Well, it’s a quiet afternoon but after my plinking session I’m not quite in the mood to do any proper work so I thought I’d share a couple of bits with anyone who might be interested.

This has to be the Dinkiest little side lever there is! Isn’t it adoreable! I have a soft spot for sidelevers anyway, so when I saw this it seemed inevitable it’d be quietly moving into the wardrobe.

http://i377.photobucket.com/albums/o...ink/diana9.jpg
http://i377.photobucket.com/albums/o...ink/diana7.jpg

sidelever detail
http://i377.photobucket.com/albums/o...ink/diana8.jpg
http://i377.photobucket.com/albums/o...ink/diana5.jpg

barrel sleeve
http://i377.photobucket.com/albums/o...ink/diana4.jpg

signature
http://i377.photobucket.com/albums/o...ink/diana6.jpg


It’s a Diana model 0, and the impressed stamp of 10.51 to the end of the butt gives it a German manufacturing date of October 1951, though you’d be forgiven for thinking its earlier as the loading tube is the same type as the model 1’s. The action is simply signed ‘DIANA FOREIGN’. The Model 0 was manufactured in Germany from August 1949 until (I think ) 1952. It can fire corks (with the friction fit barrel end removed) or .177 pellets / ball using the brass barrel sleeve. With pellets its easier to load by removing the inner barrel sleeve and seating them at the end. With ball you can load it like a musket, and simply nudge them directly home with a bit of plastic rod.
Its not as ineffectual as it looks; it chrono’s at just over 200fps so packs a decent punch for its diminutive size!

http://i377.photobucket.com/albums/o...ink/diana3.jpg

In comparison this is it next to a Diana Model 1. These were manufactured from 1913 through to about 1940 and were retailed under a number of trade names as the Diana trademark ended up in Scotland with Milbro after WWII as part of the reparations. This is one of them, retailed under the name ‘Hector’.


The earlier Dianas tended to have a blued or blackened finish to the tinplate, but this is a lovely shiny chrome. –Check out the superb logo with a schoolboy in his shorts with his rifle!

http://i377.photobucket.com/albums/o...ink/diana2.jpg

And finally… to put the size in perspective, here’s the Model 0 again with its new big brother 46S :

http://i377.photobucket.com/albums/o...ink/diana1.jpg


I can see a mini-series starting.... 'Tales from the wardrobe'...