nice guns


A little more here.

http://www.airgunforum.net/agf/index...howtopic=41564

Told you Garvin would be involved!

[Garvin]

I can't add much to the info already given, except to say that the later 48s had a straight cocking lever like the inter-War BSAs while the earlier ones had a thicker part for the hand to grip. It also looks like the central locking screw on the loading tap plate was phased in at some point between the 1920s and early 1930s. Here's a thread on the American vintage forum with some pics of the Diana 48.

[JSD]

hi topi, edbear2, &, garvin, thanx for the information on the rifle,
garvin, i cannot get the pics up on p.c. ! kind rgds.. JSD...