Prewar German Diana ID help.

[Tantomurata]

Help wanted to identify the model and age of this German made Diana.



Overall length is about 91cm (35 3/4")
Barrel is stamped DIANA-LUFT-GEWEHR it is smoothbore steel with a brass liner. Length 36cm (14 3/16")
Cylinder is marked only with the Diana huntress emblem and the word DIANA
From breech face to front of trigger block the cylinder measures 26.8cm (10 /8")
Trigger guard has two screws fixing at the front.
Front sight is a bead post, rear sight is missing.
Steel buttplate attached by two screws.

The only number on this gun is 62 (or possibly 52)
(The first number appears to be a 6, but with a flat top like a 5 has, however the loop is closed like a 6, not open like a 5)
This number appears on the underside of the breech block, the underside font of the cylinder and on the trigger block.

Any help from the Diana experts would be appreciated.

[Garvin]

Help wanted to identify the model and age of this German made Diana.



Overall length is about 91cm (35 3/4")
Barrel is stamped DIANA-LUFT-GEWEHR it is smoothbore steel with a brass liner. Length 36cm (14 3/16")
Cylinder is marked only with the Diana huntress emblem and the word DIANA
From breech face to front of trigger block the cylinder measures 26.8cm (10 /8")
Trigger guard has two screws fixing at the front.
Front sight is a bead post, rear sight is missing.
Steel buttplate attached by two screws.

The only number on this gun is 62 (or possibly 52)
(The first number appears to be a 6, but with a flat top like a 5 has, however the loop is closed like a 6, not open like a 5)
This number appears on the underside of the breech block, the underside font of the cylinder and on the trigger block.

Any help from the Diana experts would be appreciated.

There were various Diana-branded guns made before and shortly after WW1 about which little information seems to exist. At 91cm long it is similar to the later (1930s) model 22 (92cm), which had a half stock, so yours could be an earlier buttstock version of the 22.

Known pre-WW1 vintage guns seem to have had an MGR marking in a circle on the breech block whereas most Dianas with goddess on cylinder, no model number and Diana Luft-Gewehr on the barrel seem to date to the 1920s. My guess is that yours dates to the early or mid-'20s and is a first pattern mod 22.

[Tantomurata]

There were various Diana-branded guns made before and shortly after WW1 about which little information seems to exist. At 91cm long it is similar to the later (1930s) model 22 (92cm), which had a half stock, so yours could be an earlier buttstock version of the 22.

Known pre-WW1 vintage guns seem to have had an MGR marking in a circle on the breech block whereas most Dianas with goddess on cylinder, no model number and Diana Luft-Gewehr on the barrel seem to date to the 1920s. My guess is that yours dates to the early or mid-'20s and is a first pattern mod 22.

Thank you for the info. Do you know what the rearsight design would have been like?

[Garvin]

Thank you for the info. Do you know what the rearsight design would have been like?

My guess is either a fixed height 'V' in a dovetail block or, most likely, a simple sprung leaf in dovetail with thumbscrew elevation, similar to the ones fitted to the inter-War Dianas 22, 25 and 27.

[Micke1]

a Diana model 26 Youth, made 1913-33.

/ Micke

[Garvin]

a Diana model 26 Youth, made 1913-33.

/ Micke

I strongly disagree Micke! The pre-War break barrel mod 26 was 97cm long, had a curved trigger block and part-octagonal barrel.

[Micke1]

You are right, Garvin. There are lots of similarities, but also differences. I compared the model 25 youth in the Bluebook of Airguns with Tantomurata's picture and it looks like this.

http://www.mediafire.com/i/?klbqlpd0j1dqtn5

The Bluebook of Airguns, says its "youth" model. This makes sense and in those days Diana made toy guns for kids under the Eureka brand. They also marketed their products as things for youngsters to play with.
If you check the differences you can see that the 26 youth model has shorter butt, but a longer barrel, which sounds reasonable if you sell it to youngsters. The "Tantomora model" however, has so many similarities that it can be an adult model of the Diana 26, with longer butt but a shorter barrel.
Have you ever heard of such a model? Or am I totally on the wrong track?

/ Micke

[Garvin]

You are right, Garvin. There are lots of similarities, but also differences. I compared the model 25 youth in the Bluebook of Airguns with Tantomurata's picture and it looks like this.

http://www.mediafire.com/i/?klbqlpd0j1dqtn5

The Bluebook of Airguns, says its "youth" model. This makes sense and in those days Diana made toy guns for kids under the Eureka brand. They also marketed their products as things for youngsters to play with.
If you check the differences you can see that the 26 youth model has shorter butt, but a longer barrel, which sounds reasonable if you sell it to youngsters. The "Tantomora model" however, has so many similarities that it can be an adult model of the Diana 26, with longer butt but a shorter barrel.
Have you ever heard of such a model? Or am I totally on the wrong track?

/ Micke

I'm not sure Micke. The most detailed and credible list I've seen of early Dianas is the one <HERE>, although I think the dates written on by hand are not reliable. It' s worth paying attention to the overal rifle lengths when using this list to identify a particular gun. In my experience they are accurate.

Personally I don't trust the Beeman blue book as an authoritative source of information on Dianas because I've found so many omissions (and some errors) elsewhere.