diana mod 66 barrel sleeve steel or aluminium

[ianbobo1]

Hi there I have a diana mod 66 which is missing its barrel sleeve so I am going to make one but would like to ask are the original ones made of steel or aluminium .... and given the choice to fabricate what would you prefer the heavier steel or lighter aluminium thanks

[zooma]

One of our club members fitted a section of carbon fibre tubing to his Model 66 as a barrel sleeve and it looked dead smart. It probably came from an old fishing rod

Another fitted some narrow pvc black pipe and then added some tight fitting black plastic mesh tubing to it and that also looks really good as well. You could also check to see what types of decorative heat shrink and self adhesive vinyl are available - or just spray it matt black.

Some shooters prefer not to have the barrel weight fitted as it is quite a heavy rifle for some shooters to manage and it also suites those that prefer the balance of the rifle to be closer to the body.

Any tube that fits can be used but a choice of tube materials can make the rifle feel quite different (eg pvc/alloy/plastic/steel) and when fitted they are quick and easy to swop around.

Some of the original steel barrel tubes were glued-on in the factory and if you have one of these the glue may have spoilt the finish on the barrel.

Tubes with a bore that is a little too large can also be made to fit well if some suitably sized "O" rings are used between them and the barrel.

There is no need to glue the new sleeve onto the barrel - it is far better to keep your options open so you can try the rifle with no sleeve weight at all or test and try various options to find what you like the best.

[ianbobo1]

Thanks zooma I appreciate all your help .. as when I bought the gun the barrel sleeve was missing but it does still has the retaining knurled nut so its a start lol ... again thanks

[18 Wheeler]

Hi rickenbacker yes pics and dimensions would be a great help thanks

Got one you can copy if you pay postage and promise to send it back

That's you're best bet, and a kind offer, if you are looking to replicate the original Original item. It'll make clear the method of centralising the sleeve etc.

As Zooma has said there are lots of options to sleeve your barrel. Mine has a rare factory original "cocking aid" which tidies up the appearance and gives a larger diameter fixture to get ahold of. Photos here, it uses the rubber stop on the foresight & the locknut at the muzzle to locate it.

Some figures from my 66 heavy laufmantel (barrel sleeve/weight): [OAL is ~ 355mm.mod66]
(the earlier mod.60 sleeve is similar but only 21mm OD & blued):

Mod.66 laufmantel	nominal (mm)	measured (mm)
OD	24	23.98
iD	16	16.04
Wt	600g	599g

-As rickenbacker says, it's heavy. Most of us hobby shooters struggle with the heavy sleeves. It's easy enough to attach a similar weight to your barrel and get an impression of the balance/weight.

-A laufmantel, made to similar dimensions but in aluminium should weigh about 35% of the steel version so 215g (7.6 ozs vs 21.1ozs) that's nearly a Pound, much more manageable, I've got one of these in the pipeline too when time allows.

-The front of the sleeve has a chamfer and corresponding washer and lock nut to centralise it, whilst at the rear your barrel should have a collar (scalloped to blend in with the breech block) and the sleeve is also chamfered here to centralise it on the collar with an o-ring preventing metal to metal contact.

You can see the details in these photos from Bob's (zooma) excellent airgun site, and the forward arrangement in this photo (its a mod.60 hence slimmer sleeve but the method is the same).

HTH

[Rickenbacker]

I see that Bob, and the fabulous Mr Wheels, have provided the required info - which saves me trying to do it

A bit confusing having the same thing posted in two sections... perhaps the OP could ask a mod' to merge the threads? As the same info could also help somebody else in the future

ATB - Phil

[RobinC]

I do have a couple of Original 66 tubes complete with washers and lock rings, you are welcome to one if you wish. E mail me with your address.
Good shooting
Robin

[ianbobo1]

Hi all thanks very much for all your help but I think robin has saved me fabricating one but the information is valuable for future projects and hopefully of use to other folk .. again thanks for the great informative and kind response

[Batmanthe1]

I do have a couple of Original 66 tubes complete with washers and lock rings, you are welcome to one if you wish. E mail me with your address.
Good shooting
Robin

Hi robin, i see that you had a few for sale.... can im looking for one to complete my rifle. How much are they posted? Buckinghamshire, uk ty ray