Diana Model 27 'doerupper'

[Bad Beagle]

Hi All - I have just been gifted the above rifle see link to pics.

http://s618.photobucket.com/user/bad...a%20Model%2027

Initial findings are basically sound but needs good clean up and lube which I shall do using the excellent "tuning the older springer" guide on here.

Its full of oil I think ! 10 shot string:

hi 631 lo 566 av 605 sd 20

I will strip and Danish Oil the stock.

Appears to need the following:

Rear sight
Stock screws
Breach seal
And what I shall refer to as the lower (beneath the transfer port) barrel alignment catch.

Do you think I could get all these parts at Chambers ?

Do you think its possible to get a scope rail to fit it ?

Any hints / tips from you experienced chaps ?

Many thanks

Steve

[Bad Beagle]

Thanks for the informative pm Guy. The previous owner made up a replacement barrel latch but it is not hardened; its an interference fit.

I notice also that pellets are a very tight fit in the breech, needing a good probe to load them.

[Bad Beagle]

Stripped it down today...it is unlike the description in the strip guide so I think the Milbro Diana 27 is significantly different. I retaining pin, no ball bearings.

Piston was extremely tight in the tube and I would appreciate thoughts on the new pictures added to pbucket link.

How does the spring look ? Length about right (210mm) ?
What about the washer unit ?
I can't see how the rear sight would attach so need to think hard about scope rail solutions !

Thanks for looking.

Steve

[gedfinn 2]

Stripped it down today...it is unlike the description in the strip guide so I think the Milbro Diana 27 is significantly different. I retaining pin, no ball bearings.

Piston was extremely tight in the tube and I would appreciate thoughts on the new pictures added to pbucket link.

How does the spring look ? Length about right (210mm) ?
What about the washer unit ?
I can't see how the rear sight would attach so need to think hard about scope rail solutions !

Thanks for looking.

Steve

Hi, I have one ( Somewhere )
It is though an Original 27 , With the 3 ball bearing trigger , The Original models throughout the range are IMO much better made,
I have a 22, ( 23, The best ) 25 & 27

The 27 is a powerfull gun for what it is, Good trigger Etc , Its a shame no one wants them anymore , The cost of parts & The scarecity of the same make them "almost" not a viable option ,
Ged.

27 nearest camera ,

[aircol]

BUT , it is a copi of diana/Original 25 , i expect the cylinder is longer than on 25 ?? 25= 28cm . 27=34 cm.
leather/piston 25mm on both , spring 28cm long(new) same spring in 25 just chorter .
Strange why Milbro made the 27 like this , maybe Garvin has an explanation ??

[T 20]

BUT , it is a copi of diana/Original 25 , i expect the cylinder is longer than on 25 ?? 25= 28cm . 27=34 cm.
leather/piston 25mm on both , spring 28cm long(new) same spring in 25 just chorter .
Strange why Milbro made the 27 like this , maybe Garvin has an explanation ??

Perhaps it's a copy of the pre war 35 but stamped as 27 by Milbro, as you say Garvin will know more.

After WW2 the allies confiscated all the tooling from Mayer and Gremmelspacher (naughty Germans) and gave it to Milard brothers ( Milbro) on the understanding that they set up a factory in a deprived area of the UK so as to create jobs.

So Milbro set up a factory in Motherwell in Scotland producing pre war Mayer and Gremmelspacher Diana's.

Webley got the Diana under lever and called it the Webley MK3.

And BSA got the Bantam motorbike, but that's another story.


This tells us that the 27 we're looking at was made in Scotland by Milbro:-

http://s618.photobucket.com/user/bad...ml?sort=3&o=11

And won't have a three bearing German Diana trigger unit.



All the best Mick

[aircol]

After WW2 the allies confiscated all the tooling from Mayer and Gremmelspacher (naughty Germans) and gave it to Milard brothers ( Milbro) on the understanding that they set up a factory in a deprived area of the UK so as to create jobs.

So Milbro set up a factory in Scotland producing pre war Mayer and Gremmelspacher Diana's.

