Pre-war Diana 27 info.

[Phil Russell]

I admit to having a soft spot for the pre-war Diana 27 ... the quarter stock version made in and around the 1920's. I, and a friend, have used them for vintage air rifle shoots and it is clear that there were differences in construction of the model during its manufacturing run. Yet I have not come across definitive information detailing this. I have now come across reference to an article by Ladd Fanta in Gun Digest 1977 where he covers the Mod 27. But it is not clear whether this includes much information on the pre-war version or not. A search on 'Ladd Fanta Diana 27' has brought up an article by him but it is quite short, deals mostly with the post war 27 and is not in Gun Digest.

So: a question, and a possible favour, if I may: Does the 1977 Gun Digest article give much information on the pre-war 27? Does anyone have a scan of the article they would be willing to let me have? I have only found copies of the 1977 Gun Digest to be available from the USA, plus one from Spain. Cost is reasonable but postage is steep and I am not sure I want to gamble on a copy unless the article is worth it.

Maybe I should wait for a copy of Gun Digest to come along in the UK as 'everything comes to those who wait'....

As an example of differences: I am pretty sure that some came with the breech seal on the barrel; others have it on the cylinder. Some have 'keeper screws' on the barrel pivot, others do not. They are lovely rifles and so very easy to work on. Some were clearly used as 'target' rifles, maybe bell target, as I have one where a previous owner has made a dioptre sight from copper plumbing pipe; presumably to save money.

Cheers, Phil

[aimless]

Hi, did you see this site :

http://www.network54.com/Forum/662823/

maybe it helps

Jochen

[Garvin]

I admit to having a soft spot for the pre-war Diana 27 ... the quarter stock version made in and around the 1920's. I, and a friend, have used them for vintage air rifle shoots and it is clear that there were differences in construction of the model during its manufacturing run. Yet I have not come across definitive information detailing this. I have now come across reference to an article by Ladd Fanta in Gun Digest 1977 where he covers the Mod 27. But it is not clear whether this includes much information on the pre-war version or not. A search on 'Ladd Fanta Diana 27' has brought up an article by him but it is quite short, deals mostly with the post war 27 and is not in Gun Digest.

So: a question, and a possible favour, if I may: Does the 1977 Gun Digest article give much information on the pre-war 27? Does anyone have a scan of the article they would be willing to let me have? I have only found copies of the 1977 Gun Digest to be available from the USA, plus one from Spain. Cost is reasonable but postage is steep and I am not sure I want to gamble on a copy unless the article is worth it.

Maybe I should wait for a copy of Gun Digest to come along in the UK as 'everything comes to those who wait'....

As an example of differences: I am pretty sure that some came with the breech seal on the barrel; others have it on the cylinder. Some have 'keeper screws' on the barrel pivot, others do not. They are lovely rifles and so very easy to work on. Some were clearly used as 'target' rifles, maybe bell target, as I have one where a previous owner has made a dioptre sight from copper plumbing pipe; presumably to save money.

Cheers, Phil

Hi Phil

I must say, I would be amazed if Ladd Fanta, writing in the pre-internet 1970s, was able to write anything approaching a definitive article on the pre-WW2 mod 27, either earlier buttstock or later half stock models. I've probably seen detailed pics of 30+ examples of this model and have owned five or six over the years, and they are still largely a mystery to me.

There seems to have been a permanent revolution going on at the Diana factory in the '20s and '30s, with variants being churned out constantly, making a retrospective cataloguing of the changes very difficult, if not impossible. I've pretty much given up making speculations on the subject, because of the likelihood that one will turn up next week to confound my theory!

I think it's possible variants were being produced simultaneously, such as plus/minus keeper screws on pivot/trigger bolts, making compiling a chronological catalogue harder.

I would say I know very little that's certain about the pre-WW2 Dianas, apart from the obvious assumptions that, for instance, screw-on endcaps replaced plugs on the half-stock models from the early 1930s, and that the 'double pull' triggers were fitted from around the mid-1930s onwards (to 'DRP' mods 27 and up), but suspect that also:

There were older (more revealing) and newer (more prim) Diana goddess stamps;

Earlier models lacked a model number on the cylinder;

Earlier models had 'DIANA LUFT-GEWEHR on the top of the barrel;

Half-stock models (up to and including the model 35 but not 45 or 58) had month and year date stamped into the butt;

Some earlier models had date stamps under the cocking link and around the breech underside, but this practice ceased around 1931; and

The earliest MG/R type models 27 had a hexagonal-to-round barrel, round trigger block (rather than the later curved, flat-sided block), no goddess stamp

I'm probably forgetting other observations but those are the main ones. The breech seal location variations are new to me.

Possibly the BBS member who knows most on this subject is Keld (AKA aircol?) from Denmark.