Webley got the Diana under lever and called it the Webley MK3.

And BSA got the Bantam motorbike, but that's another story.



All the best Mick

The French confiscated the Rastatt machines and sold them to Millard Brothers London , who made Milbro in Scotland , according to my books , but i wonder why they used this trigger system (diana 25) the Germans made a better trigger system on their pre war 27 , so why go back to this old system , or as i say , diana 25 system.
Didnt know abouth the Webley and Bsa
http://www.network54.com/Forum/67020...er+%281930s%29
Did Bsa make 2stroke engines ?? or did Bantam make 4 stroke ? i had a Bsa 600ccm in my younger days , was it a M21 or ??

[T 20]

The BSA Bantam was originally a 125cc two stroke of German design, Harley Davidson also had the design and produced their own version of this bike as well.

BSA wanted the gear change on the opposite side to the German bike so they traced the German blueprints and then simply turned the tracing over.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/BSA_Bantam



All the best Mick

[gedfinn 2]

The BSA Bantam was originally a 125cc two stroke of German design, Harley Davidson also had the design and produced their own version of this bike as well.

BSA wanted the gear change on the opposite side to the German bike so they traced the German blueprints and then simply turned the tracing over.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/BSA_Bantam



All the best Mick

Now its funny you should mention that ! ( Bsa Bantam )

The diana/Original air rifles in Models 22, 23 , 25 , 27 , 35 & 35S I have, I stated " Scarecity " Tonue in cheek in my post ! I was referring to the cost of parts, The Originals were much better made, The Diana,s OK, The Milbro,s a pile of junk ?

After the original ( No pun intended ) All the others were copies, & of a lesser Ilk , Copies are never as good as the originals,
Back to the Bantams !!!!!!!
My love in early life was motorcycles , I raced Yams, ( Yas 1.s & Yas 3,s ) Kawi,s & Bridgestones Gtr.s in the 1960,s & Carried Oxy-Acetylene bottles to the meetings, Gas welding the Aluminium piston holes & Broken crankcases, A lucrative business then, Paid for my racing,

But my first real bought racer was an Ex George Todd 125cc Bantam , ( Ex postal worker bike ) I do not know if you know, but he was the first to use 100-1 Engine oil lubrication ,

The power with very little oil was greatly improved , However !!!!!!!! Keep your hand on the clutch lever Ha ha, They seized ,
I think the oil was Bardahl ? Or something similiar ,

Nostalgia , Yes a great thing ! Ged.

[crowbar]

The rear sight is spot welded on the Milbro/Diana and at the rear of the comp tube is a small scope rail held on by two
screws threaded into the cylinder.

The scope rail measures .284"x2".

[crowbar]

The Chinese B2 is similar so perhaps the breech seal might fit and possibly other bits.

[Bad Beagle]

Thank you gents, this is very interesting to me and I would be grateful for any further comment.

Steve

[T 20]

Thank you gents, this is very interesting to me and I would be grateful for any further comment.

Steve

Hi Steve

Knibbs and Chambers both do breech seals but why not have a go at making your own ?

I use Neoprene pipe to make them for b2, Meteors etc.

Square the end of the neoprene tube and push into the breech seal groove, when your happy with the fit pour some superglue in the groove and push the tube back in:-

http://i1138.photobucket.com/albums/...3012012500.jpg

Now you need to trim the tube to size, I use a washer as a cutting guide:-

http://i1138.photobucket.com/albums/...3012012501.jpg

After cutting off with a Stanly knife blade you the have to sand the seal down to size to end up with something like this:-

http://i1138.photobucket.com/albums/...3012012512.jpg


Hope this helps




All the best Mick

[Bad Beagle]

Mick - looks easy enough. What diameter neoprene pipe and where would I get that ?

Steve

[T 20]

Mick - looks easy enough. What diameter neoprene pipe and where would I get that ?

Steve

Hi Steve

I think I bought the tube from my local motor factors and it had a 6/7mm ID, but it stretches up easily if you warm it in hot water.



All the best Mick